I can't believe we've spent all our money

[macavity]

I dont think Smith will be looking to sign star players

but on the same hand I dont think he is foolish enough to (say) pay 250k for Wicks.

wouldn't be surprised if we had paid a bit over for Cross (but 400k is WAY over) but I don't think we have paid much over (if at all) for Wicks, Houston and the rest.

I think this is Doust and Brown offering excuses for their own incompetence and the fact that rats are fleeing the sinking HMAS Dragons....

 

[CJKnight]

At least Naiqama came cheap.

 

[borat]

I dont think Smith will be looking to sign star players

but on the same hand I dont think he is foolish enough to (say) pay 250k for Wicks.

wouldn't be surprised if we had paid a bit over for Cross (but 400k is WAY over) but I don't think we have paid much over (if at all) for Wicks, Houston and the rest.

I think this is Doust and Brown offering excuses for their own incompetence and the fact that rats are fleeing the sinking HMAS Dragons....

Then you would have money to spend but your management is saying you don't. As I said 250K didn't come from Doust, he only confrimed what we had already heard. The bulldogs were very keen for Wicks so it wouldn't surprise me if the Knights got into a bidding war for him. The Knights do have a history for paying overs.

IMO the money you offered for Houston is spot on.

 

[CJKnight]

Then you would have money to spend but your management is saying you don't. As I said 250K didn't come from Doust, he only confrimed what we had already heard. The bulldogs were very keen for Wicks so it wouldn't surprise me if the Knights got into a bidding war for him. The Knights do have a history for paying overs.

IMO the money you offered for Houston is spot on.

Yeah, like paying $200k for Reynoldson.

 

[macavity]

reyno is on 240k CJ... :sarcasm:

we still have money borat - but we are keeping their cards close to our chest - which is good to see for once. we are looking at re-signing Perry now, and have a few others on the radar. I actually have confidence in our coach and admin now....

the people that paid overs - hagan, sarge (though I love him), conway.... are all gone...

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Yeah, like paying $200k for Reynoldson.

You would cop less hostility from other members if you typed things that weren't made up. From memory reynoldson was offered something like 240k-270k. Give it some thought cj.

 

[TooheysNew]

Give it some thought cj.

Hahaha.

 

[keeney]

If we paid 250k a season for Wicks I will be massively unhappy, surely Smith isn't that bad that he paid overs for players that are pretty average so far?

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Pretty reliable source on Saints WORL forum. Poster is very good with his oil. Would not doubt this for a second.

I'd agree with Borat though. Spot on for Houston. Saints had to let him go as they had others to upgrade.

 

[roopy]

Smith has always recruited very well.

Smith spending 250k a season on a fringe firstgrader - either Smith is very confident he is a future rep player - or that is bullsh*t.

 

[macavity]

my money is on the latter.

butt-covering by dunderhead doust and sour grapes from dragons fans...

 

[borat]

my money is on the latter.

butt-covering by dunderhead doust and sour grapes from dragons fans...

Well if your right Macavity and the Knights are still sitting on 1/2 mill in cap space then I await the signing of Petro or Amos Roberts or some other big signing....................unless

It doesn't matter anyway wether you signed him for $1 or 250K he wasn't needed at the saints. We have been travelling very poorly as you know and Wicks has been part of that which is why he has been in and out of FG.

For your sake hope Smith can turn his form around.

 

[roopy]

I don't suppose Doust would say good players are going for fair money cause they want out of a club with a sh*t coach that is going no where fast.
He would probably have to say others are paying more than the players are worth.

 

[borat]

I don't suppose Doust would say good players are going for fair money cause they want out of a club with a sh*t coach that is going no where fast.
He would probably have to say others are paying more than the players are worth.

You don't have to beleive me but this poster on WORL is well connected with the club and their info is usually spot on. This was posted a few days prior to Doust's comments to SMH.

The only people who really know are Knights admin and the players themselves.

http://groups.msn.com/WorldofRugbyLeague/dragons.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=577512&LastModified=4675627791776953733

In regards to Wicks and Houston, I can say that Newcastle are offering pretty decent monies for these 2.

Wicks has signed for close to $250k a season, not bad for a guy who is in only his 2nd season of 1st grade. I dont think the club minds losing him, and they werent looking to sign him.
Houston on the other hand the club did want to keep, but we couldnt compete with the 500k over 3 seasons offered from the Knights, as above a decent offer for a guy with 7 games of 1st grade under his belt. To be honest he will be a solid 1st grader, I doubt he wll be much more, now that he is leaving Saints I hope this to be the case anyway.

 

[Jono078]

If Wicks is on 1/4 a mill... I'm confident he'll repay us, is an awsome young front rower, hasnt had the spark and enthusiasm this year, but 2006 he was awsome.

Here's hoping Smith can get the best out of him.

 

[macavity]

you mean 2006 right?

 

[macavity]

just a question - wouldnt it be very very poor form and a breach of confidentiality for the dragons to be splashing around what their players were offered at other clubs...?

to say "we couldn't compete" would be fair enough, but they are going into alot more detail than that...

 

[The Devil]

I believe we paid overs for Cross.

Why would he leave a successful club where he is guaranteed a FG spot which are one of the front runners for a premiership. Quotes from articles suggest that he was happy at Melbourne but was also looking for a big last contract. Given he was also chased by the Roosters and the Bulldogs, he would be on at least 1mil over 3 years.

And 250k is simply ludicrous. If we did in fact pay that much for Wicks, he better become something special.

 

[borat]

just a question - wouldnt it be very very poor form and a breach of confidentiality for the dragons to be splashing around what their players were offered at other clubs...?

to say "we couldn't compete" would be fair enough, but they are going into alot more detail than that...

All Doust said was to match the money the Knights offered he would have been in our top 5 wage earners.

Hardly a breach of confidentaility. The contract offers always comes out when we have a comp that works on a salary cap.

 

[macavity]

point taken - but I dont believe him.

I still believe either

a) Wicks (or his manager) is blowing smoke up Doust's ar$e;
b) Doust is blowing smoke up everyone's ars$; or
c) a combination of a) and b).

I simply refuse to believe anyone would pay 250k for a fat fringe first grader - even one that (with the right coaching and a positive environment) could be a star.