Rumoured Signings 2014

[BunniesMan]

I don't know where all this chatter about Isaac Luke has come from. He has 12 months to go on his contract and I wouldn't be surprised to see him extend this year. He has mentioned that he wouldn't mind playing for the Warriors one day but in that same interview, he also mentioned that it would probably be his last contract.

Everyone is blowing off about Api and Cam but the fact is, that neither of them are fit to tie up Isaac's boots just yet and it could be 3 to 4 years before either of them get close. Considering the number of hookers who have gone through the club in the last few years, it seems that we know how to produce them so I wouldn't be surprised if we let these two young blokes go and signed up Isaac for another 3 years.

There was a similar buzz a few years back with Falloon and also Segeyaro, last year, everyone was upset when we let Peats go. Fact is, as long as Isaac is at the club and we continue to see some good young talent coming through in that role, we will be well served at hooker for the foreseeable future.

That would be an extraordinarily dumb longterm move. We've been a better team since Luke got injured. And unlike Luke, the two kids have much more potential for improvement.

 

[Charlie124]

1. Issac Luke has already informed Souths staff he will be leaving at the end of this contract. His preference is Brisbane to reconnect with his wife's family. And as you said he also would like to play for the Warriors one day
2. Issac Luke's next contract is going to be ridiculous money. Considering Farah and Cam Smith are floating around 900k to the million mark, Luke could easily achieve the same
3. Api and Cam already have a better passing game than Luke, nobody is going to match it with Luke for his running game but it depends what you want from a hooker. As a duo I'd say they offer more right now. A lot of whispers from Souths that Madge is unhappy with Luke's ability to make the right options.
4. You can't just rely on another quality hooker appearing out of the blue. We've been blessed with the number of hookers in our system in recent years but soon that will dry up, it can't last forever.

In what world does Isaac Luke command Cam Smith sort of money?

 

[BranVan3000]

In what world does Isaac Luke command Cam Smith sort of money?

The world where he is the NZ hooker, playing one of the most important positions in a squad and many squads in the competition desperately need a hooker. You think he isn't going to make that sort of money on the open market next year?

 

[Packy]

That would be an extraordinarily dumb longterm move. We've been a better team since Luke got injured. And unlike Luke, the two kids have much more potential for improvement.

You are out of the 8.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

That would be an extraordinarily dumb longterm move. We've been a better team since Luke got injured. And unlike Luke, the two kids have much more potential for improvement.

Luke was in ordinary form before he was injured and he was still one of the top performing hookers in the comp.

He also plays 80 minutes which allows us another forward on the bench. This is vital for a team with one of the biggest packs in the comp.

On top of all of this is the fact that we will be able to claim the long serving player allowance on his next contract.

I don't think it is as cut and dried that he will leave as people are making out.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

That would be an extraordinarily dumb longterm move. We've been a better team since Luke got injured. And unlike Luke, the two kids have much more potential for improvement.

Who gives a shit about long term?

Fact is, we have a very strong squad at this moment in time. We must do our best to win a competition this year or next. After that, GI is a couple of years older, we will be missing a Burgess brother or two and some of our younger guys coming through will be pinched by other teams.

Our window of opportunity is right now. Then, we will probably have to go through a couple of years of being terrible again while we rebuild.

This is the way the modern game works with the salary cap.

 

[BranVan3000]

Luke was in ordinary form before he was injured and he was still one of the top performing hookers in the comp.

He also plays 80 minutes which allows us another forward on the bench. This is vital for a team with one of the biggest packs in the comp.

On top of all of this is the fact that we will be able to claim the long serving player allowance on his next contract.

I don't think it is as cut and dried that he will leave as people are making out.

He also can't pass long which means our line is constantly contracted. He is error prone even at this stage in our career. And he has a propensity to go missing in big games

We already have Sutton claiming the long service discount

 

[POPEYE]

In what world does Isaac Luke command Cam Smith sort of money?

A different world that you and I live in Charlie . . . another good question would be how many minutes a year does Isaac play compared to Cam

 

[BunniesMan]

Who gives a shit about long term?

Fact is, we have a very strong squad at this moment in time. We must do our best to win a competition this year or next. After that, GI is a couple of years older, we will be missing a Burgess brother or two and some of our younger guys coming through will be pinched by other teams.

Our window of opportunity is right now. Then, we will probably have to go through a couple of years of being terrible again while we rebuild.

This is the way the modern game works with the salary cap.

But my point is I don't think Luke makes us any more likely to win now than Koro and Mc.

And no, good clubs don't need to rebuild by going out of the 8. Look at Manly.

GI has 5 years left at least and we have plenty of up and comers that we can keep if we don't overpay for veterans whose benefit to us is limited. In Koro, Mc, Keary, Walker, Auvaa and Johnston we have a core to keep us in the 8 for 10 years.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

But my point is I don't think Luke makes us any more likely to win now than Koro and Mc.

And no, good clubs don't need to rebuild by going out of the 8. Look at Manly.

GI has 5 years left at least and we have plenty of up and comers that we can keep if we don't overpay for veterans whose benefit to us is limited. In Koro, Mc, Keary, Walker, Auvaa and Johnston we have a core to keep us in the 8 for 10 years.

Bully is 26 years old. He is probably not even in the prime of his career yet. He still has improvement in him.

Have a look at Cam Smith as an example. He is 30 and has probably been playing his most consistent footy in the last 2 - 3 years and he probably still has another 3 - 4 years of good footy in him.

Smith is a bit quicker between the ears than Issac but Bully would be close to being the strongest bloke in the NRL on a pound for pound basis and he should still have his pace for at least another 2 - 3 years.

Ideally, you sign Issac up for another 3 - 4 years and you have Cam or Api as a back up but if you can only retain one, then it's Issac all the way.

Proven beats potential every day of the week.

 

[rabbitohs95]

Retain all three for the next few years, lose one of the youngin's and the other one should step up. Both have great potential.

 

[BranVan3000]

Well Luke has been resigned till 2017, I'd expect Api to move on in that case. Shame I really like his style of play

 

[Franko]

That would be an extraordinarily dumb longterm move. We've been a better team since Luke got injured. And unlike Luke, the two kids have much more potential for improvement.

We have been playing better since he got injured but I thnk that is more to do with Sutton and Walker swapping back and the addition of Avuua and Johnstone. If Luke was back in the side now I think we would be going much better.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

Well Luke has been resigned till 2017, I'd expect Api to move on in that case. Shame I really like his style of play

Told ya... :whistle

 

[BranVan3000]

Told ya... :whistle

It's a win win either way as a Rabbitohs fan

I think they should move to keep Cam McInnes out of the two backups

 

[Apey]

That would be an extraordinarily dumb longterm move. We've been a better team since Luke got injured. And unlike Luke, the two kids have much more potential for improvement.

Phase 1 complete

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Give it a week and Hoppity will be hailing the re-signing of Luke as a significant one.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

Give it a week and Hoppity will be hailing the re-signing of Luke as a significant one.

Whatever he says, you can pretty much expect the opposite to happen.

Just look at how those "old has been's" Cam Smith and Billy Slater played on Friday night after Hoppity wrote them off...

He wouldn't know the difference between shit and clay.

 

[ek999]

I seriously have no idea how BM can say something and then have the opposite happen so often. It is uncanny

 

[insert.pause]

Whatever he says, you can pretty much expect the opposite to happen.

Just look at how those "old has been's" Cam Smith and Billy Slater played on Friday night after Hoppity wrote them off...

He wouldn't know the difference between shit and clay.

Does that mean as long as he supports Souths you guys are screwed?

There's a joke about a rabbits foot in there somewhere...