Off Contract - Who to keep?

[perverse]

Chris Adams
Adam Cuthbertson
Michael Dobson
David Fa'alogo
Mitchell Frei
Matt Hilder
Chris Houston
Joey Leilua
Toka Likiliki
Jake Mamo
Josh Mantellato
Willie Mason
Chanel Mata'utia
Alex McKinnon
Matt Minto
Jarrod Mullen
Clint Newton
Chad Redman
Timana Tahu
Paterika Vaivai
Travis Waddell

Who are the keepers in this list? I'd be keeping the following:

Adam Cuthbertson
Chris Houston (because I reckon he'd be cheap as, if he's not cheap then move him on, too)
Joey Leilua
Jake Mamo
Josh Mantellato (if no other clubs show interest and we can keep him in the second tier of contracts)
Chanel Mata'utia
Alex McKinnon (I wouldn't get into any sort of bidding war for him, though)
Jarrod Mullen
Chad Redman or Chris Adams - someone has to be backup hooker. Actually I'd like to see both he and Clydsdale given a crack soon.

We should have quite a lot of money to hit the market hard this year. We need younger, more mobile and more dynamic forwards.

 

[slotmachine]

Apparently BJ and McKinnon are close to re-signing.
Mamo
Mullen

The rest can be moved on. Need to freshen the place up.

What happens if Mullen leaves? Don't really want to think about it.

 

[perverse]

Mullen won't leave. We have the money to compete against any offers for him, and he's one of the few who I would say will stay for less.

If he does, we're done for another 5-10 years. The club isn't geniused enough to let Mullen go.

 

[slotmachine]

Well, the fact that we didn't wrap him up before November 1 means he must be gauging his value on the market. I would be too, this could be his last big money deal.

But yeah, the top teams already have quality 5/8s and I can't see him walking to a basket case like the Tigers or Warriors just for the $$$.

 

[perverse]

As for who I'd be looking at on the open market...

- Ben Murdoch-Masila is an interesting one, I wouldn't mind seeing him here.
- Tom Learoyd-Lahrs... injuries aside, he's a big body that we don't have and still has quite a few years left in him.
- Tohu Harris - another massive unit and can caused havoc out wide for opposing teams.
- Kane Evans - monster.
- Sam Moa - under-rated.
- Jamie Buhrer - This kid has a lot of strings in his bow. Defensively very good and has some ball skills, too. Can also fill in at hooker in a pinch.
- Tim Mannah - if ever I've seen a guy who needs a change of scenery... this is it.

 

[perverse]

Well, the fact that we didn't wrap him up before November 1 means he must be gauging his value on the market. I would be too, this could be his last big money deal.

But yeah, the top teams already have quality 5/8s and I can't see him walking to a basket case like the Tigers or Warriors just for the $$$.

He'd be a bit geniused not to test his value on the market.

 

[perverse]

Also I'd be happy enough with either McKendry or Grant if it's true that Penrith are shopping them around.

 

[Allstar Knights]

Adams and Frei are no longer at the club.

From that lot I can only see Leilua, Mamo and Mullen as must keepers. I think Redman and Chanel are worth resigning as well.

Most of them should be let go of with a few to re-sign with some good form this year (hopefully McKinnon, Toka and Vaivai can improve)

Evans, McKendry and Tohu Harris should be our targets.

 

[slotmachine]

Harris and Evans are the right age and size.

McKendry looked good off the bench against the Storm.

 

[Frederick]

I can't ever see mannah leaving parra.

Then again, I could never see Lewis leaving penrith, so stranger things have happened

 

[perverse]

I can't either, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't sound him out. I think he'd go a lot better if he did move on from Parra... and at his best he is very effective.

 

[Allstar Knights]

I actually don't think we need a Mannah or Grant. Both #1 props at their clubs so would want a pretty decent paycheck.

McKendry is a very good prop, only 23 and wouldn't be top dollar. Kane Evans is another big athletic prop that would come even cheaper.

We also need a good attacking edge backrower, so a cheap to mid-priced prop would be more sufficient IMO

 

[Johns Magic]

As for who I'd be looking at on the open market...

- Ben Murdoch-Masila is an interesting one, I wouldn't mind seeing him here.
- Tom Learoyd-Lahrs... injuries aside, he's a big body that we don't have and still has quite a few years left in him.
- Tohu Harris - another massive unit and can caused havoc out wide for opposing teams.
- Kane Evans - monster.
- Sam Moa - under-rated.
- Jamie Buhrer - This kid has a lot of strings in his bow. Defensively very good and has some ball skills, too. Can also fill in at hooker in a pinch.
- Tim Mannah - if ever I've seen a guy who needs a change of scenery... this is it.

Are these guys all off-contract?

TLL and Mannah I've lost faith in and would demand too much money to justify signing on the chance they somehow turn it around IMO.

The rest I would all look at.

Is Tohu off-contract? He would be a great signing but I can't see Bellamy letting him go.

EDIT: Oh and Evans is the pick of the bunch but I can't see the Roosters letting him go, and if they do I doubt he comes to us. He's very much a Sydney boy and will be in demand.

 

[Johns Magic]

Adam Cuthbertson
Joey Leilua
Toka Likiliki
Jake Mamo
Josh Mantellato
Chanel Mata'utia
Alex McKinnon
Matt Minto
Jarrod Mullen

Ones in bold I would keep. The others are all maybes at the right price.

I am hopeful McKinnon will kick on. Seems to have taken him a while longer than some other highly-rated young forwards(wish we had snared Jack De Belin), but I have faith it will happen in the next couple of years.

Houston I would not offer a new contract. He is bound to have a few other clubs chuck some money at him because he has experience and a bit of reputation and I would not engage in any form of bidding war for him. No physical presence.

 

[perverse]

It lists Tohu as off contract - and if it's true, I'd be going in hard for him. You're right though, Bellyache will have him as a priority.

Yeah, House is a weird one. I would like to have him around in the same capacity as blokes like Tahu and whatnot... as a depth player to play in reserves and influence the younger guys coming through. The thing I do like about House is that he's always done what has been asked of him from a coaching point of view. He seems like a bit of a genuine clubman, too.

I totally agree about the bidding war and not getting involved, but if he comes cheap he's worth keeping around. He's not someone I want in my top 17 anymore, though.

I've got big question marks on McKinnon at this point. He showed a lot of promise early, but he doesn't seem to be improving much... if anything he's getting more stupid in his game. There is a bit to work with, though... and he certainly showed us some pretty good ball skills early on in his stint here (I don't know where they have gone, though).

Still, there are some quality names in that list, I'm expecting us to go really hard after a few of them... we've been building some free cap space to go hard in the market for 2015... this was earmarked by Bennett as a plan he's had for at least a year already. He must have some names in mind. Additionally, I think we'll be picking up a bloke or 2 that are still in their contract period that will seek a release. We've been putting cap space aside, and have the extra room of Packer's contract... we need to be big movers in the market this year.

 

[Johns Magic]

Just looking at Zerotackle I would go hard after the following that you haven't mentioned:

Shannon Boyd
Lloyd Perrett
Fa'amanu Brown
Matt Srama
Dave Taylor
Curtis Sironen

Also not at all realistic and would require some re-shuffling of our spine to get it done but Tedesco is a serious player and off-contract.

 

[The Showstopper]

We are not aggressive enough in the market and are hamstrung by Benny's refusal to get into bidding wars. Until that changes we will never be able to move beyond being a grinding side.

 

[perverse]

To be fair, I think we did the right thing in backing away from Fifita. Some bidding wars are worth being amongst... but that is getting a bit too rich for my liking.

Lloyd Perrett
Fa'amanu Brown

^^^ don't know these 2, JM. Who, where and why? The others I can agree with... I'm on the fence about Taylor - if we can get consistency out of him, which is something other clubs have struggled with, then he's worth his weight in gold.

Srama would be awesome. Not sure if we need Sironen, is he big enough to play Lock do you think? I was only looking for props and backrowers.

 

[Johns Magic]

To be fair, I think we did the right thing in backing away from Fifita. Some bidding wars are worth being amongst... but that is getting a bit too rich for my liking.

Lloyd Perrett
Fa'amanu Brown

^^^ don't know these 2, JM. Who, where and why? The others I can agree with... I'm on the fence about Taylor - if we can get consistency out of him, which is something other clubs have struggled with, then he's worth his weight in gold.

Srama would be awesome. Not sure if we need Sironen, is he big enough to play Lock do you think? I was only looking for props and backrowers.

Lloyd Perrett is the younger brother of Sam and is with the Dogs at the moment. Has made all the junior rep teams, is an explosive runner, and seems to have a lot of players ahead of him with Fifita, Graham, Tolman, Kasiano and Klemmer all still at the Dogs.

Brown is a young Shark who plays centre/6/hooker. The bits I've seen of him he just seems like a natural footballer. I'm not sure whether he could be a full-time 80 minute hooker, but he is a great talent either way.

I think Sironen will becaome a great hole-running and ballplaying second-rower. That's where he will be used this year I'm sure. He is plenty big and has talent and a football brain. Not sure on his defence but I really look forward to watching him come through. Mind you his dad is a Tigers legend so the chances of him leaving are slim to none you'd imagine.

Taylor I would take the gamble with personally but can undertsand why others won't.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

I'd give Dobson another year. We haven't blooded any more halves and we are bound to get injuries. We need a backup.