Super League clubs had better take a leaf out of St Helens’ and Wigan Warriors’ books and secure their halfbacks with many NRL clubs on the lookout for halfbacks moving forward.
Now that Jarome Luai’s future is secured, the likes of Penrith Panthers, Canterbury Bulldogs, Canberra Raiders, Cronulla Sharks and North Queensland Cowboys are all in the market to sign halfbacks but there is a limited number in Australia at the moment.
We have already seen the likes of Harry Smith and George Williams linked with an NRL return and that could just be the tip of the iceberg.
Both Wigan and Warrington Wolves signed them down to long term deal and St Helens have reportedly done the same with in demand Jack Welsby.
Lewis Dodd at St Helens remains a target for NRL clubs being out of contract at the end of 2024 though he does have an option to extend. Brodie Croft you would have thought is safe at Leeds Rhinos having only just signed. The NRL clause in his deal does not activate until after 2025.
But what about the likes of Jake Trueman, Tui Lolohea and others in Super League? With Luai completing a $6 million move to Wests Tigers, the market is about to break which is something Chad Townsend acknowledged when speaking about teammate Tom Dearden as offers fly about for him demonstrating the state of play.
“With Jarome potentially coming off the market, Tommy is next in line,” Townsend said to the SMH.
“Tommy knows how much I love him as a player, he’s got a lot of quality football in front of him, and if he doesn’t get that [$1 million a year] contract this time, he will next time because I know how hard he works.
“He earns every single dollar by the way he plays and the effort he puts out on the field.
“[As for myself] I’m taking it day by day and just want to focus on enjoying my footy. I’m open to everything.”
Super League clubs should keep track of aging NRL halfbacks like Townsend on the other hand as they could be viable replacements.
