Bird in Newcastle for lunch with Browny

[Tommy Smith]

From an outsiders perspective you guys should be happy.

1m per year for a centre who thinks he's more despite the fact that he can't ball play for shit.

Talk about dodged a bullet.

Ponga will be twice the player at 2/3 the value.

 

[perverse]

So it's announced that the cap won't be as high as clubs thought next year, and that means the richest club has a million bucks to spend on the open market. Makes sense. Not sure why we bother anymore.

 

[mozza91]

Might as well let Ponga stay up there. No point having him at the back with a bunch of geniuss in front of him. f**k Bennett and f**k the NRL you're not getting anymore money out of me.

 

[Spot On]

SMH reporting it's 4 years 4 million. Pretty easy decision in that case.

I hope it is as much. Otherwise .....

 

[Spot On]

If this doesn't spark a bit of a direction change from Mooney and Brown then I'll be very disappointed.

As I have already suggested, big offers for Ese'ese and Pangai Jr must now be made, regardless of the outcome.

If we jag them, then fantastic. If we miss, at least their price should be driven up and if the Broncs want them, they have to pay more than they desired.

 

[PhilGould]

If this doesn't spark a bit of a direction change from Mooney and Brown then I'll be very disappointed.

As I have already suggested, big offers for Ese'ese and Pangai Jr must now be made, regardless of the outcome.

If we jag them, then fantastic. If we miss, at least their price should be driven up and if the Broncs want them, they have to pay more than they desired.

Neither of them are off-contract

 

[Spot On]

They will be though. Both off next season.

Regardless, we need a shift towards those type of players. It looks as though we are little hope of getting the top echelon of player, not at the very end of their career, to take squillions to play here.

Any other suggestions???

 

[Knight76]

Sigh, and the hits just keep on comin!

Seriously, good on the Broncs and Bird. f**k the NRL for allowing this shit to continue with no interest in reigning in TPA distortion of the cap.

f**k the NRL big big!

 

[slotmachine]

So we're writing off 2018 too?

 

[Eion]

With the likes of the Broncos around with their thoroughbred TPAs, clubs that are struggling can't even pay overs to get players. It just gets matched or close enough to not matter.

We don't even know what TPAs are involved, so don't even have the starting point of transparency. Absolute rort.

Look forward to the defeating silence from Greenberg.

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

I hoped it would be you guys that snared him if he didn't stay and would wish him well, but I detest the bronc's and will detest him like the rest from next year.

I feel the same mate. I would of understood and wished him well if he choose to stay at the Sharks. But to go to the Broncos is the worst

 

[Spot On]

So we're writing off 2018 too?

Well what can you say Slots? Brown's done the right thing with the direction of the club. I'm not going to outline it, we all know what he's done and why. It was a no brainer. We have a fair amount of cash to spend on quality players but we can't jag any as yet.

He has to get 2 decent props in to start next season. It's a must. Where they come from I have no idea. If he doesn't, then it's probable we write 2018 off wouldn't you think?

Or are we somehow going to have a few players come through our system?? History would tell us that's next to no effing chance.

 

[slotmachine]

I would, but I don't care what PR spin he wants to put on it, you can't win three spoons in a row and keep your job.

 

[Hawkins]

mmmmmmmm, this lunch tastes like a scam.

 

[perverse]

I would, but I don't care what PR spin he wants to put on it, you can't win three spoons in a row and keep your job.

I agree. I'm mostly a Brown fan, but if we win the 2018 spoon he probably needs to go.

However - I wouldn't necessarily shit him off without a better replacement in mind, either. Garth Brennan might be worth a punt, and he could bring some unwanted Panthers with him. Maybe even a wanted one or two.

 

[Zoidberg]

Lol what an overreaction.

Oh no, we've missed out on a million dollar centre with a massive ego who wants to play a position he isn't good at.

Oh no we have 1 million+ lying around to spend on other players for next year, what are we going to do!?

Lol@Wayne, spending almost 2 million on his halves pairing and this is what he comes up with.

Move on.

I think the complaint the majority seem to have is not that he didn't sign with us, it's that he signed with the seemingly unlimited cap/3rd party deals Broncos. Also somewhere where he will be lucky to get the on field position he said he really wanted.

 

[Spot On]

I think the complaint the majority seem to have is not that he didn't sign with us, it's that he signed with the seemingly unlimited cap/3rd party deals Broncos. Also somewhere where he will be lucky to get the on field position he said he really wanted.

Bingo. Exactly what most of us are referring to.

 

[Spot On]

I would, but I don't care what PR spin he wants to put on it, you can't win three spoons in a row and keep your job.

So get another coach in with a heap of cap space to spend on.....????????

Not sure if Brown is the problem here gents.

Is he?

 

[Knight76]

Brown isn't the issue. The NRL is.

I'm not writing off 2018 yet. We need 2 good props to be competitive I feel. Same as Spot On above.

Not getting Bird is a shame, but with Lamb we have a good 5/8 already, he would look a lot better if we had a half worth a shit.We have Ponga coming who will cover fullback, Levi and Kosty make a good hooker pairing. Our weakest link in the spine is our half.

Get a decent half in here, with those two good props and we improve out of sight.

If we don't bring in a decent half next year put Pythian or cogger in there and get rid of Hodkinson.

 

[mozza91]

So get another coach in with a heap of cap space to spend on.....????????

Not sure if Brown is the problem here gents.

Is he?

He's not the problem he inherited this mess. But he doesn't deserve praise either. We were a total basketcase when he took over, we are still a basketcase and will remain a basketcase for the forseeable future.
We're royally f**ked at the moment and there's seemingly no way out of it. The NRL probably should relocate us we're dying a slow and painful death in our current situation.