Reece Walsh's confession about Broncos young gun as $5 million star faces pressure for spot

Reece Walsh says Brisbane's own 'Latrell' will keep him honest in the years to come as the Broncos have a surplus of top young talent with their eyes set on dethroning Walsh. With the 22-year-old fullback's former deputy Tristan Sailor moving to the UK Super League in search of a regular starting role, Latrell Siegwalt has emerged as the man most likely to replace Walsh as Broncos No.1 when injury or Origin rules Walsh out. Siegwalt has been handed a train-and-trial contract by Broncos coach Michael Maguire and the Indigenous young gun has been joined by Lachie West and Hayze Perham at the club, with the trio battling it out to be Walsh's understudy. However, Walsh knows the trio won't be content with playing back-up long-term and will ultimately have their eyes set on taking his No.1 jersey. "It’s exciting, there’s some really good talent out there," Walsh told The Courier-Mail. "With ‘Tritto’ (Tristan Sailor) going to the UK, I am happy for him and I know he will go over there and kill it. He told me he will be one of the best in the comp. "There’s some good talent here. There’s Latrell, there’s Lachie West and Hayze isn’t back at training yet, but all the boys are hungry and we’ll be pushing each other. I can’t wait to learn from those guys and continue to grow and play good footy together."

Melbourne Storm boss makes call on Ryan Papenhuyzen position switch amid Sua Fa'alogo dilemma

Storm chief executive Justin Rodski says there's a growing belief that Ryan Papenhuyzen will extend his deal beyond 2025 as he laid out a plan to fit both the superstar fullback and young gun Sua Fa'alogo into the Melbourne side moving forward. Papenhuyzen has one year left on his deal and has been free to negotiate with rival clubs since November 1 for 2026 and beyond. But the 26-year-old has reportedly decided to extend his deal with Melbourne after knocking back advances from NRL rivals, in particular the Bulldogs, who were willing to offer him significantly more money. The 2020 Clive Churchill Medal winner always insisted money wouldn't be a deciding factor for his next contract and the Storm are confident he will sign a new one-year extension with the club, keeping him in Melbourne at least until the end of 2026. "It's in a positive position where we're getting more and more confident in Ryan extending with us. We're working through those details," Rodski said. "At the moment, there's a couple of different options on the table that we're discussing, but at this point in time we're getting more and more confident that he'll remain in Melbourne and extend his contract with us."

Get rid of them - Great's shock call on Tigers trio

Dual international Mat Rogers has urged the Wests Tigers to "get rid of" players who failed to return for pre-season in shape. Latu Fainu, Solomona Faatape and Solomone Saukuru will front the club's board after their weight and skinfold tests weren't at the expected level, while their 1.6km time trial numbers also fell short in the first week of training. The message sent by coach Benji Marshall has been applauded by those within the game, with the trio breached for their lack of fitness. But according to Rogers, who represented Australia in both league and union, the coach and chief executive Shane Richardson need to take it a step further. "I'd be shocked if they wear a Tigers jersey again," he said on SEN Radio. "They are not star players by any stretch. They are in the top 30 squad of the team that came last and rock up to training in that condition. "Personally, if I was Benji Marshall and Shane Richardson, I'd just get rid of them. Get three blokes in there that actually want to add value to the place. "That's not how a good club operates. The fact they have to front the board, I will genuinely be shocked if they have a career beyond that meeting at the Wests Tigers." Along with being a former player, Rogers is also an accredited agent, working with a host of young players vying for spots on an NRL roster. His comments come after Roosters star Brandon Smith also took aim at the misfiring group of players, labelling their attitude as "disrespectful" towards the club. Fainu is one of the most exciting young prospects in the game, while his older brother Samuela took out the club's Player of the Year award in 2024. Faatape played a handful of first grade games this year, while Saukuru is yet to debut.

'All eyes' on Benji's Tigers after 'favourable' 2025 draw

The under-pressure Cowboys have one of the toughest early runs for 2025 in the new draw that was announced on Thursday morning. The Cowboys start the season with a hard road trip to Manly and also meet four-time premiers Penrith twice in the first 10 rounds. They also take on the Broncos and Rabbitohs - two teams expected to improve in 2025 - in the early rounds - as well as the highly-ranked Sharks. The Bulldogs, by contrast, have an easier draw, taking on struggling Dragons, Titans and Eels in the first three rounds. They also play the Knights, Rabbitohs and Titans again in the opening 10 rounds. Cameron Ciraldo's Dogs only meet two of last year's top eight in the opening 10 rounds, giving them every chance to get off to a flying start. The draw has done the Broncos no favours for the start of the Michael Maguire era. In the first four rounds, they meet the strong Roosters (away), Raiders (away), followed by arch rivals the Cowboys and Dolphins. Premiers Penrith have a demanding start, taking on the Sharks (Las Vegas), Roosters and Storm in a grand final re-match in the opening three rounds. All eyes will be on the Tigers and they have a favourable draw to start what will be a make-or-break season. They meet only three finals teams from last year in the opening 10 rounds and play the Eels - one of the wooden spoon favourites, twice early on. Jason Ryles has a tough start at the Eels, taking on three strong sides in Storm, Bulldogs and Sea Eagles in the first month.

Manly's big sacrifice in bid to bring Broncos to Brookvale

The Sea Eagles have relinquished their regular Magic Round clash against the Broncos as they bid to bring Brisbane to Brookvale for the first time in nine years. Manly CEO Tony Mestrov last week confirmed to News Corp that the northern beaches club was lobbying the NRL to host blockbuster clashes against the Broncos, Roosters and Eels at 4 Pines Park in 2025, but that wish appears to have cost the Sea Eagles their spot at Magic Round, with Anthony Seibold's team landing the bye for the most popular weekend on the calendar for the first time. The NRL on Wednesday morning released the draw for Magic Round, which will kick off on Friday May 2 with a clash between the Sharks and the Eels. Suncorp Stadium tenants the Dolphins will take the Broncos' regular prime time Friday night slot on the Magic Round schedule, with Kristian Woolf's side the 'away' team in a match-up with Trent Robinson's Roosters. Saturday kicks off with the Rabbitohs up against the Knights at 3pm, followed by Warriors v Cowboys at 5.30pm and Tigers v Dragons at 7.45pm. The Suncorp Stadium extravaganza is capped off by three Sunday games, with the Titans facing the Bulldogs at 1.50pm, followed by Panthers v Broncos at 4.05pm, with the Storm to face the Raiders with the last game of the round at 6.25pm. Brisbane's Sunday afternoon clash with the four-time reigning premiers signals the end of a commercial deal struck in 2015, which ensured the Sea Eagles would give up a home game and play the Broncos at Suncorp every year, with that deal rolling into Magic Round from its inception in 2019. "We want the Broncos to play at 4 Pines Park," Mestrov said last week. "We haven't played Brisbane at 4 Pines Park since 2014 so we have put in a request to play them at home. It would be exciting to play the Broncos at Brookvale," he added.

'Lost a bunch of weight': Latrell impresses on day one

South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell has delighted the Rabbitohs with his fitness levels in his return from his end-of-season break on Monday. The Rabbitohs formally began the Wayne Bennett era with a group session at their Maroubra headquarters on Monday and all eyes were on Mitchell. The enigmatic superstar looked trim and terrific and had a broad smile on his face as the players went through their paces. "Wayne gave them all a warning that they better not come back overweight and clearly the message sunk in - not just with Latrell but will all of them," chief executive Blake Solly told Wide World of Sports. "But Latrell really caught the eye - he has lost a bunch of weight and is a lot fitter than at this stage last year. "It's a good sign because he finished last season with a foot injury and could have just taken it easy. "But he has clearly been working in the gym and watching what he has been eating and it is a great sign for the club." Mitchell didn't have surgery on the foot but was ordered not to run for several weeks. But he is back on light duties and the club is hoping he can now play in round one by serving his one match suspension for this season's white powder scandal in the All Stars game. Injuries restricted Mitchell to just 11 games last season - the least in his five seasons at the Rabbitohs and also the least since he burst into first grade with the Roosters in 2016. The star fullback is the key man in Souths' finals bid in 2025 after the club experienced a horror season this year.

Teen star among Tigers players breached for fitness issues

Young gun Latu Fainu has been revealed as one of five Wests Tigers players who were reportedly reprimanded for their fitness standards. According to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald, five Tigers players were issued official warnings by the club after returning to training last week out of shape. It has since been reported by the Herald that the 19-year-old Fainu was among the group and produced a poor performance in a time trial. Fainu played nine games for the joint-venture in his rookie 2024 season. The news comes after Roosters star Brandon Smith took a bold swipe at the players for turning up lacking fitness after the side's third-straight wooden spoon. "If I'm (Tigers coach) Benji Marshall, geez I find it disrespectful on the players' behalf," Smith said on The Bye Round podcast. "Three wooden spoons in a row, a new coach and you're going to come back out of condition. It begs the question, do you really want to play this game and what do you want to play for? "Do you want to play it because it looks cool and you want to make money, or do you want to play it because this means something to you and you want to win championships and you want to do great things in this game? "That is just not what it's telling me. Senior players like Jarome Luai, Api Koroisau, what are they thinking as well? "Are they thinking … are these players that we need around? Are these players that are going to help me win games and not be wooden spooners? "I'm not gonna be a, you know, nice guy about it, but you can't have three years in a row (finishing last) and that's not motivation for you to want to come back and put your best foot forward for this team and for Benji as a new coach." Podcast co-host James Graham agreed with the sentiment. "It is disrespectful," the retired Bulldogs and Dragons forward said. "It's a slap in the face to the whole organisation to say we agreed on this and you failed on something, on a variable, that is totally and utterly in your control." The strict new stance from the Tigers comes as the club looks to avoid a fourth-straight wooden spoon in 2025 and give Benji Marshall some breathing room as head coach.

'They don't want me': RCG lifts the lid on Parra exit

Reagan Campbell-Gillard has lifted the lid on his exit from Parramatta, admitting that "shit happens" and he is looking forward to starting fresh at the Titans. In one of many surprising moves made by new coach Jason Ryles, the 31-year-old was pushed out by the club immediately after winning the Player of the Year award. Campbell-Gillard has since put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Gold Coast and explained to the media on Saturday how the decision came about. "I'm not going to go into too much details, but I said to Ryles, 'tell me how it is' and he felt like he wanted to go in a different direction," he said. "I understand that - it's a business and everyone needs to understand that as well. "I still had one more year left, but at my age to secure my future, that was sort of main thing and having that security as well. At my age, three years is a lifetime. "Shit happens, you know, that's just rugby league and how the business works. They don't want me, then that's alright. I'm fully okay with that and I've landed up here." Campbell-Gillard will add plenty of experience to a developing roster at the Titans, while also complementing an already-strong forward pack. The former NSW and Kangaroos enforcer admits one of his main goals at the club will be to ensure skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui can ease back into things after missing the majority of the 2024 season due to an ACL injury. "I've come to take the pressure off Tino," he said. "Tino's coming back from an injury and a bad one as well. "So with myself and Moe [Fotuaika] and the other boys on the bench with Jaimin [Jolliffe] as well, I think if we could take the pressure off Tino, then he's not doing a lot of work to get the team forward. "I'm happy to do that role and I'll do it for him." Campbell-Gillard will have to wait a little longer than most clubs to get on the field next season, with the Titans receiving a bye in the opening round.

Ugly Ryan Papenhuyzen grand final detail emerges as $3 million update leaves Sua Fa'alogo in limbo

The Melbourne Storm have reportedly offered Ryan Papenhuyzen a whopping $1 million a season contract extension - leaving Sua Fa'alogo's future in doubt - as more details around his horror NRL grand final injury have come to light. Papenhuyzen was on the losing side in the NRL grand final with the Storm unable to stop Nathan Cleary and the Penrith Panthers achieving four straight premierships. After the grand final it was confirmed Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes carried a back injury into the contest and won't feature for New Zealand against the Kangaroos. And not it appears Papenhuyzen was fortunate to play the NRL grand final having battled a minor fracture in his lower leg. Papenhuyzen has suffered three horror fractures across the last three seasons for the Storm with a major knee and right ankle fracture seeing him miss the majority of the 2023 season. Papenhuyzen returned in 2024 and found his scintillating form again, but has endured numerous setbacks with his right ankle. And it appears Papenhuyzen wasn't close to 100 per cent fit heading into the NRL grand final with the initial report of bone bruising a concern. However, the Storm have confirmed the fracture with Papenhuyzen needing pain killers to play the final. Papenhuyzen did his best to ignite the attack against the relentless Penrith defence, but wasn't able to link up with Hughes or Harry Grant to change the game. The latest injury concerns comes as Papenhuyzen has reportedly been offered a $3 million deal for three years at the Storm, according to The Daily Telegraph.

League great reveals 'risk' in potential Hunt move

Broncos great Corey Parker has questioned why rival clubs would entertain signing Ben Hunt, admitting there is "risk attached" when it comes to the wantaway Dragons star. The 34-year-old has a year to run on his deal with St George Illawarra, but the club told him recently they would not be offering him an extension. Hunt had a poor end to the season as the Red V missed out on the finals, before copping some criticism from Shane Flanagan during a performance review. The halfback will hit the open market on November 1 for the 2026 season, but there's still a strong chance Hunt pushes for an early release. Speaking on SEN radio, one of his former teammates at Red Hill in Parker brought up the fact that Hunt would be 36 years of age by the time a potential move rolls around and doesn't believe many clubs would want to fork out big money for a short-term deal. "Ben Hunt is trying to get an extension at the moment with the Dragons ... Shane Flanagan and the Dragons are currently holding out and rightly so," he said. "He's on contract for next year, he's looking for an extension for 2026 where he will be 36 years of age on big money. I think Flanagan may be doing the right thing by not going for Ben Hunt but does that mean he goes to the open market? "There's a risk attached to that and I am one of Hunt's biggest fans but there is certainly risk attached to a 36-year-old halfback. "You have to understand why you are bringing in a player and what you want to achieve out of them. It would only be for one year because I can't see Hunt playing beyond 36. "Father Time catches up with you very quickly and it could come in the space of one small injury." Hunt has been among the Dragons' best players for a number of years, but during his big-money tenure at the club, they have only won one finals game. The issue for Flanagan as it stands is their lack of depth in the halves, with his son Kyle failing to prove his worth as a long-term solution, while young gun Lykhan King-Togia has only played a handful of first grade games. The captaincy may be less of a concern for the Dragons heading into next year, with star back-rower Jaydn Su'A inking an extension and emerging as a leader within the squad. Hunt addressed his future during Kangaroos camp last week and said he remains open to finishing his career in Queensland.