SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 12: Daine Laurie of the Tigers shapes to pass during the round one NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the Melbourne Storm at CommBank Stadium, on March 12, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The Canterbury Bulldogs have put paid to rumours linking them to Wests Tigers fullback Daine Laurie, with Head of Football Phil Gould insisting the journalists responsible should apologise.
The Daily Telegraph’s Sports Confidential published the rumour yesterday, clearly without reaching out to either club for comment. When informed of the report, Gould took to social media to track down the source.
When told about the source, Gould addressed the matter directly on social media.
“This report is totally incorrect. Totally fabricated,” Gould said.
“I love Daine Laurie, I brought him to Panthers’ academy. However, the Bulldogs have never discussed making an offer to this player. These people owe the Tigers, Daine Laurie and Bulldogs fans an apology.
Thank you for confirming. This report is totally incorrect. Totally fabricated. I love Daine Laurie. I brought him to Panthers Academy. However, @NRL_Bulldogs has never discussed making offer to this player. These people owe @WestsTigers Daine Laurie and Bulldog fans an apology. https://t.co/KZunN5HznE
— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) October 13, 2022
Laurie and his manager are reportedly chasing a longer-term deal than that being offered by the Tigers, and it appears they may have been trying to leverage the alleged interest of other teams in hopes of securing a better arrangement in Concord.
While the Laurie rumour has been quashed, there are still a host of reports linking the Bulldogs to Panthers centre Stephen Crichton as they look to secure a permanent option in the fullback position.
The club’s No.1 is still an issue, with Matt Dufty, Corey Allan and Jake Averillo all struggling to make their case for permanent selection over the last two years.
Source:: ZeroTackle
