{"id":406451,"date":"2024-06-26T07:08:24","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T07:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=406451"},"modified":"2024-06-26T08:05:13","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T08:05:13","slug":"shock-twist-in-chase-for-in-demand-tigers-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=406451","title":{"rendered":"Shock twist in chase for in-demand Tigers star"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\ufefftefano Utoikamanu<\/a> has officially been granted permission to test the NRL open market, with the Wests Tigers<\/a> remaining confident the prop will sign a long-term extension.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old has emerged as one of the most in-demand players in the competition and with some unique clauses in his current deal, looks set to become a free agent.<\/p>\n

Utoikamanu has been linked with a move to multiple clubs and has publicly expressed his desire to land at a winning organisation after a tough stretch at Concord.<\/p>\n

FOLLOW LIVE:<\/strong> State of Origin game two blog<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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READ MORE:<\/strong> Moses injury scare forces crucial Blues switch<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, the Tigers confirmed the front-rower has been formally granted permission to look around – a decision that chief executive Shane Richardson<\/a> claims the \ufeffclub are "comfortable" with.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

"We've sat down with Stefano, his partner Chiara, and his management, and we all want what's best for him and his family," he said.<\/p>\n

"Stefano has given us no indication that he wants to leave, but he does want to have a look around, and we are totally comfortable with that."<\/p>\n

Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and<\/strong><\/em> 9Now<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Utoikamanu has already played 68 top grade games, with the majority coming in the black and gold jump after leaving the Parramatta Eels at the end of 2020.<\/p>\n

Tigers officials have already tabled the enforcer a $4 million extension over five years. \ufeff<\/p>\n

According to The Sydney Morning Herald<\/a>, two clubs interested in landing Utoikamanu are the Storm and Raiders, which would require the enforcer to leave Sydney\/ <\/p>\n

The news comes less than a week after young playmaker Lachlan Galvin committed to the Tigers and put to bed rumours around his own long-term future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

S\ufefftefano Utoikamanu has officially been granted permission to test the NRL open market, with the Wests Tigers remaining confident the prop will sign a long-term […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":406453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406451"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=406451"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":406455,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406451\/revisions\/406455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/406453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=406451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=406451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=406451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}