Rumoured Targets 3

[HarVeeGee]

lol, whatever recruit we get from here, once we have our top 30, you can list them all out and then reckon with the fact that we have to spend 95% of the salary cap on them.

Given there was apparently money for Finau Latu/Josiah Pahulu, and guys like Elliott and Hetho look to be on the way out, maybe one of Friz/Gags too, and the players we did sign wouldn't be on that much. it's very likely they'll be getting to that 95% number pre-paying later seasons of certain players' contracts, to preserve cap space for the next free agent targets.

 

[macavity]

Latu looked the goods. pahulu wouldn’t move the needle.

happy to have Sami back if it’s true. Hasn’t got much of a shot in Canberra but thought we should have kept him in the first place.

 

[Woody90]

Probably is but feels like we are getting whatever is after sloppy seconds.

Anyone that thought we were going to be able to simply improve next year by buying top tier talent was boarder line delusional.

For starters there’s very little talent available to begin with, and the few top talents off contract would see the Knights as basically the last club they’d want to come to for a number of reasons.

I’ve said this a lot but our best path is development from within. We seem to be following the Raiders recruitment style a bit where we’re buying guys who aren’t top tier names, but they can probably fill holes in first grade while we continue to bring our juniors through without having to just throw them in there too early.

I personally like what we’re doing because I can see the vision for longer-term squad stability. I think we’re all frustrated we’re in a whole new rebuild and 2026 will be another development year, but it is what it is. We were never going to be able to go out and buy world beaters for next year.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Kerr maybe might be an interesting cheap signing Tui is bog average.

Kerr plays for the Dolphins right? He’s got a bit of X-factor if not playing for long minutes.

 

[perverse]

Given there was apparently money for Finau Latu/Josiah Pahulu, and guys like Elliott and Hetho look to be on the way out, maybe one of Friz/Gags too, and the players we did sign wouldn't be on that much. it's very likely they'll be getting to that 95% number pre-paying later seasons of certain players' contracts, to preserve cap space for the next free agent targets.

And that's a huge issue later on down the line and we end up in another salary cap squeeze when the skinny end of those contracts arrives/expires. Either you end up shedding players dramatically because you suddenly have to figure out how to pay them their market value again when the deals are up, or the players agitate because they can't maths properly and feel like they're under paid at the skinny end of the deal.

Front loading and back loading contracts does not work when done to any great extent. I've never seen it be effective for just about any team other than teams ready to win right now. You can do a bit of wiggling here and there, but it's not sustainable in the way you're suggesting imo. It's not to our long term advantage. It's a short-term, win-now approach to cap management. You do that shit to stack your roster that bit extra for a premiership push, not for baseline long term squad building.

 

[Woody90]

And that's a huge issue later on down the line and we end up in another salary cap squeeze when the skinny end of those contracts arrives/expires. Either you end up shedding players dramatically because you suddenly have to figure out how to pay them their market value again when the deals are up, or the players agitate because they can't maths properly and feel like they're under paid at the skinny end of the deal.

Front loading and back loading contracts does not work when done to any great extent. I've never seen it be effective for just about any team other than teams ready to win right now. You can do a bit of wiggling here and there, but it's not sustainable in the way you're suggesting imo. It's not to our long term advantage. It's a short-term, win-now approach to cap management. You do that shit to stack your roster that bit extra for a premiership push, not for baseline long term squad building.

Most players love front ended contracts and payments because they can invest the additional money right away and end up with more in the long run.

The CBA has restrictions on how much you can front load contracts but they have way more stipulations and regulations around backended contracts for good reason. With front-ended contracts the biggest concern the RLPA have is the higher payments putting players into a higher tax bracket, but that only applies to a very very small % of minimum wage players who you wouldn’t bother structuring their contracts anyway.

I also don’t agree with front ending a large percentage of the squad, but I also think we’d be absolute morons if we didn’t front load D Brown’s contract at the very least if we have the money free next year, even if just to mitigate the risk of us having to pay him out as much if something goes wrong 3-4 years into his contract.

 

[perverse]

Most players love front ended contracts and payments because they can invest the additional money right away and end up with more in the long run.

The CBA has restrictions on how much you can front load contracts but they have way more stipulations and regulations around backended contracts for good reason. With front-ended contracts the biggest concern the RLPA have is the higher payments putting players into a higher tax bracket, but that only applies to a very very small % of minimum wage players who you wouldn’t bother structuring their contracts anyway.

I also don’t agree with front ending a large percentage of the squad, but I also think we’d be absolute morons if we didn’t front load D Brown’s contract at the very least if we have the money free next year, even if just to mitigate the risk of us having to pay him out as much if something goes wrong 3-4 years into his contract.

It's probably not impossible, but we'd have to renegotiate Browns entire deal in order to do that. I'm not sure you can just click your fingers and pay people more on any given year just because you feel like it.

Regardless of how the player feels honestly, I think it's a shit idea strategically for all but yeah, perhaps the longest term contracts. Obviously you're not going to get squeezed by Brown at any point because you've already signed him for his whole career. Not against that in principle, but we'll be digging our own grave if we go nutty with it. As I said, it's a short term recruitment strategy imo, which is miles from where we are right now.

But yeah sure, front load Brown a bit. I don't think the NRL will let us pay him 3m next year though. If we're all being honest, we know this isn't really likely to be happening to any great extent anyway. We're just spending dumb money in dumb places just like we always do. The Taj Annans of the world are delighting in our stupidity.

 

[Woody90]

It's probably not impossible, but we'd have to renegotiate Browns entire deal in order to do that. I'm not sure you can just click your fingers and pay people more on any given year just because you feel like it.

Regardless of how the player feels honestly, I think it's a shit idea strategically for all but yeah, perhaps the longest term contracts. Obviously you're not going to get squeezed by Brown at any point because you've already signed him for his whole career. Not against that in principle, but we'll be digging our own grave if we go nutty with it. As I said, it's a short term recruitment strategy imo, which is miles from where we are right now.

But yeah sure, front load Brown a bit. I don't think the NRL will let us pay him 3m next year though. If we're all being honest, we know this isn't really likely to be happening to any great extent anyway. We're just spending dumb money in dumb places just like we always do. The Taj Annans of the world are delighting in our stupidity.

Usually it’s not a huge amount of cash that you’re allowed to front load, I think it’s about 15% off the top of my head (I recall it from 2017 when we doing it) so it’s definitely doable but imo only worth it for the bigger contracts. None of these new guys would be on significant enough contracts to be worth it, but I’d definitely look into it for some of the guys on more cash like Brown and Ponga. Even if we only claw back 500k from both for 2027, that’s significant if you structure it right.

We did a similar thing in 2016/2017 where there was nobody decent to sign and it allowed us to have what I consider our best recent recruitment drive for the 2018-2020 seasons.

 

[HarVeeGee]

Anyone that thought we were going to be able to simply improve next year by buying top tier talent was boarder line delusional.

For starters there’s very little talent available to begin with, and the few top talents off contract would see the Knights as basically the last club they’d want to come to for a number of reasons.

I’ve said this a lot but our best path is development from within. We seem to be following the Raiders recruitment style a bit where we’re buying guys who aren’t top tier names, but they can probably fill holes in first grade while we continue to bring our juniors through without having to just throw them in there too early.

I personally like what we’re doing because I can see the vision for longer-term squad stability. I think we’re all frustrated we’re in a whole new rebuild and 2026 will be another development year, but it is what it is. We were never going to be able to go out and buy world beaters for next year.

I’m heartened by guys like McEwen and ESL actually looking like first graders. I reckon McEwen in particular has looked like a guy who has benefited from coming into first grade and continued to improve after a tough start, whereas certain other guys who've made the jump up before him have started great but steadily gotten worse as the realities of week to week NRL physicality have kicked in.

 

[Yosh]

Apparently we have offered both Frizz and Gagai 1 year deals.

 

[Woody90]

Apparently we have offered both Frizz and Gagai 1 year deals.

I mean for 34 and 35 year olds this seems reasonable.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Yep this seems fair enough. Both of them past their prime but still useful as part of our squad.

 

[Yosh]

Personally I'm happy with the deal!

 

[macavity]

Depends what we are paying. Unders, sure. Overs, no. Lets be honest - Gags is still holding his own at present (but will no doubt get injured somewhere) but Frizz needs to be on the bench if we are serious.

 

[Apey]

Gagai legit looked better at fullback than he has at centre this year. Thought he played great there. Obviously we already have a couple of fullbacks...

I don't know if he has another year of him at centre, he gets beaten for pace easier and easier these days. Maybe a year can't hurt? You'd be mad to offer more.

 

[perverse]

Depends what we are paying. Unders, sure. Overs, no. Lets be honest - Gags is still holding his own at present (but will no doubt get injured somewhere) but Frizz needs to be on the bench if we are serious.

Baz reckons we're squabbling over $50k with Gags. I think that's f**kin poor from the club honestly. He's a club legend and I think he probably has one more year left in him - or at the very least you want him there during the transition process to bring someone else in gently.

 

[mozza91]

Sanity prevails. Gags is still playing really good footy so keeping him was a no brainer.
Friz has regressed but with so little experience in the pigs we’d be silly not to keep him.

 

[Rod]

Baz reckons we're squabbling over $50k with Gags. I think that's f**kin poor from the club honestly. He's a club legend and I think he probably has one more year left in him - or at the very least you want him there during the transition process to bring someone else in gently.

Seems silly when put like that but possible (probable) the club has already gone up from their original offer.

 

[Woody90]

My Wife just found this on IG.

It’s all happening today lol.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

JFC this club