Mad Dog wants to play on

[bails]

Adam MacDougall won't be pensioned off

• Barry Toohey
• From: The Daily Telegraph
• August 02, 2010 12:00AM

ON THE eve of his showdown with Manly hitman Steve Matai tonight, Knights centre Adam MacDougall has declared he wants to play another season in the NRL. The 35-year-old has shelved any talk of retirement and will approach the club this week in a bid to extend his career into a 14th year.

But the Knights are no certainties to entertain the idea with coach Rick Stone saying yesterday any decision on MacDougall's future would be made with the best interests of the club in mind and not the individual player.

"I've already had some discussions with Doogs about it but I'll be happy to sit down with him again to finalise the situation," Stone said.

"If he is telling you he wants to play on then we'll look at it but we have to look at what we think is best for the club going forward.

"Until I talk to him, I'm not going to comment on what may or may not happen with that."

StartMacDougall will turn 36 next May but is convinced he can still match it with any centre in the competition.

"I'm proud to be the oldest player in the competition," he said. "To me, age is just a number. I've missed a fair bit of footy over my career because of injury but to a degree, that's working in my favour now.

"My body feels good and I think I still have a lot to contribute. I wouldn't be putting my hand up to keep playing if I didn't think that.

"I feel like I can still more than match it with anyone out there at the moment. The bigger the game and the better the opponent I'm up against, the better I play.

"I still love the challenge."

MacDougall, who is earning less than $150,000 this season, says the change in the salary cap rules for long-serving players should make it easier for the Knights to retain him.

"My manager [George Mimis] has told me he can structure a deal to put to the club that will have minimum impact on their salary cap because of the new rules," he said. "If that's the case, I'd be disappointed if I wasn't wanted again.

"I've talked to plenty of people, a lot of them players from here and at other clubs, who have told me I'd be mad to give it away if I'm still enjoying it and playing well.

"But in the end, I guess it all boils down to whether the club still wants me or not. At the end of the day, it's their decision to make."

Asked would he consider looking for an opportunity at another NRL club if the Knights don't come to the party, MacDougall said: "I haven't even considered that because to be honest with you, I really don't know why I wouldn't be wanted."

Back from an ankle injury which kept him out of last weekend's loss to North Queensland, MacDougall's individual battle with Matai tonight at EnergyAustralia Stadium will be one of the highlights of the game.

"He's a good player who can really put a good hit on," he said. "But their whole side is hitting its straps. Their form over the past couple of weeks has been pretty ominous.

"Our season's on the line and we are playing at home in front of our own fans but if we are off our game, they will belt us. They stretch you defensively, particularly on the edges where they are very good so it's going to be a case of getting numbers there to stop them."

Newcastle lost prop Dan Tolar at the club's final training session yesterday with a cork just above the knee which has not responded well enough to treatment.

"It's still been giving him some trouble so he is out and Antonio Kaufusi will come into the starting side for him but otherwise, we are ready to go."

 

[Joker's Wild]

On base wage + incentives I would not have an issue with the old fella going round another season.

The players love him and he brings tonnes of experience to our side. Hell, he has been our best centre for the last 3 years too

 

[macavity]

On base wage + incentives I would not have an issue with the old fella going round another season.

The players love him and he brings tonnes of experience to our side. Hell, he has been our best centre for the last 3 years too

this.

now we just need to bring Matt Gidley back.... :sarcasm:

 

[Johns Magic]

If what his manager has said is true about it costing us nothing above minimum wage then definitely do it.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Newcastle lost prop Dan Tolar at the club's final training session yesterday with a cork just above the knee which has not responded well enough to treatment.

"It's still been giving him some trouble so he is out and Antonio Kaufusi will come into the starting side for him but otherwise, we are ready to go."

There goes our go forward :lol:

 

[88.Knights]

it'd be good if we can get farrar and keep maddog minimum wage as well, even if he only puts in 10 good games.

 

[aqua_duck]

If its going to cost us next to nothing than I don't see a problem, the weeks he's injured will be a chance for us to give Likiliki and Mata'utia the experience they need

 

[Serc]

The way things are going...Pete is going to have to find a new position to play next year (regardless of form) if we sign Mad Dog, and even moreso if we sign Farrer!

Love the Mad Dog...if he's says he's ready to go around again (and on another very cheap deal by the sounds) then we should go for it!

 

[bails]

I didnt think mad dog was able to receive the long serving player allowance,but if so then im all for it.Hopefully we can land Farrer and Eastwood as well

 

[perverse]

would prefer to spend the long serving player allowance on gids and save the cap space for front loading. we are hanging onto the past. doogs has provided us zero value this year. it's time to move on, people... otherwise we're simply stuck in this same situation in another 12 months.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

would prefer to spend the long serving player allowance on gids and save the cap space for front loading. we are hanging onto the past. doogs has provided us zero value this year. it's time to move on, people... otherwise we're simply stuck in this same situation in another 12 months.

I totally disagree with this comment. He has offered us a lot in a poor team. Put Josh Morris in the centres and he wouldn't offer us a great deal more in 2010. Hookers, like halves, like centres find it very hard to create something when there is next to no go forward.

 

[perverse]

I totally disagree with this comment. HE has offered us a lot in a poor team. Put the Josh Morris in the centres and he'd offer us little in 2010. Hookers, like halves, like centres find it very hard to create something when there is next to no go forward.

he is completely worthless when he only plays ~10 games a year - in fact it may cost us more long term. it is just completely disruptive to the rest of the backline. instead of playing the same backline, the same centres and working up combinations and allowing these blokes to gel... you have this old fart with a massive ego coming in every 2 or 3 weeks and yeah sure, looking pretty threatening in his own right at times... but is it worth it in the long run, particularly when we:

a) are still shopping for more centres
b) have young Likiliki already on his way

honestly, Doogs net value to our team is below zero. i can't believe everyone is suckered into this "getting him for free" spin that his manager and the papers have been going on about with Simpson too. there is no such thing as free under the cap, and whatever we end up spending on these old farts we will not be able to spend on other prospects, it is that simple. i really don't care if he plays for free, it is time for him and simmo to move along and let some other blokes have a go, instead of getting in their way for stuff all games a year and ruining any chance or opportunity at building some team harmony that we might have without them.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

he is completely worthless when he only plays ~10 games a year - in fact it may cost us more long term. it is just completely disruptive to the rest of the backline. instead of playing the same backline, the same centres and working up combinations and allowing these blokes to gel... you have this old fart with a massive ego coming in every 2 or 3 weeks and yeah sure, looking pretty threatening in his own right at times... but is it worth it in the long run, particularly when we:

a) are still shopping for more centres
b) have young Likiliki already on his way

honestly, Doogs net value to our team is below zero. i can't believe everyone is suckered into this "getting him for free" spin that his manager and the papers have been going on about with Simpson too. there is no such thing as free under the cap, and whatever we end up spending on these old farts we will not be able to spend on other prospects, it is that simple. i really don't care if he plays for free, it is time for him and simmo to move along and let some other blokes have a go, instead of getting in their way for stuff all games a year and ruining any chance or opportunity at building some team harmony that we might have without them.

You say Macdougall Plays 10 games per year? Does anyone have the stats over the last 2 or 3 years? I have a feeling that it would be more than this.

What are these combinations you speak of? Do you mean Sau's hogging of the ball? Vuna's crabbing across field? OR Mcmanus's dummy half runs? The only combination that has been happening in our backline for a couple of years is Macdougall stepping and getting the centre and winger interested before putting his winger outside him into space. I'd much prefer to keep a combination that works, than get rid of it.

How old is likiliki? Will he and Sau perform in 2011 better than Doogs has over the last couple of years. I have my doubts. Who are these other centres you speak of?

We have a very inexperienced squad and you want to get rid of the main experience we have in Doogs and Simpson. Having experienced players in the team results in other players learning the subtleties of the game quicker and in term speeding up their development.

 

[perverse]

You say Macdougall Plays 10 games per year? Does anyone have the stats over the last 2 or 3 years? I have a feeling that it would be more than this.

What are these combinations you speak of? Do you mean Sau's hogging of the ball? Vuna's crabbing across field? OR Mcmanus's dummy half runs? The only combination that has been happening in our backline for a couple of years is Macdougall stepping and getting the centre and winger interested before putting his winger outside him into space. I'd much prefer to keep a combination that works, than get rid of it.

How old is likiliki? Will he and Sau perform in 2011 better than Doogs has over the last couple of years. I have my doubts. Who are these other centres you speak of?

We have a very inexperienced squad and you want to get rid of the main experience we have in Doogs and Simpson. Having experienced players in the team results in other players learning the subtleties of the game quicker and in term speeding up their development.

you question my ballpark stats - well i'll doubly question yours. what is so inexperienced about our squad? don't confuse "sh*t" with "inexperienced". the "young squad" excuse barely had legs 2 years ago, now it is just taking the piss. most of our blokes have first grade experience and plenty of it. it's a bullsh*t copout to try and say otherwise. there is no lack of first grade experience in our squad, and that goes double for next year with the addition of blokes like Costigan and potentially J. Smith coming over too.

we are chasing Farrar and already have Likiliki and Kyle O'Donnell over the line. all can play centre, with Likiliki being a specialist - and widely considered the best centre prospect in NYC. i would prefer to stick with these sorts of blokes than watch Doogs go 'round one more time.

Doogs played 15 games in '08, 16 in '09 and 8 this season. so i hyperbolized (albeit only slightly). he's still missing 10 or more games every year. 10 games+. every season for the past 3 years he has missed at least 2 and a half months of football. this has been all well and good up until now, but we are going to have some very promising centre prospects next year - particularly if we get Farrar over the line.

you say we don't have other centres to replace him with - but wait a minute... maybe we WOULD have another one to replace him with - if we didn't keep re-signing Doogs and looked for someone else? i'm not saying that keeping Doogs previously has been bad - i am saying that this is one year too many and that the writing is well and truly on the wall by the fact we are chasing other talents in his position. you can piss and moan about it all you like, but re-signing Doogs for one more year will just mean less stability in his centre position for another year, it will just prolong our finding a replacement another year... and for what? sentimental value? he's hardly a good roll model for the youngins with the way he manages his own training, the way he spends months at a time on the sideline... etc...

what is Doogs giving us anymore that we can't get out of a younger, fitter, more long term solution? so he has 3 or 4 standout games a season. whoopee do. he's hardly winning us matches off his own back. we won't miss him as much as everyone would like to think.

 

[Yosh]

There goes our go forward :lol:

LOL hard man, nearly fell off my chair. Was that last line of the article good news or bad news? ROFL!

Hey Pers is that new Liklkillkiki guy really that good? What do you mean 'considered the best centre prospect'?

 

[Bring it home Knights]

you question my ballpark stats - well i'll doubly question yours. what is so inexperienced about our squad? don't confuse "sh*t" with "inexperienced". the "young squad" excuse barely had legs 2 years ago, now it is just taking the piss. most of our blokes have first grade experience and plenty of it. it's a bullsh*t copout to try and say otherwise. there is no lack of first grade experience in our squad, and that goes double for next year with the addition of blokes like Costigan and potentially J. Smith coming over too.

we are chasing Farrar and already have Likiliki and Kyle O'Donnell over the line. all can play centre, with Likiliki being a specialist - and widely considered the best centre prospect in NYC. i would prefer to stick with these sorts of blokes than watch Doogs go 'round one more time.

Doogs played 15 games in '08, 16 in '09 and 8 this season. so i hyperbolized (albeit only slightly). he's still missing 10 or more games every year. 10 games+. every season for the past 3 years he has missed at least 2 and a half months of football. this has been all well and good up until now, but we are going to have some very promising centre prospects next year - particularly if we get Farrar over the line.

you say we don't have other centres to replace him with - but wait a minute... maybe we WOULD have another one to replace him with - if we didn't keep re-signing Doogs and looked for someone else? i'm not saying that keeping Doogs previously has been bad - i am saying that this is one year too many and that the writing is well and truly on the wall by the fact we are chasing other talents in his position. you can piss and moan about it all you like, but re-signing Doogs for one more year will just mean less stability in his centre position for another year, it will just prolong our finding a replacement another year... and for what? sentimental value? he's hardly a good roll model for the youngins with the way he manages his own training, the way he spends months at a time on the sideline... etc...

what is Doogs giving us anymore that we can't get out of a younger, fitter, more long term solution? so he has 3 or 4 standout games a season. whoopee do. he's hardly winning us matches off his own back. we won't miss him as much as everyone would like to think.

I can see the side of the argument when it comes to letting go the older players to give younger guys a chance, I really do. However you can't be completely black and white when it comes to this idea. I mean Tony Butterfield played on to 34. Should we have got rid of him years earlier as he may have held someone back? Of course not as he offered plenty in his final year, even though his body had dealt with 50+ more games than Macdougall has. It's my belief that if a young player is loaded with potential then they will get their chance, as long as the coach is the full quid. It's very rare that a player will come into first grade and be able to handle 26 rounds straight anyway. Often they come into the top grade, then they go back to reserve grade and come back into first grade a more complete player then when they were dropped in the first place.

Getting rid of experienced players that still have plenty to offer lacks insight imo.

 

[Apey]

One more year!

Just so I can see his shiny goofball head up on the big screen each home game. Excellent pre-game entertainment.

 

[SaltNVinegar]

Watched him run rings around Matai tonight. I say bring on next year Mad Dog!
Long live the Mad Dog

 

[Whats Doing]

Both points of view are valid but Doogs went well tonight

 

[perverse]

yeah, i need to start bagging out our forwards more... if that's at all possible. not that this is me trying to bag doogs out, per se... it's more about biting the bullet and moving forward for mine.