A massive transfer fee looks to have put paid to any hopes of a homecoming for former Storm and Broncos halfback Brodie Croft – at least for now.
St George Illawarra was in discussions with Croft about the possibility of him returning to the NRL as a replacement for Talatau Amone, who was suspended by league bosses last month through the no-fault stand-down policy.
The Dragons are seeking salary-cap compensation to bring a playmaker to the club to fill Amone’s void.
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Croft made 12 appearances for the Broncos in 2021, before heading to the motherland to play Super League for Salford.
He has made 28 appearances for the Red Devils, who finished sixth and were knocked out in the semi-finals against eventual premiers St Helens.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Salford has put a transfer fee of close to $250,000 on Croft’s head, which Dragons bosses are reluctant to fund.
With Amone’s future under a cloud – the charges he is facing carry a maximum 14-year sentence – and Jayden Sullivan battling a hamstring injury, it leaves the Dragons in a pickle as to who plays at five-eighth.
Moses Mbye and Jack Bird have both played in the halves at various points in their careers, but St George Illawarra’s preference would no doubt be for Sullivan to be in the position for the Charity Shield match against South Sydney in Mudgee on February 18.
Should he not be fit, the Shield will become a vital practice run.
Scheduling is on the Dragons’ side, though; they have the round one bye, before getting their season underway against the Titans at Kogarah in round two.
Amone will face court on March 1, the day before the NRL season gets underway in a clash between the Eels and Storm at CommBank Stadium.
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