Jacks put in mix for Broncos
ME L B O U R N E p l a y m a k e r Ryley Jacks has been offered to the Broncos amid fears halves Anthony Milford and Kodi Nikorima lack the cohesion to break Brisbane’s 12- year premiership drought.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy is keen to retain Jacks, but the off- contract halfback is struggling to consistently break into a Melbourne scrumbase featuring Cameron Munster and Brodie Croft.
That has prompted Jacks to explore his options on the open market, with his management contacting the Broncos last week to gauge their interest in signing the 25- year- old.
Jacks is currently on $ 150,000 a season at Melbourne and is seeking around $ 300,000 annually for his next deal.
While Broncos coach Wayne Bennett is backing the Milford- Nikorima alliance, Brisbane’s playmaking depth is poor, with back- up Troy Dargan – a 20- year- old recruit from Parramatta – unproven at NRL level.
Jacks has impressed Bellamy since being blooded in the NRL last year. But after 13 games at the Storm, the Brisbane- born playmaker is determined to secure a more permanent NRL position.
“I’ve mentioned Ryley to the Broncos. We’ve had some informal dialogue to gauge their interest,” said his manager Paul Hogan.
“Ryley would be the perfect fit for the Broncos. He was in their system as a teenager and he grew up in Brisbane, he went to school at St Laurence’s so he knows the area well and would happily settle back in Brisbane.
“We need to find the right fit for him in the NRL.
“Ryley doesn’t want to be somewhere for a year and have to move on.”