The Wests Tigers and Melbourne Storm are on the verge of agreeing to the first loan deal in the NRL's history, with youngsters Paul Momirovski and Harry Grant set to swap clubs for the upcoming season while their 2020 wages are paid by their current sides.
According to NRL.com, Momirovski will depart for Melbourne within the coming days to aid the Storm's plea for a boost to their outside back options, while returning to the Tigers come season's end.
While the Tigers are hoping to lock down a contract extension with Momirovski past 2020, they will look to send him south while still paying his wage for the year and in return will see Grant arrive to Concord as the Storm continue to pay his wages for the season.
The deal is being closely surveyed by the NRL, but both Melbourne and Wests are hoping to have the players trade places within the next week.
Both clubs are yet to make an official announcement on the proposed swap.
Grant still has three years left on his contract with Melbourne, as the Storm will hope to transition the 21-year-old into the shoes of Cameron Smith's successor.
A year-long loan deal for Grant could fast track his development, while also aiding Michael Maguire's hooking depth for the season.
Momirovski's potential move to the Storm would give Craig Bellamy's backline a much needed boost, following the departures of Will Chambers (Suntory Sungoliath) and Curtis Scott (Canberra).
The English Super League allows top-tier clubs to loan out players to those in lower divisions in hope of giving younger players more experience and a greater chance to develop.
The Tigers coach became fond of the English loan system after spending time at Super League club Wigan.
"I just see the value of kids, be it from here, being loaned to Super League clubs for a period of time," Maguire told League Weekly late last year.
"It helps those teams. Even if you sent them there for two months… you might be able to find a way to send them there and help bolster up what’s going on over there at Super League level.
"You’d probably be able to do that every now and then with NRL teams... it [could] open up a different pathway and an opportunity for people to grow."
Smart operator Madge,….
It’s good in theory and I really hope it works. But there are few, if any (good) principles in RL and it will work until the first borrowing club duds the lending club. I’ll give it, oooh, about a week, maybe a couple of months (just to show I’m not a total cynic) before it falls apart. Easts would love this idea (alright all you Easts and Souths supporters, you can draw swords now).
It has the potential to benefit both clubs, especially the Tigers given that Harry Grant has such a big wrap on him. If Momirovski fires under Craig Bellamy’s coaching it wouldn’t surprise me if the loan becomes a permanent arrangement.
Harry Grant is a great player. I reckon he is potentially better then Brandon Smith. There is no doubting that Smith is a real run hard hit I’m hard sort of player but Grant has more finess. Grant plays more like Cameron Smith.
Will he be the starting 9?
Lidcombe you might find this interesting since like you say I’m only 5%
https://youtu.be/GW3dks0Eu5Q
First time I have ever heard of a deal like this.
Should not be allowed. All weak clubs like Souths will be falling over backwards to send their dud players over to the Sydney Roosters most brilliant proven coaching team to turn their duds into top rate rep players only to drag them back to their dud club as established rep and premiership winning players.
I dont like it fullstop
Here was i day dreaming about Momirovski and Leila playing in the centres. Ah well Tigers begin to shoot themselves in the foot again. Maybe they’ll make ninth agin this year. I’m sure Melbourne won’t loose out in this deal.
But Toddy123, and without dwelling on it, if everyone was treated equally (all Australians) no one would care what/how you identified yourself.
The fact that indegeous people get special benefits, and the fact that most who are registered as indegeous are minority indegeous (for a lack of a better term) is why people question it.
Just look at the ABS stats between the last 2 censuses’. Approx 40K adults (5% of all registered indegeous) changed from identifying as non indegeous to indegeous.
Is it becoming trendy, beneficial or have people just started to feel it?
Toddy123, because I’ve posted the above I’ve got ask, why did you bring that link across to this article?
I’ve just written a sincere apology post about my last post here because I thought I posted that comment on the wrong article, and therefore was (certainly could have been seen to be) stirring up an unrelated topic (I thought I was, certainly intended to post that comment on the anthem article).
I was embarressed about that. Genuinely. That link/that topic doesn’t belong on this article mate.
Eels I put the link here for lidcomboval to see I know he’s a Wests fan so I figured he’d read this article
This financial arrangement comes straight out of the crow/souths “book of salary cap r_.o.r.’t.s”
Hey RopeableNugget..
If it’s a not a legal deal ? It’s a wonder that your French Dressed Chickens didn’t think of it first. Or is that what you’re most angry about? That is being unfair though. The Nuggets wouldn’t want to do a temporary swap. They’d just want to buy the players & pay them mostly using independent corporate sponsorships.
Please tell me it’s not true, the chooks are looking at douheie. Nooooo….what a waste of money, we lose latrell and Billy Smith and get that dud instead??? Doh!
@Mark.mywords
So? If clubs aren’t stupid enough they wont do it. It gives the option for any club to get players on a temperate deal. It’s the clubs choice if they wanna sign duds