Bula

[Tiger Ted]

Heard a whisper we would sign Bongwater if Bula left which is a massive downgrade imo. Bongy is one of those players who is immense on is day which happens 2-3 times a year and has quite a few shockers in him.

If Bula does go would Taylan May at fullback be an option?

The rumour has legs as we’ve definitely been talking to bongwaters manager.

 

[glockers]

I like his support play and effort in defence, but can be hot and cold.

 

[AKA Das Hassler]

If Bula does go would Taylan May at fullback be an option?

Alternate universe option....JL @ FB with Madden staying at 7....Jerome would love to bark out the orders from the back and he'd chime in with his speed left and right...
Now back to your regular programming

 

[Tiger05]

I really hope we keep him. He has been great for us. He started off poorly but he has gotten it together. Extremely safe plus he has the ability to score and create tries.

He isn't an elite fullback though and I really hope they can do a deal for the right dollars. I'm not confident this is going to happen though. I don't think these delayed negotiations ever turn out well for us.

 

[Tiger Ted]

I really hope we keep him. He has been great for us. He started off poorly but he has gotten it together. Extremely safe plus he has the ability to score and create tries.

He isn't an elite fullback though and I really hope they can do a deal for the right dollars. I'm not confident this is going to happen though. I don't think these delayed negotiations ever turn out well for us.

It’s impossible for us to negotiate a fair value for money deal with his repugnant manager.I will be shocked if he’s at concord beyond ‘27 only because expect the option for next yr to be exercised unless of course his grubby manager soon strikes up a big money deal elsewhere starting from next season.The fact we’ve been talking to drinkwaters manager (my source is as close as it gets to Drinkwater) doesn’t augur well for Bula’s future at Concord.

 

[Tiger05]

It’s impossible for us to negotiate a fair value for money deal with his repugnant manager.I will be shocked if he’s at concord beyond ‘27

I agree with you but as @WA Tiger states the players make those decisions. The issue is that he has gone to that manager.

The thing is though until we have an official announcement anything can happen.

I really hope we keep him. I think he was our most consistent spine player last season and I think he is pretty close to that this season as well. I view him as a massive loss in a critical position with no good back-up option.

 

[TheDefinitionOfMadness]

I really can't see him staying. Our team option expires some time this month and his player option expires sometime next month. The only thing that can officially happen before then is that he signs with us. We've put our offer to him and it's pretty obvious we've not going to take up the club option, which in my opinion we shouldn't.

I'd say that Bula and his management are just waiting on those deadlines to expire and he'll announce his new club. I'd say the deal is already done, unofficially of course as that would be a breach of the rules.

Once the new deal is signed then the agitating will start to get him out of the club immediately, or just out of pure spite by his manager.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Alternate universe option....JL @ FB with Madden staying at 7....Jerome would love to bark out the orders from the back and he'd chime in with his speed left and right...
Now back to your regular programming

Would prefer AD at the back (at least defensively). A smart halfback could destroy JL positionally

 

[Tiger Ted]

Alternate universe option....JL @ FB with Madden staying at 7....Jerome would love to bark out the orders from the back and he'd chime in with his speed left and right...
Now back to your regular programming

It would be nice if he displayed excellence playing at 5/8 or even better at 7 to game manage the team he claimed he would do at the rudderless club when he arrived at Concord.He isn’t close to being an elite 5/8 which is a position he has played his entire NRL career let alone play him at fullback where he will get exposed as he doesn’t seem to possess express pace & his 1 on 1 defence is vulnerable as would be his catching of the high ball.Additionally barking orders is for someone who leads by example not for an underwhelming & overrated windbag like JL.

 

[Nutz]

Bula is only ½ way on the potential barometer. If we can hold onto him we will benefit from it.
A full season this year, followed by another preseason, then whammo.
If we make the finals this year, it will mean that our spine had settled and is firing, including Bula.

 

[Speedy Gonzales]

Bula has really stepped up in Luai’s absence, Parra he played more like what he is capable of, popped up everywhere and was scheming around the field. Definitely warming into the season

He’s got pace to burn, a gigantic leap and is generally pretty safe under the high ball. While I don’t thimk losing him would be worth slitting our wrists over, it would definitely put us backwards a bit to what we are building

 

[Nutz]

I've got a feeling that we got Jack Attard to cover Bula's absence or if we lost Bula.
Atm we probably have several other preferred options with our current squad to cover fulback but that could change in the later rounds for various reasons.
Attard was ordinary against the Eels in KOE Cup and I asked, what's all the hype about.
Later in the game he turned that around 180⁰ and showed some real class to help us get the chocolates so I ate humble pie.
Having said that, he's still developing.
I've just spent ages trying to find our current top 30, plus development players and possible upgrades or tweaking of the cap rules.
To cut it short, I think we have 29 of the top 30 filled.
If that rings true, then we don't really need to fill that final spot till June 30. If Bula gets an injury or suspension this season, would we upgrade Attard to the top 30 so he can make his debut, get a taste of the NRL then go back to reserves?
I believe Attard joined for three years (2026-2028), moving from a train-and-trial deal (2026) to a development list spot (2027) and finally into the Top 30 roster (2028).
"If" we desperately wanted him, I think we could simply upgrade him??
Just some thoughts. I better go and have my nap now

 

[Tigerm]

I've got a feeling that we got Jack Attard to cover Bula's absence or if we lost Bula.
Atm we probably have several other preferred options with our current squad to cover fulback but that could change in the later rounds for various reasons.
Attard was ordinary against the Eels in KOE Cup and I asked, what's all the hype about.
Later in the game he turned that around 180⁰ and showed some real class to help us get the chocolates so I ate humble pie.
Having said that, he's still developing.
I've just spent ages trying to find our current top 30, plus development players and possible upgrades or tweaking of the cap rules.
To cut it short, I think we have 29 of the top 30 filled.
If that rings true, then we don't really need to fill that final spot till June 30. If Bula gets an injury or suspension this season, would we upgrade Attard to the top 30 so he can make his debut, get a taste of the NRL then go back to reserves?
I believe Attard joined for three years (2026-2028), moving from a train-and-trial deal (2026) to a development list spot (2027) and finally into the Top 30 roster (2028).
"If" we desperately wanted him, I think we could simply upgrade him??
Just some thoughts. I better go and have my nap now

Zero Tackle has a pretty good handle on these things?

 

[Nutz]

Zero Tackle has a pretty good handle on these things?

They're about the best of the worst Tm.
At least zero tackle have columns for each year a player is contracted but they are like a computer, as good as the input they are given.
Things like Bunty Afoa.
The salary cap, train and trial, development players now called Supplementary List, TPA's, pathways, RLPA, managers bla bla.
It's a game of footy that has been made so complicated that even the governing body, the NRL, cant even ensure their product is being well represented in official club websites like player profile photos of current players and bio. Players are duplicated across the KOE and NRL comps, no mention of what contract they are on etc.
It's a friggen joke Mr PV.
Clubs should have at least the who's who in the zoo. Why do we need to look outside the official club websites to get info that isn't always accurate and updated Multi million dollar enterprise apparently, even went to Vegas. Ha!

 

[Tigerm]

This is behind a paywall, but it looks like Gould is trying to f**k us around once again?

 

[Tiger05]

This is behind a paywall, but it looks like Gould is trying to f**k us around once again?

It's the same thing he did with Galvin but the payoff for Galvin is no where near the pay off of Bula.

We really need Bula to sign with us. He is one of our guns.

 

[The Charlatan]

Bula looked a lot more "with it" last weekend. Not sure if there's a weight off his shoulders now or not.

 

[Nutz]

It's the same thing he did with Galvin but the payoff for Galvin is no where near the pay off of Bula.

We really need Bula to sign with us. He is one of our guns.

Dogs signing Connor Tracey might be a sign that they won't chase Bula, who knows.

 

[axl rose]

Gus Gould, you diabolical.

 

[Tigerm]

Gus Gould, you diabolical.

He's also becoming a real merkin as well.