2019 Top 30

[umina panther]

Yeh I don’t think our caps in bad shape, as I’ve said before we’ve just made a conscious effort to go all in on our juniors (rather than a mix of journeymen, juniors & a marquee player), our cap/squad reflects that. It’s a different way of managing the cap, it’s got us to a competitive level, it may still take us further. Time will tell.

I'd agree if I still had any faith left in Gus. His last 2-3 years have been awfully incompetent, bad mistake after bad mistake

 

[TheFrog]

I'd agree if I still had any faith left in Gus. His last 2-3 years have been awfully incompetent, bad mistake after bad mistake

Sacking Hook 4 weeks out from the finals was a shocker, I must agree.

 

[umina panther]

Sacking Hook 4 weeks out from the finals was a shocker, I must agree.

Yeah but nothing compared to giving Giffdawg a job in the first place

 

[martielang]

Yeah but nothing compared to giving Giffdawg a job in the first place

King Griffdawg.

Show some respect.

 

[OldPanther]

King Griffdawg.

Show some respect.

Funny thing I went back through my facebook and I was a huge defender of his in 2016.

 

[martielang]

Funny thing I went back through my facebook and I was a huge defender of his in 2016.

You & Gus both.

 

[franklin2323]

No, its management. Utilising every dollar of the cap by keeping buffers, prepaying in 1 season for the next season, not committing yourself to a deal if it depends on a player moving until that player is moved, upgrading 2018 or 2019 contracts to lessen the impact in 2020 or 2021.

Merrin staying means there is no room to go for another player should they come on the market. It means you structure Luai's re-signing differently. It may mean losing JFH or extending another player to reduce their 2019 & 2020 amounts to create room, or just eat into any existing buffer.

Peachey & CHN would have been able to see out their deals, but better money and a starting spot was on the table for each of them now at other clubs. We couldn't promise them either of these things.

Flexibility, including moving players if required, in cap management should be seen as a positive, not a negative.

We still have between $1.5m and $2m in Maloney, Tamou and Merrin still to come off the books.

 

[umina panther]

We still have between $1.5m and $2m in Maloney, Tamou and Merrin still to come off the books.

Maybe more

 

[franklin2323]

Maybe more

Yep. Everyone says we front end deals with all this money yet when those 3 go. We will just bring up young guys

 

[umina panther]

Yep. Everyone says we front end deals with all this money yet when those 3 go. We will just bring up young guys

Did Maloney find another 3rd party deal after he opened his mouth like a moron?

 

[mxlegend99]

We still have between $1.5m and $2m in Maloney, Tamou and Merrin still to come off the books.

That should be just enough to upgrade Blore and add a couple of minimum wage players who are actually on $200k and not likely to play.

 

[franklin2323]

Did Maloney find another 3rd party deal after he opened his mouth like a moron?

I thought that was why Latu went? Hopefully that cash went too Cleary

 

[franklin2323]

That should be just enough to upgrade Blore and add a couple of minimum wage players who are actually on $200k and not likely to play.

Ahh that is how it works

 

[Matthew Ellis]

We still have between $1.5m and $2m in Maloney, Tamou and Merrin still to come off the books.

Sadly it seems all but certain Mkendary is gonna get injured again. He'll probably retire after that. Sauce only has about 3 good years left in him.

 

[mxlegend99]

Sadly it seems all but certain Mkendary is gonna get injured again. He'll probably retire after that. Sauce only has about 3 good years left in him.

Well thats if he even plays.

He wasnt named in our top 30 and his name appears under unsigned/losses. Although he was definitely contracted for this season so the only way he is unsigned or a loss is if he retires or requests a release.

He's also still in our players list on the website which has been updated to include the likes of MWZ, Grant and Fuimaomo.

 

[Pomoz]

I'd agree if I still had any faith left in Gus. His last 2-3 years have been awfully incompetent, bad mistake after bad mistake

You mean the 3 years we have made the semi's every year, boosted memberships and won trophies in the lower grades? Yeah, awful, just awful.

 

[umina panther]

You mean the 3 years we have made the semi's every year, boosted memberships and won trophies in the lower grades? Yeah, awful, just awful.

Sure do. His first few years were fantastic but he can't live off that anymore

 

[franklin2323]

You mean the 3 years we have made the semi's every year, boosted memberships and won trophies in the lower grades? Yeah, awful, just awful.

Such achievements weren't fine to save Hook but is fine for Gus?

 

[Pomoz]

Such achievements weren't fine to save Hook but is fine for Gus?

Hook was successful in my view, but his achievements wasn't why he was sacked. Hook was sacked for the board's belief that the semis is as good as it gets and we can go no higher under his coaching. The board wanted more.

Gus isn't the coach. He is measured on more than just coaching first grade. Hence my comment about memberships and success in other grades, he also oversaw completion of the academy. The board obviously believe that as the GM, Gus can still improve the club. Probably because he has done exactly that at another club, as well as being successful as a coach at 3 different clubs. If they didn't think he could take them to the next level, I'm sure he would have been sacked by now.

Gus isn't perfect and makes mistakes, but without him we would just be the same mediocre to below average club we were, winning a premiership once every twenty years followed by wooden spoons and anonymity.

 

[umina panther]

Hook was successful in my view, but his achievements wasn't why he was sacked. Hook was sacked for the board's belief that the semis is as good as it gets and we can go no higher under his coaching. The board wanted more.

Gus isn't the coach. He is measured on more than just coaching first grade. Hence my comment about memberships and success in other grades, he also oversaw completion of the academy. The board obviously believe that as the GM, Gus can still improve the club. Probably because he has done exactly that at another club, as well as being successful as a coach at 3 different clubs. If they didn't think he could take them to the next level, I'm sure he would have been sacked by now.

Gus isn't perfect and makes mistakes, but without him we would just be the same mediocre to below average club we were, winning a premiership once every twenty years followed by wooden spoons and anonymity.

Gus has done some fantastic things here and we are miles ahead of where we were but he's made more than a few mistakes lately that should have ended in instant dismissal.