Gutts may yet stay

[Iafeta]

League: Clubs free to tamper with anyone they like
Saturday July 1, 2006
By Peter Jessup

The Warriors have 20 players signed for 2007 and beyond as the anti-tampering deadline came off at midnight last night.
Chief executive Wayne Scurrah joked that the two-hour time difference meant they could get offers into players across the Tasman two hours earlier than Australian clubs and that they would be into the market at "a minute past 12."
It was a joke because that would still breach the outgoing regulations, but it shows how keen the club is to fill a couple of key spots in its roster, including fullback. Six spots are open.
Unsigned are Awen Guttenbeil, Epalahame Lauaki, George Gatis, George Tuakura and Cooper Vuna. Scurrah said talks would be held with Guttenbeil and his agent next week. There was the likelihood that others of the existing squad would be signed and that "one or two" players at other clubs would be chased.
"And then we just might sit back and see what develops," Scurrah said.
"There are plenty of players on the market. We signed Micheal Luck, George Gatis and Grant Rovelli late last year and they have all turned out to be pretty good deals, they've delivered on the field.
"There are players in the Bartercard Cup we might want to look at."
Fullback was the key, he conceded, with the Roosters' Aidan Kirk signed for the future but a first-grade fullback needed for 2007 and no obvious candidate in the squad now.
The Eels' off-contract Wade McKinnon is strongly linked to the Warriors. The NRL's magazine Big League did a statistical breakdown of fullback performances two weeks ago, listing Leeds-bound Warrior Brent Webb at 12 and McKinnon at 13. Rooster Anthony Minichiello was number one.


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Sounds promising for all really.

So our off contract brigade is Cooper Vuna, Awen Guttenbeil, George Tuakara, George Gatis and Epalahame Lauaki.

Supposing the Warriors can retain three of the above five players who would you keep? For me it'd be Guttenbeil, Gatis and a toss up between Vuna and Lauaki. I say a toss up for Vuna because I hear he hasn't done too much in Bartercard this season. Can anyone confirm his form line?

 

[Dr Crane]

I'd keep Gatis, Guttenbiel and Vuna. Vuna hasn't proven to be poor at NRL level.

 

[ozbash]

ive seen cooper in a couple of the televised games and while he is a big powerful bloke he really doesnt seem to do a lot.
manu would have double the work rate.

i hope awen retires here, i thought he,d catch up with stace in france but i,m not so sure now.
geo tuakura is a bit ancient for entering first grade imo and george gatis is part of the plethora of hookers the warriors so he should go.
i liked what hame lauaki was doing before he was hurt, hang onto him.

i reckon they should be looking at a fullback (dave hekatoa ?) and a halfback/number 6 (hayden karena or boycie nelson ?)
we seem to be flush with good forwards and our centers are doing the bussiness.

 

[MKEB...]

I reakon keep Gatis, although I would like to see him playing Lock...keeps tackling and has direction at the ruck.

Keep Guttenbeil, let him retire at the club...10 year discount and has provided a lot of leadership this year..He has improved his body position going into tackles this year and isnt getting pushed back as much as previous years..His workrate this season is tremendous.

I would also keep Vuna, provided he ups workrate. I know that he really would come back and bite the club in the arse if we released him, whereas I cant see that happening with Lauaki.

George Tuakura I reakon should go to ESL, where he will see more gametime than he would for any NRL club due to his age.

 

[Martli]

As far as Guttenbeil goes, i'd sign him for atleast another year and then let him make the big bucks in the ESL.

While it'd be nice for him to retire at the Warriors, I think it'd be good for him to go and make some serious cash in the ESL and then come back here for an off-feild role with the club, but that's just my opinion. He'll be able to get a big contract overseas and I think he deserves it.

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

imo we should try keep guts for the rest of his career.

Tuakura should go, won't crack first grade with us, even if he does itll be off the bench for 15 min run for a game or 2.

Lauaki i would keep but only to a small contract. Prove himself before we sign him up.

Vuna...well he's been sitting in batercard for a while now, let him go. How many times have we said 'Give Vuna sometime and he'll be good' well, he's had enough time now and lets face it, even when we had Manu and Byrne both out he couldnt crack first grade. Let him go, hopefully to another NRL club and gives the Kiwis another option for a first-grade tested winger.

Gatis i'd keep, not a flashy player but gets the job done and would be cheap as chips.

 

[Skram]

I'd keep Gatis for sure, he's done nothing at all wrong and he provides injury/form cover for the hooking role.

If Gutts is to be kept I hope it's not at a long term deal, no more than 2 more years. He's been great this season and the back end of last but he is in his twilight and will likely only have another year or two max playing his best.

Tuakura is too old, with Tuimavave signed and Rapira & Russel Packer in tow the future cover in the forwards is god and Georgie is unneeded.

I agree that it's a cointoss between Lauaki and Vuna. Lauaki's form right before being injured was good but his overall NRL form was terrible. Vuna I haven't seen enough of but with Webby leaving perhaps it's best to hang on to him in case Webb's replacement doesn't work out as expected, leaving the option of Ah Van in fullback and Vuna or Taulapapa (if he is allowed back) into the vacant wing spot.
Either way if one of the two comes considerably cheaper than the other then they should sign up the cheaper option.

 

[NIGHTMARE-HITTER]

Guttenbeil, Lauaki and Vuna.

Gattis is good but there are a lot better

 

[Skram]

Guttenbeil, Lauaki and Vuna.

Gattis is good but there are a lot better

Clearly there are better hookers around but for Gattis price tag we could do a hell of a lot worse. He's a bargain buy and I would suspect his extension wouldn't be much more than his current price.

 

[NZ Warrior]

We need Gatis to cover for hooker. He is a very handy player. Hohaia seems to be waking up now, so unfortunately Gatis may not get any game time.

 

[MKEB...]

I thought Hohaia was nothing special today, he seemed all at sea

 

[Iafeta]

I thought Hohaia went well out of dummy half, but was the victim of two horsesh!t refereeing calls. One he was called for a strip which was just a good tackle which didn't even have time for a strip to eventuate it was just the contact, and one where he was clearly stripped from behind in a two man tackle but Cummins allowed play to roll.

Gatis is a must keep for me. He's just such an efficient clever player. He knows when to run, he has an outstanding kicking game in terms of it not being massively talented but he hits the ground in the corners very nicely, he chases the kicks hard, his defence is very good, and his passing is crisp. He may not do 100 metres in 8.43 seconds, but he's a smart smart player that we need to have if injury comes about.

When constructing a team unit under the salary cap restrictions, you need players who offer you efficient value. IE performances that offer more than their asking rate. Given Gatis has said this year he'd have earnt more staying at his fish and chip joint up north, I think its fair to say he, along with Luck and Rovelli have been outstanding value buys for us.

 

[playdaball]

Word is that Awen is close to signing with Castleford.

 

[douglasallen91]

Clearly there are better hookers around but for Gattis price tag we could do a hell of a lot worse. He's a bargain buy and I would suspect his extension wouldn't be much more than his current price.

gatis is only on match payments so he better get some more cash than that or he may go back home.

 

[Iafeta]

Word is that Awen is close to signing with Castleford.

Hope not

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Word is that Awen is close to signing with Castleford.

Where did u hear that. Castleford are in Div 2

 

[Skinner]

Where did u hear that. Castleford are in Div 2

You do Cas a grave injustive R&S - they are in Super League.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

I thought they were relegated last season

 

[Skinner]

No, Widnes went down.

 

[playdaball]

The club has resigned Hame (nz Herald)so it does not look good for Awen's signature.