Harry Grant has given the Melbourne Storm his word that he’ll return to the club in 2021, dashing Tigers’ fans hope of retaining the boom hooker.

Grant has scored two tries and assisted three in his seven games for Wests in 2020, and while both the coaching staff and the fans at Concord are eager to extend his stay, Grant has promised the Storm he will return next year.

The confirmation is a blow for the Wests Tigers, who are starting to look a chance of breaking their nine year finals drought, though Michael Maguire has this week dropped Luke Brooks to send a message.

And while Michael Maguire has Jacob Liddle at his disposal when Grant does hit the exit doors, there’s another youngster who should truly soften the blow of Grant’s departure. His name, you ask?

Meet Jake Simpkin.

He’s a young 18 year-old hooker, clocking in at 91kgs and 181cm, the Toowoomba born rake comes with some kind of raps on him.

The kid lives with last week’s debutant and fellow Queenslander Reece Hoffman, and looks ready to be thrown into first-grade at any opportunity.

Simpkin played for the Under 16’s Maroons side in 2017 and the Under 18’s Maroons team in 2019, and with the future of Queensland’s number nine jersey under debate, this youngster’s name will be in the conversation in a few years.

The hooker is one of ten Tigers signed to the end of 2022 or later, joining the Leilua brothers, Moses Mbye, Tommy Talau, Alex Twal, Luke Brooks, Adam Doueihi, Luke Garner and Stefano Utoikamanu as the future of the club.

While utilities Billy Walters and Josh Reynolds are signed until 2021, neither would be first choice for the starting hooker gig, more likely in the no. 14 jersey.

The hooker will join a wave of young Queensland hooking talent in the NRL, with Harry Grant, Jake Turpin and Reed Mahoney all impressing in 2020, joining Ben Hunt and Jake Friend in the hunt for the Maroon’s starting hooker role.

There’s a young movement at Leichhardt, with Simpkin potential debut to join the likes of Tommy Talau, Alex Seyfarth, Sam McIntyre and Reece Hoffman to hit the scene this year, with Shawn Blore not far off and recruit Stefano Utoikamanu debuting for Parramatta last week.

While there’s no doubt Simpkin is no Harry Grant, he’s one of the best hookers in Australia not playing in the NRL right now, and is a certain star of the future, and one to keep an eye on in the near future.

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