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00:00:05
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Code NRL show. With me as always, Michael Karyanis, Brent Reid. Fellas, we've got a special guest. All the way from Brisbane. Wow. Peter Bommer-Bedell. Let's start with you, Pete. What's the latest as far as the Sam Walker camp is concerned?
00:00:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's been a dramatic 48 hours, hasn't it, boys? I mean, one of the biggest contract stories of the season. Of course, the Walker contract spat at the roosters. The deal's collapsed, pulled from the table by Nick Politis on Monday night.
00:00:34
Speaker 3: Look, I'm told that.
00:00:35
Speaker 2: Just last night, Sam Walker made a phone call to Trent Robinson, the coach, and Nick Politis, the chairman, to, I guess, maybe potatoes. Basically, he said, look, he's sorry at what's happened. He wants to stay at the club. He said, look, I'm told that his exact words were, I just wanted more time. Now, how much more time that is, boys, I'm not exactly sure. But the Roosters felt that he was given sufficient time to make a decision. They felt that he was dittering. And then there was that request for more money. So, look, Sam Walker still wants to stay at the Roosters. The fact that he's reached out to Trent Robinson and Nick Politis suggests that he's.
00:01:16
Speaker 3: Hopeful that it's salvageable. But right now, boys, I don't think it is.
00:01:20
Speaker 4: So do you think Sam Walker's played his last game at the Roosters, Bomber?
00:01:24
Speaker 2: The sentiment from the Roosters is that yes, he has. Now, I know Sam's feeling is that he hasn't. He wants to play in the World Club Challenge, which will happen next February against Wakefield. That's the plan. He wants to be there for round one next year. He's happy to fulfil this contract. Of course, he's got a contract for another 12 months, MC, but the way that the Roosters are feeling, they're prepared to move on immediately. They've got Toby Rodwell, they've got Hugo Sabala, and they want to plan ahead.
00:01:49
Speaker 5: So.
00:01:49
Speaker 2: I'd be, to be honest, MC, I wouldn't be surprised if this is Sam Walker's last game for the Roosters, the grand final.
00:01:56
Speaker 5: Well, where does he end up then? If he's going to leave, where does he go?
00:01:59
Speaker 2: He's a free agent come Sunday, and then you watch the phone run hot. I mean, I know people say they can't afford him. No one will be in for him, but we hear this all the time. Eventually, someone gets desperate enough. Someone will find the money. Look, I think, guys, the Bulldogs has.
00:02:15
Speaker 3: To be a serious option.
00:02:16
Speaker 1: I mean.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: It means he could still live in Sydney. Matt Burton's going to the market. He's on around a million dollars. They don't have too many highly paid players. I think the Dogs are one club that should have a red-hot crack at him. I've spoken to Wayne Bennett again this morning. Wayne is adamant that they can't afford him. So I'd be surprised if it's South Sydney. And, of course, PNG has to be a serious player, guys. I mean, they've got tax-free dollars. Surely they will have a crack at Sam Walker.
00:02:43
Speaker 5: The issue with PNG, Peter, is he'd have to go somewhere for 12 months. Right, and who's going to sign Sammy Walker at a million dollars a year for 12 months? That's the issue for PNG, I reckon.
00:02:53
Speaker 3: It's a good point. I mean, this is the unfathomable scenario, guys.
00:02:58
Speaker 2: I mean, the way the Roosters are talking, if they're going to hold their ground and play hardball, then Sam Walker could be playing New South Wales Cup next year for the Roosters.
00:03:05
Speaker 3: I mean, it's ridiculous. We're sorry with.
00:03:07
Speaker 5: The phone calls.
00:03:08
Speaker 3: That can't happen.
00:03:09
Speaker 4: You can't have a million-dollar player. You're basically right your whole season on having a million-dollar player playing New South Wales Cup.
00:03:14
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:03:14
Speaker 5: But they're going to spear him otherwise. What's the diff?
00:03:16
Speaker 4: You get your cap money back.
00:03:18
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:03:20
Speaker 1: The most obvious.
00:03:21
Speaker 3: That's right.
00:03:21
Speaker 1: The most obvious and smooth transition is the rumour that's been around all year and Tom Dearden down to the Roosters, Sam Walker up to the Cowboys.
00:03:29
Speaker 3: As you were saying. for Sam Walker now.
00:03:33
Speaker 2: But you can make a transfer happen if there are comparable salaries. Now, that happens with the Cowboys. Tom Dearden's on $ 1 million next year. Sam's currently on $ 1. 05 million plus a car. So they're very comparable salaries. That could be a pretty... Pretty easy transition under the salary cap. There wouldn't be a lot of money exchange. And of course, as we know, Dave, Tyson Walker, Sam's younger brother, is with the Cowboys. He signed a three-year deal two weeks ago. So that's another attraction for Sam. They did an opposed session yesterday ahead of the Cook Islands test match up there. So that has to be an option, guys, because as we know, Tom Dearden's partner gave birth last week. She's in Sydney. She runs a successful business down there. I'm told she won't be moving to Townsville full-time. She may do some traveling. And look, that's not sustainable. So maybe a switch can happen between Tom Dearden and Sam Walker.
00:04:23
Speaker 5: I think the interesting thing about that too, Pete, is if it happens, it'll happen on the Cowboys' terms. The Roosters will have to put in money for it. And the Cowboys could come out of that better financially placed than they are now with Tom Dearden and walk away with Sam Walker.
00:04:39
Speaker 4: Why do you think that?
00:04:40
Speaker 5: Because they've got the whip hand, Mick. They've got the whip hand.
00:04:43
Speaker 4: Not if you've got a halfback that wants to leave.
00:04:46
Speaker 5: Doesn't matter.
00:04:46
Speaker 4: And you've got– He's on contract.
00:04:48
Load full transcript
Speaker 5: He's on contract.
00:04:49
Speaker 1: And he's indicating he doesn't want to leave.
00:04:51
Speaker 5: And they've said there's a difference because they've said– They're.
00:04:55
Speaker 4: Not squeezing him. I would agree with you if it meant that– Dearden was going to leave and they're not going to get anything in return. They get in a premiership winning halfback, which Tom hasn't done, and the current Queensland and Australia, obviously he's not playing for Australia this weekend, halfback. They're getting a really good player in return.
00:05:12
Speaker 5: They've got the leverage, Mick. You don't think they've got the leverage in that situation?
00:05:15
Speaker 4: Not when it comes to the player that they're going to replace him with.
00:05:18
Speaker 5: But they've got the leverage in terms of- I think it's a fair swap. They haven't come- I understand it's a fair swap, but if you're the Cowboys, you've got to use that leverage to come out of that better off than what you are. In my view, and I think they will.
00:05:31
Speaker 4: The alternative is that you have in 12 months' time or in eight months' time, as Bomber said, they've got a situation where Tom Dearden wants to leave North Queensland and you don't get anything in return.
00:05:42
Speaker 5: But they've said from the start, he does not leave unless we get something in return.
00:05:45
Speaker 1: They're getting Sam Walker.
00:05:46
Speaker 5: No, I understand that. But you can say in eight months' time they'll get nothing in return. They can just dig their heels in.
00:05:52
Speaker 4: They can, but then you know how that works. You know how that plays out. It doesn't generally end favourably for the club. So I think in an instance.
00:05:59
Speaker 5: All I'm saying is if you're the Cowboys, you've got to use your leverage you've got. And they have got leverage in this situation because the Roosters have basically put a line through Sam Walker. They've said you're done.
00:06:08
Speaker 4: I don't think the Roosters were chipping a dollar if it means that Sam Walker ends up in North Queensland and they secure Tom Dearden.
00:06:14
Speaker 2: One factor, boys, here is with the Cowboys, Tom Dearden has a clause in his contract that says his deal from 28 onwards, 12%, of the salary cap goes to Tom Dearden. Now, if the cap goes up to 15 mil in 28, that means Dearden is on 1.8 million.
00:06:31
Speaker 3: That's nuts.
00:06:32
Speaker 2: If I'm the Cowboys, I would let Dearden go and take Walker and get him at a cheaper price. Pay 1.3 for Sam Walker and Dearden has to go to the Roosters for a lot more. So that's a huge component in this, that 12% salary cap clause for Dearden.
00:06:47
Speaker 1: Spot on, Pete. Look, there's so many chapters left in this story. Thanks for joining us, Bomber.
00:06:52
Speaker 3: No worries, boys.
00:06:53
Speaker 1: Boys, the countdown is on to this Sunday, November 1. Look, we don't anticipate contracts are going to start falling from
the sky and these players are just going to be moving at 12.01 on November 1. However, it is the most anticipated open transfer market that I can recall.
00:07:11
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:07:11
Speaker 3: It's huge.
00:07:12
Speaker 1: Let's rip through a few obvious ones. You guys wrote about the Melbourne Storm.
00:07:16
Speaker 3: Yep.
00:07:17
Speaker 1: Dorman, what have you got?
00:07:19
Speaker 5: They've got offers, big deals in front of Harry Grant, Stefano, Yutori Kamanu. I don't think either of those players will take that deal up before November 1. I'm not saying they will leave, but both those guys are going to go to November 1 as far as my understanding is. Harry's going to get huge offers. There's talk about, obviously, the Gold Coast Titans having a red hot go at Harry Grant. I don't think Melbourne will get beaten on money. I think they've made Harry a pretty significant deal.
00:07:42
Speaker 1: The Titans might. The Titans would arguably be more desperate than Thorne, though. But they might go financially.
00:07:50
Speaker 5: He's Melbourne's captain. He's probably their most important player.
00:07:54
Speaker 1: This is a player that absolutely takes the Titans from the outhouse to the penthouse.
00:08:01
Speaker 5: Melbourne can't afford to lose Harry Grant. Not if they're going to lose Cameron Munster. And there's every chance that Stefano potentially goes as well, given... There's a massive offer on the table in front of Stefano at the moment, a four-year extension, and he hasn't taken it up. And the Roosters are circling. And the Roosters, let's remember, they're going to have that Sam Walker money by the looks of it. So suddenly, if Stefano's asking price was too significant for them a week ago, it's not now because they've got the Walker cash. So that's the worry for Melbourne, I reckon.
00:08:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's really interesting.
00:08:37
Speaker 4: Obviously, Harry Grant, world-class player. Has won a comp, mind you, Harry Grant. Do you go to the Titans and try and tick that off your list? Not really a proven scenario there. So he's done everything else in the game. Obviously, he's captain of Australia and played plenty of representative footy, but yet to win a competition, Harry Grant. So where is the best place to do that? I think the big one is who's coaching Melbourne, really?
00:08:59
Speaker 1: That's the thing.
00:08:59
Speaker 4: If Melbourne come out before Christmas and go, Billy Slater is our coach, they'll say it.
00:09:04
Speaker 5: No one goes, probably.
00:09:05
Speaker 3: Yep.
00:09:06
Speaker 4: So that's a huge factor.
00:09:07
Speaker 5: I don't think that's going to happen. No, no.
00:09:09
Speaker 1: That's a good point you.
00:09:10
Speaker 5: Make, mate.
00:09:10
Speaker 4: But that's a fact that we're all understating in a way.
00:09:14
Speaker 1: You make a really good point because we've had these arguments about clubs changing coaches, sacking coaches. I had the argument with Anthony Griffin and the Dragons. They held on for too long and it leaves players in doubt on who the coach is and contracts get trickier. Managers want to know who the coach is. Yeah. The Storm are in that boat right now.
00:09:31
Speaker 4: Does Harry Grant look Billy Slater in the eye and say, oh.
00:09:34
Speaker 3: I'm not playing?
00:09:35
Speaker 1: Yeah. No.
00:09:36
Speaker 4: It could happen, right? Who knows? But it's a much harder conversation than at the moment, oh, Craig's leaving at the end of next year. We're not sure who the coach is. Well, I want to have my future sorted before then.
00:09:48
Speaker 5: I don't necessarily think Harry wants to leave. I think he's like a lot of players, right? They want to just see what's out there. There's a lot of players in that same boat at the moment. They just don't necessarily want to leave their current clubs. They just want to see what's there because it's such an intriguing time, right? The cap's going to go through the roof. PNG's out there. There's guys who are just going to market just to experience what it's like to go to market. We've heard Nathan obviously spoke about that earlier in the year, right? I mean, so I don't necessarily think Harry will go. I just find it hard to see Harry leaving. But some of the other guys.
00:10:21
Speaker 2: I don't.
00:10:22
Speaker 1: I really don't. Why?
00:10:23
Speaker 4: You think he ends up Titans day?
00:10:25
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do, yeah.
00:10:26
Speaker 4: I don't know.
00:10:27
Speaker 1: I think the Titans are going to go heavy for him.
00:10:29
Speaker 4: They have to. It would, as you said, that's a club changer. Not a team changer. That's a club changer. For the Titans, being able to attract finally a right marquee, which they haven't done since their inception, right? Obviously, Scott Prince was great. Their original signings were great. They did a great job building that team. But since then, they've swung a miss at a few and You know, Tino's been good, but I don't think Tino was great for him this year. So I think, yeah, I think he would be an outstanding.
00:10:56
Speaker 1: Moving on, Hamaso Tabiwafado. That's a good re-signing by the Dolphins.
00:11:00
Speaker 5: Very good re-signing, given the players they've got coming off contract. They're going to fight in their hands for Herbie, fight in their hands for Jack Bostock. They needed to get Hammer done, and they've got it done. So the challenge now is those other two blokes I mentioned. Tommy Flegler's another one. There's a lot of talk about Tommy Flegler potentially leaving the club.
00:11:17
Speaker 1: Where could he end up?
00:11:18
Speaker 5: Well, there's a lot of talk about, actually a lot of whispers about Melbourne with Tommy Fleck. Now, obviously, the Stefano ball's in the air of the storm at the moment. Tommy would be a great replacement if Stefano left. So the Dolphins needed to get hammered on. They needed to keep someone, and they've kept him. Connolly Lemu-Lemu looks as
though he's staying as well, but they've still got some challenges, the Dolphins, some significant challenges. Yep.
00:11:45
Speaker 1: South Sydney, what have we got?
00:11:47
Speaker 4: Big news around them, Jamie Humphries, Cody Walker will ink new deals. They're both without a deal for next year, but that leaves Adam Elliott, Matt Dufty without contracts for next season. They're still hopeful of trying to find a way to keep Matt Dufty in for next year, but no contract yet for those two. And really, Dave Feeder.
00:12:06
Speaker 5: Yeah, big Dave's the three-year deal Dave's done. So that's been on the table for a while now. And my understanding is Dave's agreed terms on that deal.
00:12:13
Speaker 1: So.
00:12:14
Speaker 5: Significant signings for them. Obviously, the big one's still out there.
00:12:17
Speaker 4: Isn't it?
00:12:17
Speaker 5: Trell.
00:12:18
Speaker 3: Trelly boy.
00:12:18
Speaker 1: But nothing's going to change there, right? Not until February. The Souths are standing on their digs that we want to see in February.
00:12:23
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:12:24
Speaker 5: Yeah. So that's the one we're all waiting on. If you're a Souths fan, that's the one you're hanging on.
00:12:30
Speaker 1: Manly. What's going on at Manly? A lot of Manly fans asking questions about Caleb Navali.
00:12:35
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:12:35
Speaker 5: Good player, that bloke.
00:12:35
Speaker 4: He'll hit the market.
00:12:36
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:12:36
Speaker 4: He's going to hit the market.
00:12:37
Speaker 5: He's a good player.
00:12:38
Speaker 4: Hasn't been able to come to terms with the club, so he's... Definitely going to see what's out there. I like him. I think he's a really good player.
00:12:44
Speaker 5: What's going on with Tommy? Tommy Turbo, Mick?
00:12:47
Speaker 4: Nothing.
00:12:47
Speaker 1: You just take your time with Tommy, don't you? You don't need to rush him.
00:12:50
Speaker 5: Do you think Tommy's happy to take his time or do you think Tommy would like some certainty? I reckon if you're Tommy, you want a little bit of certainty.
00:12:59
Speaker 1: Well, he can assess. He's about to be valued on the market. He's about to be able to get a good assessment of whether there's interest around. Do you think he gets much interest around?
00:13:11
Speaker 5: Yeah, he'll get some interest.
00:13:12
Speaker 4: I don't think there'll be the interest to people think he would actually leave. Yeah. So he's not, when you look at the names on the list, you're always hearing, oh, Tommy, he's going to stay, right? That's a general thought. I think other clubs would probably feel like that. So you're going through the list of outside backs and Tom's not a high priority because of that. But if things start to get delayed by Manly or the murmurs come out that he hasn't been able to do a deal, then clubs will certainly be interested.
00:13:41
Speaker 1: Sharks, Teague Wilton, Britain, Nicara. They're going to market. Two back rowers.
00:13:46
Speaker 4: What's the go there, Dave? Because both back rowers have played lots of footy over the last couple of seasons, off contract at the same time, asking probably around that $ 800, both of them.
00:13:56
Speaker 1: Yep.
00:13:57
Speaker 4: $ 1, 000 mark, big money.
00:13:59
Speaker 1: Big money.
00:14:00
Speaker 4: The Sharks only keep one. Which one do they keep? How does it play out?
00:14:03
Speaker 1: Look, I think these two back rowers and their management are looking at the fact that it's a back row market, right? So they see this opportunity of Jacob Preston going in and getting the money he got at the Dogs and thinking, well, I'm equal to that, if not better. I want to see what I can get. I don't think they'll get that. Teague's a wonderful player. I think he's a future captain of that club. Terrific player, but just hasn't got that rep experience just yet. Britton Nicker, I reckon he's just dropped back to the field a little bit this season.
00:14:36
Speaker 4: Definitely did this year, definitely.
00:14:37
Speaker 1: And I think you've got to be careful with paying two highly paid back rowers in your roster. If you have a look at the Knights, what they were able to achieve with their young back rowers this year.
00:14:48
Speaker 4: Rare.
00:14:49
Speaker 1: So to the Roosters, they were, for Keddie and Wong, $ 500, 000 back rowers. Panthers have been so strong. Liam Martin, the highly paid one. High rotation of cheapies on the other side with Sorensen and Garner.
00:15:04
Speaker 5: Capewell.
00:15:05
Speaker 4: Capewell.
00:15:05
Speaker 1: So I think you've got to get your balance right with back rowers. I don't think you're going to have two highly paid ones. I think there's a chance one drops out.
00:15:12
Speaker 5: Which one?
00:15:13
Speaker 1: I would argue Nicara on the basis that I think he'd have Queensland suitors being from Queensland. The other major story this week was Hudson Young. The Canberra Raiders withdrawing their $ 1. 1 million four-year deal to Hudson Young came as a bit of a surprise. Bold move by the Raiders. But I agree with them. I've been saying it consistently. Hudson, that's a great offer he should have taken.
00:15:40
Speaker 4: Of the two contract withdrawals, that was the least surprising one in terms of I was more blindsided by the Sam Walker one because we've heard that rhetoric around Canberra. Well, he doesn't take it. We're just going to pull the offer before November 1 because they put in a very good deal. I don't think anyone can argue about that deal that was put forward to Hudson Young and the length as well, up to four years. That's a long-term deal.
00:16:03
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:16:05
Speaker 4: He's obviously had his head turned by tax-free dollars in PNG, and I'd be surprised if he doesn't land there.
00:16:11
Speaker 5: It's really interesting, right? I mean, obviously we all think he's going to PNG, but his manager's been ringing clubs in the NRL, offering Hudson Young up for them. So even
though I think we all suspect Hudson's going to go to PNG, and that's obviously been in the background the whole time, why is his agent, why is he ringing other clubs? If that's the intention, why ring other clubs? What's the purpose of that? And he has been ringing other clubs about Hudson Young, so I don't know.
00:16:39
Speaker 4: A tax-free if it's $ 9 to $ 1 million from P & G is going to be hard to- Well, no.
00:16:43
Speaker 5: One's going to go near it, Mick. No. Let's be honest. Turn away. Canberra offered overs to keep him. They did. Particularly in the length of the deal, the four-year deal.
00:16:51
Speaker 1: They'll admit that.
00:16:52
Speaker 3: Right?
00:16:53
Speaker 5: They did. So I'm not sure what his agent thinks he's going to get at other clubs in the NRL that he thinks would exceed that.
00:17:01
Speaker 4: No one's- As you said, not exceeding it, but matching it even.
00:17:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I don't see it.
00:17:08
Speaker 5: And he's a very, very good player. Of course he is, yeah. I'm not downplaying how good a player Hudson Young is, right? He's of all the back rowers on the market. He's in that very, very upper echelon.
00:17:21
Speaker 4: He's the best back rower. Like if you could sign one, he'd be the one I'd sign.
00:17:25
Speaker 5: But 1.1 is massive money. Four years. Four years. Four years. Even it's the four-year thing for me, Mick, that's more significant than the 1.1. Like 1.1 is probably, what, 900 with a ratchet, right? That was 1.1 without a ratchet clause. Probably 900 with a ratchet. Maybe you could argue that's around the 800 to 900 with a ratchet. It's probably around the right money. So the money I don't disagree with. But the fact there was a four-year deal.
00:17:53
Speaker 4: On top of next year, so five more seasons.
00:17:55
Speaker 5: That's the bit where Canberra really pushed themselves out. And to think that another club in the NRL would match that. I think it's a little bit delusional.
00:18:04
Speaker 4: I can't argue with you, Reid. I think you nailed it. It was a really good deal from the Raiders and probably a little bit sad that he won't finish his career at Canberra. Yep.
00:18:14
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:18:14
Speaker 1: The other significant news is Matt Burton at the Bulldogs. Now, Matt's going to the open market on November 1.
00:18:21
Speaker 5: He's on the market now, Dave.
00:18:23
Speaker 1: He's free to negotiate.
00:18:23
Speaker 5: He's talking to Perth now.
00:18:25
Speaker 4: Yep. He got an early mark. A burden for behaviour, so... He's on the market now. Perth, definitely circling Matt Burden, reuniting with Toby Sexton. Imagine that. Could you imagine?
00:18:38
Speaker 1: I'm not convinced he goes to Perth.
00:18:39
Speaker 4: But I'm just saying, could you imagine the rhetoric around Perth? Say they signed Burden and Sexton. Against the Bulldogs. And they play well.
00:18:46
Speaker 1: What about playing the Bulldogs?
00:18:48
Speaker 4: But just playing well. Could you imagine the talk? Oh, yeah. Oh, mama.
00:18:51
Speaker 5: Yeah. Well, who else? Parra. He's been linked with the Dragons.
00:18:55
Speaker 1: Good partnership with Mitch.
00:18:56
Speaker 5: I don't mind the old swap idea. Sam Walker and Matt Burton.
00:19:00
Speaker 1: Oh, yeah.
00:19:00
Speaker 5: I don't mind that little play. To the Roosters.
00:19:03
Speaker 1: Savala and Burton.
00:19:04
Speaker 4: And Walker and Galvin.
00:19:06
Speaker 3: I like it.
00:19:08
Speaker 5: I like it.
00:19:08
Speaker 4: No, it doesn't match for me. Walker, Galvin doesn't work for me. Lockheed needs a traditional seven. Okay. I think Burton, and so does Burton. Burton needs a traditional seven as well. I think they'll basically.
00:19:21
Speaker 1: Sexton and Burton.
00:19:22
Speaker 4: They'll both play their best footy.
00:19:23
Speaker 1: Mitch and Burton make sense.
00:19:25
Speaker 4: Mitch Moses and Matt Burton would be an awesome combination. I'm a big believer that Matt Burton is a world-class center. He's a decent 5'8. Put him outside Mitch Moses, I'm sold.