Rising star Joey Manu has started talking contract extensions with the premiers in a bid to ensure he does not go to market in November.
Alongside Manu is centre Latrell Mitchell, who headlines an all-star troupe of players entering the market at the end of rugby league’s calendar year. The international duo along with Jake Friend, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Siosiua Taukeiaho are all off-contract at the end of the season.
It is understood that Mitchell and his management have put contract talks on hold amid a drama-filled period but will resume before the end of the season. Manu has done similar, placing talks on hold in order to focus on what is left of the season, but plans to put pen to paper at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
"We've started up those talks with the club," Manu told NRL.com.
"I want to be here, we started it up a while ago but I've since said I'm focusing on my footy and the end of the season which I think is best for everyone.
"I've given it a little bit of thought and have had a few chats with my manager, it is your future after all.
"I said I want to focus on this season and where we're heading.
"I'm happy here at the moment, it's a good crew, a good team and everyone wants to win. I love being in a winning team so we'll look after that stuff in the off-season and see what we can do there."
Manu has quickly become one of the game’s best centres. Fellow centre and teammate Mitchell agrees with this fact, stating that Manu could be the most elite centre in the game following a square-off between the pair at international level last year.
Will be interesting to see how they juggle Manu and the effort to keep Mitchell given their already high profile rosster.
Every time a player comes up for a new contract the roosters say cronk will free up money on his retirement.
That’s around 5 players they cronks money will go towards apparantly.
Good to hear Taukeaiho’s manager talking with the Rabbitohs.
A good acquisition.
Edwoodenspoon1 thank you for your insightful knowledge which you consider superior to an immortal.
I noticed you no longer include Roberts, Lowe, Knight and Su’A on your list of flops and I suspect the same respect will occur once the 3 you now have a few a few games under Wayne Bennett, unlike Crighton where Souths invested 2 years turning him into an Origin player and within 6 months under Robinson has turned him into a flop.
With Tedesco and Crighton on $1M a year until end of 2021 and Mitchell with an upgrade to $550k for 2020 (really, thats all?), then easily looking at $1M fro 2021, thats 3 players locked in for $3M a year.
Do the sum for whats left to spread over 27 players.
Many will be curious to see how the roosters waive their magic wand on this.
Teddy is only on 750k a year and Crichton is on 900k, you like to make stuff up don’t you Stephanie?
When Cronk leaves at the end of the year we will have 1 mil which is easily enough to upgrade Manu and Mitchell
There’s a decent gap between Mitchell $$$ and Manu $$$ champ. Your kidding if you think Mitchell isn’t worth big coin
By the way Mitchell is being rubbished on here by rooster patsy 1 and 2 sounds like he is all but gone.
Might be true wants to link up wit his spiritual home the Rabbitohs.
i have a player manager friend who says Crichton is on 800k a year. Take that as you will. i highly doubt mitchell is a million a year play. Too inconsistent, and goes missing quite a lot. Manu hasn’t reached the heights of 2018, and being a centre i doubt his salary will be that hefty.