Jarrod 'Messi' Mullen

[Rod]

He had a couple of quiet games not long after the polling went private, I imagine he'll still be right up near the top though.

Perception is a funny thing and he never gets talked up by the media, so it would be pretty funny and would shock A LOT of people if he took it out.

 

[Jono078]

I think Cronk will win it with Mullen running 2nd.

 

[Noname36]

I think Cronk will win it with Mullen running 2nd.

I think Cronk will win it too. The difference will come down to this weekend IMO. Although I think we'll put in a good performance I can't see us beating them so Cronk will probably get a lot of points. He's been on fire.

 

[perverse]

I don't think this has been posted anywhere (surprisingly)... pay the man whatever he wants as far as I'm concerned. Will be one of our greats by the time he retires.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/ja...-knight-for-life/story-fndv33vy-1226719178883

Jarrod Mullen has received an offer to be a Newcastle Knight for life


NEWCASTLE'S most influential player Jarrod Mullen is poised to be offered a lifetime contract by the Knights following a breakthrough season that has established him as one of the game's premier playmakers. On the eve of the club’s do or die clash with Canterbury at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, Newcastle CEO Matt Gidley revealed he is planning to sit down with the Knights skipper and his manager Steve Gillis at the end of the finals series to negotiate a long-term contract that could tie him to the club for the next five years.
Already contracted for 2014, Mullen is certain to attract interest from rival clubs beyond that but the Knights don’t want him going anywhere.
"I'd love to see him play out his career here and I don’t think Jarrod wants to go anywhere," Gidley said.
"We haven’t spoken about it yet. I had a chat to his manager three or four months ago and we just left things as they are.
"He's here next season but we want to do a long term deal beyond that and we’ll sit down as soon as the season is over and hopefully get something sorted out.
"Right now though, I just want to let Jarrod focus on the finals because he is so important to us."
A prodigious talent who debuted for the Knights as an 18 year old in 2005 and played for NSW just two seasons later, Mullen was forced to wear the grossly unfair tag of "the next Andrew Johns" during the early part of his career.
He’s been through some tough periods as a result but he has managed to conquer the mental demons that came with the expectation and now, under the coaching of Wayne Bennett, has developed his game to the point where he is the key figure in the Knights line-up and pivotal to the result on Sunday.
"There is an enormous amount of respect for Jarrod within the club," Gidley said.
"I have no doubt it’s been his best year and he’s right up there now with the best playmakers in our game.
"Wayne has a great deal of confidence in him and giving him the captaincy with Kurt (Gidley) out has only added to his game.
"I'm sure having the experience of players like Bedsy (Danny Buderus), Willie (Mason) and Jeremy Smith around him has been important as well but I can’t speak highly enough of what Jarrod is doing both on and off the field for this club."
Knights fans will be hoping his lethal left foot kicking game is on song against the Bulldogs. Mullen averages more than 500 metres per game and many of his 22 try assists this season have come via the boot of the five-eighth.
While they are two different type players, Mullen’s head-to-head battle with Bulldogs pivot Josh Reynolds could be hugely influential in the outcome.

 

[perverse]

I wonder what his value would be on the open market? It'd have to be pretty damn high and rising. I daresay we're prepared for this and will have the cap space to work with... and with the cap going up incrementally, it should be even easier to keep him. Still, I wouldn't blame him for testing his value on the market a bit. I don't think he'll leave in any case, but he deserves to get his worth, or at least close enough with maybe a little bit of mates rates if possible.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

The question would be - How much would he command? I'd be happy for him to receive around 600k per season. But having said that, if Marshall was offered 800K, then Mullen must be worth 2 million!

 

[Rod]

If Smith and JT are currently worth about $1m then you'd think Mullen could command $600-$700k. Maybe even a bit more.

Pretty much pay him whatever. I can't imagine he'd be the type of bloke to hold us to ransom. Chances are he won't go anywhere anyway.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

I'm not a fan of 5 year contracts. A lot can change in 5 years.

 

[perverse]

While that's true, it can also help us have a lower price per year potentially on the contract, and also help us compete with any really large offers that may come in, too. Anyone wanting to compete with our offer will have to pony up a monstrous amount of dough, or commit themselves to a 5 year contract, too.

I think it's a risk well worth taking. I'm not a massive fan of the 5 years, either... but I think a lot of the risks with it - i.e player dropping in form or losing interest - won't really apply here. It's not like he's playing for a new contract now, and the guy has always said he wants to be here for life. Other factors motivate Jarrod Mullen besides money, and that's rare and precious in a footballer these days. Injury could screw us over, but you could say that about any length contract at any time, really... and Mullen has proven himself remarkably resilient, willing to play with injury time and time again... and heals faster than any human reasonably should, too.

 

[Apey]

Do it. Needs to be at our club for life. One of those players I couldn't handle playing for another team.

 

[Frederick]

He won't go anywhere. Jarrod is Newcastle through and through, and I have no doubt he would ignore higher offers from other clubs.

 

[voltron]

how old is he now?

 

[perverse]

how old is he now?

26

 

[Johns Magic]

Mullen is one of the few guys I would give a 5 year deal to. His best years should be ahead of him and he is a Novocastrian. He will be one of the club's favourite sons by the time he retires.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Should be a clause that he tells all about his super healing abilities.

 

[RHCP]

I love Mullen and think he'll be held in extremely high esteem here in Newcastle at his careers end, but I'm wary of any kind of five year deal.

 

[Silent Knight]

Do it. Needs to be at our club for life. One of those players I couldn't handle playing for another team.

I concur with this. Mullen playing against us would be like Ben Kennedy at Manly times a thousand. It would rip my heart out.

I'm not a fan of 5 year contracts in general as I'm convinced they can lead to complacency in a player. But Mullen is probably the only Knight who deserves one atm and besides he's never been a player to shirk hard work. In time, perhaps BJ and Dane deserve 5 year contracts, but not yet.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Surely Mullen will make the World Cup squad especially with carney looking busted up and Reynolds out of form. But the selectors will probably go with Maloney as the back up for JT. Which is bullshit. Every facet of Mullens game is better than Maloney. Running, pace, kicking, passing, leadership, defence, strength.

 

[voltron]

at 26 i would try a 5 year deal

 

[Knight Vision]

Surely Mullen will make the World Cup squad especially with carney looking busted up and Reynolds out of form. But the selectors will probably go with Maloney as the back up for JT. Which is bullshit. Every facet of Mullens game is better than Maloney. Running, pace, kicking, passing, leadership, defence, strength.

Agreed but for some reason they always overlook Mullen. He is a far better player than he gets credit for. Even in past years when we have has a shit pack of forwards he still managed to do well