The Dolphins are desperate to land a marquee signing and although Mitchell would not be able to join the expansion side until 2024, Bennett is keen to lure the NSW and Australian representative to Redcliffe.
Bennett is also chasing Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster but faces stiff opposition from the Storm, who have upped their offer for their dynamic playmaker.
“I haven’t had talks with Latrell, but if he is on the open market in November, then yes I’m interested,” Bennett told NewsCorp.
“If Latrell does go to the open market, there will be 16 other clubs chasing him and we will be one of them.”
(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Melbourne now ‘in ballpark’ for Munster: Anasta
The chances of Munster re-signing with the Storm have increased with his agent, Braith Anasta, saying he has “had a really positive and productive meeting” with the club.
In his role as NRL 360 host, Anasta declared “it’s good signs” for the Storm after they upped their offer on the table for Munster.
He said their original offer was low “but after today, they’re in the ballpark” without revealing whether the new deal was seven figures per season.
“Melbourne have definitely put an impressive offer forward but it’s going to come down to Cameron. Cameron’s got a really, really tough decision to make and there’s still a lot to play out in all of this but today was very productive. Cameron loves the place so it’s going to be the hardest decision of his life.”
The Storm would like to get a deal done before November when Munster can sign elsewhere but Anasta said he would have to weigh up whether that was in his client’s best interests.
Anasta said he got the impression Bennett was putting pressure on Munster through the media to make a decision while also making Souths pay more for Mitchell to retain his services.
Cameron Munster. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Tamou yet to make 2023 call
James Tamou admits he could enter the final-round clash at Leichhardt unsure if he is playing in his last NRL game after being handed a reprieve by the judiciary.
Tamou has had his two-match ban downgraded to one game for calling referee Ben Cummins “f**king incompetent” last weekend.
The Wests Tigers captain will miss Sunday’s clash with St George Illawarra, but will be back in time to face Canberra in the last round of the season on Father’s Day.
Off contract at the end of the year, Tamou wants to play on but is also realistic about his future given he is yet to be handed another contract by the Tigers.
It means he will likely enter the September 4 clash with no clear call made on his future and retirement still an option.
“I’m not sure (if it will be my last game),” Tamou said after Tuesday’s hearing.
“Once I feel like I’m behind the eight-ball, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up.
“But I still feel I can compete at a high level and contribute to a team and we’ll see where the off-season goes.
“There’s still a lot to digest with this year. And who knows? It could be the last time I suit up on Sunday.
“I’m really not sure, everything is on the table, including retirement.”
Tamou’s comments came after he successfully argued that his abuse of Cummins was a spur-of-the-moment error borne out of frustration in the Tigers’ 72-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters.
The veteran 304-game prop also claimed that he had never once sworn at an official in the past, and that he had immediate remorse upon being sent off late in the loss.
All those factors were taken into account by the NRL judiciary panel, who deliberated for close to an hour before Michael Hagan and Bob Lindner reached a unanimous verdict.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
It came after the NRL’s counsel Lachlan Gyles said Tamou had been warned twice previous in the match for back chat, including as early as the third minute.
In those instances though, Tamou was adamant that no foul language had been involved.
He also said a verbal spray, delivered minutes before the sending off at the opposite end of the field, had in fact been directed at Roosters forward Matt Lodge.
Still, the former NSW and Australian Test prop admitted to feeling “embarrassed and appalled” while watching replays of his outburst at Cummins before being sent off.
Tamou looked a far happier man when he left NRL’s headquarters, shaking hands with panel members before sharing his relief with wife Brittney and Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe.
“I’ll tell you what, if the result didn’t go well tonight, it would have been hard to live with myself knowing that was my last game just gone on the weekend,” Tamou said afterwards.