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The players may be on holidays, but there’s still plenty of action happening at several NRL clubs.
Titans star AJ Brimson has confirmed his move to halves next season. And speaking of halves, new Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has revealed what we can expect from star recruit Nicho Hynes.
A matured and focused Jackson Hastings has declared he is “someone you want in your club” and has opened up on how he fits into the Tigers’ line-up.
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BRIMSON SHIFT CONFIRMED
Titans star AJ Brimson has confirmed he’ll be wearing the No.6 jersey next season and exciting young gun Jayden Campbell will line up at fullback.
Brimson has paved a brilliant start to his NRL career over the last few seasons in the No.1 jersey. However, Campbell was seriously impressive while filling in for Brimson at times throughout 2021.
That’s forced coach Justin Holbrook to have a tinker with his team to find a way to have both attacking weapon, Brimson and Campbell, in the starting 17.
There had been murmurs ever since late in the season that Holbrook was going to move Brimson to five-eighth and last week the 23-year-old confirmed the move.
“We had a big chat at the end of last year and the way Jayden Campbell is playing and I’m excited to play with him, it’s not one of those awkward things, I’m excited,” Brimson told Triple M’s Rush Hour with MG.
“I think what is going to work best would be me back into the halves and JC to stay at fullback.
“I’ve played a lot of halves so it’s not anything really new to me and I’m not too nervous but it is a bit more tackling for me so I’ll have to get some wrestling sessions up in pre-season.”
Brimson will partner Toby Sexton in the halves. 20-year-old Sexton made his debut this year and showed plenty of potential in the three more games he played.
It’ll be a completely new halves pairing with Ash Taylor not being re-signed and Jamal Fogarty joining the Raiders. Adding to the changes is the departure of veteran hooker Mitch Rein and given the Titans haven’t signed a replacement No.9 it looks like it will be Erin Clark and Tanah Boyd battling it out for the jersey.
Brimson is confident he can strike up a solid combination with his new halves partner and has faith in the Titans’ young spine.
“We’ve caught up a bit in the off-season and he (Sexton) is already making some jokes,” Brimson said.
“We’ve got such a young spine and if it ends up being me, Toby and JC and then Erin Clark or Tanah Boyd or whoever is at nine, it is exciting.
“It is a young spine and we know if we are going to do something in this comp then we are going to have a massive pre-season together.
“I think that is Justin’s (Holbrook) thought process behind it, telling us early where he wants us to play so after every session there is no confusion.
“You’ll know each others game so when round one comes around you’re ready to go.
“I’m excited, Toby is one of my good mates and he is a freak so it’ll be good.”
STAR RECRUIT GETS KEYS TO SHARKS’ ATTACK
New Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has officially traded the red, white and navy blue polo for a baby blue and white polo.
He recently spoke at an intimate club event and revealed his plans for star recruit Nicho Hynes.
Hynes signed a three-year deal with the Sharks after becoming one of the mos in-form players this year while filling in for Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen.
Despite shining in the No.1 jersey, the 25-year-old will play in the halves given Cronulla already have the very impressive Will Kennedy at fullback.
Fitzgibbon revealed that Hynes’ most familiar position is actually in the halves and he plans for the attacking weapon to play exactly like he did this year. And considering he finished the season leading the Storm in try assists — despite playing four games off the bench and missing the first two rounds — that should be some exciting news for Sharks fans.
“A lot of people wouldn’t know, but Nicho has only just started playing fullback in the last 12 to 18 months,” Fitzgibbon said per the club’s website.
“He actually grew up as a half, and he’s been a half most of his life. We signed him as a half.
“We’ve got four really good halves on our books. I haven’t even watched a training session with our existing halves, but competition for spots makes everything competitive.
“We need to complement a style that makes Nicho look the same way he did this year because he’s pretty exciting.
“If he wears No.7 or No.6, I’m not going to change the way he plays.”
Matt Moylan, Braydon Trindall, Connor Tracey and Luke Metcalf will all battle for the other halves spot.
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DRAGONS LEGEND SIGNS ON AS NRLW COACH
Jamie Soward has been unveiled as the Dragons’ NRLW coach for the 2022 competition after former coach Mat Head moved into an NRL assistant coaching role under Anthony Griffin.
Soward played 215 NRL games over his 12-year career, including 140 for the Dragons, whom he won the premiership with in 2010.
He joined the club this year as a specialist coaching focusing on game management and kicking, but the opportunity to lead the women’s team popped up and he said it was the “perfect storm” for him.
Given he’s still relatively new to coaching, Soward knows he will need to “listen and learn” but he already knows which NRL coach he’ll be most like.
“I’ve been coached by a lot of premiership winners, and I’ve also not fired personally under a couple of coaches, so I’ll look at my own experiences and take what I liked and didn’t like about myself and the coaching at the time and form it around that,” Soward told NSWRL.
“I’m an emotional guy. So on the scale of Wayne Bennett to Craig Bellamy I’m probably closer to the Bellamy side of things.
“Obviously being around the NRL squad in that specialist side of things will help form my own identity without trying to copy anyone.
“I know footy back to front but the coaching side of things I’m going to have to listen and learn a lot and turn it into some wins.”
HUNGRY TIGER’S NEW OUTLOOK AND PREFERRED POSITION
The Wests Tigers are set to get the best out of new recruit Jackson Hastings with the 25-year-old revealing just how much he’s matured since we last saw him in the NRL.
Hastings made his NRL debut as an 18-year-old before going on to play a total of 34 games for the Roosters. He then signed with Manly and played 13 games before a fallout forced him to escape overseas to the Super League.
The 25-year-old is back in Australia preparing for pre-season with the Tigers and recently told SEN he’s a much better version of the Hastings we saw in 2014-2018.
“I’m a way better person — I’m someone you want in your club,” he said.
“I’ve learnt how to lead by example. I’m the first one at training and last to leave. On the field, I can say I have turned into a leader.
“People used to say I’m a bit ahead of myself, but I’ve matured, I love the game and I’m going to bust my backside every week.
“I’ve got a real love for the game, and a willingness to be the best that I can be.
“Watching the best players in the NRL, it gives me chills knowing I’ll be playing against them again. To be able to come back and compete again is what I’m looking forward to the most.”
There’s been big question marks over where Hastings will play for the Tigers. He is a halfback by trade — and did win the 2019 Man of Steel award — however he says he is happy to just play anywhere he’s needed.
“I don’t really care what position I play — and I’m not just saying that to sound like a good team guy,” Hastings said.
“I see myself in the halves. I’ve played majority of my career there and it’s where I feel most comfortable, but I’ve said this to ‘Madge’ — I’m not going there to take anyone’s spot or to be a saviour — I’m going in there to fit into what has already been put in place.
“Whether it’s at halfback, hooker, off the bench — it doesn’t worry me — I’ve got a completely different attitude now.
“I’m just grateful to have this opportunity and hopefully I can repay them for giving me this opportunity.”
Hastings will join fellow Super League recruit Oliver Gildart as the new faces at Concord come pre-season. The club has been just as busy signing key members off the field too with Michael Maguire’s new assistant coaches revealed last week.
Watch ‘Wild Wests: Tales from Tiger Town’ an exclusive Fox League behind-the-scenes production on demand on Kayo > Click here to watch
KEY SIGNINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED…
The Rabbitohs have been busy locking away some of their grand final stars. Alex Johnston has gone from coming close to being squeezed out this time two years ago to being a priority signing for the club. This year’s leading tryscorer recently inked a deal to keep him at Redfern until the end of 2025.
Also staying at the club are Mark ‘the GOAT’ Nicholls and star back-rower Keaon Koloamatangi, who are both locked in until the end of 2023.
New Rabbitohs head coach Jason Demetriou has also looked externally to bolster the depth of his side, signing utilities Siliva Havili and Michael Chee-Kam for next season.
Speaking of utilities, there’s been a bit of a merry-go-round of late. Tyrone Peachey signed a two-year deal with the Wests Tigers after being let go by the Titans, while the Titans replaced Peachey with former Eel Will Smith. And you wouldn’t believe which club has been linked to ex-Titans hooker, Mitch Rein… the Eels, of course!
Still on the Titans, Ash Taylor’s lucrative contract came to an end and the club didn’t offer him a new contract. But his NRL career is not over because the Warriors swooped in and have offered the playmaker a $1,000-per week train-and-trial contract. Shaun Johnson is expected to take up one spot in the halves so Taylor will go up against Chanel Harris-Tavita and Kodi Nikorima for the other.
Taylor’s old halves partner at the Titans is also on the move. Jamal Fogarty was released from the final two years of his contract to ink a three-year deal with the Raiders.
And we can’t finish this wraps up of key signings without mentioning the Dragons’ trio of new recruits. Former Kangaroos prop Aaron Woods received an NRL lifeline, while Jack Gosiewski and Tautau Moga will also join him in the Red V.
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