Sydney Roosters re-sign center Billy Smith to a long-term contract.
Billy Smith, another center, will remain with the Sydney Roosters, the team said, just one day after it was widely reported that Joey Manu would likely leave to play rugby at the end of the season.
The 24-year-old has inked a three-year contract extension. Last season, he finally overcame his injury nightmares and established himself as a regular in the NRL.
I’ve expressed my gratitude for every opportunity I get to play for the Sydney Roosters on several occasions, and I’m thrilled to be here for at least the next three years, Smith added.
Since making his NRL debut for the Tricolours in 2019, Smith has made 27 games overall, 15 of which came in 2023.
Smith continued, “I know that my best football is still ahead of me, and the club has always had a lot of faith in me.”
I’m excited for what lies ahead and am looking forward to carrying on with my team’s job.
Smith will now work as a professional in the Roosters’ all-star backfield through at least the conclusion of the 2027 season.
The center, who had his longest stretch in the team during his career, crossed for four tries and contributed four assists last year, will be looking to improve on a strong showing.
Smith made his Round 23 debut five years ago against St George Illawarra, but since then, he has been plagued by significant injuries, only managing to play in three games the next year and seven in 2022.
It’s fantastic to have Billy committed for an additional three years because, as head coach Trent Robinson put it, “he is Eastern Suburbs entirely, and no one can ever question his commitment to the team or his resilience.”
Billy works really hard every day, as evidenced by this extension.
newest signing news from the Sydney Roosters
Smith’s re-signing coincides with a hectic time for the organization and players as they negotiate contracts.
The shocking news of Manu’s move to rugby union was announced shortly after the veteran Luke Keary’s rumored one-year contract extension.
Now that Smith has committed for a further three years, Angus Crichton is the most well-known player whose future is still up in the air.
The representative backrower for Australia and New South Wales, Daniel Tupou, and Terrell May, among others, are currently free to engage in negotiations with rivals.
After leaving Manly, Christian Tuipulotu signs with the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Christian Tuipulotu, the second recruit in as many days for the St George Illawarra Dragons, has joined Raymond Faitala-Mariner in Shane Flanagan’s squad.
After the winger lost his position on the Northern Beaches team, Manly decided to let him explore his options elsewhere. Now, with Corey Allan’s season-ending injury, the Dragons have taken advantage of this.
With a contract with the Sea Eagles that expired in 2025, Tuipulotu requested an early release so he could work with Flanagan. It was said that while serving as Manly’s assistant, he developed a strong friendship with the new head coach.
After Flanagan took charge, the Dragons have been searching for fresh players as Anthony Griffin’s turbulent stint came to an end last year when the 22-year-old signed a two-year contract.
After years of underperformance, they have pursued a number of celebrities, such as Addin Fonua-Blake and Tom Dearden, but they have largely failed.
However, with less than a month until the new campaign begins, the shrewd additions of Faitala-Mariner and Tuipulotu are a welcome boost.
According to Flanagan, Christian will be a great asset to the team since he is a large man who can provide some strike out of the backfield.
Although the Dragons have some excellent outside backs on the wing, we felt it was necessary to bring in some NRL experience to the backfield this year after losing Corey Allan for the entire campaign.
After joining the Sea Eagles in 2020 from the Sydney Roosters, Tuipulotu made 32 games and scored 13 tries throughout that time.
But with Manly aggressively investing on outside backs for the upcoming season, the Tongan international was destined to lose his spot out on the wing.
Tommy Talau and Jaxson Paulo have joined Anthony Seibold’s team, and Jason Saab has already signed a long-term agreement, thus securing one slot.
Tuipulotu found things much harder going in 2023 after having a breakthrough year in 2022 when he scored 11 tries in 19 games. He was only able to make 12 appearances and cross for two four-pointers.
With Tuipulotu’s departure, Manly’s top-30 lineup now has room for one more player. Veteran enforcer Nathan Brown, who was on a train-and-trial deal throughout the off-season, is likely to get an upgrade.
CEO of the Sea Eagles Tony Mestrov remarked, “We appreciate Christian’s efforts during his time here and wish him well in his next chapter of his career.”
Brisbane Broncos re-sign outstanding five-eighth Ezra Mam to a five-year contract.
After winning a 5-year contract extension at Red Hill, Ezra Mam has officially committed his long-term future to Brisbane.
The Broncos and the five-eighth have been in protracted negotiations regarding a new contract as the team has been trying frantically to lock down the future of the 20-year-old after he was instrumental in the team’s journey to the championship.
Mam was a promising young player to watch in the future when he emerged on the scene in 2022 thanks to his lightning-fast speed and ability to locate the try line quickly.
However, following a difficult first season in which he was benched at the conclusion of the league, Mam made a full recovery in Kevin Walters’ squad in 2023.
Mam scored eighteen tries and dished out nine assists in 25 games for the Broncos in the previous campaign. His remarkable ascent culminated in a phenomenal performance that saw him record a hat-trick against Penrith in the championship game.
Coach Kevin Walters of the Broncos said in a statement, “Ezra is a born and raised Bronco, and it’s fantastic that he is staying where he belongs.”
Although he is a dynamic player, he also enjoys taking on difficult tasks and doing what is necessary for his team.
We’ll keep working with Ez to raise his game because we’ve only just begun to explore his potential. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish as a team over the next years.
Mam’s retention by Brisbane is a significant plus as the team looks to retain as many members of their young, talented roster as possible.
While players like Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh are still in contract talks with the team, Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler have left to sign with the Dolphins.
Bulldogs’ Raymond Faitala-Mariner departure is confirmed as Dragons sign a new player.
The Canterbury club has finally put an end to the long-running drama involving Raymond Faitala-Mariner by giving their former captain an immediate release from his contract.
The Bulldogs said in a statement that the club and Faitala-Mariner had reached an agreement, allowing him to be released to pursue a chance at another NRL team.
Faitala-Mariner had two years left on his contract, so it came as a shock to learn last year that he could walk away and engage in negotiations with other parties.
At the beginning of the preseason, there was even more turmoil as the 30-year-old was allegedly warned to avoid Belmore.
But as the Dogs prepared for their second season under Cameron Ciraldo, rumors regarding his future seemed to have been cleared up after a meeting with club president Phil Gould.
However, it has now been revealed that he will be leaving the Dogs, more than a month before the start of the 2019 NRL campaign.
Faitala-Mariner represented Canterbury in 102 of his 114 NRL games before falling out of favor the previous season due to his inability to fully recover from a number of injuries.
After the team’s Round 21 loss to Penrith, which ended in a score of 44–18, he was unable to return to the field.
Faitala-Mariner has participated in 29 games overall during the previous three seasons, mostly due to injury.
The backrower has only appeared in 20 or more games in a season since leaving the Warriors in 2020. That one instance occurred in 2020.
Canterbury said that Faitala-Mariner has benefited the Bulldogs both on and off the field.
The Bulldogs would like to congratulate him for his dedication and hard work throughout his time at Belmore. He has made 102 runs out for the team.
Raymond Faitala-Mariner and the St George Illawarra Dragons agree to a contract.
Following the Dogs’ confirmation of Faitala-Mariner’s departure, St George Illawarra declared they had signed the forward for a two-year contract.
Shane Flanagan stated that Raymond is a seasoned first-grader who will give our forward pack some grit and experience. Our entire team will gain from his versatility as a player who can play in the middle and on the edge, as well as the leadership he can offer our young attackers.
As we continue to get ready for the 2024 season, we are thrilled to have him join us for training this week.
Rabbitoh’s expansion is inked by Peter Mamouzelos.
Peter Mamouzelos has signed a three-year contract extension with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, securing his long-term replacement for Damien Cook.
According to the agreement, the hooker will remain in Redfern till the 2027 season at the latest.
Mamouzelos has participated in seven Rabbitohs first-grade games.
The 23-year-old expressed his excitement at being able to stay with this club longer.
I expressed to my manager my desire to stay put. I’ve always loved this club, I’ve grown up here in South Sydney, and it’s always been my team.
I was overjoyed when he told me we were staying here when I spoke with him!
