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Message: [QUOTE="Kaz, post: 2708397, member: 1843"] Here is the story on the CM site. Only subscribers can access it, so I have copied & pasted. Brisbane Broncos aim to lure Ben Te’o back to NRL next season PETER BADEL FORMER Maroons hitman Ben Te’o is on Brisbane’s radar as coach Wayne Bennett looks for more forward firepower to take the Broncos to their seventh premiership. The Courier-Mail can reveal the Broncos have been in secret talks with Te’o and will bring the 106kg enforcer to Red Hill next season if they can fit him into their salary cap. The signing of the fearsome Te’o would be a huge coup for the Broncos as the club looks to hit back from Sunday night’s heartbreaking 17-16 grand-final loss to the Cowboys. The 28-year-old is playing rugby with Irish club Leinster, but he has flagged a return to rugby league and the Broncos are front runners to secure him. Te’o, who won a premiership at Souths last season, has strong links to Queensland and the Broncos. The Keebra Park product played 75 games for Brisbane between 2009-12 and represented the Maroons in seven Origin games before his move offshore last year. During this year’s Origin campaign, Te’o briefly returned to Brisbane to visit family and friends and maintained fitness by working out at the Broncos gymnasium. Now Bennett is keen to have Te’o back permanently, but his return is contingent upon a number of factors, chiefly Brisbane’s salary cap position. Te’o could easily command upwards of $500,000 a season on the open market. That presents a financial challenge for the Broncos, who forked out millions last year to sign big-name recruits Darius Boyd, Anthony Milford and Adam Blair. The club has also issued a slew of contractual upgrades to prop Josh McGuire, forwards Sam Thaiday and Alex Glenn, halfback Ben Hunt and gun utility Jordan Kahu. But Bennett is a huge fan of Te’o’s hitting power and he would bring an intimidating edge to the Broncos pack. The retirement of skipper Justin Hodges helps free up funds, while prop Mitchell Dodds’ departure to Warrington opens up a spot in Brisbane’s 17-man squad. The timing of any move is equally crucial. Te’o’s Leinster deal expires next May, meaning the back-rower would miss the opening months of the 2016 NRL season unless the Irish club grants him an early release. In June, Te’o, who has played 151 games since his debut for Wests Tigers in 2007, revealed a comeback to the NRL was a genuine possibility. “I think it (playing Irish rugby) was something I needed to do because I needed to go away for a bit,” he told News Limited. “I never rule out coming back to rugby league ... I do miss the build-up, all the support and the fans.” [URL="http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/brisbane-broncos-aim-to-lure-ben-teo-back-to-nrl-next-season/story-fnp0lyn6-1227557928866?login=1"]http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/brisbane-broncos-aim-to-lure-ben-teo-back-to-nrl-next-season/story-fnp0lyn6-1227557928866?login=1 [/URL] I didn't copy the entire story. [/QUOTE]

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