Official thread and signing news

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yourhero
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https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-2 ... 60b11c818a

STORM SKIPPER MEETS WITH TWO NRL RIVALS

Storm co-captain Dale Finucane is understood to be weighing up his options for 2022 after reportedly meeting with two rival clubs.

Melbourne are desperate to keep their skipper, but are dealing with salary cap pressure that would be eased by the Origin star’s departure.

NRL.com reported the 29-year-old has fielded interest from two sides while the Cowboys, Tigers and Bulldogs are also interested in the NSW Blues star.

Finucane’s preference is to remain in Victoria and finish his career at the Storm, but Melbourne are believed to be against granting him a four-year extension given his age.

Finucane has played 137 matches under Craig Bellamy and scored 15 tries in 203 games for the Bulldogs and Melbourne since his debut back in 2012.

The versatile back-rower has also played four Origins for NSW and is a clear winner having played in six grand finals.

Finucane is one of several off-contract stars at the Storm, including Nicho Hynes and Brenko Lee, while hooker Brandon Smith has been heavily linked to a move north.

Melbourne have already lost star winger Josh Addo-Carr to the Bulldogs at the end of this season, but are reportedly in the box seat to sign Broncos young gun Xavier Coates as his replacement.
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yourhero
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Where do we reckon Dale's value lies? Not sure what his market value is, but I would hazard a guess somewhere around the $500K mark.

He played his best game in 18 months last night.

Either way, I wouldn't begrudge him taking a pay day elsewhere. He has been a tireless worker for us for a long time.
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yourhero
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Just checked Zero Tackle, they have Dale's 2021 contract at $500K.

All love to Dale, but surely we are no chance we should be signing him to four years! That is crazy talk.
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We be a shame to lose him but I kinda hope he gets the big pay day he's after at a club needing a veteran like him. Few weeks back the SMH said his manager was chasing 4/3.2 million which is way overs for anyone let alone us.
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https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subsc ... de=premium

Josh Addo-Carr’s bid to recruit Brandon Smith to Bulldogs
The push to get Brandon Smith to Belmore next season is heating up, giving the Bulldogs hopes their biggest gap could about to be filled.
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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/fox-in ... 57ppz.html

Fox in the henhouse: Addo-Carr’s Canterbury sales pitch to Storm mates

Melbourne’s six-try hero Josh Addo-Carr has started his Canterbury recruitment drive after Storm teammates revealed the winger had been selling the merits of a move to Belmore.

And Storm hooker Brandon Smith said he had spoken with Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett during a chance meeting last week.

mith, who is considering a change of club next year, said he had bumped into Barrett and Addo-Carr at a cafe. The Storm utility said the chance to continue playing with the winger was appealing.

“It’s tempting when he scores six tries like that,” Smith said. “We haven’t sorted anything out like that [moving to Belmore]. The Storm are pretty stubborn with keeping me. I don’t mind.

“I was going to brekkie at a place we usually go to brekkie in Richmond. Josh was there with him [Barrett]. I introduced myself to him, we spoke and he offered me ‘$4m for three months’, so I thought, ‘I’ll take it’,” Smith joked.

“We’d spoken before. He gave me a call a while ago, but that was during the off-season when the Storm had allowed me to talk to other clubs.

But Joshy has been in everyone’s ear, he wants a lot of these players [here] to follow him and knows what they’re building at the club. There must be something special going on. That Matt Burton will attract a lot of players, and they’ve signed Brent Naden.

Will Brandon Smith follow Josh Addo-Carr to Belmore?


“The thing Josh offers is not just good value on the field - he can turn nothing into a try - but it’s his energy when you’re going to training, when you start the pre-season. It’s infectious, and it makes everyone happy around the club. He’s a guy you want to be around all the time.”

Smith is contracted to the Storm until the end of next year, but has been given the chance to find another club for 2022 as Harry Grant is viewed as the long-term No.9.

Melbourne have made it clear they will only cut Smith loose if they are able to sign a player of similar quality and experience, which will prove difficult given the Kiwi’s impact for the Storm.

Addo-Carr has no regrets about his big-money move to Canterbury despite near-constant success at Melbourne.

The international winger was meant to be in Sydney this year for family reasons, but the summer negotiations descended into a “shitfight” and he returned to Melbourne.

“I know what it takes to win premierships and I know what it takes to be a consistent football player. I love helping people, and if I can do that next year [at Canterbury], then happy days,” he said.

“They’re building and they definitely try hard.


“That’s what you need in rugby league games, players competing in everything. They need to fix a few things up but I’m sure they’ll keep improving every week.

“I’m excited to go there next year and I’m excited for the challenge. I moved to Melbourne to step out of my comfort zone, but why can’t I go to Canterbury and build something special?”

Addo-Carr knows it will be sad farewelling Melbourne, the club that helped turn him into a top player.

“If you get an opportunity to go to Melbourne take it, because they’ll turn you into the footy player you’ve always dreamt of being,” he said.
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Coates is now staying at the Broncos
Mstorm1999
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Coates reportedly signed with storm. Has told team mates about his move to Melbourne.

Great signing if true.
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Premiers wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 10:15 am Coates is now staying at the Broncos
Potato, get back here so we can laugh at you!
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Premiers wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 10:15 am Coates is now staying at the Broncos
Nothing like jumping the gun.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/05/09/coa ... -to-storm/
We must all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately
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TC wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 11:18 am
Premiers wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 10:15 am Coates is now staying at the Broncos
Nothing like jumping the gun.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/05/09/coa ... -to-storm/
Could be wrong here but is this the first rep player the club has signed since Brett Finch in 2009? (obviously Finchy wasn't playing for NSW when he signed).

Anyway, that's enormous and this, along with Hughes re-signing, might paint a better picture of who will be coaching the Storm in the next few seasons.
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riders of the storm wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 12:10 pm
TC wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 11:18 am
Premiers wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 10:15 am Coates is now staying at the Broncos
Nothing like jumping the gun.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/05/09/coa ... -to-storm/
Could be wrong here but is this the first rep player the club has signed since Brett Finch in 2009? (obviously Finchy wasn't playing for NSW when he signed).

Anyway, that's enormous and this, along with Hughes re-signing, might paint a better picture of who will be coaching the Storm in the next few seasons.
Nate Myles the last. Before him TLL and Jason Ryles since Finchy.
Mattpoet
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It's official
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Official press release by Storm:

Queensland State of Origin winger Xavier Coates has today officially signed with NRL premiers Melbourne Storm for the 2022 and 2023 NRL seasons.

The 20-year-old, who was first part of the Storm system in the club’s academy programs, is regarded as one of the best young talents in the game and will relocate to Melbourne at the end of the current season.

Coates made his NRL debut in 2019 and has played 24 matches for Brisbane, scoring 14 tries. His 2021 campaign has featured eight tries in the opening nine rounds of the season.

Born in Papua New Guinea, he represented his homeland in a Test against Samoa in 2019 and his representative career continued with two State of Origin appearances for Queensland, including two tries, in the series victory last year.

Storm General Manager – Football Frank Ponissi said the club was delighted to have Coates in the purple jersey for the next two seasons.

“Xavier has already shown he is one of the best young wingers in the game, but at just 20 years of age there is still plenty more he can achieve and develop in his game,” Ponissi said.

“He was a player who was always on our radar, with his connections with Storm going back to his junior days when he was part of the Easts Academy aligned with Storm.

“We know there were a number of clubs interested in signing Xavier, but he was very keen to experience what Storm has to offer.

“Our members and fans will really enjoy his style of football and I know our NRL squad will be very happy to welcome him as a Storm player from 2022.”

“It’s pleasing to have his contract settled and we’ll look forward to seeing him in Melbourne for pre-season.”
RobbieRoss
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Superb news . That is very encouraging for the future. Very exciting for Hughes and Munster as they put up bombs to Coates’s wing.

I watched him closely last night v Cowboys - very impressive .
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