Jamie Soward going to panthers

[possm]

I am not going to blame Price for the Soward move, its obviously Sheen's decision. Maybe he has plans for another number 6.

 

[jenninga]

Getting a little ahead of yourself there mate
Three wins on the trot does not a season make
Didn't realise Sowie was a fringe player
Must be the headgear

There has been talk about the club extending Price's tenure,where have you been.
And Soward was on the outer with the Roosters .

 

[bottle]

So the Australian coach is recruiting for Penrith now?

Hmmm, interesting.
Btw possm
Price 1
Pottor 0

 

[possm]

So the Australian coach is recruiting for Penrith now?

Hmmm, interesting.
Btw possm
Price 1
Pottor 0[/QU

The Dragons ae reported to be holding off on re-signing players until they sort out the coaching situation. I believe we should have a decision on the coach after the ANZAC Day Test.

Maybe both Price and Sheens have said that Soward is not in their plans for the future.

 

[CC_Saint]

FMD, this is going from bad to diabolical. The only stage below that is being a Souffs supporter.

 

[bottle]

The Dragons ae reported to be holding off on re-signing players until they sort out the coaching situation. I believe we should have a decision on the coach after the ANZAC Day Test.

Maybe both Price and Sheens have said that Soward is not in their plans for the future.

And yet we are reported to be on the verge of signing Thompson, Carney, were reportedly chasing Aubusson.
There are reports and there are reports. Pick which reports suit your 'maybe' scenarios I suppose is the way to go at the moment.
Point is, nobody knows.

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

still trying to understand the stategy around recruitment...
- we let Beau Scott leave (origin player) for 350k a season, and are trying to sign thompson (non rep player) for a rumoured 440k (approx) a season. Both play the same style of game back rower come centre if needed, Scott more defensive minded, Thompson more a ball runner... so we are downgrading for more money???

- now we let Soward go and are pushing hard for Carney?? once again another downgrade for more money...

i just dont get it...

The cap has gone up. Thompson is younger & IMO, a better player than Beau at the same age.

 

[God-King Dean]

And yet we are reported to be on the verge of signing Thompson, Carney, were reportedly chasing Aubusson.
There are reports and there are reports. Pick which reports suit your 'maybe' scenarios I suppose is the way to go at the moment.
Point is, nobody knows.

It baffles me how people can waste so much debating about stuff that hasn't happened.

 

[Dr Fruitbasket Returns]

The thing that concerns me about recruitment is that whatever "plan" we might have, regardless of the cap space we've got, depends on who's on the market. It just looks like a pretty shit year to me as indicated by the types of players we're being linked with (accepting all the caveats attached to "being linked" with anyone). Mateo, Thompson, Rangi Chase, Mitch Aubusson are all goodish first graders, but that's about it. They're not the sort of influx that's going to make an ordinary team much better. They're a bunch of Bronson Harrisons. The calibre of players that consistently failed to deliver a new dawn to Souffs in the oughts. The only player actually on the market that you could look at and say "playing at his best, he could make a mid-table roster like ours and push it towards the top 4" is Carney. So great, maybe we're in for him. But what if we don't get him. It's like gambling everything on Cronk and Bellamy and then when that long shot doesn't come off we've got no Plan B. And then what if we do get him and he gets pissed and sets his mate's arse on fire?

lol@saintz.

 

[Dr Fruitbasket Returns]

FMD, this is going from bad to diabolical. The only stage below that is being a Souffs supporter.

We might be getting there homes.

 

[bottle]

It baffles me how people can waste so much debating about stuff that hasn't happened.

It gets debated en masse.
En masse debaters galore on here. I'm for it myself.

The thing that concerns me about recruitment is that whatever "plan" we might have, regardless of the cap space we've got, depends on who's on the market.

In all seriousness, what is the alternative strategy?

 

[BennyV]

The thing that concerns me about recruitment is that whatever "plan" we might have, regardless of the cap space we've got, depends on who's on the market. It just looks like a pretty shit year to me as indicated by the types of players we're being linked with (accepting all the caveats attached to "being linked" with anyone). Mateo, Thompson, Rangi Chase, Mitch Aubusson are all goodish first graders, but that's about it. They're not the sort of influx that's going to make an ordinary team much better. They're a bunch of Bronson Harrisons. The calibre of players that consistently failed to deliver a new dawn to Souffs in the oughts. The only player actually on the market that you could look at and say "playing at his best, he could make a mid-table roster like ours and push it towards the top 4" is Carney. So great, maybe we're in for him. But what if we don't get him. It's like gambling everything on Cronk and Bellamy and then when that long shot doesn't come off we've got no Plan B. And then what if we do get him and he gets pissed and sets his mate's arse on fire?

lol@saintz.

What a ridiculous statement - Mateo, Thompson and (especially) Aubusson I agree are only NRL players, but Rangi Chase is the English halfback and former Man of Steel (english equivalent of the Dally M) - a lot of shallow close-minded NRL fans will claim that the ESL is far inferior to NRL but the gap is fairyly small, as shown by the sucesses of the Burgess Boys, Gareth Ellis, etc, as well as the fact that the English taem are now becoming quite competitive in international competition. Rangi Chase would be a brilliant signing and go a long way toward turning our team around. Dont be so negative for the sake of negative.

 

[Mr Red]

despite the fact that he appears to have little input into the process' line.
.

mate if you think Price as coach of the team has little or no input into player retention and recruitment you are kidding yourself.
if you are correct then the club has even bigger problems than recruitment.

 

[Willow]

It baffles me how people can waste so much debating about stuff that hasn't happened.

I'm sworn to secrecy.

 

[bottle]

mate if you think Price as coach of the team has little or no input into player retention and recruitment you are kidding yourself.
if you are correct then the club has even bigger problems than recruitment.

Red have you caught up with any of the Price interviews of late?

When speculation was high re Dugan he was asked on The Game Plan had he met with him. His answer was no. He responded by saying that the recruitment team was handling that process. He hadn't even met a key player that was reportedly a highly prized target!

He has maintained that line (it's in the hands of the recruitment team) in almost every instance since when I have heard him interviewed, including questions about Rangi Chase on BSB either yesterday or this morning (I can't recall which).

If rumours about pursuing another coach are true, it would make sense. Why would they bother to include Price in the process? I can only take the man at his word when he says he hasn't spoken with players or their agents himself.

Even if we aren't actively pursuing an alternative coach, but rather biding time to see how Price goes as the season progresses, it still has legs. Those making these decisions might be prepared to make them without involving him directly and allow him to simply focus on his job. Why I couldn't say, only they would understand the reasoning behind it.

You suggest that would imply bigger problems. I can't necessarily disagree with that, because, as I say, don't understand the full reasoning behind it. However it is part of the reason I won't fall into the trap of blaming everything on Price, and why I reject your contention that all of our recruitment issues lay at his feet. I seriously believe that he does not have full control over our procurement regime at the present time.

Perhaps it's as simple as they consider him too green to walk and chew gum at the same time just yet, and they want him to focus on getting the best out of what he has to work with at present whilst they take care of the bigger picture. From a management perspective it's an acceptable strategy. Let the new guy focus on his core task, and introduce a greater range of responsibilities at time progresses. You're free to disagree with the strategy, but it won't make much difference if that is the current situation.

 

[Mr Red]

just because Price has stated that negotiations are in the hands of the recruitment team does not mean:
a) he hasnt given his approval for the recruitment team to engage the player or players manager..
b) after initially sounding out the players interest based on Prices approval, the recruitment team then report back to Price who will then meet the player if the player is interested.

there is no sense in Price wasting time speaking to a player who isnt interested in joining the club in the first place.

as you said we dont know the clubs internal process, but i think you are jumping to conclusions based on Prices comments and then assuming he has zero input into retention or recruitment..
what coach would coach under those conditions?
and what player would sign with a club that didnt give them the opportunity to speak to the coach first about his plans for the club ??

 

[bottle]

Yeah, ok

 

[Dr Fruitbasket Returns]

Re-sign Soward unless there's a replacement locked in would be my starting point. This may have been done. I have no inside info but past experience makes me think it probably hasn't. Love to be wrong.

 

[bottle]

I suspect the four year deal had a big bearing on this.

I wouldn't have expected us to match that even if we had met the money on offer.

 

[God-King Dean]

Re-sign Soward unless there's a replacement locked in would be my starting point. This may have been done. I have no inside info but past experience makes me think it probably hasn't. Love to be wrong.

It does have a certain Moltzen smell about it lol.