Melbourne Storm detail comes to light in Tino Fa’asuamaleaui's $12 million deal
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui recently put pen to paper on the biggest deal in NRL history.
Fresh details have come to light about the Melbourne Storm's role in the extraordinary Tino Fa’asuamaleaui extension with the Gold Coast that saw him put pen to paper on the richest deal in NRL history. The Titans re-signed Fa'asuamaleaui on a staggering 10-year extension worth $1.2 million per season, as well as sewing up second-rower David Fifita until the end of 2026.
Despite interest from multiple clubs, the Queensland Maroons stars both recommitted to the Titans in a huge show of confidence in incoming coach Des Hasler, who joins Gold Coast from 2024. Discussing the Titans' business on the Big Sports Breakfast on Monday, veteran league reporter Phil Rothfield revealed the part that NRL rivals Melbourne ultimately played in the Fa'asuamaleaui deal.
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The Storm were also keen to secure the services of the Titans skipper and Maroons Origin star, reportedly offering him a long-term deal to return to the club where he won a premiership in 2020 and featured in 27 games across two seasons before moving to the Titans. Rothfield said when Fa'asuamaleaui's agent went back to the Titans with the Storm's massive contract offer, the club had no choice but to offer something similar if they wanted to keep hold of their captain.
Melbourne Storm offered Tino a 'lifetime deal'
“Tino as we all know had a clause in his contract that allowed him to talk to other clubs, (Storm chairman) Matt Tripp met his manager on the Gold Coast a couple of weeks ago," Rothfield revealed. “He said if he is going to leave, we can offer him a lifetime deal at the Storm, that’s how highly we think of him, keep it in mind.
“The manager goes back to them (Gold Coast) and says ‘this is what you’re up against’, we have a lifetime deal here to consider, so they went the $12 million mega-deal with Tino.” The veteran league reporter said it was another example about how the NRL market - and particularly the value of some of the game's best forwards - has changed.
“It’s out of control with the front rowers at the moment and it has changed the way that clubs are structuring their salary caps,” Rothfield added. “You look at that Melbourne Storm 2017 grand final line-up, it was all about their spine. Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Munster and Billy Slater, they were on big bucks.
“Jesse Bromwich and Dale Finucane were well paid but $1.2 million for a front rower? The interesting story here is all about market pressure."
Payne Haas value questioned after Tino deal at Titans
The Titans' record deal for Fa’asuamaleaui also throws up massive questions about the value of Broncos enforcer Payne Haas, who has already turned down Brisbane's offer of a contract extension worth a reported $1.1 million per season so he can test the open market on November 1. Rothfield and league great Laurie Daley were both at a loss to try and understand what Haas is worth in light of the Fa’asuamaleaui deal, considering he is regarded by many as the best prop in the game.
“I don’t know, because I need to start getting my head around the million-dollar player, we are going to hear and see a lot more of them,” Daley said. “In the past a million dollars was like wow, but it seems as though as we move forward we are going to see more.
Daley said while he thought Haas was worth more than one million dollars per season, he warned clubs like the Gold Coast that using so much of their salary cap on two forwards risked stretching their squads too thin in other areas of the field. “I think he is worth more than a million bucks, but again it comes back to if you are paying Fifita and Tino more than a million dollars, that’s two forwards," he added.
“I think you can get your salary cap out of whack by paying a front rower and a back rower that money. You could get yourself in trouble here.”
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