Brisbane Broncos coach Kevin Walters has confirmed young gun Deine Mariner will be going nowhere after an alleged poaching raid from the Dolphins for his services.
The highly-rated young gun might be only 19 years of age, but the Auckland-born centre and winger has already played two NRL games for the Broncos after making his debut in the top grade against the Wests Tigers during Round 20 of last year.
Prior to that, he scored eight tries in eight games playing for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls at QLD Cup level, also breaking 37 tackles and making six line breaks in that time as he averaged 135 metres per contest.
The form was enough to put him firmly on the first-grade selection radar at the back end of next year, and with a contract locked in until the end of the 2024 season, it means he is unable to sign a deal with a rival club until November 1 next year.
Coach Walters told News Corp that Mariner is well and truly in the club's first grade plans for 2023.
“Deine is definitely staying here, 100 per cent,” Walters said.
“This is a big year for Deine, he is still only young, but we expect him to play some more first grade this year and that will be the plan for him.
“It's about learning and getting better and I feel he has a long future at the Broncos.”
It has been reported that the Broncos have involved the NRL integrity unit after the Dolphins attempted to entice Mariner into breaking his current deal.
Mariner's manager has been interviewed by the NRL and suggested in comments that the Dolphins have done nothing wrong.
“The NRL has made contact with us, I have co-operated fully,” Dixon McIver said.
“I have given them a statement on where we stand and that's why I don't have any concerns.”
The young gun will have to fight with Selwyn Cobbo, Corey Oates, Herbie Farnworth and Kotoni Staggs for minutes next year at wing and centre, while the likes of the returning Jesse Arthars (loan - New Zealand Warriors), Delouise Hoeter, Tesi Niu, Jordan Pereira and Ethan Quai-Ward will also be searching for minutes in the outside backs.
He'd be far more likely to feature in a Dolphins backline which has been bolstered by the fact Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will play fullback, but still includes Jamayne Isaako, Edrick Lee, Euan Aitken and Oliver Gildart, as well as young gun Valynce Te Whare, Brenko Lee and Robert Jennings, while Jack Bostock sits on the development players list.
Walters said he wasn't sure around the attempt from the Dolphins.
“I'm not sure what happened (with the Dolphins' poaching attempt), but the good thing is he was locked in here,” Walters said.
