NRL Player Movement & Signings

By John Chelsea

The continued player movement midseason continues with several players shuffling clubs and locking in deals for this year, next year and beyond.

In deals done recently:

• Nigel Plum has been released by the Roosters and signed by Canberra Raiders, effectively immediately.
• The Gold Coast Titans have snared in-form Parramatta prop Aaron Cannings, who has been injury free and impressive in 2007. Cannings joins the Titans in 2008.
  
• The Titans have also bolstered their forward crisis for 2007 by signing Ian Donnelly from the Storm, effective immediately - including a contract extending to the end of 2008.
• Cowboy Jason Smith has declared his intention to retire at season end. The 35 year old veteran has had a stellar career with stints at the Bulldogs, Parramatta, Hull, Canberra and Cowboys.
• Brett Kimmorley has been resigned by the Sharks for 2 more years at an estimated $300,000 per season
• In more Titans player news, problem plagued winger Chris Walker looks set to return to the NRL in the short term. Walker has been blitzing them in the Queensland Cup, scoring plenty of tries for Ipswitch - however his rehabilitation programme is nearly complete, with the winger not touching a bottle for over 7 weeks.
• Wests Tigers fullback Brett Hodgeson looks to be sidelined from around 6 weeks, after x-rays showed he has fractures in his upper cheek region after the heavy collision with PJ Marsh on Monday night. The Tigers are hinting at shifting boom youngster Chris Lawrence (St Gregory's) - closer to the action and starting the talented 18 year old at five eight in the coming weeks. This move would see Liam Fulton shifted to the bench or wider to the fringes of the backline.