Rumoured Targets 3

[Haffa]

Fergs is making 150-200m a game this year. Coming out of our line between Ferguson and SKD we’d be 25m minimum on our first two tackles.

 

[Haffa]

Mick Jennings has until June 30 to decide if he wants his extra 2 years at the eels. Solid defender and an upgrade on what we have. Thoughts?

I thought he quit on his stool last week. Great player on his day and wouldn’t knock him back if he showed up hungry but he’s not a player you can turn to if it’s goung pear shaped.

 

[Bartwah]

Daily Telegraph linking us to Blake Ferguson.

There a link mate? Or in today’s paper?

 

[macavity]

Mick Jennings has until June 30 to decide if he wants his extra 2 years at the eels. Solid defender and an upgrade on what we have. Thoughts?

Nope.

Fergo, yes for the right coin.

 

[Pedge1971]

Daily Telegraph linking us to Blake Ferguson.

Not sure how I feel about this. Ability yes. Human being and culture, f**k no.

 

[PhilGould]

There a link mate? Or in today’s paper?

THE Newcastle Knights are continuing their impressive rebuild. Tim Grant and Blake Ferguson are two names that won’t die from the conversation when it comes to being at the Knights next season.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...r/news-story/d11fe4fe2066b55fde9a2a4b821c51b7

That's all it says, still noteworthy

 

[Knight Vision]

Think I've finally adapted to the nausea of some people's recruitment opinions.

Direction of the club is fine. We're not a superpower club that can sign anyone at any time on minimum amount. There are always new targets, always players being moved about. The opportunities we missed this year can be viewed as lessons to be learned and next year, when the same caliber of players hit the market like they do every year, we'll be in a good position to sign them. I get it, the last few years have sucked but the club is miles ahead of where it has been and will continue to get better.

I'll honestly keep saying it regarding every signing people aren't happy with; beggars can't be choosers and that applies to Ferguson. Absolute dropkick of a human being and has dicks for fingers but he's still a better option than the likes of Sio, Ross etc.

we'll never win a premiership with Ross or Sio in the side.

 

[Frederick]

Mick Jennings has until June 30 to decide if he wants his extra 2 years at the eels. Solid defender and an upgrade on what we have. Thoughts?

Solid defender? He struggled against Denniss last week. Hes well past his prime

 

[Spot On]

Not sure how I feel about this. Ability yes. Human being and culture, f**k no.

Agree 100% on the standard of person we are talking here.

Yes the bloke runs big metres but also drops the pill often and is a poor defender. Every 100m he runs he gifts the opposition 50m through turnover of drop ball.

Was ecstatic they punted him from the origin arena. The 2 starting wingers for NSW made his best performances look ordinary on Wednesday night.

Yes he is an upgrade in 'athleticism' over our current wingers. That's about it for mine.

Jennings is another I would never entertain.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Mick Jennings has until June 30 to decide if he wants his extra 2 years at the eels. Solid defender and an upgrade on what we have. Thoughts?

Yeah, nah.

 

[perverse]

Agree 100% on the standard of person we are talking here.

Yes the bloke runs big metres but also drops the pill often and is a poor defender. Every 100m he runs he gifts the opposition 50m through turnover of drop ball.

Was ecstatic they punted him from the origin arena. The 2 starting wingers for NSW made his best performances look ordinary on Wednesday night.

Yes he is an upgrade in 'athleticism' over our current wingers. That's about it for mine.

Jennings is another I would never entertain.

How many good outside back defenders are there in the game at the moment, by your standards? Are any of them on the market? We need to take what we can get in some instances, and an upgrade is an upgrade. Fergo moonwalks into our team blindfolded... and is still at an age where we wouldn't have to go shopping to replace him in another year or two - so could provide some stability to one of our flanks.

I do agree that he's a generally distasteful human being, though... I just don't think we can afford to be that picky. Having him and SKD in our team would make our early tackles in our sets fantastic and lay a great platform.

 

[Spot On]

Standard??

I'd like one that can make a tackle. We have had some of the comps absolute worst defenders in Gagai and Uate. I want better than that standard.

Ferguson is a horrible defender with poor hands.

Ramien looks like he can tackle. Got him.

 

[perverse]

Standard??

I'd like one that can make a tackle. We have had some of the comps absolute worst defenders in Gagai and Uate. I want better than that standard.

Ferguson is a horrible defender with poor hands.

Ramien looks like he can tackle. Got him.

Yeah but who else? I don't want to watch Ross and Sio run about for us much longer, and I don't think Brown does either.

If not Ferguson, who else do we go after? Who should we be chasing?

 

[ryan.a87]

If not Ferguson, who else do we go after? Who should we be chasing?

We'd be crazy not to go after him

The only people that would keep him out of an Australian jersey are the origin wingers (Ado-carr, Turbo, Holmes and Gagai) all of which are locked into their current clubs.

 

[Spot On]

If they feel they need for another winger in place of both Sio and Ross then it's up to them to find who is available. I'm happy with Ross on a wing at this stage but also hope Dennis could be a bit of a Corey Oates type for us when Ross is done. Sooner rather than later.

That wing spot imo is not our crucial area of need. The front row is. Back row too.

I'm sure that we would be keeping our powder dry for middles rather than giving a bloke like Ferguson a heap of cap $$$ to come here. Why would the Roosters be pushing him out with all the great metres he takes each week anyway?

 

[Spot On]

We'd be crazy not to go after him

The only people that would keep him out of an Australian jersey are the origin wingers (Ado-carr, Turbo, Holmes and Gagai) all of which are locked into their current clubs.

Fact is he can't get a start for NSW now. I'd have Cotric, Ponga, Oates and Mansour on the wing for Aus before Ferguson. There's 8 wingers in front of him.

Could find a few Kiwi's and Fijians who I'd rate above him at NRL level as well.

 

[perverse]

If they feel they need for another winger in place of both Sio and Ross then it's up to them to find who is available. I'm happy with Ross on a wing at this stage but also hope Dennis could be a bit of a Corey Oates type for us when Ross is done. Sooner rather than later.

That wing spot imo is not our crucial area of need. The front row is. Back row too.

I'm sure that we would be keeping our powder dry for middles rather than giving a bloke like Ferguson a heap of cap $$$ to come here. Why would the Roosters be pushing him out with all the great metres he takes each week anyway?

Surely.

I doubt the Roosters are pushing him out as much as he's a free agent testing his value. Whilst ever Denniss, Ross and Sio are our best options out wide, we're not in a great place. It may not be as urgent a need as a prop, but it's a need all the same... and I wouldn't expect us to ignore that need because we also need a prop even more. Moons and Browny would have a specific amount allocated for each position that they want to spend under the cap, and this would fit in with that. We still have plenty of cash kicking around.

I don't think the argument of "we need props, so we shouldn't sign an upgrade in a position we're also weak in" holds much water while we have plenty of cap space to do both.

Fact is he can't get a start for NSW now. I'd have Cotric, Ponga, Oates and Mansour on the wing for Aus before Ferguson. There's 8 wingers in front of him.

And not a single one of those players is available or remotely likely to be available - and that's the crux of it for mine. I agree there's some blokes in front of him for sure as far as rep duty goes (some of them fullbacks), in theory that lowers his price. Much better timing to sign him now than 12 or 24 months ago, that's for sure.

If there were current Aus or Origin reps available on the wing then we should definitely be chasing them too, no doubt about it.

Clearly we're not going to agree though, you've made up your mind and I've made up mine. That's fine... I just think it would be a missed opportunity if we could bring him here and chose not to for the reasons that you've stated. I think we need to be fair dinkum and serious about building a squad that actually wins versus being in a perpetual rebuilding phase.

 

[Spot On]

All good Pervy.

I'd be happy to go with Ross or Dennis on the wing. I wouldnt be dismissing Dennis as a footballer for a few years yet. He is going to be a huge lad when he fills out.

I'm not sure how much cap space we have but the priority is big men in the middle and that is crucial if we want to do anything while we have a player like Ponga.

Fergo would not be someone I'd bother with.

 

[perverse]

All good Pervy.

I'd be happy to go with Ross or Dennis on the wing. I wouldnt be dismissing Dennis as a footballer for a few years yet. He is going to be a huge lad when he fills out.

I'm not sure how much cap space we have but the priority is big men in the middle and that is crucial if we want to do anything while we have a player like Ponga.

Fergo would not be someone I'd bother with.

The one thing I would say in agreeance with you is that while I do think Moons and Brown would have a clear plan about what they're going to spend on each position, I think they are undervaluing props at this point - and maybe there is an argument to be made that they should be allocating a bit more there. I still don't think that means we shouldn't take an opportunity to upgrade the team out wide, but I think we're going to need to spend some overs to get what we need in the middle.

Of course, we could fast forward 6 months and pull off another Pearce-like coup for a prop. Anything is possible. At this stage I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt based on last years recruitment. Missing out on so many props has been really frustrating, especially given that it's been a theme for us for the best part of 10-15 years now.

At the end of the day, for the moment I have to be happy to let Brown and Mooney do their thing. I think they've proven to this point (especially Mooney) that they know how to build a good squad. I'm still not convinced that Brown is a great coach as far as working with what he has got... but in combination with Moons he's pulled some excellent recruitment decisions thus far. Brown may end up in a similar position he was in at Saints before long, he'll build us a squad and then cop the boot for another coach to come in and put on the polish. I could see it playing out that way... and I'd feel bad for him, but if he can't get this team up competing in finals in the next 12-24 months that's exactly where he'll find himself.

 

[Spot On]

I think if they can jag two really good ones (props) Pervy we will be quite strong next season IF the twins continue to develop/ improve. We need those 2 quality recruits at a minimum.