WILLIE Tonga won’t be playing for Wests Illawarra this season despite being in advanced talks to join the club.
As reported in The Daily Telegraph, Tonga was set to link the Red Devils alongside former premiership-Manly back-rower Glenn Stewart.
Wests officials had started positive discussions with the ex-Queensland State of Origin star and were confident of landing his signature.
Tonga had agreed to meet with the Red Devils to discuss a contract upon return from seeing his sick grandmother in Peak Hill, who has since passed.
However, the Canberra-born back has decided to go in another direction and not to join Wests Illawarra this season.
The Sunday Telegraph has been told Tonga was in Newcastle on Friday talking to clubs as he weighs up his post-professional career.
SELFLESS STARLING JOINS OBERON
IF Josh Starling was motivated by money, he wouldn’t have signed with the Oberon Tigers.
Starling had multiple captain-coach jobs on the table when he decided to end his six-year NRL career last season.
In the end, though, the former Souths, Manly and Newcastle prop wanted to make a difference and it’s why he linked with the Tigers.
Oberon captain-coach Luke Branighan says Starling’s decision to join the club is significant.
“Quite a few of the Group 10 clubs heard that Josh was relocating to Bathurst, but for him to come and sign here says a lot about the environment we’ve got here,” Branighan said.
“It’s great that he is here for the right reasons. Not many players would knock back a captain-coach role to come and play for a club.
“I think one of the big things that probably got him across the line was to come out and see our grand final day against Orange last year.
“He got to witness a small town like Oberon dominate the attendance, which says a lot about how much the people love their footy.
“We have a happy camp and I feel very privileged that Josh wanted to come and play for us.”
Starling has only been at Oberon for a few months, but Branighan says he is already making a difference to last year’s runners up.
“Josh has been fantastic,” he said.
“He has taken a lot of pressure off the coaches and it’s nice for the boys to have another voice.
“The players look up to Josh and whenever he says something, they are listening and taking every word in.”
GRASSHOPPERS BACK IN ACTION
For the first time in 22 years, the Mungindi Grasshoppers will have a senior rugby league club in the Barwon Darling Rugby League competition.
Mungindi will field three grades in 2018, including an A-Grade, under-18s and a Ladies League Tag team.
Located on the New South Wales/Queensland border near Moree, Mungindi has a population of around 800 people, half of which are indigenous.
The Grasshoppers’ return can be credited to Ronald Prince — a local boy and former Cronulla and Parramatta back.
Prince returned to Mungindi last year determined to see league return to his town.
“It’s great for our small community and it has been a long time coming,” Prince said.
“To have three grades is fantastic.
“Football means so much to the people and it’s good to have a club again to bring everyone together.”
