Joey's three buys to start NRL expansion team

3 years ago 286

Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has revealed the 3 players helium would motion arsenic a substance of precedence if helium was successful complaint of the NRL's enlargement team.

The NRL is expected to denote successful the coming weeks the winning bid to go the competition's 17th team.

It's reported the contention volition grow successful play 2023, giving the caller nine a twelvemonth to compile a squad of 30 first-grade players.

Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster has been heavy linked to the enlargement club, and the antheral himself has stated helium would beryllium keen to determination backmost location to Queensland and assistance kickstart the state's 4th team.

Johns, though, has his eyes connected a antithetic Storm player.

"I'd beryllium bringing Queenslanders home, boys from Queensland," Johns told Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth.

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"Christian Welch is one, Reed Mahoney is different one, and Cody (Walker). I'd bring Cody back.

"I'd bring Cody Walker and play him arsenic a halfback, bring Reed Mahoney arsenic hooker and Christian Welch who's my captain."

South Sydney playmaker Cody Walker was calved successful Nowra and is simply a New South Welshman, but spent the aboriginal portion of his vocation playing shot successful Queensland.

Brad Fittler has his eyes connected different established NSW-based subordinate who helium says could skipper the enlargement club.

"I bash deliberation Gutho (Clint Gutherson) has had a large interaction and power connected Parramatta, helium is idiosyncratic I would chase," Fittler said.

"I don't cognize if I was a Queensland squad I'd pursuit him but he's shown immoderate truly bully enactment astatine Parramatta and the results person shown.

"(The Eels have) got beauteous heavy into the play astir years that he's been there, truthful helium would beryllium idiosyncratic I'd look to get."

Fittler, though, isn't keen to commencement speculating astir players perchance switching clubs much than 12 months retired from erstwhile they would really move.

Players are allowed to commencement negotiating and motion with rival clubs erstwhile they person little than 12 months remaining connected an existing contract. It's seen a fig of instances wherever a subordinate plays an full play with a squad everyone knows helium won't beryllium astatine the pursuing year.

"The archetypal happening I'd beryllium trying to bash if I was the NRL; I'd beryllium trying to alteration their system," Fittler said.

"I inactive find it a spot nauseating to beryllium capable to beryllium dealing each twelvemonth with who players are going to beryllium playing with the pursuing year.

"I'm not definite what the amended strategy is but hopefully that's thing they enactment on. The information is we're talking astir it, really, is not a truly bully taste."

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