No Benji next year

[Mr Red]

I like Benji - but I think we need to be aiming higher. Look at the halves of some the different clubs:

Thurston/Morgan
Milford/Hunt
Hastings/Nikorima
Cronk//Green
Reynolds/Keary
Maloney/Townsend
DCE/Walker
Sezer/Austin
Foran/Norman
Johnson/Lolohaea
Brooks/Moses

There is strike everywhere in the comp and Widdop and Benji will come up against these pairings week in week out. And consider a lot of these halves pairings (like the Storm, Warriors, Roosters, Broncos, Cowboys etc) all have elite hookers and fullbacks to complement them.

We'll go ok with Benji, but I'm glad the club recognises we need to be aiming higher or we'll be hovering around the edge of the 8 again.

PS - its Robson and Johnson for the warriors..

personally i would back barge ass and Widdop against at least half of the pairings you put forward.
i think our inability to put together a proper attacking game plan and structure of our set of six in the opponents 20m area was more the issue rather than the quality of the halves. The coaching team was more at fault here, and have addresssed that with getting some new blood in the coaching ranks..
Sure barge Ass is getting on a bit and has a few errors in his game, but i would still have him ahead of the likes of plodder Robson, an untested Nikorima, Green, maloney, townsend, Norman, Moses......

 

[The Nick]

I like Benji - but I think we need to be aiming higher. Look at the halves of some the different clubs:

Thurston/Morgan
Milford/Hunt
Hastings/Nikorima
Cronk//Green
Reynolds/Keary
Maloney/Townsend
DCE/Walker
Sezer/Austin
Foran/Norman
Johnson/Lolohaea
Brooks/Moses

There is strike everywhere in the comp and Widdop and Benji will come up against these pairings week in week out. And consider a lot of these halves pairings (like the Storm, Warriors, Roosters, Broncos, Cowboys etc) all have elite hookers and fullbacks to complement them.

We'll go ok with Benji, but I'm glad the club recognises we need to be aiming higher or we'll be hovering around the edge of the 8 again.

Austin has been named on the bench in favour of Sam Williams. Ricky Stuart finally assembled a competitive roster and decided to go all Ricky Stuart on it.

 

[The Nick]

I disagree that the balls in his court.

The club has a chance to get one of the games premier halfbacks in Cronk for next season, otherwise there are young halves such as Elgey and Keary off contract. This scenario exists for 2017 only and may or may not be there for 2018 and beyond.

The club has the whip in hand not the player.

The question of his worth however as you said is a different conversation, Benji at $500k is well worth the spend IMO. As a package on and off the field he provides value to the club.

Cronk has already stated he is only negotiating with Melbourne at this stage. He's their player to lose.

Buzz Rothfield linked him to us on his first day back at work for the year and needed a story to kick things off. It was pure speculation. We are no chance.

 

[Mr Red]

Ricky Stuart finally assembled a competitive roster and decided to go all Ricky Stuart on it.

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[SBD82]

Austin has been named on the bench in favour of Sam Williams. Ricky Stuart finally assembled a competitive roster and decided to go all Ricky Stuart on it.

Seriously? Wow.

 

[St Georgio]

I like Benji - but I think we need to be aiming higher. Look at the halves of some the different clubs:

Thurston/Morgan
Milford/Hunt
Hastings/Nikorima
Cronk//Green
Reynolds/Keary
Maloney/Townsend
DCE/Walker
Sezer/Austin
Foran/Norman
Johnson/Lolohaea
Brooks/Moses

There is strike everywhere in the comp and Widdop and Benji will come up against these pairings week in week out. And consider a lot of these halves pairings (like the Storm, Warriors, Roosters, Broncos, Cowboys etc) all have elite hookers and fullbacks to complement them.

We'll go ok with Benji, but I'm glad the club recognises we need to be aiming higher or we'll be hovering around the edge of the 8 again.

Don't worry mate I think those other halves would show a lot more respect towards benji than you do!

 

[giboz71]

Don't worry mate I think those other halves would show a lot more respect towards benji than you do!

Not disrespecting Benji at all.

Just trying to point up that more than half the comp have loaded halves. As good as Benji and Widdop are, safe to say they were far from impressive as a combo last year.

Every team is trying to get better, the moves made this offseason prove that. We should be doing the same.

 

[Vasilevsky]

Not disrespecting Benji at all.

Just trying to point up that more than half the comp have loaded halves. As good as Benji and Widdop are, safe to say they were far from impressive as a combo last year.

Every team is trying to get better, the moves made this offseason prove that. We should be doing the same.

Of course and I'm sure the Dragons are as well. It's just that your ideas on how to be better are patently idiotic.

 

[giboz71]

Of course and I'm sure the Dragons are as well. It's just that your ideas on how to be better are patently idiotic.

Seems the club agrees with me. Why else does Benji remain unsigned? And which teams are lining up to secure his services given every media outlet on earth has confirmed he's likely available next year?

 

[Highland Saint]

Austin has been named on the bench in favour of Sam Williams. Ricky Stuart finally assembled a competitive roster and decided to go all Ricky Stuart on it.

I think Austin is returning from injury and being kept to a light playing schedule to start off

 

[Lethal25]

Cronk has already stated he is only negotiating with Melbourne at this stage. He's their player to lose.

Buzz Rothfield linked him to us on his first day back at work for the year and needed a story to kick things off. It was pure speculation. We are no chance.

That may well end up being the case but it doesn't change contract status of Benji. The ball is still firmly in the clubs court not Benji's

 

[Vasilevsky]

Seems the club agrees with me. Why else does Benji remain unsigned? And which teams are lining up to secure his services given every media outlet on earth has confirmed he's likely available next year?

I don't know and neither do you. I guess Benji wants a lot of money and the club isn't sure if he is worth it at this stage of his career. What I do know is that last year he was very good and his marketing value and the confidence he brings to the team and young players in training (according to people who should know) is worth a large amount in and of itself. Of course if he is playing well and last year, he certainly was.

 

[Vasilevsky]

And to pay someone Cronk's age big money to come to the Dragons would be absolute madness. No more than 800k for 2 years with a 250k 1 year option in the clubs favor.

The guy must have lost his rorting Melbourne Storm mind if he thinks the Dragons are going to be used to top up his retirement fund.

 

[TruSaint]

Letting Benji go, without any definite quality replacement, is dumb.
He played well in 2015, and now is playing for his future.

Is Hutch he answer ? Not sure. This Cronk crap has long been dismissed, and if not, at what cost he will come ?

He will ask double that of Marshall, and that will mean letting players go.

If anything tangible arises in the meantime, then we can discuss. We have no cert's for his position, and its not as if he was some weak link last year, when in fact he was very good.

All for " onwards and upwards " , but with caution.

 

[The Nick]

That may well end up being the case but it doesn't change contract status of Benji. The ball is still firmly in the clubs court not Benji's

Thanks for the update, no-one is suggesting Benji has a gun to the club's head.

Common sense dictates his early season form will go a long way towards whether he gets a start next year or not. Benji is the only one who can control that, not the club.

 

[coast_dragons]

Maybe it will be a Soward situation they let him go and signed Widdop.

 

[TruSaint]

thanks for the update, no-one is suggesting benji has a gun to the club's head.

common sense dictates his early season form will go a long way towards whether he gets a start next year or not. Benji is the only one who can control that, not the club.

100%

 

[TruSaint]

Maybe it will be a Soward situation they let him go and signed Widdop.

Maybe coast, and I get your point... what i am saying is that until a ready replacement has been secured, the letting this guy go ( on the presumption only ), that we have back up is wrong.

 

[coast_dragons]

If they can secure say a luke keary then i have no issue letting him go.

 

[The Nick]

If they can secure say a luke keary then i have no issue letting him go.

x2