Broncos to blow Eels ‘out of the water’ with monster Mitchell Moses offer

The Broncos are preparing to go all-in on Mitchell Moses, but the Eels playmaker is wary of the pressure that goes with a monster contract at Red Hill.

Meanwhile the Bulldogs are closing in on finalising a two-year deal for another Panthers star.

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Read on for all the latest NRL Transfer Whispers.

Broncos go all-in on Moses, but can he stand the heat?

The Broncos are looking to go all-in on Eels star Mitchell Moses with Shaun Johnson a potential option if they miss out on their prime playmaker target.

However, Paul Kent revealed on NRL 360 that Moses would be wary of the pressure that comes with being paid over $1 million a season at the Broncos, after what players like Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford have gone through.

“The thing that you have to be wary of is the Ben Hunt example,” Kent said.

“You go to the club as the saviour of the club on the big bucks. If you are Mitchell Moses, that is what I believe he is already thinking about is the pressure that is going to come.”

The Eels hold fears that the Broncos’ desperation to land a star playmaker could potentially blow them out of the water at the negotiation table.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster reported Parramatta have become increasingly concerned the Broncos will make a monster play for Moses.

“There is a lot of expectation that the Broncos are going to be quite active in the halfback market after letting Tom Dearden go (to the Cowboys),” Webster said.

“Mitchell Moses is talking to the Eels at the moment … but their concern is that they’re going to get blown out of the water money-wise by the Broncos.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie confirmed Moses is the Broncos’ main target with Johnson their plan B.

NRL: Paul Kent rattles off a list of prospective halves that the Brisbane Broncos are pursuing, including Parramatta playmaker Mitchell Moses….

NRL: Paul Kent rattles off a list of prospective halves that the Brisbane Broncos are pursuing, including Parramatta playmaker Mitchell Moses.

“I think you’re right,” Ritchie said on The Big Sports Breakfast when asked if the Broncos are gunning for Moses.

“Parramatta’s first offer was for one year for Moses for 2023, but it now looks like their offer will be for the end of 2024.

“He has an option in his favour to activate by Round 10. I think he will activate that so he will be at the Eels next year.

“But the Broncos will have big money because they have lost Dearden and they are obviously not happy with (Brodie) Croft.

“There is a spot there for an elite halfback and Moses was linked to the Broncos three or four years ago. This is not the first time they have gone after him.

“I think you will find that they will come in hard for Moses.

“The other option is Shaun Johnson. There is a suggestion they will go hard for Johnson.

“Clearly they have money. Clearly they have room for a halfback and they need a halfback.

“With Shaun Johnson there is a suggestion that he would be happy to leave Sydney because he is not a Sydney boy.

“Johnson will have some options, but the suggestion that I am getting is that if he is going to go anywhere it will be to the Brisbane Broncos.”

Moses has scored 25 tries and 761 points in 157 games for the Tigers and Eels since his debut in 2014.

Johnson has scored 68 tries and 1139 points in 197 games for the Warriors and Sharks since his debut in 2011.

League legend Laurie Daley warned the Broncos against throwing big money at the wrong player out of desperation.

“You have got to be careful when you are paying $1 million a season to a player,” Daley said.

“You have got to make sure that you attract the right one and the player that can deliver you a competition. That’s what you have to weigh up.”

NRL: The Courier Mail reports that Tom Dearden was not offered a contract by the Brisbane Broncos, hence his move north to the Cowboys….

NRL: The Courier Mail reports that Tom Dearden was not offered a contract by the Brisbane Broncos, hence his move north to the Cowboys.

Bulldogs set sights on Panthers centre

The Bulldogs are closing in on the signing of Panthers centre Brent Naden.

“The deal as I understand will be done,” The Daily Telegraph’s Ritchie said on The Big Sports Breakfast.

“Trent Barrett is very close to Brent Naden. They formed a strong bond at Penrith.

“The Panthers wanted to retain Brent Naden, but they simply didn’t have the salary cap room.

“Parramatta joined in late and the Wests Tigers were there. At the moment, with all due respect to the Tigers, a player manager would be reluctant to send a player there unless there was some good coin to be made.

“It looks like Naden will go to the Bulldogs on a two-year deal. That gives the Bulldogs a fairly handy backline next year, which would be Flanagan, Burton, Cotric, Naden, Addo-carr and Corey Allan with Will Hopoate or Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

“So suddenly the Bulldogs have a backline they can salivate over. You just get the feeling that of all the clubs struggling the Bulldogs will be the ones to emerge.”

Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett refused to confirm that the deal was over the line, but was hopeful it could be finalised soon.

“Yeah look, he (Naden) is a really good player,” Barrett said on The Big Sports Breakfast.

“He can score a try, he is a kick target and he is another big body.

“If that can happen that would be fantastic. We have been very specific in the players that we target and who we want to bring to the club and if that can all work out it will be beneficial for us.”

The 25-year-old has scored 20 tries in 30 games for the Panthers since his debut in 2019 and came off the bench in the 2020 Grand Final.

Daley believes the Bulldogs recruitment strategy will work in the long run.

“I think they are patient, which is the key,” Daley said. “And a lot of their signings are younger players not the mature older player.

“They have plenty of growth left in them.”

Originally published asMonster offer to blow Eels ‘out of the water’

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