General Discussion Thread

[franklin2323]

Franklin you are looking at the salary cap through rose coloured glasses mate. It isn't that simple.

I would have loved to have kept a host of players we have released, including Peachy and CHN but it just isn't possible because sometimes you have to make tough decisions.

You would have been blowing up big time if we had not been able to keep Kikau.

You didn't answer the question. Who did we need to sign for 2019? Not talking about not re-signing them it is letting them go early.

Give Leota, May, Hetherington etc 12 more months to further develop.

If a centre goes down who comes in?

What about if Yeo or Kikau go down?

That is where these things hurt to let guys go early.

 

[age.s]

Dunno about Napa. Huge potential but something's not right with a guy who continues to tackle head first.

 

[MrBlack]

Doesn't Gus and Politis have an agreement not to sign each other's players? Yes stuff like that is good that will strengthen the side

I think the agreement is more to do with poaching each others players.

Nappa is being shopped around so they can sign Tapau.

 

[Kilkenny]

You didn't answer the question. Who did we need to sign for 2019? Not talking about not re-signing them it is letting them go early.

Give Leota, May, Hetherington etc 12 more months to further develop.

If a centre goes down who comes in?

What about if Yeo or Kikau go down?

That is where these things hurt to let guys go early.

In the first instance we don't have any money to make a marquee signing.

To free up funds that would mean releasing someone from there contract early which is something you seem to be dead set against.

Leota, May & Hethrington are all capable NRL players who will only get better.

See my post in another thread we have an over supply of back rowers even allowing for CHN leaving.

As for our lack of depth in the centres it has been an issue of mine for a long time but there is light at the end of the tunnel if we resign Blake and the emergence of Crichton who is clearly going to be NRL quality.

Given the players we have released from there contracts I don't have an issue whatsover and I can see valid reasons for the decisions that were made.

 

[jane the pain]

You didn't answer the question. Who did we need to sign for 2019? Not talking about not re-signing them it is letting them go early.

Give Leota, May, Hetherington etc 12 more months to further develop.

If a centre goes down who comes in?

What about if Yeo or Kikau go down?

That is where these things hurt to let guys go early.

I will answer that for you, the ISP players. We are in a great position, franklin, despite your doom and gloom.

 

[ashton]

Getting rid of Anthony Griffin is a major plus for our squad.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Leota, May & Hethrington are all capable NRL players who will only get better.
.

There is absolutely no guarantee of that at all.

 

[unKwn]

 

[franklin2323]

In the first instance we don't have any money to make a marquee signing.

To free up funds that would mean releasing someone from there contract early which is something you seem to be dead set against.

Leota, May & Hethrington are all capable NRL players who will only get better.

See my post in another thread we have an over supply of back rowers even allowing for CHN leaving.

As for our lack of depth in the centres it has been an issue of mine for a long time but there is light at the end of the tunnel if we resign Blake and the emergence of Crichton who is clearly going to be NRL quality.

Given the players we have released from there contracts I don't have an issue whatsover and I can see valid reasons for the decisions that were made.

Who says anything about a marquee signing? The squad from this year just needed a few older heads for depth wise. Say Greg Eastwood type.

Can Blore even drink legally yet? The others look promising but are unproven and can take longer to come on. Compare it to the Roosters who will add Taupau and Crichton to the squad
They may get better but the 12 months is much better to judge that.

Emergence again of someone barely in school. Sign them as an emerging player not FT and get them over 2 years or so

 

[Kilkenny]

There is absolutely no guarantee of that at all.

No there is no absolute guarantee but you know as well as I do they are good kids, still in the early stages of there careers and will be better players in a season or two. Maybe not with us, maybe they may not achieve 100/150/200 NRL games but they will improve. Personally, I'm not quite sure where May fit's into our top 17 so he may have to move elsewhere if he want's to lock down a top 17 spot.

 

[jane the pain]

Who says anything about a marquee signing? The squad from this year just needed a few older heads for depth wise. Say Greg Eastwood type.

Can Blore even drink legally yet? The others look promising but are unproven and can take longer to come on. Compare it to the Roosters who will add Taupau and Crichton to the squad
They may get better but the 12 months is much better to judge that.

Emergence again of someone barely in school. Sign them as an emerging player not FT and get them over 2 years or so

These seasoned heads that you want to recruit have started of as rookies. Trust Gus for Christs sake.

 

[Kilkenny]

Who says anything about a marquee signing? The squad from this year just needed a few older heads for depth wise. Say Greg Eastwood type.

Can Blore even drink legally yet? The others look promising but are unproven and can take longer to come on. Compare it to the Roosters who will add Taupau and Crichton to the squad
They may get better but the 12 months is much better to judge that.

Emergence again of someone barely in school. Sign them as an emerging player not FT and get them over 2 years or so

The Roosters rightly or wrongly will always have the ability to massage there cap and bring in who ever they want. We aren't going to be able to enjoy such a luxury.

I can understand your frustration, we all feel the same way given we all want premiership success but it is just not as easy as some want to make out.

We are in the same position now as we were a season or two ago. Just a couple of superstars short of being a premiership winning side but we aren't going to get the players we need by recruiting established stars we need to unearth them from within.

 

[franklin2323]

The Roosters rightly or wrongly will always have the ability to massage there cap and bring in who ever they want. We aren't going to be able to enjoy such a luxury.

I can understand your frustration, we all feel the same way given we all want premiership success but it is just not as easy as some want to make out.

We are in the same position now as we were a season or two ago. Just a couple of superstars short of being a premiership winning side but we aren't going to get the players we need by recruiting established stars we need to unearth them from within.

This is the issue. The moment Blore or Crichton play a few FG games. They will be extended and we lose 3 or 4 etc. It is the same every season.

 

[franklin2323]

These seasoned heads that you want to recruit have started of as rookies. Trust Gus for Christs sake.

Why Gus has lost it. That I have no doubt

 

[jane the pain]

Why Gus has lost it. That I have no doubt

Really? He saved our club, and you are saying he lost? Cheers for the laugh.

 

[franklin2323]

Really? He saved our club, and you are saying he lost? Cheers for the laugh.

That was 7 years ago. The 3 or so haven't been so kind to him

 

[Kilkenny]

This is the issue. The moment Blore or Crichton play a few FG games. They will be extended and we lose 3 or 4 etc. It is the same every season.

That's the reality.

The salary cap is not a bottomless pit.

Notwithstanding there are a few players yet to be resigned I think we have done reasonably well to retain the nucleus of the best players we want going into 2019.

Waqa Blake is probably the priority right now, more so than any other player given we have more depth in the forwards than we do in the outside backs.

 

[franklin2323]

For an example our backline experience wise:

Edwards 25 games
Mansour 117
Blake 78
Whare 130
DWZ 96

Backup:

MWZ 26
Phillips 15
Aekins 1
Keighran 0

Is there a more inexperienced in the comp? Certainly not one GF team has had less.

But hey it's cool to let 150 games go early to sign guys for in 2 years time

 

[franklin2323]

That's the reality.

The salary cap is not a bottomless pit.

Notwithstanding there are a few players yet to be resigned I think we have done reasonably well to retain the nucleus of the best players we want going into 2019.

Waqa Blake is probably the priority right now, more so than any other player given we have more depth in the forwards than we do in the outside backs.

We have plenty of backrow prospects granted but they are still a while off being FG. The dumb errors, the inability to put together solid months of footy still won't be there.

 

[Kilkenny]

We have plenty of backrow prospects granted but they are still a while off being FG. The dumb errors, the inability to put together solid months of footy still won't be there.

I grant you the fact we are a dumb footy side, concede to many soft penalties, too many soft tries but we aren't that far away. We just need to sort the issues in our game that hurt us the most.

I think Liam Martin, Corey Waddell, Nick Lui Toso and others have all done there apprenticeships and once they get there opportunity they will take it with both hands. No need to worry on that front.