New NRL franchise head coach Wayne Bennett has shot down reports his club the Dolphins are out to make Bristol Bears star Semi Radradra their statement signing.
The Brisbane-based Dolphins will join the premier rugby league tournament in the Southern hemisphere in 2023 and are so far struggling with recruitment according to reports from Australia.
Fijian star Radradra has proven the impact he can have in rugby league having starred on the wing for NRL side the Parramatta Eels between 2013 and 2017 before a blockbuster switch to rugby union.
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Radradra is understood to have one year left on his contract at Bristol, where he is a currently a marquee player heading into the 2022/23 season, meaning his wages sit outside of the club’s £5m salary cap along with former All Black Charles Piutau, but when both men’s contracts expire, the Bears will only be able to register one of them as a marquee player.
In reality with Radradra having a second knee operation in the last 12 months and Piutau repeatedly struggling with a troublesome Achillies, Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam may decide to keep neither star beyond their current deals.
Amongst that financial backdrop The Rugby Paper reported the Dolphins had made Radradra their top target, however Bennett, who is a rugby league coaching great, told News Corp there has been no approach to the Fijian flier, and in fact no discussion whatsoever.
He said: “I don’t know where this c**p comes from.
“We have not even spoken to him. To my knowledge, we have not approached him; if we have, I would know.
“We have not spoken a single word to Radradra. I wouldn’t even know where he is playing these days.
“If someone is mentioning us being interested, it’s purely to drive up Radradra’s price.
“We need to sign some backs, but we have not had one single conversation with him.”
