The Wests Tigers have emerged as a left-field contender to sign ex-NSW and Australian flyer Nick Cotric.
Fox Sports has learned Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire and director of football Tim Sheens met with the Canterbury-Bankstown outside back over the weekend and remain in negotiations to orchestrate an immediate release.
Initially the Canberra Raiders were the early favourites for Cotric to return to the national capital but the Tigers interest is now gaining serious momentum.
Tigers director of football Tim Sheens confirmed the club was in negotiations with Cotric’s agent Sam Ayoub.
“It’s certainly nowhere near being done but we’ve met with the lad and Madge likes what he could add to the roster,” Sheens said.
“We’re not the only club at the table so we’ll just have to let it take its course and see how it plays out.”
Tigers recruitment boss Warren McDonnell has spoken to Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould about the prospect of Cotric switching to Concord.
Cotric, 23, joined Canterbury-Bankstown in November of 2020 and has two years remaining on a deal believed to be worth around $650,000-a-season.
But with the Bulldogs looking to reshape the club’s roster for 2023 and beyond the ex-NSW and Australian winger has been given permission to negotiate with rival clubs.
The Canberra Raiders are still in the equation but with the Tigers armed with a $1 million war chest and three spots available in the club’s top 30 for 2022 there’s a view they could blow the Raiders out of the water.
The Tigers are still looking to bolster the club’s outside backs and Sheens confirmed the club likes the appeal of Cotric being able to play in the centres, fullback or wing.
“We’ve obviously got Daine Laurie coming back from injury and the good thing with Nick is he grew up playing fullback, has also played on the wing and can play in the centres,” the Tigers director of football said.
“So from that point of view he could provide us with depth in a number of positions.”
The Tigers outside back stocks at present consist of wingers David Nofoaluma and Ken Maumalo, centres Tommy Talau, James Roberts and Oliver Gildart and fullback Laurie.
Both highly-regarded young guns Talau and Adam Doueihi are expected to miss the beginning of 2022 after sustaining ACL injuries at the end of last season.
