The Perth Bears have continued to round out their roster after adding an NRL star of the future in 17-year-old hooker Asher Chapman.
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The Illawarra product has signed a three-year deal with the club, having been identified by the Bears as a key part of their future.
Round 25
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Chapman, who is currently playing for the Steelers in the Harold Matthews Cup, will complete an NRL pre-season training block in Perth on a train-and-trial deal before returning to NSW in 2027 to play SG Ball with the North Sydney Bears.
He will then join Perth’s Development Squad in 2028, and in 2029 will move up to the Top 30 Squad.
Chapman joins a growing youth movement at the Bears, with the club also signing Jasais Ah Kee and Mason Barber along with established but still developing NRL players in Apa Twidle, Jack Cole and Niwhai Puru.
The 17-year-old signs with the Bears as a highly-regarded prospect in both rugby league and union, having represented the under-16s City side as well as the under-16s Waratahs and Australian Schoolboys rugby union teams.
“Asher is the type of explosive, highly skilled footy player we want at the club,” Bears coach Meninga said.
“His background dominating both codes shows he has a rare level of football intelligence that makes him a great talent now and into the future.
“What excites me most about Asher isn’t just his raw athletic ability, but his character and hunger to learn.
“When building a brand-new club list from scratch, you want to invest heavily in the quality of the individual. He wants to work hard, he wants to be a leader, and we are confident he is going to develop into a premier NRL star who the West Australian fans will love watching for many years to come.”
Elite Pathways Manager Ian Millward, meanwhile, called Chapman a “highly sought-after recruit”.
“Asher is a genuine talent with a really hard edge to his game and great courage,” Millward said.
“We see him as ideally suited to the modern hooker role — creating go-forward and options around the ruck with a strong all-round skill set.”
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COWBOYS LOCK DOWN YOUNG DUO
Elsewhere, the Cowboys have also looked towards the future by locking down two emerging stars.
The club announced on Tuesday night that it has agreed to long-term contract extensions with NRLQ grand final-winning duo Archie Mesritz and Fanafou Seve.
Mesritz has extended through to 2030, while Seve signed a two-year deal which sees him link up with the NRL squad on Development List contracts for 2027 and 2028.
Mesritz signed with the Cowboys as a highly-regarded schoolboy rugby union prospect out of St Joseph’s College Nudgee in Brisbane.
The talented youngster made the tough decision to leave New South Wales, having played junior rugby league on the Central Coast, and relocate to Queensland by himself to attend the college.
It was a gamble that paid off, with the halfback-turned-fullback impressing enough to catch the attention of Cowboys recruitment manager Clint Zammit.
Mesritz opened up on his journey to foxsports.com.au earlier in the year after receiving a “shock” call-up for the Under-19s Origin game.
Meanwhile, Seve is a product of the Bulldogs and Roosters pathways systems.
The standout front rower and former NSW Under 19s representative has made eight Queensland Cup appearances this season.
“This is a wonderful result for our club, locking down two of our best emerging players long-term,” Zammit said.
“While completely different players, we believe both have the talent to excel at NRL level.”
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ROOSTERS BEGIN SEARCH FOR NEW ASSISTANT COACH
(via Martin Gabor, Newswire)
Sam Walker’s future has naturally been one of the biggest stories at the Roosters in recent weeks, but there’s another angle that has been overlooked as the NRL powerhouse begins the search for new assistant coaches in 2027.
Matt King will leave at the end of the year to become the new Blues coach, while fellow assistant Michael Cheika is expected to return to rugby union where he’ll lead the NSW Waratahs.
It’s left two gaping holes in Trent Robinson’s coaching staff, but the Roosters are blessed with a number of internal options who can join Tait Barnes in the team.
Former skipper Boyd Cordner has won back-to-back titles with the club’s SG Ball side, while veteran dummy-half Jake Friend has done plenty of work with their forwards and in pathways since he retired.
Legendary winger Brett Morris has also done plenty of coaching work with the Roosters since he hung up the boots.
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DCE scores double before confirming exit | 03:54
“Boyd is such a great coach,” Roosters forward Nat Butcher said on a picture perfect Tuesday at Bondi Beach.
“As a leader, the biggest thing was ‘Boydo’ always led through his actions and not his words. As a player, that’s probably what I remember the most.
“Obviously as a coach, you can’t lead by your actions on the field. But when Boyd speaks, everyone listens and we do what he says because he’s a man that’s done it before.
“You believe what he says, and if you back that up, then you’ll get the result that you’re after.
“And Jake Friend as well, he’s someone who has lived and breathed Roosters footy and knows our system like the back of his hand.
“Whether they step up into that role as well, that would be great to see. But if not, then I’m sure there’ll be someone else.”
While Cordner was one of the greatest leaders of the modern era with the Roosters, Blues and Kangaroos, Butcher never expected him or Friend to transition into coaching.
“No I didn’t, just because I was in awe of them so much as a player,” Butcher said, with Cordner currently an assistant with the Blues.
“But like I said, they know our system better than anyone, and being coached under Robbo for so many years, I know they understand what he’s about and would be able to do a great job if they got that gig.”
Roosters outside back Billy Smith has seen guys like Craig Fitzgibbon, Jason Ryles and Adam O’Brien go from being assistants to head coaches at rival clubs.
seen the work that Cordner and others have done over the past few years and is confident they’d handle the extra responsibility if promoted to the NRL system.
“I’m confident that we have an amazing group of young coaches,” he said.
“I’m sure whoever they put in internally or externally will be the right fit for the job.
“I think as players, it’s nice to have those guys around the club because they’ve lived it, they’ve walked it. You respect those guys a lot because you’ve seen them do it, and not too long ago either.
“It’s really nice to have those guys still around the club. If they do that, great. If not, then we’ll respect them equally as well.”
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