Panthers gun Stephen Crichton is reportedly “desperate” to remain at the foot of the Blue Mountains despite a big-money offer from the Bulldogs.
Mitchell Moses is in the middle of a three-club race for his signature, while the Roosters’ salary cap squeeze could see a young gun exit.
Read below for the latest Transfer Whispers!
CRICHTON’S ‘DESPERATE’ PLEA
The Panthers are reportedly yet to table a contract to gun centre Stephen Crichton who is “desperate” to remain with the reigning premiers.
Penrith reportedly put contract negotiations on hold until the salary cap was finalised but, according to The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, haven’t made the 22-year-old an offer beyond 2023.
The Bulldogs and Dolphins were reportedly interested in signing Crichton to play fullback, which would see his salary boosted significantly.
However, Crichton is reportedly willing to take a “significant pay cut” to re-sign with the Panthers.
“This is a story that I think could blow up in the next week or two, the development is that Stephen Crichton, grand final hero, is absolutely desperate to stay at the Penrith Panthers,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“He grew up in the area alongside all his teammates there and he played for Samoa alongside his teammates, and he does not want to go anywhere.
“There has been media reports that he wants to play fullback, he is denying that and understands their current fullback has done such a wonderful job… that he understands his future at the club at this stage is as a centre.
“He is prepared to take a significant pay-cut to stay at the Panthers, the problem is the club has not made him any sort of offer to stay.
“Penrith can get out of this by saying look we only found out the day before Christmas what the salary cap is… so the ball is now in Penrith’s court.
“The Panthers were always concerned they would not be able to match the fullback money that clubs like the Bulldogs will be offering, and he has got his former coach there.”
Rothfield also praised the young gun for staying loyal to the team he made his debut at in 2019 before going on to win two premierships.
“But he wants to stay at Penrith… I really like, in this day and age, I think another player in his position who was sitting back waiting for an offer and hadn’t received one would have jumped ship by now,” Rothfield said.
“I really admire his loyalty to Penrith, but that can only last so long, he is a young player, only 22-years of age and he has to sort his future out, I think he is one of the most exciting players in the NRL.
“I think Matt Cameron, Ivan Cleary and everyone else at Penrith need to get off their backsides and talk to this kid and say this is your offer.
“Then he can sit down with his manager and financial advisor and work out what sort of financial hit he is willing to take.”
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MOSES’ MILLION-DOLLAR DILEMMA
Three clubs are reportedly in the race to sign Eels superstar Mitchell Moses — and his former club has tabled a huge contract offer.
According to Rothfield, the Tigers have reportedly tabled a deal worth upwards of $1.3 million-per-season in a bid to welcome the halfback back to Leichhardt.
The Bulldogs have also tabled a $1.2 million-dollar deal while the Eels offer sits just above the million-dollar mark.
“The Wests Tigers have gone very heavy with an offer of over $1.3 million per-year, probably towards $1.4 million,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have gone in at $1.2 million and Parramatta have offered a little bit over $1 million per-year for their gun playmaker.”
Rothfield also revealed that Moses’ agent, Isaac Moses, is hoping the Eels have room to increase their offer and will sit down for a meeting in the coming days.
“I spoke to his manager Isaac Moses late last week, there’s all this talk that he’s on the verge of pulling the pin on Parramatta to accept one of these big money offers,” Rothfield said.
“If he goes I think it will be to Canterbury, but Isaac Moses did say he was going to have a meeting with Parramatta this week… he is going to see if they can possibly increase their offer slightly.
“He started in Parramatta juniors before he went to the Tigers all those years ago, there’s still hope for Eels fans.”
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BATEMAN’S TIGERS DOUBTS
Tigers recruit John Bateman’s Super League coach has revealed just how close he was to remaining with Wigan for the 2023 season.
The 29-year-old English international signed a four-year deal with the merger club in late December, having last played in the NRL with the Raiders in 2020.
Bateman was considering remaining with Wigan for one more season before once again making the move to Australia, but Wigan coach Matt Peet said after a final meeting it was clear he was ready for an NRL return.
“He was only clear (that he wanted to leave) right at the end,” Peet said to Wigan Today.
“For a while he seemed to be caught in two minds, and it was only in my very last meeting with him that it was clear that his mind was made up. The club and Wests came to an agreement quickly.
“It would’ve been great if it had been dealt with quicker but with the World Cup it wasn’t meant to be.
“I was always aware that there was a chance it could go either way, and I got my head around that.”
Bateman joins Apisai Koroisau, David Klemmer and Isaiah Papali’i in making the move to Leichhardt to play under experienced coach Tim Sheens.
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ROOSTERS’ SALARY CAP SQUEEZE
Roosters young gun Joseph Suaalii reportedly hasn’t taken up his option for the 2024 season as rival NRL clubs as well as the Australian Rugby Union prepare their bids.
The 19-year-old can field offers from rivals until he takes up his player option, but Rothfield questioned how the rising star will fit in the Tricolours’ salary cap.
With a talented squad including James Tedesco, Joey Manu, Angus Crichton, Luke Keary and Sam Walker — there may not be funds available to compete with the million-dollar offers likely to be tabled for Suaalii’s services.
“This young fellow is a sensational player… look everyone in rugby league talks about the Roosters salary cap don’t they,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“I just don’t see where they are going to be in a position to pay him, despite the fact he is still a teenager, the eight, nine hundred-thousand, towards a million dollars, that other clubs would be prepared to pay for the brightest young star in rugby league.
“Having said that I know he loves the Roosters, he loves Trent Robinson, he’s really grateful for the fact the club has educated him so patiently to help him adjust to the rigours of day in, day out NRL football.
“The other question is the Wallabies, they have struggled a lot in recent times to have big-name players.
“The Roosters don’t want to put pressure on him but eventually he is going to have to make a decision… because he is off-contract at the end of this year and they need a call on him.”
