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Scott no guarantee to stay at Knights

29th March, 2015
18

Beau Scott has declined to guarantee he will remain at Newcastle next year despite being contracted until the end of 2017.

Scott has been heavily linked with an early exit from Hunter Stadium and a return to Sydney.

He signed a contract extension with the Knights late last year but is believed to be attempting to activate a get-out clause.

The backrower did not put the rumour to bed when asked if he would remain at his current club.

“It’s a bit of a complicated situation at the moment and I’ll talk about it when the time’s right,” Scott told AAP.

The Knights have stated they would consider any requests for a release on compassionate grounds and it has been reported he is seeking to activate his get-out clause for family reasons.

Newcastle, the only unbeaten team in the competition after four rounds, face a tough ask to keep their current squad together with Dane Gagai, Kurt Gidley, Jeremy Smith and Kade Snowden off contract at the end of 2015.

Scott has been heavily linked to a return to former club St George Illawarra as well as the Wests Tigers and Brisbane.

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The Dragons would view Scott as a like-for-like replacement for Penrith-bound Trent Merrin.

Scott is highly regarded by Broncos coach Wayne Bennett, who installed him as NRL All Stars captain this year and mentored him during his stint at the Dragons and the Knights.

The 30-year-old played in the Dragons’ 2010 premiership side under Bennett and followed the master mentor to Newcastle three years later.

Last week Brisbane great Gorden Tallis said he wouldn’t be surprised if Scott followed Bennett to Brisbane and he has been touted as a possible replacement for Sam Thaiday.

Thaiday is under pressure to lift his performance and played from the bench in the Broncos’ past three matches.

Bennett has challenged the Queensland and Test representative to lift his game since his poor showing against South Sydney in round 1.

Broncos great Darren Lockyer said on Sunday the club faces a battle to fit Thaiday into next year’s salary cap and he needed to prove his worth.

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“I love Sam and I played a lot of footy with Sam so I’d love to see him at the Broncos,” Lockyer said on Channel 9.

“But in this modern game there’s a salary cap and it makes things difficult.

“Sam’s done a lot in the game so he commands big dollars and I think the next month the coach wants to see a response to him playing off the bench and hopefully he can do that.”

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