Brandon Smith is officially looking for a new club for 2022 and beyond.
The Storm star’s manager Stan Martin emailed 14 clubs to inform them that his client is seeking a release due to his desire to play hooker. Melbourne is willing to let Smith go as long as they get “fair compensation”.
Walker signed the email, “If you are interested in Brandon, please contact me at a convenient time.”
No doubt his phone will blow up with interest for the Kiwi international in the coming days, but what clubs could Smith realistically end up in?
Let’s take a look …
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Smith to leave Storm in 2021?
1:42
BULLDOGS
The most obvious option are the bulldogs. The club finally has money to spend and is building a solid team. You recently presented Smith’s Storm teammate Josh Addo-Carr with a four-year contract worth $ 500,000 per season. If the representative winger doesn’t take the offer, the club will have to throw the money and more at Smith. Canterbury-Bankstown needs a world-class whore more than a winger. You have Jeremy Marshall-King and Sione Katoa on your books, it’s not disrespect to them – they are doing their job. But if you look at the teams that finished in the top six last year, they all had influential and dominant hookers – with the exception of the Raiders, who lost Josh Hodgson mid-year. Smith is the influential and dominant whore who could really transform the Bulldogs. Marshall-King and Katoa also terminated their contract at the end of 2021.
The daily telegraph reported Monday that there is a club interested in Smith’s service and willing to offer a representative striker in return. Dylan Napa comes to mind here. He’s out of a contract at the end of 2021, but the Bulldogs could try their luck to secure Smith early but line up Napa immediately. With Luke Thompson, Jack Hetherington, Renouf Atoni, and Ofahiki Ogden on their books, the Bulldogs could afford to dump Napa, a former Queensland representative.
If Melbourne is on their heels and refuses to let Smith go before 2022, the Bulldogs could offer a player like Dalin Watene-Zelezniak. The 25-year-old has 134 NRL games and, like Smith, is a Kiwi international. Watene-Zelezniak could bolster the storm’s backline with the extra depth they need.
Aside from the cap space, the need for a hooker, and a compensation option, Smith fits Bulldog shape. Tough, competitive and incredibly passionate – the old school DNA on which the club is built.
WEST TIGERS
We all know how successful it was the last time the Tigers had a hooker from the Storm system. So it’s a breeze that they chase after Smith. The Tigers were so close to securing Addo-Carr that it failed. They can’t let that happen to Smith. The Storm Whore would have a tremendous impact on the Tigers’ attack, and he’s got the fire in the gut to compete every week – something the Tigers lacked last season. His energy would be contagious. Right now the Tigers have Jacob Liddle and Jake Simpkin on their books. Liddle is out of contract in late 2021 while Simpkin is signed through late 2022, but Simpkin, aged just 19, may still be a few years away from becoming a consistent first grader. Russell Packer no longer has a contract at the end of 2021 and is expected to earn around $ 700,000. There’s also the money freed up by Josh Reynolds’ exit to the Super League. The Tigers’ relationship is strengthened by the relationship between trainer Michael Maguire and Smith that was built through the Kiwi side. In terms of a gamer offering something, it doesn’t have to be a hooker, so Moses Mbye could be the answer. Mbye has a lot of money with the Tigers – reportedly around $ 900,000 – but doesn’t quite fit into the team. He’s a solid player and extremely versatile having played fullback, center, hooker and half. The 27-year-old could stand up as a center for the storm or at least fight for a place for the bank with Nicho Hynes. Mbye has played 135 NRL games and represented Queensland three times so his experience is just right for him.
Tigers were my only option
2:48
SEA EAGLE
It’s evident that Manly is betting on Manase Fainu to be cleared for the game after his trial in July. Besides Fainu, they don’t have any other real hooker in their top 30. Trainer Des Hasler plans to play either Cade Cust or Lachlan Croker – both more than half a hooker – in 9th place with the other on the bench until Fainu can Apply field. But what if Fainu is not deleted? Smith would be a brilliant replacement. Adding a whore of Smith’s caliber to a back of Tom Trbojevic, Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran would make Manly extremely dangerous. Cap space could be a bottleneck and the club may need to hire a few players to get the money that matches the Bulldogs and Tigers’ offers. In order for a player to offer something, the storm needs depth in its backline and Manly is spoiled for choice with backs. Brad Parker, Dylan Walker, Moses Suli, Ben Trbojevic and Morgan Harper battle for two middle places, and Jorge Taufua, Tevita Funa, Reuben Garrick, Jason Saab and Christian Tuipulotu battle for the wings. Hasler is said to be very impressed by the new recruits Saab and Tuipulotu. If Fainu’s case doesn’t work in his favor, the white-tailed eagles will be looking for a hooker, and if they want Smith bad enough, offering off-the-back quality shouldn’t be a problem.
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warrior
The warriors have yet to agree on their long-term hooker. They have Wayde Egan and Karl Lawton on their books, but neither has cemented their place in jersey # 9. It shouldn’t be too convincing for the Kiwi international to return to his home country and he’ll undoubtedly get the starting position for the hooker he’s looking for, but offering a player of similar caliber could be a problem. The Warriors are building up well, in fact their 2021 recruitment was the best in the league, but when it comes to star power, they don’t have much. However, what they could offer to spark the storm’s interest is a rising star who is no doubt about to have a successful career, someone like Eli Katoa. But the question is whether they would be ready to lose such a unique talent.
RTS a warrior for 2021
1:10
BRONCOS
Space is tight at the moment, but the Broncos will free much-needed money in time for the 2022 season as Anthony Milford’s mega-contract expires in late 2021. Even if the Broncos re-sign Milford, he won’t have a million dollars a season like this one. Coach Kevin Walters has enlisted the services of # 9 veteran Andrew McCullough and Jake Turpin for the next season, but McCullough is out of contract in late 2021. Turpin has an option in his favor for 2022 so he’s likely to avail that unless a better deal comes knocking out. The Broncos previously announced they would invest in Turpin, but when a player like Smith hits the market they’d be insane not to consider him. While Brisbane won’t want to let any of their young guns into Melbourne, they will need to come up with an appropriate option to face the storm. Depending on how important his role is in 2021, Corey Oates will fit the level of player the Storm is looking for. The 26-year-old has played 156 NRL games and represented Queensland eight times. Its versatility is also a great asset. Oates has an option in his favor for the 2022 season.
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TITANS
You may have been excluded from the email Smith’s manager sent to inform the club of his client’s availability for 2022 and beyond, but we cannot rule out the Titans. Storm skipper Cameron Smith is expected to bond with the Titans next season if he doesn’t retire – but what if Smith only signs for a year? The Titans would be in the market for one more hooker for 2022 and beyond. And if Smith had played his last NRL game, the Titans would already be in the market for a world-class whore.
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