Rugby union target Angus Crichton is yet to receive a formal offer to switch codes, with the Roosters looking to extend him in the face of competition from multiple NRL clubs.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Crichton is a target for Rugby Australia and is it thought that the Roosters would not stand in his way if he wanted to move to rugby union, but no formal offer has been made by CEO Hamish McLennan.
Furthermore, it is reported that signing Crichton is McLennan’s own pet project, with the Waratahs, whom he would represent in Super Rugby, not involved in the process.
Crichton has a year remaining on his current deal and is free to speak to other NRL clubs as of November 1, though if he did choose to join rugby union, it is likely the Roosters would not stand in his way and he would join immediately.
The player himself has insisted that no decision will be made as long as the Roosters are still in the finals. They play an elimination game with Melbourne on Friday.
The backrower took significant time out of the game for mental health reasons earlier this year and his club are happy to let him lead the way on decision making, though they would baulk at him joining another NRL club, especially a year early.
Gamble’s bite message to Wighton
Tyson Gamble has insisted that he has no hard feelings towards Raiders star Jack Wighton after an alleged bite during Sunday afternoon’s epic finals match.
Wighton was put on report for the incident and subsequentially referred straight to the judiciary when the charges dropped on Monday morning. No on-field action was taken at the time.
Speaking after the game, Gamble was happy to move on from it.
“I want to leave that on the field,” he said. “That’s footy. I don’t want to really comment now.
“It’s done and dusted, we shook hands and he (Wighton) said all the best for the rest of the finals series. I don’t really have a comment on it. We’ll put it to the side and move on.”
The judiciary might not be as kind. There is little precedent for bites, but Jorge Taufua was recently given six games for an incident in the UK and Broncos NRLW star Ash Werner was given two matches, with the mitigation of the shorter season in the women’s game.
Former Gold Coast forward Kevin Proctor was the most recent player to be suspended for biting. He was given a four-game ban in 2020 over an incident involving then-Cronulla player Shaun Johnson.
If found guilty, Wighton could miss the start of next season for Souths and because he has retired from representative football, he cannot use Australia’s end-of-season Tests as part of the ban like Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is attempting to do with the Kiwis.
While the suspension would solely affect the Rabbitohs, Canberra will cover Wighton’s representation for the hearing given he is employed by them until the end of October.
The Raiders have also requested the hearing be pushed back to Wednesday to give Wighton appropriate time to prepare, with their players off today for season-ending drinks.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Burgess opens up on Souths exit
Sam Burgess has broken his silence on his departure from South Sydney, telling The Matty Johns Show that his relationship with Souths stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker was still strong despite rumours of a fallout.
“Just on the record, there was a lot of media speculation about Latrell and Cody and me having a go,” he said.
“It’s not the case. I love Latrell, I love Cody. They are great blokes and great people.
“There are things we have disagreements about, of course there are. I think a lot more was made in the press about me, Latrell and Cody but it’s not the case. I love those guys, they’re great boys.
“Could I do things better? Yeah, of course we could. But that’s not my job. It’s for me to talk to the head coach and then for him to lead that ship.
“I don’t really want to go back into the details. I went in that morning (he left) to do the best thing for the club.
“I thought that being there, and the distraction around…I made what I thought was the best decision for the team at the time, to get away from there with a few things that had gone on behind closed doors.
“It’s best to leave it there and everyone move on from themselves. As an assistant coach, you can only give your opinion.”
Burgess described his relationship with coach Jason Demetriou as ‘professional’.
“We left on mutual terms,” he said. “I wish him all the best. I love the club, I love South Sydney, it’s part of my DNA. I always want to see them do well.
“I wish Jason and the team all the best for next year. You could call it a professional relationship.”
with AAP
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Who’s being pushed out exactly? Notice the contracts are only one & two years. Over the last two seasons. Dolphins bought the best up & coming half at Penrith. Since then , Cronulla & the Warriors have bought ‘Four’ of the next most promising halves from Penrith’s lower & junior grades . Add to that with O’Sullivan going. Another Penrith junior. I guess the club needs a little time to actually develop a few more? Unless they are bought out of & down to Harold Matthews level as well? By the way, Laurie is also a Penrith pathways player & also on only a One year deal. Penrith have been losing good players , not by choice . My point was that when Cronulla need a decent player ( especially halves ), they mostly first look to Penrith juniors. Hynes was just an opportunist buy . It’s in the clubs psyche & obviously it’s the same with the club’s supporters. By the way. Not everything I comment with as a reply ,is 100% serious. Even if there’s a good amount of truth in it? It’s also a bit of ribbing. :thumbup:
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Clearly, with the purchase of Schneider and recall of Laurie the NRL door to any local half has been slammed shut for the next few seasons at Penrith. They're basically being pushed out. Tom Jenkins will be next frustrated junior to leave following yesterday's slap in the face. (Wade and Moylan are gone so as said the only current player in the 30 is a young half well down the pecking order, whilst a couple of Sharks will be playing GFs and May/ Smith are mere dreams). So, what point ?
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Sharks have a backrower playing in the centers, He might be a powerful ball runner but its a gift for opposing backs with a bit of pace.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Graham is retiring . Moylan is still there , until he’s not? Puru they bought end of last season. They just bought another half from Penrith, to go there next season. Plus you were referring to 2 more Penrith juniors. So , you can see my point.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Puru from memory is the only Panther in the Shark Top 30 and quite a few players back in the queue for an NRL berth. Sorensen, Capewell and Peachey on the other hand will be playing a GF in a couple of weeks. So it’s well over time the quality of the players coming this way leveled up.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Sorenson. Came begging for a chance, after Cronulla said on your bike. Same deal for Capewell, who’s a Queenslander anyway. You’ve got about two or three Cronulla juniors that Penrith actually bought from Cronulla, that Cronulla may have wanted? On the other hand. There’s a plethera of actual Penrith junior players going the other way. Some retire, hey let’s buy some more. In any case. You can’t say I’m wrong, can you. :laughing:
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Where did key forward Sorensen and regular 17 sub Peachey get shamelessly poached from ? I forget.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Lindsay Smith will be staying at Penrith for a while I’d think. Always highly rated at the Panthers. He will actually be the starting prop . ( With Leota off the bench quite often. ) Liam Henry will be the other reserve prop to start with. Interesting that you look immediately at 2 Penrith juniors, as possible replacements for Cronulla. Same as the ‘Cronulla Club’ always does. :stoked:
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Initially it was a 6 again with Wighton ruck offside but once the play broke down because of Wighton’s involvement on Ponga losing the ball, it became a penalty.
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
Jack Bighton will get off (to South Sydney)
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
He would assist beating the West Sydney Tongans too
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
Can anyone explain Kleins last minute penalty to Knights . I thought all offsides, ruck errors were six again outside defensive teams 40 metre line (so as to save struggling teams) and I must say I havent seen a penalty in kicking distance for some time - Did Klein want to get the game over with...
souvalis
Roar Rookie
The current pack won't get the club beyond Finals week 1 next year either, Dumbo. Enough grunt not enough class outside Nikora. Wilton, with Moylan, was major in the chronic left side problem and 'prospectively' didn't come on as much as hoped with the ball either. If he's right to go and the price is right, to me there's far higher quality of football in the next 2 years of Angus' career than Teig's.
Dumbo
Roar Rookie
Souvalis, I think 23 year old Wilton is a better prospect than 27 year old Crichton. He would be on less money too, and Sharks need to save some cash to get a better prop.
Dumbo
Roar Rookie
Maxtruck - it's a sensible question. I think the only sensible answer is that suspensions incurred for foul play in the "regular" season are to be served in the current/next "regular" season, while suspensions incurred in Origin or Rep games are to be served in the next Origin/Rep games.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Will Wighton put his hand up to play rep football after opting out earlier in the year in an attempt to wipe off suspensions
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Crichton had some mental health issues, not a labotomy.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Gee Angus Crichton still just 27 was strong last year, disrupted this year, wouldnt mind Fitzy using some Rooster influence to bring him in for Wade (shop Teig). Would be sniffing around Terrel May and Panther Lindsay Smith as well.
Aiden
Roar Rookie
Same delicious cut of meat
Panthers
Roar Rookie
He has been in the Roosters system, since they brought him over from Auckland, NZ. Wong went to Mt Albert Grammar School where he appears to have played rugby union and also popped up in an Under 14 Hakula Tonga team in 2017. Maybe the All Blacks should make an offer for him? I knew they said that he’d played Rugby. :thumbup: