Chiefs chase Ben Talty and J'maine Hopgood for forward depth

The PNG Chiefs have contacted the management of Broncos prop Ben Talty and Eels forward J'maine Hopgood as coach Willie Peters looks to add depth to his forward pack. Talty, who earned England World Cup selection after 30 games for Brisbane, is also attracting interest from the Perth Bears, with his agent saying he is happy at the Broncos but weighing his options. Hopgood, who is returning from a knee reconstruction, has 71 NRL games for Penrith and Parramatta. His manager said PNG's tax-free money is appealing, but he wants to talk to the Eels first. The Chiefs have ruled out pursuing Briton Nikora. Peters said building depth across the whole squad is a priority.

By Peter Badel, Michael Carayannis, CODE Sports — read the full story