Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

So why do they stay on top Poo? Anything to do with coaching? Surely not.
I know. Dont call you Shirley!

Superior recruitment staff. They lose players but stockpile all the best kids from Queensland and NZ. You look at the players they're losing but ignore who they replace them with, because unlike the Storm's recruitment staff, you don't know who the good ones will be. They have a kid called Jack Howarth, currently 19, who is yet to play first grade. He is currently in their top 30 and contracted through to 2027. This bloke will be the next Boyd Cordner. He will play 30 Origins and captain Queensland. And when he has a wife and kids settled in Melbourne he will be happy to stay there for unders.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Yes merkin. You're not the only one who can read. Did you notice that the article was printed in English? How lucky for us was that so we could all read that Josh signed for 1 + CO. Great stuff that.

You're filthy that the option is in our favour aren't you?

 

[Eelementary]

No. Its a sign of ineffective roster management and not having people connected to our club like Uncle Nick and Big Russ. Are we still ignoring 3rd party opportunities?

I totally disagree.

Frankly, the idea that clubs don't lose players they want is a rather myopic take on the art of cap management.

I do concede that having a person on board with the - shall we call it - "influence" of a Nick Politis is a massive boon.

However, success comes at a price - namely, that more desperate clubs will pay top dollar to lure away that project player that you turned from an average First Grader, into an above-average, borderline rep player.

And putting a maximum price on what you're willing to pay for that player is just smart business.

Fans may not like it, but the Retention and Recruitment Committee have a broader view of the club than we do - long-term goals, short-term goals, which players to target, etc.

Losing Mahoney sucked - but we signed Hodgson, Hands, and we also have young Jayden Yates plying his trade, and their combined cost would be pretty close to what it would have cost us to keep Mahoney.

Keep one player, and lose three? Or lose one player, but gain three?

Mahoney is a quality player, but the equation to throw cash at him at all costs makes little sense.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I think Brown could attack the line like Radley does, Brown has a very good pass in him, but we choose to use him like a battering ram 95% of the time. Such a negative mentality from our coaches and stifles our attack big time on the 4th and then 5th tackle.

We are prioritising the kick on tackle five. That means "Places everybody!" and so Nrown settles to a specific point across the field.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

But they keep the core.

So have we, so far. The core isn't your entire spine, it's your leadership group.

 

[Pazza]

So have we, so far. The core isn't your entire spine, it's your leadership group.

True.

In our case I'd say the core is gutho, brown, Moses, rcg, paulo and brown.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

True.

In our case I'd say the core is gutho, brown, Moses, rcg, paulo and brown.

I don’t think Dylan Brown is part of our core. I suspect if we need to choose between him and Moses we will keep Moses.

 

[hineyrulz]

True.

In our case I'd say the core is gutho, brown, Moses, rcg, paulo and brown.

And Jakey.

 

[TheRam]

I don't expect it to be all that hard to keep Moses at our club since he is paid fairly well already.

As for player options, Tom Starling has a player option for 2024. I would be canning Hodgson's contract no matter how well or badly he goes and go all out for Starling instead. He is now playing for a sh*t club, we should be able to offer him somewhere close to what the Raiders have him on but with the added incentive of playing for a strong finals team.

These are the sorts of things the best run clubs do and can convince quality players that are in a bad system or weak club to ditch them and come and play for the stronger one.

It needs to start now. The serenading and love action needs to be shown now by our club recruitment committee so he knows we love him and value him to come to the Eels and be part of a strong team in contention for a title.

Players love being made to feel special and if that includes being paid fairly and playing in a side that is a contender then that is even more loving.

 

[TheRam]

We are prioritising the kick on tackle five. That means "Places everybody!" and so Nrown settles to a specific point across the field.

Moses is equally the best kicker in the comp. We have the best go forward in the comp and you reckon that we need Brown to run a dead and predictable 4th tackle hitup, especially even more stupid when we are attacking in the red zone, so as Moses can get a good kick away and so that our supposedly dumb players can all stay on side? Jeez they must be stupid compared to everyone else in the comp that doesn't need that settler to get it right.

And yet none of the other top flight teams deem it necessary to do such a predictable and wasteful tackle that only puts a handbrake on your set, but instead use their lock as a extra ball player(link option) that compresses the defense and then he shoots it out to halves and players all in motion and on the attack out wide where they have created space and one on one situations and can really stretch the defense. Jeez, if you are even remotely right and that is actually true, then our coaches are morons.

 

[Cloeel]

View attachment 60408


I don't expect it to be all that hard to keep Moses at our club since he is paid fairly well already.

As for player options, Tom Starling has a player option for 2024. I would be canning Hodgson's contract no matter how well or badly he goes and go all out for Starling instead. He is now playing for a sh*t club, we should be able to offer him somewhere close to what the Raiders have him on but with the added incentive of playing for a strong finals team.

These are the sorts of things the best run clubs do and can convince quality players that are in a bad system or weak club to ditch them and come and play for the stronger one.

It needs to start now. The serenading and love action needs to be shown now by our club recruitment committee so he knows we love him and value him to come to the Eels and be part of a strong team in contention for a title.

Players love being made to feel special and if that includes being paid fairly and playing in a side that is a contender then that is even more loving.

Why would you get rid of Hodgson if he is playing well just to go pay overs for Starling? If he is playing well it means he is playing beyond his worth. Which in turn means we are getting value for money and then some.

 

[TheRam]

Why would you get rid of Hodgson if he is playing well just to go pay overs for Starling? If he is playing well it means he is playing beyond his worth. Which in turn means we are getting value for money and then some.

Because he is an old and broken down warrior that if he managed to play well and stay relatively injury free(big ask) for his first season with us I don't think he could manage it for a second season.

So therefore I would use his money and then add a little more to get a player that is a running machine and coming into his best years to replace him and with our go forward we would tear teams a new one with a true running dummy half. That really is the only thing that we are really missing from our spine players now. A dummy half with speed that knows when to run with all that momentum and space that we are creating around the ruck. We would run teams ragged if we had that type of player.

 

[eels_fan]

Guth squeezed us. Imo we should of said 700k or good bye.

Do we know what we are paying Gutho? I’d imagine of any player in our team, being the captain would open him up to additional third party deals, so what is he on the cap for?

I’d argue whilst his ceiling as player skill wise may be $700k, you can add another $50-$100k for him being captain and leader and for what he does on the training paddock and off field.

 

[Incorrect]

Superior recruitment staff. They lose players but stockpile all the best kids from Queensland and NZ. You look at the players they're losing but ignore who they replace them with, because unlike the Storm's recruitment staff, you don't know who the good ones will be. They have a kid called Jack Howarth, currently 19, who is yet to play first grade. He is currently in their top 30 and contracted through to 2027. This bloke will be the next Boyd Cordner. He will play 30 Origins and captain Queensland. And when he has a wife and kids settled in Melbourne he will be happy to stay there for unders.

How can he be the next Boyd Cordner as well as captain Queensland FFS??? Cordner played for NSW you f**king rabbit...

 

[eels_fan]

I’m kind of sick of reading that we’ll be weaker next year.

says who?

Kaufusi won’t be missed
Niukore & ice are replaceable. Ice has been great value for us last year and this year, but he’s getting $700k at the tigers - would we rate him as highly at say $550-$600k? Nope.
Mahoney - possibly a massive loss but still an unknown.

our recruitment for 2023 is a long way off being completed.

Moses will continue to improve and Drown if he continues to develop could be elite class come 2023

add to that the further experience, and potential finals success (even if it’s not a premiership) that comes with winning some finals games hopefully will buoy the rest of the team.

the way I see it this year is a definite premiership chance year for us, but that window/door/opportunity will still be there next year - and we could possibly be even better placed next year depending on how our style or play and finals outcomes are this year

 

[TheRam]

Do we know what we are paying Gutho? I’d imagine of any player in our team, being the captain would open him up to additional third party deals, so what is he on the cap for?

I’d argue whilst his ceiling as player skill wise may be $700k, you can add another $50-$100k for him being captain and leader and for what he does on the training paddock and off field.

Pou told me he is on $1.2m and Gronk confirmed it. Guts stayed on the fence for a while then agreed with them. So take it to the bank he is doing the Gutharino for more then just scoring meat pies out there.

 

[TheRam]

His consistent energy in being an apologist to mediocrity would get him a spot in BA’s 17.

Hell I wouldn't be surprised if @Poupou Escobar was in fact Kidwell covering his own arse.

 

[Avenger]

More like 1.6 would be my estimate.
400k is gone on Hodgson.
If sign matterson would be atleast 400k.
That leaves 800k and 4 players spots to fill. 200k a player.

I forgot Marata. It’s easily $2m.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Yes. He was on 800k and one of the best hookers in game. The fact we only gave him one year with a 2nd in our favour means we paid higher then if we guaranteed him 2yrs.
What do people think he would of cost? If it wasn't 400k it would of been close. Atleast 350k imo.
I doubt he hangs around in the NRL for 200k for one year

Where wouId Hodgson earn $200k other then playing NRL?

anyhow I reckon it’s around $250-$300k…..

 

[Joshuatheeel]

I forgot Marata. It’s easily $2m.

Plus the cap space we have left for this year….