Wests Tigers duo given permission to leave as club comes to agreement for Sullivan

They have both been linked to Super League clubs.

Sitting at the bottom of the NRL ladder and on track to receive their third consecutive wooden spoon, the Wests Tigers have made mass changes to their roster as they look towards the future.

Jake Simpkin (Sea Eagles) and Asu Kepaoa (Panthers) have been granted early releases to join rival clubs and second-rower Isaiah Papali’i (Panthers) will follow them out the door next season to join the reigning premiers.

This is just the beginning for the Tigers, as The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Brent Naden and

Sullivan have been granted permission to leave the club despite being contracted.

Although he is contracted until 2027, Sullivan’s future at the Tigers looks grim after the signing of three-time premiership winner Jarome Luai and the emergence of youngster Lachlan Galvin.

According to Rugby League Live, Super League club Salford Red Devils have come to an agreement with the Wests Tigers to sign Sullivan with the NRL club paying a large portion of his salary.

However, the deal hinges on Sullivan agreeing on the move, which he has yet to do.

As Sullivan looks likely to join the Salford Red Devils, centre Brent Naden has been linked with a potential move to the Catalan Dragons for next season despite still being under contract until the end of the 2025 season.

Joining the Wests Tigers after stints with the Penrith Panthers – named as the 18th man of the 2021 Grand Final team – and Canterbury Bulldogs, Naden has only managed 24 first-grade appearances for the Tigers over the past three seasons.

While he has shown glimpses of brilliance in the NSW Cup to begin this season, it has, unfortunately, not translated to the first-grade level.

The Herald has also reported that Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson met with Lachlan Galvin on Wednesday at his family’s home in south-Western Sydney in an attempt to persuade him to remain at the club – Galvin asked for an early release earlier this week.