The latest red-hot swap deal doing the rounds in the NRL was supposed to go Kai Pearce-Paul to Wests Tigers, Dylan Brown to Newcastle and Lachlan Galvin to the Parramatta Eels.
The only problem is the engine won’t even be getting started on the tarmac because it’s been shot down by Pearce-Paul’s agent Sam Ayoub.
Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson has also got on the front foot in the last 24 hours to stipulate Galvin has a contract until the end of 2027 and the club has no plans to release the young gun.
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“There’s a lot of interest in Kai at the moment but he’s currently contracted to the Knights and we have no thoughts or plans of seeking an early release,” Ayoub said.
“Neither Kai or I are going to be a part of solving other peoples’ problems and predicaments.”
The three-way fantasy football swap first emerged on radio over the weekend as the Galvin issue dominated the airwaves.
Pearce-Paul is off contract at the end of this season and has a number of clubs interested in him including Wests Tigers.
Parramatta coach Jason Ryles confirmed the Eels’ interest in Galvin on Fox League’s Easter Monday coverage once the 19-year-old can open negotiations with rival clubs from November 1.
The Knights remain interested in possibly taking Brown early but would need to clear some salary cap latitude to be able to make the deal happen.
Panthers set to pounce after tough start | 04:55
BRONCOS FACE COBBO CAP SQUEEZE
The Brisbane Broncos are facing a salary cap squeeze with Selywn Cobbo in position to ramp up his value after being switched to fullback to face the red-hot Canterbury-Bankstown to kick off round eight.
Cobbo has made no secret of his desire to play fullback and the off-contract Brisbane flyer gets the perfect platform to launch his case over the course of the next six weeks with Reece Walsh out injured.
The Broncos are facing a salary cap tight rope act given the club is top-heavy with gun players including Walsh, Ezra Mam, Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas, Kotoni Staggs and Ben Hunt.
Then there’s the ongoing situation around Adam Reynolds and whether the champion halfback continues to play on next season.
Reynolds wants to play on and given his importance to the side the Broncos would be mad not to entertain re-signing the club’s no.1 playmaker.
In the midst of all of this sits the off-contract Cobbo who has made no secret of his desire to get a crack at playing fullback.
In his only game in the no.1 jumper for the Broncos last year Cobbo submitted a powerhouse performance clocking up 14 tackle busts in a 13-12 win over Manly.
With the Broncos looking to snap a two-game losing streak and Cobbo pushing to prove he can own the fullback role it sets up a balancing act for Brisbane.
There’s no question the Broncos want to retain Cobbo but if he flies in the fullback role then rival clubs could be getting in the queue to try and sign him.
‘His game is growing’: Madge backs Walsh | 11:22
DOGS’ FRONT ROW PAIR PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT
They might be unsung and unfashionable but the Bulldogs one-two front row punch of Max King and Josh Curran punched well above their weight in round seven.
Granted it was only against a depleted South Sydney pack but Thursday night they get the chance to stake a serious claim against the heavyweight Brisbane pairing of Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan.
King has to be one of the most underrated props in the game while Curran was also superb after switching from the backrow to start in the front row against the Rabbitohs.
The Bulldogs ambushed Cronulla back in round four and have since gone on to power to a 6-0 start to the season.
Beat the Broncos to make it a 7-0 start and the drums will be beating live and loud in Belmore.
Manly offer Fogarty three-year deal | 00:52
MANLY’S BIG SIGNING COUP
The Manly Sea Eagles have landed a significant coup in convincing Jamal Fogarty to leave Canberra to replace Daly Cherry-Evans on the northern peninsula next season.
The Sea Eagles ultimately trumped the Raiders by offering Fogarty a three-year deal along with the opportunity to form a damaging right edge combination with Haumole Olakau’atu.
The move is far from all doom and gloom for the Raiders who are in the midst of unearthing some of the best emerging talent in the game in Ethan Strange, Kaeo Weekes, Matty Nicholson, Chevy Stewart and Ethan Sanders.
Sanders is currently out injured after sustaining a fractured eye socket playing NSW Cup.
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