St Helens Weigh Complaint to NRL Over Handling of Souths Approach for Delaney
St Helens are contemplating filing a formal complaint to the NRL regarding South Sydney Rabbitohs’ approach towards securing the services of prop George Delaney, Love Rugby League can reveal.
Delaney, who is under contract with the Saints until the end of the 2026 season, was reportedly identified by Souths and their football manager, Mark Ellison, as a potential target for the 2025 campaign. He was named alongside Leigh prop Tom Amone, Wigan’s Tyler Dupree, and Leeds’ Tom Holroyd as players of interest.
However, the Super League club is believed to have no intention of selling Delaney, who has only recently broken into their first-team in the past two years. Despite this, Ellison, during his recent visit to the UK, is said to have held an informal conversation with Delaney about the possibility of a switch to the NRL without consulting the Saints.
This apparent lack of protocol has left the Saints privately furious, as they feel there was at least an expectation that any purchasing club would approach the player’s current club to discuss a potential transfer. While they insist Delaney would not be for sale anyway, the Saints are now considering taking their disapproval of Souths’ behavior to the NRL in the hope they will address the matter.
The Saints have tied Delaney down to a new long-term contract only last summer, and they have no plans to let the prop depart. As a result, the club is weighing up whether to lodge a formal complaint to the NRL over the handling of the Souths’ approach.
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