Rumoured/Confirmed Signings and More Crap XVIII

[Pazza]

This club has lacked leadership since Cayless retired.

 

[T.S Quint]

That article's just a fluff piece. Nothing more or less than what we'd expect. Who is he negotiating with to make the 8? And what's he gonna do if we don't?

I kind of agree with this.
We can talk all we want, but when it comes down to it the talk means nothing if we don't win the games.
We saw articles like this before last season. And the season before that. And the season before that.

I like Brad Arthur, an he seems like a pretty genuine bloke.
But reading him talk about how we are going to do better doesn't get me excited.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Hindmarsh had was in a fairly shit side towards the end of his career compared to the squad for next year.

I would prefer a Hindmarsh in his prime or late twenty's in our squad next year over Watmough, but that option aren't available.

 

[Mr Pmatta]

And who are you again??? How's get f**ked sound???

Lol, I am a mere Mortal.

 

[El Diablo]

I kind of agree with this.
We can talk all we want, but when it comes down to it the talk means nothing if we don't win the games.
We saw articles like this before last season. And the season before that. And the season before that.

I like Brad Arthur, an he seems like a pretty genuine bloke.
But reading him talk about how we are going to do better doesn't get me excited.

would you rather hear Spags' man Ricky saying we should expect a few floggings?

 

[Obscene Assassin]

The talk about a heart like Phar Lap sounds like a compliment to his attitude but it's more likely that he just had a massive aerobic capacity.

Both Hindmarsh brothers could withstand blood lactate levels five times higher than the average athlete.

 

[Joely01]

I kind of agree with this.
We can talk all we want, but when it comes down to it the talk means nothing if we don't win the games.
We saw articles like this before last season. And the season before that. And the season before that.

I like Brad Arthur, an he seems like a pretty genuine bloke.
But reading him talk about how we are going to do better doesn't get me excited.

You don't think this season was a success or at least a step in the right direction? We finished equal 8th after getting wooden spoon.
I think that shows in itself that BA is a good coach, and not just talk

 

[T.S Quint]

You don't think this season was a success or at least a step in the right direction? We finished equal 8th after getting wooden spoon.
I think that shows in itself that BA is a good coach, and not just talk

No, I don't think this season was a success...but yes, it was definitely a step in the right direction.

There is no such thing as "equal 8th". We finished 10th. A much improved season from previous years, and a reasonably enjoyable one. With our injuries it was probably a decent result, but we could have gone better.

Like I said before, I like BA. I think he is probably a good coach. But stuff like this said in the preseason is just talk. We have lost our best player and have a long way to go to improve on our finish this year. I hope we do and look forward to seeing it. But right now I'm not going to start booking my Finals tickets because BA said some stuff.

 

[lingard]

It got me thinking though. We have completely overhauled our senior playing group since 2013. Shows that was where the main problem was.

Generally it's the senior playing group in a team that gets overhauled - 'cause they're the ones getting old.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Generally it's the senior playing group in a team that gets overhauled - 'cause they're the ones getting old.

But an all new senior playing group within two years? Because that's what we've got. Our top eight* oldest players weren't even at the club last year.

By comparison, of Manly's eight oldest players - Ballin, King, Lawrence, Lyon, Matai, Stewart, Stewart, Watmough - all except Lawrence have been in first grade at Manly since '07, and half of them have been in Manly's first grade side since at least 2003 (12+ years).

Similarly, four of Melbourne's eight oldest players were playing in Melbourne's NRL team back in 2003. Plus Hinchcliffe and Norrie who have both been there since 2010.

Meanwhile not a single one of our eight oldest players was an Eel in 2013. That was just last year.

*I use the arbitrary figure of eight only because that is how many of next year's squad are older than Joe Paulo. Feel free to do your own comparison with different numbers if it will support your assertion that there's been nothing wrong with our culture or leadership.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...109480380?nk=2fa2ad27db2aa12aa7ddde4e8e152239

Cashed-up Parramatta Eels to electrify transfer market ahead of 2015 season

DAVID RICCIO
The Sunday Telegraph
November 02, 2014 12:00AM

CALL it spending money for the festive season.

Call it what you want, but Parramatta have close to $600,000 remaining in their salary cap to go shopping prior to the 2015 season.

Despite trumpeting a host of new signings last Friday, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that the Eels are yet to spend the salary of Dally M winning fullback Jarryd Hayne.

Money allocated for the signatures of Anthony Watmough, Brad Takaraingi, Beau Champion, Reece Robinson, Richie Fa’aoso and Danny Wicks had been determined prior to Hayne’s shock decision to chase a dream in the US of playing in the NFL.

It means Eels coach Brad Arthur can spend the summer assessing his roster before making a decision on whether to make a play for any marquee talent across the NRL.

It’s a unique situation which the majority of coaches would envy.

Arthur has declared publicly that centre Will Hopoate is the leading candidate to replace Hayne in the No. 1 jumper for the blue and golds.

Hopoate will commence training in the fullback position during the Eels first field session during next week’s training camp in Seattle.

The faith in Hopoate by the Parramatta Eels coaching staff all but rules out any move to lure Manly fullback Brett Stewart away from the northern beaches.

Coach Arthur also has the option of playing new recruit Robinson at the back.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...m-is-shaping-up-for-2015-20141101-11fjce.html

PARRAMATTA

Jarryd Hayne may still be the most talked-about player at Parramatta. Life after Hayne may not be as bad as it would have been in previous years with Anthony Watmough on deck and the emergence of young players under Brad Arthur.

Gains: Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles), Richie Fa'aoso (Sea Eagles), Brad Takairangi (Titans), Reece Robinson (Raiders), Danny Wicks (unsigned), Beau Champion (Rabbitohs), Cody Nelson (Titans), Ben Crooks (Hull FC), Shannan McPherson (Salford Red Devils).

Losses: Jarryd Hayne (NFL), Willie Tonga (Catalan Dragons), Ken Sio (Hull Kingston Rovers), Ben Smith (retired), Kelepi Tanginoa (Cowboys), Liam Foran (London Broncos).

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The DT trying to stir up shit and the SMH missing plenty of details. Typical.

 

[Avenger]

Is the $600k Hayne's salary under the cap or the money we have stopped making for players not at our club like Blair, Harrison, Horo and Maitua?

 

[The Colonel]

Is the $600k Hayne's salary under the cap or the money we have stopped making for players not at our club like Blair, Harrison, Horo and Maitua?

i'd guess it's Hayne money less the third party deals. The other money would have been used to get the new guys.

 

[Twizzle]

I would imagine Hayne had a lot of 3rd party deals, he was the most marketable player in the NRL

 

[hineyrulz]

So Hayne was only costing us 600k???? Yeah no way at all we could afford having him in the squad :crazy: No side could afford him

 

[Twizzle]

So Hayne was only costing us 600k???? Yeah no way at all we could afford having him in the squad :crazy: No side could afford him

you sound like some one I know

 

[Poupou Escobar]

i'd guess it's Hayne money less the third party deals. The other money would have been used to get the new guys.

You reckon the new guys cost any less than $1.2M?

$500k Watmough
$300k Takairangi
$200k Fa'aoso
$100k Wicks
$100k Robinson
$1.2M Total

Plus previously announced signing Beau Champion who would be on at least $200k.

Then there's retention, with upgrades to the following players kicking in next year:

$200k Ma'u
$150k Radradra
$100k De Gois
$100k Edwards
$100k Gower
$100k Mannah
$100k Moeroa
$50k Toutai
-$100k Paulo

That's nearly a million worth of upgrades right there.

Obviously these contracts and upgrades are all speculative but IMO are realistic as well. I have assumed Joe Paulo took a pay cut and ignored likely rising salaries of existing players like Peats, Sandow and Pauli as well.

Don't for a second think we have a squad full of merkins on minimum salary. The average (mean) contract for a top 25 player next year is over $260k and if we've bought players to play first grade then you can be sure we're paying first grade salaries.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I would imagine Hayne had a lot of 3rd party deals, he was the most marketable player in the NRL

All the third party stuff is meaningless because he could have gotten it at other clubs too. The question is what would it have cost to keep Hayne away from other clubs, or more to the point, what would it have cost to match other clubs desperate to sign him away from us. If you think that's only $600k you are kidding yourself.