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Fisher-Harris Released - ???

The Realist

Juniors
Messages
1,669
I also tend to feel, and this may not be a popular opinion, that JFH has reached his peak. I don’t think his best years are in front of him. Not saying he can’t or won’t continue to do a good job for us or in his first season or two at the Warriors but I do think we may have seen his best.

I wanted to say this and have mentioned it at other times. I completely agree that we have seen peak JFH. I think he is already declining. My problem is that this sudden move has not allowed for good succession planning.

Imagine if he'd signalled his intentions last year? I think we'd have fought harder for Spencer. Or if we'd known a month ago? Terell May would have been a great option.
 

age.s

First Grade
Messages
7,086
Fish is obviously highly respected within the club (rightfully so), and I can't see in any world where we stand in his way if he has the opportunity to cash in on a longer deal. We have never been a club to hold a player against his will, let alone someone like him. Slap 'compassionate grounds' on it and nothing more is said about it.

I'm sure he was always intending to go home, and maybe recent events did fast track that, but a longer term, higher annual salary makes that decision a hell of a lot easier especially with a young family.

This isn't a knock on Fish either, the man deserves every cent he gets.
I dunno. 900k is the reported figure right? You'd be hard pressed to argue his market value is significantly less than that. The NRL probably wouldn't have allowed him to go for much less even if he'd have been willing to. He obviously lands an extra 2 years of security, but a 4 year contract is what we initially signed him for. He's a big name player, as a club you want them signed up for a significant period. I think this is simply a deal worthy of his stature in the game.

Anyway, my main point is I think we held the cards here ultimately. We think this move is best for the club in one way or another, if simply to show whoever we replace Fish with that we're a quality organisation to work for.
 
Messages
491
Praying for Blade to return to quash this conspiracy theory garbage.

A recent death in the family prompted him to ask permission to move back home at season’s end. It’s not a hard concept to grasp and after over 10 years of loyal service to the club (including juniors) I think he’s more than earned the right to be taken at his word.
 

Chins get the wins

First Grade
Messages
5,398
Praying for Blade to return to quash this conspiracy theory garbage.

A recent death in the family prompted him to ask permission to move back home at season’s end. It’s not a hard concept to grasp and after over 10 years of loyal service to the club (including juniors) I think he’s more than earned the right to be taken at his word.
What I've read and my feeling is that he's wanted to go home for years but the death happened and that hammered it home. I think he then called Ivan and everyone sorted it quickly.
 
Messages
491
What I've read and my feeling is that he's wanted to go home for years but the death happened and that hammered it home. I think he then called Ivan and everyone sorted it quickly.
Maybe. I suppose it is worth remembering that the Warriors were still based in Australia when he signed his current contract so that was not an option, however I don’t think he ever intended to not see out the full term when he signed.
 

WestyLife

First Grade
Messages
6,255
It's not off topic. The media along with you are making out like Fish is as important as Yeo or Cleary, it's just not so

It is off topic I was just saying the club wouldn't accept one of their top props going without any kind of compensation or plan in place like they have. The Yeo thing doesn't matter poor choice of words. No one is trying to put him or his role down.
 

Sime_11

Juniors
Messages
1,501
It's not off topic. The media along with you are making out like Fish is as important as Yeo or Cleary, it's just not so
Fish is important like everyone else in the squad - but Yeo is more important than Cleary IMO -

we have some options to replace Cleary at 7 (obviously not to cleary's standard) - but can do a job as we have seen with SOS, Schneider, Burton etc

if we lost Yeo - who plays 13 in our team? let alone to a high level like Yeo does week in week out, bending the line each run, making a heap of tackles as our best defender, assisting the playmakers & leading the team....
 

WestyLife

First Grade
Messages
6,255
Fish is important like everyone else in the squad - but Yeo is more important than Cleary IMO -

we have some options to replace Cleary at 7 (obviously not to cleary's standard) - but can do a job as we have seen with SOS, Schneider, Burton etc

if we lost Yeo - who plays 13 in our team? let alone to a high level like Yeo does week in week out, bending the line each run, making a heap of tackles as our best defender, assisting the playmakers & leading the team....

He'd also be the most important leader in the leadership group.
 

maple_69

Bench
Messages
4,443
Smith has better hands than Yeo though. Yeo is up there with Lolo for the best forward of the past 15 years in my mind, but he has a pretty simple (but very effective) passing game. Smith could offer run, dig deep into the line and go out the back, soft hands short ball to decoy to start, even flat face balls.. Where Yeo is elite as a ball player is reading when to run and when to go out the back as well as masking which it'll be until he's in the line. That subtlety and reading the game is something Smith will need to learn.

On Fish, I don't doubt he's probably reached his physical peak. It's pretty rare for props to dominate for more than 4 or so years. He does appear to be growing into his role as a leader though and we've rarely utilised his passing which is decent so I think we might see him play a slightly differently role but continue to be effective for a good few years.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,311
I'd trust us to become a 6-8th placed side if Huth plays in the 13 on a consistent basis.

All Jokes aside, I believe Lindsay Smith is being groomed as his successor. What concerns me about Lindsay is he doesn't have the lateral movement that Yeo has.
Huth fills in when required, and does a better job than he is given credit for.

If we were fortunate enough to not get another injury or suspension in the forwards this season you would probably not see Hugh in the top 17.

I like Huth as a back up, very solid defensively.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,311
I'd trust us to become a 6-8th placed side if Huth plays in the 13 on a consistent basis.

All Jokes aside, I believe Lindsay Smith is being groomed as his successor. What concerns me about Lindsay is he doesn't have the lateral movement that Yeo has.
Huth fills in when required, and does a better job than he is given credit for.

If we were fortunate enough to not get another injury or suspension in the forwards this season you would probably not see Hugh in the top 17.

I like Huth as a back up, very solid defensively.
 
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