AJ Brimson has reportedly been offered a three-year, tax-free deal worth about $750,000 a season by the PNG Chiefs, but a standoff with the Gold Coast Titans over his early release is holding up a move.
CODE Sports reported the offer, according to Fox Sports, while the Courier Mail reported the Titans and the Chiefs are yet to agree on how to bridge the gap between Brimson’s current salary and PNG’s offer, Zero Tackle reported.
Brimson is contracted to the Titans until the end of 2030 on a deal understood to be worth about $900,000 a year. Joining the Chiefs for their first season in 2028 would mean leaving the Gold Coast three seasons before that deal expires.
Despite the lower headline figure, Zero Tackle reported Brimson could earn up to $1 million more in net pay over the life of the deal because of the tax-free advantages of playing in Papua New Guinea.
Peters confirms ‘strong interest’
Chiefs coach Willie Peters confirmed the club’s interest but said the next move was up to Brimson’s management and the Titans.
Read more: Cooper Bai Flies to PNG for Chiefs Talks Over Reported $3m Deal
“It’s with his management and the Titans now,” Peters said, as quoted by Zero Tackle. “There’s obviously strong interest from our end and we’ve just got to wait and see where that goes.
“We’re waiting to hear back from his management and then the Titans to see what they’re going to do with the situation. But I certainly like the way he plays and I think he’d be an asset to us.”
The Titans gave Brimson permission to speak with rival clubs in August after his management asked for it. His earlier talks with the Chiefs stalled because the two clubs couldn’t agree on what the Gold Coast should contribute to his contract from 2028, Fox Sports reported.
Read more: PNG Chiefs Unveil Logo and First NRL Jersey in Port Moresby
Where Brimson fits
The 28-year-old made his NRL debut for the Titans in 2018 and has played 157 first-grade games, all for the club. He spent most of his career at fullback before moving into the halves and, more recently, the centres.
With Keano Kini settled at fullback and Jayden Campbell and Zane Harrison options in the halves, his long-term position on the Gold Coast is uncertain, according to Zero Tackle. Because the Chiefs don’t enter the competition until 2028, Brimson could also consider a short-term deal elsewhere if he and the Titans agree on an early release.
Brimson isn’t the only Titan on PNG’s radar, with back-rower Cooper Bai also offered a three-year deal by the Chiefs, according to Fox Sports.
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