Huge Dolphins coup as mooted Bennett, Souths target stays put ...

The Dolphins have reportedly pulled off a significant coup by tying hooker Jeremy Marshall-King to a new long-term deal.

The 28-year-old has been one of the expansion club’s best players over the past two seasons but his strong relationship with Wayne Bennett saw him linked with a future move to South Sydney, with St George-Illawarra another club said to be chasing him.

However with his contract expiring at the end of next season the Dolphins have moved to lock him in with Channel 9’s Danny Weidler reporting a three-year contract extension had been agreed after talks had stalled for some time.

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Marshall-King, who joined the Dolphins from the Bulldogs, will now be a key member of the squad being taken over by Kristian Woolf from next season when Bennett departs to re-join the Rabbitohs.

TIGERS STAR STAR TO ROLE DICE

Meanwhile, Stefano Utoikamanu is reportedly set to spurn the Tigers’ $4 million offer and test the free agency market.

It was reported that the Tigers have tabled a five-year deal to Utoikamanu, worth roughly $800,000 a season.

However, The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read says he’ll be “stunned” if the 24-year-old stays put at the Tigers.

“They’ve now tabled an offer to Stefano, (CEO) Shane Richardson was expected to do it before he went overseas but he didn’t get it done before he went,” Read said on Triple M.

“He’s now made that offer to Stefano, it’s a five-year deal worth an estimated $4 million.

“I don’t think he’ll take it to be honest, I think Stefano’s plan was to go to market. I’d be stunned if he took it up.”

Read then detailed the clause that Utoikamanu has in his contract which gives him the option to leave the club at the end of the season.

“If he misses the New South Wales team for Game 2 then the clause that says he’s locked in to the Tigers for 2025 is effectively dead because he needed to play two more Origin games for that clause to come into effect,” Read explained.

“The other way he would stay is if the Tigers made the top eight , I think we can all acknowledge right now that it’s highly unlikely that the Tigers make the top eight.

“I imagine Stefano will still go to market. It’ll be a thanks but no thanks (to the Tigers).”

Utoikamanu is one of the most promising front rowers in a competition which is starved of elite talent at prop.

While he isn’t at the level of $950,000+ a season props in Addin Fonua-Blake, Payne Haas and James Fisher-Harris, there may be a team willing to offer something around that to lure Utoikamanu to their club.

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