Around the clubs: Terrell May agrees to new two-year deal to remain a Rooster
Terrell May will remain a Rooster after agreeing to terms on a two-year contract extension.
The deal, which is yet to be officially signed off, will total about $850,000. St George Illawarra coach had publicly expressed an interest in May if he was keen to genuinely test his value on the open market, while Canterbury were also monitoring the situation with interest.
However, the rising prop never wanted to leave Bondi Junction and the parties have agreed to a deal that will result in him earning $425,000 per season.
May had expressed a desire to one day play alongside his siblings, Taylan and Tyrone. The Dragons were prepared to accommodate Terrell and Taylan, although the latter recently recommitted to Penrith.
May had been on a deal worth just $200,000 for this season, but the payrise reflects his status as one of the most improved front-rowers in the NRL.
It’s been a good day for the Roosters on the signing front. The club has also announced the addition of USA Sevens representative Liz Tafuna to its NRLW squad for the upcoming 2024 season. She is now in line to become the first American to play in the NRLW.
The 21-year-old Tafuna was the outstanding female athlete at the NRL’s talent combine in Las Vegas and was courted by several clubs, including the Raiders.
Born in New Zealand before her family moved to Utah, Tafuna began playing rugby union as a teenager and has represented the USA in the 15-a-side version of the code as well as sevens.
“Liz stood out to me with her speed, footwork, ball skills and toughness and I believe that she has the physical attributes to play our game at the highest level,” Roosters NRLW coach John Strange said.
“Most importantly, Liz has demonstrated a huge desire to test herself in the NRLW and I have no doubt that with hard work, she can have a great impact on this year’s NRLW competition, and I expect her to contribute, along with our whole squad, to what we are building here at the Roosters.”
The Tigers spent big on their new NRL rookie. Their CEO wants that to change
Latu Fainu will be the second prodigious teen to make his Wests Tigers debut in a month – and, in an ideal world for the joint venture, the last they need to lure to the club.
Fainu has been called onto the Tigers bench to face Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins on Saturday night less than a year after meeting the veteran coach while weighing up his future.
The 18-year-old eventually signed a lucrative four-year deal alongside brother Samuela after the Dolphins withdrew their own offer late in negotiations. Latu went on to play three Tests for Tonga despite not having played first grade.
Fainu replaces Easter Monday hero Lachie Galvin, who accepted a two-week suspension on Tuesday for a hip-drop tackle. Jayden Sullivan has been elevated to the halves in his place.
The Fainu brothers’ recruitment was hailed as a coup for the wooden spooners last year and the club is quietly content with its progress under rookie coach Benji Marshall, who could pilot the Tigers into the top four if he scores a win against his former mentor at Redcliffe.
Alongside Galvin, fullback Jahream Bula, lock Fonua Pole and hooker Tallyn Da Silva, the Fainu brothers make up the most promising young cohort the club has had in a decade.
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