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Rumours and Stuff

viole02

Juniors
Messages
385
Kelly might not be an upgrade on our current starters but he is an upgrade on Nanva and Renisini.
Agreed but how much is he going to cost? We probably arent winning it all this season so whats the point of upgrading depth? Might as well see what out youngins got and go all in for a top tier wing like taulagi and inadvertently upgrading our depth by pushing simmonson to back up and upgrade our starting line up. We need better starting backs not backups
 

Eelogical

Referee
Messages
25,544
Lomax opted to piss off to another code. While still having 3 years to go on his contract

We granted him his wish to go play another sport on the proviso if he comes back before 2029 its either with us or on our terms.

Lomax broke the terms not us.

Now Lomax is never playing again for us but why should roll out the red carpet for him to waltz back into the code another club to benefit before he served his penance basically which was a 4 year.

As you say not our problem his an idiot and R360 didnt get off the ground.

Let him rot in rugby
Surely Legal Eel can set the record straight. Shirly!
 

emjaycee

Coach
Messages
15,164
Not sure how available, maybe Jesse Arthurs , Murray Tualagi would have been better . Shibasaki was probably too expensive and content at Broncos.
Arent Arthars and Tualagi still signed until end of 2026? I know Kelly is to, but there seems more of a chance that he will be released for 2026.
 

emjaycee

Coach
Messages
15,164
Agreed but how much is he going to cost? We probably arent winning it all this season so whats the point of upgrading depth? Might as well see what out youngins got and go all in for a top tier wing like taulagi and inadvertently upgrading our depth by pushing simmonson to back up and upgrade our starting line up. We need better starting backs not backups
We need depth and we need to not be relying only on players that havent played NRL before for that depth.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,406
He was 19 and had to push DWZ and Mansour out.
I could be wrong but wingers nowdays that are being used as battering rams arent going to have long careers like for example the FOX who can go till he is 33....
It's like running backs in NFL. They burn them out by 28.
They can still debut as backups. It's not like Mansour and DWZ were available every week. In fact, the year To'o made his debut, he was a 21 year old backup, because he only played 15 games. The year before that, Christian Chrichton played 20 games. Hardly a star, but still better than a 20 year old Brian To'o.

Before you piss your knickers that I'm supposedly putting shit on a player from your favourite team, I think To'o is awesome. It's just weird that he debuted so late. He is a real outlier.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,406
Brian Kelly isn’t uprooting his life to play reserve grade. If we sign him, pencil him straight into the centres for Round 1 against the Storm. Morgan Harper walked in and got the gig; Kelly will be no different.

The Roosters pick up players like Garrick, while we end up with blokes like Kelly. That’s the reality now. It’s grim, but with our limp recruitment crew, genuine stars won’t come here unless we throw stupid money at them like we did for Foran—or we gamble on someone their old club couldn’t stand, like Lomax, and then inherit all the chaos that comes with his unpredictable headspace.
Harper only played in round one because a bunch of merkins were unavailable. I agree Kelly will have been promised first crack at a centre jersey. He'll be on a much bigger salary too.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,406
Kelly has played 5 reserve grade games since 2016, while he has also played 190 NRL games in that time.

Yeah he isn't elite or as good as Lomax. But he is a pretty decent experienced NRL back. Exactly what we have been looking for.

For the right price, he will be a good signing (also is Matterson to Titans back on as a swap?). Adds experience, depth and competition, but should not be that expensive, that it doesn't matter if he plays NSW cup. While he won't block a junior.

I don't think we were ever going to sign or target an elite back. From when Lomax was released in an interview MON (or Jim), mentioned it gives us the opportunity to assess how we spend our cap and "realign" it.

Additionally I suspect Ryles is more happy/confident with the rookie backs in the squad than we realise.
Agreed. Whether Kelly is out fifth best outside back or one of Russell/Simonsson is, we are a fair bit stronger.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
67,749
They can still debut as backups. It's not like Mansour and DWZ were available every week. In fact, the year To'o made his debut, he was a 21 year old backup, because he only played 15 games. The year before that, Christian Chrichton played 20 games. Hardly a star, but still better than a 20 year old Brian To'o.

Before you piss your knickers that I'm supposedly putting shit on a player from your favourite team, I think To'o is awesome. It's just weird that he debuted so late. He is a real outlier.


What makes you think I wear undies?
Penaut
 

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