He was underpaid with us.
$650k is not overs for a guy who has won 2x premierships at 9 and was currently one of the best if not THE best players in the most important position on the field.
That's just absurd. His age is being blown out of proportion too. He was currently the best hooker in the game in career best form. He would be 33 at the END of his contract and hasn't had a career full of injuries or anything to increase chances he can't maintain his form.
If we applied this thinking to other players Isaah Yeo only has 2 or 3 more seasons left before we can toss him on the scrap heap
$650k for a guy that can't play in
QLD x 4 teams
NZ
Melbourne
Magic Round is in QLD too
potentially finals games.
As for his being overstated. He missed plenty of games already through injury that isn't going to improve with time.
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What many people seem to be missing is just how much difficulty we have had finding quality players in these positions. Especially centres and hooker.
I can see reason to be hopeful of a strong 2022 season. But the 2023 season however has a lot of holes to try filling from our premiership side.
1. Edwards
2. To'o
3. Crichton
4.
5.
6. Luai
7. Cleary
8. JFH
9.
10. Leota
11. Martin
12.
13. Yeo
14.
15. Scott Sorensen
16. Spencer Leniu
17.
Crichton moves to centre. Meaning we have to fill a wing and centre position. Staines is an option for one, but most people here think he's shit now. Not me personally, but if the haters are correct he's just another issue rather than a solution. Tiny May is another option... but he is an anti vaxer and makes it look like Tyrone was the smart one from that family. I think he's an issue, not a solution. Tago is a centre option... but many people are quick to point out he has barely played centre. So maybe he's a second row option... except many have pointed out he is very small for a second rower. I think he's too small for second row and hope he's a centre first up. But he could absolutely be a flop for all we know.,
Those positions from what we have are far from solved. There's possible solutions but even our own fan base are split on them all as to whether they can deliver for different reasons. Tago/Staines is IMO our best bet. But it's far from a certainty.
Hooker? Well this is the one I have no faith in us filling from within. Zero. I don't care how much talent it looks like our guys have. We have had so many guys that looked like future super stars at hooker flop spectacularly. Masada Iosefa (RIP) was looking like he had the makings of an elite hooker. Never kicked on. Wayde Egan looked like he was a future Cameron Smith, but he never really kicked on either. Sione Katoa... well I never thought he was a star as such but still looked like a promising candidate early on. But again. We just couldn't take an above average reserve grader and make a good first grader.
Hookers can make an entire team look better and a poor one can be such a handbrake the entire team can look worse. They improve the forward packs, they make the halves jobs easier. They do so much work that is crucial to how teams play. Equally as important, possibly moreso than a good #7.
Second row I think we can comfortably make solid first graders. But finding someone who offers what we lost will again be tough. Viliame Kikau is an absolute beast and he made the job of those around him easier whether he was playing well or not. He scared defensive lines and they didn't want to take their focus off him. Capewell we can probably find someone to replace, but doing so at the quality he delivered will be tough.
I think we will go from premiers, to fringe top 4 in 2022 to 6th to 8th in 2023. With Kiks and Api we are still a top 4 team if we stay healthy in 2022. But in 2023 I think we are back to the middle of the table. Even with the best halfback in the game.
I agree, weve struggled with hooker development for a long time.
I never rated Egan, not sure anyone thought he was going to be half as good as cameron smith. I never thought he was even fg standard. I still think hes average.
Masada, joel romelo, soni luke etc are all blokes thats didnt kick on. Masada and romelo in particular were junior stars and just so many levels above in the juniors that they really were dissapointing in the top grade.
But i think you forget the club has massivley fixed up the development and pathway programs since masada and co came through. The systems in place now are way way better than 7 to 10 years+ ago.
In some ways i think both masada and romelo possibly let themselves down. They were so good in the juniora that when they hit the top grade it didnt look like theyd put in the hard yards enough to be there and had just coasted through on there abilities.
That sort of poor development seems to have stopped now and thats largely down to the restructuring from gus and the academy etc..
Missing out on api and kiks gives us a bit of coin to bring in an established player and probably lock up the really promosing juniors moving forward..
2023-2024 might look something like-
1. Edwards/ Staines
2. Too
3. Critta
4. Turuva/Jenkins
5. Tiny
6. Luai
7. Cleary
8. Jfh
9. Riley
10. Leota
11. Geyer
12. Martin
13. Yeo
14. Niwhai Puru
15. Lenui
16. Lindsay smith
17. Hopgood
And if that is the team in 23/24 youd have to think thered be a bit of cap space for another marque player..possibly a centre and hooker and smith to play off the bench..
Im pretty confident in the development of the players moving forward that we should be fine.
Yes api and kiks is a loss but i think we are in a strong enough position to manage that.
The puru brothers
Geyer
Turuva
Riley smith
Are all players with a heap of talent that havent played fg yet but im sure will be thereabouts in 12 to 18 months.
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I think you still get afew established guys. But can get mid price guys and upgrade some rookies