Rumours and Stuff

[Wally21]

Options are a gamble on a players talents. A low ball player option is low risk for our club and probably ACL injury insurance for Blaize. What could go wrong ? That Blaize plays reggies in 2025 after Dunster exits the Top 30 ? He will still be 19 turning 20 and has shown significant talent.

I don't get people who are experts in hindsight, when a manager is shopping a kid like Blaize, sometimes you need to make a commercial compromise. A gamble. Every club makes risks, the Roosters snapped up the Niutili-Schmidt brothers from us and had huge plans.

I’m no expert on player negotiations mate but I negotiate for a living. The club negotiated a lose lose situation for itself.

 

[Avenger]

Well put the red pen through his name then.

I said over rated. He is nowhere at the level that Lyon or Hayne was at the same age yet we gave him an option in his favour as if he was.

 

[Gronk]

I’m no expert on player negotiations mate but I negotiate for a living. The club negotiated a lose lose situation for itself.

How so ? Maybe the PO was required to get the deal over the line vs him signing with another club. Are you saying that we should have let him walk ? How is that a positive for the club ?

 

[Twizzle]

He will leave and some other club will develop his talent and turn it into rep quality.

do you really think he is that good ?

he's OK but not much more from what I've seen

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I have a problem giving an 18 year old so much power and leverage before he has laced a boot on FG.

We're not talking about a rep player here.

But what leverage? The only risk to us is that we can’t let him go if he chooses to stay for whatever amount is agreed in the second year. We would’ve agreed to that amount based on that risk, and the amount would suit us if he was good enough (or better) and not hurt too much if he wasn’t. The benefit was that we could get him to sign for this year on the amount we offered.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

How so ? Maybe the PO was required to get the deal over the line vs him signing with another club. Are you saying that we should have let him walk ? How is that a positive for the club ?

ffs

 

[Wally21]

How so ? Maybe the PO was required to get the deal over the line vs him signing with another club. Are you saying that we should have let him walk ? How is that a positive for the club ?

Not sayin we should let him walk. Just saying PO’s seem to be a tactic that our R&R committee use which are not working for the club. They have dug themselves in a hole which every player manager will use to their advantage.

 

[Gronk]

I said over rated. He is nowhere at the level that Lyon or Hayne was at the same age yet we gave him an option in his favour as if he was.

He has played how many games vs men ? I just think you guys are just in the mood of throwing hand grenades at everything Eels. Not Lyon or Hayne is hardly a reason for not seeking to tie him up until he's 20.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

do you really think he is that good ?

he's OK but not much more from what I've seen

He has massive potential, but plenty like him never get there. He will have been on every club’s radar since he was 14 years old. Merkins thinking we could’ve got him for one or more years on minimum salary are kidding themselves. Things like a PO tip the scales.

 

[Twizzle]

He has massive potential, but plenty like him never get there. He will have been on every club’s radar since he was 14 years old. Merkins thinking we could’ve got him for one or more years on minimum salary are kidding themselves. Things like a PO tip the scales.

I know I keep banging on about us having a decent talent identifier, and none of us ar that, or close enough to him, or watch him train every week.

We re all just fans who want to see the club do well and many of us have opposing views on some players.

This is why smart clubs make the right decisions becuase they have the right people making these decisions, we don't.

 

[Gronk]

Not sayin we should let him walk. Just saying PO’s seem to be a tactic that our R&R committee use which are not working for the club. They have dug themselves in a hole which every player manager will use to their advantage.

Well you have made some assumptions about what happened at negotiations. It appears that you think that WE offer PO or MO as some sort of a carrot and that it's not generally instigated by player managers. OR a club accepting options in their contract terms is a sign of weakness.

There are some very good players in the NRL with POs in their contracts. Harry Grant and Brandon Smith for example.

2025 NRL Signings Tracker: Farnworth, Kennedy ink new deals; London calling for Havili, RCG

Livewire fullback Will Kennedy will remain a Shark in 2026 after inking a one-year extension with the club while Herbie Farnworth has inked a contract extension with the Dolphins before flying to England.

www.nrl.com

 

[Wally21]

Well you have made some assumptions about what happened at negotiations. It appears that you think that WE offer PO or MO as some sort of a carrot and that it's not generally instigated by player managers. OR a club accepting options in their contract terms is a sign of weakness.

There are some very good players in the NRL with POs in their contracts. Harry Grant and Brandon Smith for example.

2025 NRL Signings Tracker: Farnworth, Kennedy ink new deals; London calling for Havili, RCG

Livewire fullback Will Kennedy will remain a Shark in 2026 after inking a one-year extension with the club while Herbie Farnworth has inked a contract extension with the Dolphins before flying to England.

www.nrl.com

Ok mate. You’re right. I’m making assumptions. You however obviously know. My bad

 

[hineyrulz]

You guys are really just having a rant for lols.

He's not going to exercise the option (because of the low $ value), options have a window to exercise ,so he will let that lapse. Which means he is on the market like any other player. So we have made him an offer BUT WHY HASN'T HE SIGNED WE ARE SUCH A SHIT CLUB.

So really, he's not holding us to ransom. He just hasn't accepted our offer which was above the low ball option amount.

No matter what, the club has done the wrong thing ?

So you are happy that an unproven 19 year is holding the club to ransom??

Hardly surprising Heckle was on here earlier singing the clubs praises and then here comes Jeckle……..

Worst double act since Luke Kelly and Sef Paulo played in the halves for us.

 

[hineyrulz]

Ok mate. You’re right. I’m making assumptions. You however obviously know. My bad

Gronkles knows everything mate, just ask him.

 

[Hindmarshisgod2]

I'm just waiting for the day that pou says the club made a terrible decision about something....

I don't know whether I will see a premiership before that or die first...

 

[King-Gutho94]

Well you have made some assumptions about what happened at negotiations. It appears that you think that WE offer PO or MO as some sort of a carrot and that it's not generally instigated by player managers. OR a club accepting options in their contract terms is a sign of weakness.

There are some very good players in the NRL with POs in their contracts. Harry Grant and Brandon Smith for example.

2025 NRL Signings Tracker: Farnworth, Kennedy ink new deals; London calling for Havili, RCG

Livewire fullback Will Kennedy will remain a Shark in 2026 after inking a one-year extension with the club while Herbie Farnworth has inked a contract extension with the Dolphins before flying to England.

www.nrl.com

I bet neither of those clubs have 5 players with POs though.

Matto, Penisini have ones as well.

Drown and Moses still have them.

Seems like MON is handing them out like lollies to all our gun players.

Gutho is the only premium player that we have that doesn't have a PO.

 

[emjaycee]

He is another overrated junior that can’t tackle. I once spoke to a coach and he advised me that their capability in defence is the first thing they look at. That’s why Hayne, Lyon and Dylan Brown made it and players like Kris Keating, Michael Witt and Docker Clay didn’t.

Witt and Kris Keating both played over 100 games in the NRL and ESL.
Sure they weren't world beaters but I wouldn't say they didn't "make it".

The NRL says the following "A professional player during his NRL career will play an average of 75 games."

 

[eels_fan]

MON is the king of player options. He is solely responsible for the shit situation our contracts and squad depth are sitting in.

he can’t negotiate a deal to save his life and we’ve missing out on impressive squad depth players that would been extremely helpful this year due to his warped value system for positions and depth.

I’ve heard from multiple people that Connor Tracey was super keen to come to us, and MON refused any negotiation. Just said this is the offer, not open for discussions. His manager went elsewhere due to how impossible MON was to deal with.

 

[Gronk]

I bet neither of those clubs have 5 players with POs though.

Matto, Penisini have ones as well.

Drown and Moses still have them.

Seems like MON is handing them out like lollies to all our gun players.

Gutho is the only premium player that we have that doesn't have a PO.

Everyone seems to be very confused as to who does what at the club. One day it's BA, the next it's MON.

Do you really think that the club would put ink on deals with Moses and Brown worth circa $15M without the board being all over it from the beginning ?

 

[Gronk]

So you are happy that an unproven 19 year is holding the club to ransom??

And how is he doing that exactly ?