The Redcliffe Dolphins are targeting another multi-million-dollar raid on the Melbourne Storm with the NRL’s 17.
Storms are aware of the Dolphins’ approach to the representative trio with President Matt Tripp adamant Melbourne will fight tooth and nail to try to hold the core of the Purple Reign Juggernaut together.
The Dolphins chance of landing all three superstars is around 66/1 and driving but the Redcliffe-based outfit will be more than happy to secure the signature of one on the trio.
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Grant went to Queensland to meet with Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett and recruiting guru Peter O’Sullivan earlier this month with the NRL’s 17th team.
But the storm raised the ante with a deal believed to be more than $ 1 million a season in an attempt to keep Hoker Melbourne, who years ago was identified as Cameron Smith’s heir.
The management of Kiwi Halbback Hughes will fly to Melbourne on Thursday to enter the final round of negotiations as the storm moves to combat Supercoach Bennett’s last raid.
Hughes – widely regarded as the second-best halfback in the NRL behind Nathan Cleary – is seeking an upgrade for 2023 and a five-year extension with the Storm.
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The Dolphins were told they would have to bid close to $ 1 million a season to secure Hughes.
Monster negotiations remain a work-in-progress with Storm Five-Eight enjoying an extremely close relationship with Tripp after Melbourne president saved Queensland and the Australian fifth when other directors pushed his contract to the end of last to tear. Season.
Grant, Hughes and Munster are all out of contract at the end of 2023 with the Dolphins who will not make official bids until November 1st this year.
But the Dolphins have shown interest in all three over the past two months, with Redcliffe already signing the Storm Trio of Felise Kaufusi, Jesse Bromwich and Kenny Bromwich for 2023.
Will the storm hold all three representative stars? That’s the question of millions of dollars and explains why dolphins count the trio.
Grant or Munster would be the ideal marquee recruit for the Dolphins with the pair of proud Queenslanders coming from Rockhampton.
Munster and Tripp played a round of golf in Melbourne on Tuesday ahead of tonight’s blockbuster clash, when Storm takes on South Sydney in what will be coach Craig Bellamy’s 500th NRL match.
DOLPHINS COACHING SUCCESSION PLAN
The other significant game that the Dolphins have in motion is trying to convince the highly regarded Panthers assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo to come on board as Supercoach Wayne Bennett’s training.
Similar to how Jason Demetriou worked with Bennett for a few years before stepping into the chief coaching position at Rabbitohs, Dolphins see Ciraldo as the ideal replacement when Bennett finally decides to hang up his gloves.
Ciraldo is hugely popular with the Penrith players and was the architect of the Panthers who finished last season as the NRL’s best defensive side.
The Panthers averaged just 11.9 points against them over 24 games in the regular season last year.
In the final series, it was even less when the Premier League averaged 10 points against them per game on the way to claiming the NRL title.
EX-STORM FLYER EYEING NRL Return
Southern Sydney is still quietly waiting for another game to sign ex-Melbourne Storm Flyer Suliasi Vunivalu before the August 1 trade deadline.
Souths Powerbrokers met with Vunivalu in Byron Bay over the summer, but fell short of its $ 650,000-a-season asking price.
Premiership winner Vunivalu is currently playing Super Rugby with the Queensland Reds with the season ending in May.
If Vunivalu does not manage to force his way into the Wallabies setup, then do not be surprised if the Bunnies once again try to lure him to Redfern for the rest of this year.
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BRITISH BULLDOG FOR THE WAY
The Bulldogs celebrated their first round 1 victory since 2016 with a few quiet beers in the closets at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
It could have been a bloodshed of a game to test the humidity, but it was impossible to ignore the contribution of English international Luke Thompson.
Thompson ran 7km over the course of the game, including 15 hit-ups for 122m and 39 tackles as the Bulldogs started the season on a winning streak.
Due to the whole investigation of the club leading up to Round 1, Canterbury-Bankstown just needed the road to collect the two points.
The Bulldogs welcomed Tevita Pangai Junior for Sunday’s game against the Adam Reynolds led Broncos back, but lost young gunman Paul Alamoti for the opening month of the season with a syndesmose injury.
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