Rumoured and Confirmed Signings and even more Crap XXI

[Joshuatheeel]

It's hard to judge until everything is made official, but in terms of recruiting backs, we seem to be behind other teams - rumours are:

* Hastings to Penrith

* Simona to Cronulla

* Johnston to Sydney

I know we got Foran and Scott, but we really need some backs with pace.

And Tupou to the eels

 

[Joshuatheeel]

We picked up Robinson for a lot less then Sio I reckon, and he was doing a decent job on the wing.

Hayne leaving f**ked up the squad balance leaving us without a fullback.

 

[Pazza]

i thought Sio was developing into a very decent first grade quality winger. shame he isnt with us this year.

 

[yy_cheng]

Sio in 2013 was hesitant under the high ball but in 2014 he improved out of sight.

He was a great finisher and was always in position.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Hoppa's value will have his representative career built in which will inflate his value but based on his current form you wouldn't pick him as a rep player.

Be interesting to see how this unfolds.

So, you reckon other clubs will automatically pay him more because he has played SofO? Quite possible, but only if they think his history suggests that he is capable of reaching that performance level again. If so, that's not inflation, that's just paying a bit more for some potential, but risky, upside. The specific expectation that one of your players will be picked in SofO in the future reduces their value to the club (coz you lose them for some games).

 

[byrner]

Sio would be a much better option than Folau.

We are the worst fans for our developing players.
People used to bag Sio out hard, given time to develop he became a better player. Give Folau time to develop and he will be awsome.

we need to stop death riding our players when ever they don't play great.

 

[Parra47]

We are the worst fans for our developing players.
People used to bag Sio out hard, given time to develop he became a better player. Give Folau time to develop and he will be awsome.

we need to stop death riding our players when ever they don't play great.

I totally agree. However the people making the decisions on player retention, outside signings and team selection need to improve dramatically. We've only had a handful of good years since 1986. Not won a grand final in close to 30 years and are consistently one of the poorer preforming sides year after year. Passionate fans get tired of the constant failure.

 

[Incorrect]

Being brutally honest, the signing of Beau Scott for 2016 and beyond fills me with no optimism or confidence. If we didn't already have Watmough here and taking up a fair chunk of cap, then I'd be feeling a lot better about it, but having both of them, and both likely to demand a starting spot purely because of how much they're getting paid, is a massive risk IMO.

In all honesty, if Ricky Stuart signed those 2 on the big dollars they are likely on, I reckon there'd be quite a few of us around here saying he's clutching at straws, especially if the Raiders backrow stocks were healthy as we are/were led to believe Parra's are.

I dunno, maybe it'll prove a master stroke, but right now I have my doubts

 

[TheRam]

lol

such a lame attempt to try and weasel your way out

More like the lamest attempt to pin shit on someone when there's nothing there.

I have an opinion moron just like you do and if we sign Foran as we now have, my preferred pairing is Foran with Sandow. Others may prefer Foran with Norman. That's obviously fine too, they are all just our collective opinions on a public forum.

So like I have told you before get out of mums basement and get some sun and air. It will work wonders, I swear.

Head up. You just might come to realise that footy ain't all there is in life. Just saying.

 

[parra-matters]

I think if we knew earlier that Hayne was leaving we would have kept Sio.
This year was always going to be tough with Hayne leaving with little notice, he is unreplaceable. We hope to hope of signing a top fullback when we loss ours in September.
Would have been nice to know early last year that he was leaving.

 

[Craig Johnston]

i thought even though sio struggled at times under the high ball, he never once flinched. that's something you can't say for robinson atm

 

[Avenger]

If Hayne Told us earlier we could have gone for Tedesco or RTS.

 

[Eelementary]

We are the worst fans for our developing players.
People used to bag Sio out hard, given time to develop he became a better player. Give Folau time to develop and he will be awsome.

we need to stop death riding our players when ever they don't play great.

John Folau is an average player. All he has is size.

You want to criticise people for telling it how it is, but people have been [rightfully] bagging out Hopoate's lack of speed, and he makes Folau look like Usain Bolt on peptides.

But because Folau is young, criticism can't be made about him? Give me a break. The kid is big. Big deal.

I've watched him play for years, and all he's ever offered is the fact he's huge.

 

[Eelementary]

We are the worst fans for our developing players.
People used to bag Sio out hard, given time to develop he became a better player. Give Folau time to develop and he will be awsome.

we need to stop death riding our players when ever they don't play great.

Also - since when do fans develop players? I must have missed the memo, because Folau would have been the very last cab off the rank for me.

 

[TheRam]

How much do you reckon he's on? And how much do you reckon he's worth? How much is Simona worth?

Legitimate questions. Of course none of us know what he's on but you obviously have an opinion (as do I).

His current value imo is $200k, $250k max. The guy is just average, but has decent hands. Defense average, speed average, line break ability average, footwork average, the guy is freakin A-V-E-R-A-G-E!!!

Id be offering Simona, Roberts, Johnston and Mann deals before Hoppa.

Oaf!

I think the thing that has impacted Hoppa's form the most isn't the 2 years he had out of the game but rather the first 8 or so games back last year.

In less then 10 games back from being away from physical contact and physical training, Laurie Daley selected him for NSW Origin. This was a mistake as we could all see Hoppa hadn't regained the muscle and strength he had before he went on his mission and I know for a fact that the club told the NSWRL that he wasn't ready and wasn't strong enough for Origin.

History shows that in his first Origin game he got injured, quite seriously and missed I think it was about 4 games. When he came back he wasn't the same player and in my opinion was tentative going into tackles and in defence. He definitely favoured the shoulder that had been injured.

I think this lack of confidence has carried over to this year as well.

Thanks Laurie - you should have listened to the club that was carefully managing the guys return from 2 years out.

Mate, sure confidence is everything...but you need to have the physical talent to start with and like I said the guy is freakin A-V-E-R-A-G-E!!!

Besides I don't think he looks like a player that is playing with personal confidence issues more then anyone else in our team. In fact I actually think he is doing his best and really trying hard out there.

But his best is freakin A-V-E-R-A-G-E!!!

Now would he do better and look better in a better backline, sure but he would still be the A-V-E-R-A-G-E player in a better backline because he is freakin A-V-E-R-A-G-E!!!

 

[Eelementary]

Being brutally honest, the signing of Beau Scott for 2016 and beyond fills me with no optimism or confidence. If we didn't already have Watmough here and taking up a fair chunk of cap, then I'd be feeling a lot better about it, but having both of them, and both likely to demand a starting spot purely because of how much they're getting paid, is a massive risk IMO.

In all honesty, if Ricky Stuart signed those 2 on the big dollars they are likely on, I reckon there'd be quite a few of us around here saying he's clutching at straws, especially if the Raiders backrow stocks were healthy as we are/were led to believe Parra's are.

I dunno, maybe it'll prove a master stroke, but right now I have my doubts

I agree.

The only signing that was any good was Foran imo.

Watmough is ok, but Scott...I think everyone we have on deck now in the pack are better players. I know we will lose Lussick, but why replace a tight forward with an edge forward (and one that can't run the ball with venom at that)?

I may well end up with egg on my face, but so far, our recruitment has been interesting.

 

[lafai]

What are all your thoughts on Foran and what he has done this season

 

[TheRam]

I think for the players we have bought and the money that they would be on, so far our recruitment has been geniused.

 

[TheRam]

What are all your thoughts on Foran and what he has done this season

F**k all. But in fairness, he has been injured for part of it.

 

[SDM]

Ram only likes to sign albino midgets who bash women and bite penises.