TRANSFER CENTER – Michmutters
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Isaiah Papali’i backflip, Wests Tigers contract, transfer news, Billy Slater, rugby league legends, news, highlights

Rugby league legend Billy Slater has slammed Isaiah Papali’i’s potential Tigers backflip following the news the 23-year-old would make a decision at the season’s end.

Reports suggest the backrow enforcer will honor his contract and ply his trade for the merger club in 2023, but doubts still linger over Papali’i’s future.

The 23-year-old penned three-year deal with the Tigers late last year, but after the sacking of Michael Maguire the young gun said he wants to have “no regrets.”

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“Obviously people ask me about it, just even on the street or family and friends are hitting me up but that’s kind of for my manager look after and even if I don’t stay here or I do go next year, I want to make sure that this year has no regrets,” he said to 9 News.

“When I did sign it was talking to Madge — he’s an awesome coach. That rattled the cage a bit and I guess you have to have those conversations and I guess that was a massive factor for me.”

Now, Slater has been left stunned that Papali’i could potentially backflip on his deal and urged him to honor his contract.

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“If you sign with a club, go to the club,” Slater said on Nine’s coverage.

“You’re signing with a club. You’re not signing with a coach, you’re not signing with a player — you’re signing with a club. Go to the club.

“You’re not allowed to walk away from a contract. It’s just pressure, public pressure if you want out.

“If you sign with a club, you want to take that money and you sign the deal, go to the club.”

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Transfer Whispers, Jock Madden, Panthers, Jake Clifford, Knights, Ethan Bullemor, Sea Eagles, contracts

Knights playmaker Jake Clifford is reportedly considering an early exit from his contract, while the Panthers links to Jock Madden are heating up.

Meanwhile, Manly forward Ethan Bullemor is considering a shock career move.

Read on for all the latest NRL Transfer Whispers.

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MANLY STAR EYEING SHOCK CAREER MOVE

Manly forward Ethan Bullemor is reportedly considering early retirement from rugby league to take up a career in finance.

The Daily Telegraph reported Bullemor is weighing up cutting his rugby league career short to take up a job at a fund manager in Sydney.

The 22-year-old has scored four tries in 34 NRL games since his debut for the Broncos in 2020, including nine games since his move to Manly this season.

The versatile back-rower is a bright kid away from footy and could opt to use his skills and knowledge of the financial sector over his obvious prowess on the sporting field.

Bullemor is contracted to Manly until the end of the 2023 season, but is weighing up retiring at the end of 2022 to make the shock career switch.

The promising forward has struggled for consistent opportunities at Manly, but with Andrew Davey reportedly moving on at the end of the season and Josh Schuster switching to five-eighth, Bullemor could be a key player next year for Des Hasler.

Haumole Olakau’atu and Ben Trbojevic loomed as his main competition next season, but Bullemor could opt to trade it all in for an opportunity in finance.

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BIG HITS: Warriors veteran ‘winds back the clock’ as young gun shines

Ethan Bullemor could be set for early retirement from rugby league.Source: Getty Images

KNIGHTS PLAYMAKER EYEING EARLY EXIT

Out of favor Knights playmaker Jake Clifford is reportedly considering cutting his stay at Newcastle short.

The Daily Telegraph reported Clifford’s lack of game time in 2022 could see him exit the club despite being contracted until the end of 2023.

The 24-year-old has scored 11 tries and 187 points in 67 games since his NRL debut for the Cowboys in 2018, but has only managed 12 games in 2022.

No potential destination for Clifford has emerged with a return to the Cowboys unlikely given their success and depth in the halves.

Making a release request difficult for Clifford is the fact the Knights are losing Anthony Milford to the Dolphins next year, while Phoenix Crossland remains unsigned.

Warriors whack Bulldogs in Auckland | 02:17

If the Knights don’t get Luke Brooks they would be mad to let Clifford go without getting something in return.

Clifford would walk into the Knights’ starting side next year, but has struggled for form in 2022 and fallen behind Milford and Adam Clune in the pecking order.

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Jake Clifford is reportedly eyeing a release.Source: Getty Images

PANTHERS EYE TIGERS HALF AMID PLAYMAKER LOGJAM

Reports Tigers halfback Jock Madden is set to join the Panthers are growing louder amid the playmaker logjam at Concord.

The Daily Telegraph reported the Panthers have emerged as a potential landing spot for Madden and as there is little interest elsewhere, a move to Penrith is growing more likely.

Madden is currently the Tigers’ starting halfback after injuries to Jackson Hastings and Luke Brooks, but remains unsigned beyond 2022.

The 24-year-old has scored two tries in 13 games for the Tigers since his debut in 2021, but has only managed 10 games in his contract year in 2022.

Madden had been linked with the Dolphins, but the signing of Sean O’Sullivan and Isaiya Katoa from the Panthers and Milford has them well stocked in the halves.

That leaves an opening at the Panthers, but the only issue is Madden is looking for more NRL game time and unless injuries strike he won’t beat Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai to a starting spot.

Jock Madden has been linked to the Panthers.Source: Getty Images

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Paul Green death, age, Cowboys coach death, Jason Taumalolo, how did Paul Green die?, Todd Payten, player reaction

Cowboys skipper Jason Taumalolo said there were “no words” to express what he and his teammates were feeling in the wake of Paul Green’s shock death.

The rugby league legend passed away at his Brisbane home on Thursday and tributes have since flooded in for the former North Queensland coach.

Green led the Cowboys to premiership victory in 2015, with Jason Taumalolo starting at lockout, having been coached by the former representative halfback from 2014 to 2020.

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Taumalolo was the only player to take the field on Saturday that was a part of the 2015 grand final team, giving an emotional plea for people to speak out no matter “how big or small the problem is”.

“It has been a big few days given what has happened, no real words really to express what has happened over the last few days,” Taumalolo said in the post-match press conference.

“How it has affected people in the rugby league community, and families, I can’t imagine what Amanda and the kids are going through right now.

“Everyone should have someone to talk to, regardless of how big or small the problem is, no one should have to carry around that pressure with them.

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Fletch lauds Green’s Roosters influence | 03:04

“We have a tight-knit group and I know rugby league teams have their own little groups, I just hope that if anyone is going through something they have someone to talk to about any problems.”

Taumalolo went on to say the loss of their former coach “shocked and rattled” the playing group after the club’s 32-18 loss to the Roosters.

“I think everyone copes with loss and grief differently and yeah, I am not sure about any of the other boys but everyone is affected differently,”

“I’d like to think we are a tight-knit group and we are able to talk to each other whether we are going through a tough time or something really difficult.

“But again, I think just what has happened has really shocked and rattled most of us and it is going to take some time to get over it.”

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Cowboys coach Todd Payten echoed Taumalolo’s sentiment, revealing NRL powerbrokers have provided the club with necessary resources to deal with the shock loss.

“The club and the league have been great with the resources they have provided us as a group,” Payten said.

“It is my job to make sure that we keep an eye out for each other, that everyone feels comfortable that they can go and see me or someone within the club to get some help.”

During the Cowboys and Roosters clash, both teams wore black armbands to remember Green, who had a lasting impact on both clubs.

Green was assistant to Trent Robinson in 2013, his first year at the helm of the Tricolours club — and in that year they won the premiership.

Green also played 35 games for the Cowboys and 20 for the Roosters during his glittering 162-game playing career.

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Warriors shoey fan, lifetime ban, kicked out of Mt Smart Stadium, Calley Gibbons

The Warriors’ ‘shoey’ fan has reportedly been slapped with a lifetime ban after being kicked out of Mt Smart Stadium on Friday night.

The Sydney Morning Heraldreports Calley Gibbons was approached by police after his first ‘shoey’ and was escorted out of the ground by security, who informed him he was banned for life.

Gibbons became a Warriors cult hero after being spotted on TV sinking a beer from his shoe in front of the coaches box — where he has sat since 2006.

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The 31-year-old brickie from Auckland was first spotted on TV during the Warriors’ homecoming game against the Tigers in Round 16, again in Round 20 against the Storm and most recently during the first half of Friday’s 42-18 win over the Bulldogs .

Gibbons told the herald he had no idea why he had been tossed out of the stadium given he was not intoxicated and had purchased the beer from inside the venue.

However according to the report stadium officials weren’t not happy with an unauthorized camera crew following Gibbons.

“I was evicted from the stadium and the security guard escorted me out and told me I had a lifetime ban,” he said.

“Your guess is as good as mine as to why I was kicked out. It’s just wrong.

“I told them I had purchased the beer from the venue, I was not intoxicated and it was my choice as to how I consumed the beer.

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“I’m not sure if one particular security guard had it in for me. He told me, ‘You won’t be coming back here in this lifetime’.

“I’d only done the one shoey. At least I got one good shoey in. I went to a bar and did a few shoeys every time the Warriors scored.”

Triple M host Tony Squires was stunned to hear that the popular footy fan had copped such harsh treatment.

Johnson double dummy MELTS Dogs | 01:05

“This is a poor bloke who’s waited a couple of years (for a Warriors home game). He gets there, he’s excited and now he’s got a lifetime ban,” he said on Saturday.

news corp Journalist Brent Read said a lifetime ban “is a bit over the top,” while Rabbitohs star Jai Arrow, who was a guest on Triple M, said “it’s like you’re not allowed to have fun anymore.”

A change.org petition to overturn the ban was started on Friday and had already amassed over 3,500 signatures by Saturday afternoon.

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