Off the Record: Rugby League Rumour and Gossip #65

The new Buderus
Tyler Randell is firming more and more as the liekly replacement for James Segeyaro at Leeds. Newcastle are shopping Randell around, we have been told, and the Rhinos need a hooker badly after Segeyaro left them in the lurch. Randell is only 24 and has played in the NRL for the past three years. A Hunter region junior, Randell can also play in the halves and back-row. We understand the Knights aren’t interested in Segeyaro, so there’s no chance of a swap deal.

Wolfpack down under
Toronto’s director of rugby Brian Noble is currently in Australia for two reasons. The first is family, with his son based in the Illawarra region. But he will also be down under in his capacity with the Wolfpack, building links with NRL clubs. Toronto are keen to line up a friendly fixture with an NRL team at some point and would also love to have their Last Tackle TV program shown on Aussie TV screens. Noble will be meeting and greeting, using his contacts to see what can be done for the Canadian outfit.

Lawrence flying the coop?
Could prop Brenton Lawrence be the next Sea Eagle headed out of Brookvale? Speculation is growing that the prop could be about to depart Manly, with Super League a strong option. The front-rower, who has also played for Gold Coast, had a worrying back-injury which limited him in 2016 but he is a solid campaigner when fit.

RFL restructure
Last week the RFL announced in a vague press release that it would be restructuring to better embrace digital technologies. The release was short on actual details and information, leaving many to speculate. One of our moles tells us that RFL has recently made a number of people in redundant in development, operations, Rugby League Cares and other divisions. We have put it to the RFL but have yet to get back a response.