Welsby better than $800K fullback but NRL clubs won’t pay because of Tomkins & Hardaker says ex-player

One of the major talking points following the World Club Challenge has been Jack Welsby.

The young fullback has been subject to NRL interest since the win over St George Illawarra Dragons.

Now, on the Daily Telegraph’s NRL podcast, Paul Crawley has said that Welsby was better than $800k fullback Stephen Crichton who struggled against the Saints: “I thought it was a shaky performance from Stephen Crichton at full-back, I really do.

“You look at the fact the Dogs have signed him for next year for well over $800k plus for four years, he’s untested in the number one jumper. When you put him up against Welsby on the weekend well the St Helens full-back played him off the park.”

Crichton is joining Canterbury Bulldogs in 2023 to play fullback but perhaps they should have signed Jack Welsby.

The young fullback in the minds of former Brisbane Broncos man Denam Kemp would only be worth $500k because of the likes of Sam Tomkins and Zak Hardaker.

Kemp said on the Bloke in a Bar Podcast:

“I’ve seen very limited games of him, the World Cup and this essentially. At the World Cup I thought he opened up incredibly well, I thought later in the competition against the top tier teams he was a little but underwhelming. I wouldn’t be spending an astronomical amount because of the history of English full-backs. 500 is what I was going to say, I wouldn’t go much more.

“If you speak to people who watch Super League they reckon he’s unbelievable.

“I’ve got to see a little bit more of him but everyone is just glowing of him, he played well at the weekend and in the World Cup against Samoa.

“There’s a part of me that thinks we’re ripping away Super League talent but selfishly I’d love to see him over here. If he spends two years over here and it’s not for him then he’s 23 or 24 when he goes back.

“You take Sam Tomkins who came over here, he battled real hard over here but he went back and he’s been very successful since. Zak Hardaker was the same.”