Ikin: Bennett’s axe is permanent

[The Showstopper]

I think we would be foolish not to do our absolute utmost to retain Aku. Whether that would mean paying him slightly overs then so be it. Some players are worth more than simply what they produce on the field. He's practically the face of the club.

It would cause massive uproar if we let him go. More than when Matty was sent packing in 2000. That said I am not for us paying players overs just because the hype surrounding them is out of proportion to what they actually contribute. Boyd had Aku for breakfast in origin one because he is a sucker for an overlap. His defence is IMO poor at best. He is arguably the most powerful ball runner the game has seen. We all love Aku as aplayer and bloke but we need to be strong enough to not be bullied into re-signing players as a popularity contest. If you put McManus defensive ability into Aku's game he may well have an argument for 500 K plus. What a winger that would be.

 

[Yosh]

I highly doubt Aku would force us into a situation like that. If he does Tinks can upgrade Aku's Fijian villiage into a state of the art apartment complex.

I personally think he'll be here for life.

 

[perverse]

I don't think Aku will leave, but I can imagine scenarios in which he does. He is definitely worth more to the club than his on-field stuff. He's also simply not at his best at the moment. Let us revise after a year outside Gagai... I do believe that Bennett has obtained Gagai with the thought of a long term, devastating partnership with Aku. Then again, a strike centre is a valuable asset regardless of who is outside him.

 

[Spot On]

Still, 500K for a winger if f*#king ludicrous.

Aku needs a very solid game on Wednesday night. A couple more tries down his side and the pressure to flick him for game 3 will be building.

 

[Yosh]

When are we gonna sign Leyrod-Lahrs?

 

[perverse]

Still, 500K for a winger if f*#king ludicrous.

Aku needs a very solid game on Wednesday night. A couple more tries down his side and the pressure to flick him for game 3 will be building.

500k for a winger is fine as long as some of it is exempt from the salary cap for whatever reason they'll find.

 

[Yosh]

I hope Wayne's axe rips the players in half.

 

[Matt23]

He'd better start sharpening then...

 

[Johns Magic]

I hope his axe is gargantuon.

Tui, Faas(who I think may be the exception but we simply aren't going to get value from him), Wes, Sau, Hilder, Edwards, Houston should all be on the chopping board.

 

[perverse]

i think Fa'as issue is far more related to off field stuff than on field for some reason.

i can't argue with any of those names though, JM. thing is, many weeks this year Houston has been the one Wayne has taken to press conferences. i'd be surprised if he backflips on him that quickly.

 

[Spot On]

500k for a winger is fine as long as some of it is exempt from the salary cap for whatever reason they'll find.

A lot of it needs to be third party. Too much for a winger. Bennett wouldn't have him eating up more than 300K of the cap.

 

[perverse]

A lot of it needs to be third party. Too much for a winger. Bennett wouldn't have him eating up more than 300K of the cap.

i agree with you that there would be a limit to what Bennett will allow him to take under the cap. i think there are a few considerations in our favour. Aku loves Newcastle, he's as red and blue as any player born here... so he'll probably take a little less to stay here, and under Wayne. secondly, as you touched on, is our ability for 3rd party sponsorship these days. I don't know what will happen, but I could see it going either way. I think we'll do our best to keep him, but we'll have our limits and it will be up to Aku.

i don't know if the limit is $300k under the cap. cap increases are imminent and you do pay good money for genuine size and speed in your outside backs. there are some qualities that training can't provide, and Aku has a few. it's easy to say 300k is the limit for a winger, but the 2 years prior to this year Aku was an absolute colossus in our team. he is down on form this year... but there's nothign to suggest he can't get back to his best if the team is functioning better inside him. he is also a marketing dream... so 300k under the cap may be a bit conservative for me. i think his value is higher than that. i don't pretend to know what Bennett's rules are with the salary cap. i've heard it said he won't pay more than 300k for a prop. i don't think that same value would apply for something as rare and unique as Aku, potentially. i think he's a bit more valuable than a prop.

 

[strewth_mate]

I really feel for Hilder, he was one player who we always considered quite an asset. Thought that he'd be a standout Bennett-style player but I feel the way he's been used this year has killed his chances to prove his worth. If he's been hooked for duffing a couple of key plays then he probably wouldn't look out of place in first grade right now, hurr hurr.

We know a lot of these guys can play much better than they have. If they're just struggling to adhere to a change in coaching style, I hope they end up somewhere more suitable for them.

It'd be a shame if our players and coaches can't compromise to make use of their talents within a greater philosophy. I'm sure it'll come; ultimately, I don't know better than the coach. Just hate seeing a bunch of unhappy chappies.

 

[aqua_duck]

Hilder was the glue that held a very unpredictable and somewhat adlib team together. In the current system he's just another body, an undersized one at that.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Hilder was a motivator who lead by consistent example. If he could get back to that form then, despite his size, he could be a big lift to the team.
Maybe Hilder's recent lack of form is an example of what is going wrong with the team.

 

[aqua_duck]

Hilder is finished, we need big forwards who can do something in attack

 

[Whats Doing]

Hilder is finished, we need big forwards who can do something in attack

Agree but Stagg doesn't fit that description

 

[Hanscholo]

I think we would be foolish not to do our absolute utmost to retain Aku. Whether that would mean paying him slightly overs then so be it. Some players are worth more than simply what they produce on the field. He's practically the face of the club.

He has been playing like shit. Not nterested in the past, neither would bennett.

 

[perverse]

Aku has been playing like shit? he's certainly not leaving teams in his wake at the moment... but like shit is a bit of a stretch. he barely gets the opportunity to play like shit out on our right wing. we'll have to see how he and Gagai develop in thsi deepartment. Aku hasn't been the same without Doogs.

 

[justagamemate]

I don't mind Stagg. But we also need a Ben Te'o/Frank Pritchard/Greg Bird hard running edge player with the ability to pop an upload.
Cuthbertson can offload but he isn't really hard running is he?