The Obstruction Rule

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Latest Cronulla Sharks News

Knights go cold on Luke, Ross

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The Knights’ roster remains in a period of transition, and as a result, their interest in different players is likely to remain fluid.

Two players apparently no longer of interest to Newcastle are Warriors hooker Issac Luke and Knights winger White Lightning, according to WWOS reporter The Mole.

In the case of Luke, the Knights had been in negotiations with the Kiwi Test star, and were believed to be favourites for his signature. However, with Sharks hooker James Segeyaro believed to be available, the report suggests that he’s now their primary target.

The case of Lightning is a bit more complicated, with the popular winger still under contract for another two seasons.

However, with the Knights having bolstered their backline for next year with the additions of Jesse Ramien and Edrick Lee, Lightning is now surplus to requirements, and it’s believed that the club have notified NRL and Super League clubs that he’s for sale.

Luke has played 254 first grade games for the Warriors and Rabbitohs, and 42 Tests for New Zealand.

Lightning has played 60 first grade games for the Knights.

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Sharks linked to Munster

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A grand final spot mightn’t be all the Sharks and Storm are fighting over.

According to The Australian, the Sharks have been linked to Storm star Cameron Munster, when he comes off contract at the end of 2019.

The story suggests that the Sharks are one of three sides Munster is contemplating playing for, with the other two being the Roosters, and his current club, the Storm.

The potential signing of Munster likely hinges on the Sharks’ ability to keep custodian Valentine Holmes. Should Holmes remain in the Shire, it’s unlikely the Sharks would have either the money or the position to accommodate Munster. If, on the other hand, Holmes heads to the Cowboys – as has been widely suggested – then Munster would likely become their top priority.

Munster has played 87 first grade games for the Storm, 4 Origins for Queensland, and 2 Tests for Australia.

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Barba joining the Cowboys

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Hopefully this puts an end to all of the Valentine Holmes speculation.

According to the Daily Telegraph, former Sharks fullback Ben Barba is set to join the Cowboys, with his signing expected to be finalised “within the next 24 hours”.

Barba is expected to join on a one-year deal, effectively ruling out the immediate signing of Holmes (although Sharks coach Shane Flanagan has long stated that he wouldn’t be releasing Holmes, anyway).

As for 2020, that’s another story; and the Cowboys continued pursuit of Holmes for then is likely to hinge on the early season form of Barba, and whether or not the Sharks can get Holmes tied down on a long-term deal in the meantime.

Regardless, the Cowboys have found their fullback for next year at least, so we can stop hearing about what Valentine Holmes is for a little while.

Barba has played 168 NRL games for the Sharks, Broncos and Bulldogs.

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Gallen not retiring

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In any other year, an NRL player opting to continue playing would hardly be news-worthy, but given the procession of veteran stars heading for the exit door, this is actually a bit of a shock.

According to SMH, Sharks skipper Paul Gallen has decided against retirement, and will play on in 2019.

Gallen is already the oldest player in the NRL, and with fellow senior citizens Chris Heighington and Luke Lewis retiring, there’ll be two years between Gallen and the next oldest player in 2019, Cameron Smith (assuming Smith plays on).

Gallen has played 321 first grade games for the Sharks, 24 Origins for New South Wales, and 32 Tests for Australia.

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Bulldogs linked to Segeyaro

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Having cleansed their roster of all its high-priced talent, it’s now time for the Bulldogs to commence their rebuild. One would expect that their salary cap situation would preclude them from signing any major name-brand players, but apparently that mightn’t necessarily be the case.

According to WWOS reporter The Mole, the Bulldogs are exploring the possibility of recruiting Sharks hooker James Segeyaro, and believe they could fit him into their new look squad.

Segeyaro has been in excellent form this year, and it’s unlikely that the Sharks would be willing to get into a bidding war for his services, given that he’s only the backup to Jayden Brailey anyway.

Whether or not he’d make the Bulldogs significantly better remains to be seen, but hey, they’ve got to start somewhere.

As long as it’s not a back-ended deal.

Segeyaro has played 133 first grade games for the Sharks, Panthers and Cowboys, and 5 Tests for Papua New Guinea.

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