The Wests Tigers personnel merry-go-round is set to continue, with Jacob Liddle the latest player linked with a departure from Concord.
Liddle has suffered an injury-disrupted career, taking the hooker six seasons to notch up his 50th NRL game, and only playing more than 13 NRL games in a season just once. While he's been lucky on the injury front of late, notching 30 of his 74 NRL games between Round 1, 2021 and now, it appears Liddle's days as a Tiger are coming to a close.
The signature of Api Koroisau for 2023 coupled with the development of young hookers Jake Simpkin and Rua Ngatikaura will leave Liddle without a role to play for Wests beyond 2022, a call most likely coming from soon-to-be head coach, Tim Sheens.
Despite all the injury clouds that have circled through his seven-season career, it hasn't stopped the suitors from lining up for the 25-year-old rake.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that St. George Illawarra head coach Anthony Griffin has already met with Liddle about joining the Red V, with hooker Andrew McCullough set to turn 33 before next season starts, and Moses Mbye not viewed as a full-time dummy-half option.
Parramatta is also reportedly keen despite signing English veteran Josh Hodgson for next season, as well as the Gold Coast Titans, who have really struggled with Erin Clark at hooker this season.
The potential departure comes in the midst of a monster shake-up at Leichhardt, with the club looking to name Tim Sheens as their coach for 2023 and beyond, whilst juggling their current roster, and are now praying to every god imaginable that Isaiah Papali'i doesn't walk away from his contract to join the club next season.
Despite Fa'amanu Brown's form keeping Liddle out of first-grade, a mid-season transfer before the August 1 deadline is unlikely for the number nine, with Simpkins having his own injury issues this year, and Ngatikaura not yet ready to make the leap into the NRL.
Liddle will instead line up for the Western Suburbs Magpies, the Wests Tigers NSW Cup feeder side, against the Penrith Panthers at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday afternoon.
