Isn't Dane Gagai the last of the players Bennett put on a big contract for a smash and grab attempt at a title?
Bennett knew he wasn't going to be at the knight's long, he also knew his legacy/ego would take a big hit if he wasn't successful. So he signed a whole bunch of old dudes up at the expense of younger talent, and tried to keep every average player he had ( the gagai's, mullens, rochows etc) he could to help those old darts by putting them on huge contracts. It was a short term approach that has nearly ruined the club. I see a lot of talk about 'why do we still have this dud or that dud' but the alternative to signing low cost/less talented players is what Newcastle done. And when the old established players Retire or leave it creates what newcastle have now.
Gagai, Uate, the sims bros, rochow aren't bad players, but their huge overpaid contracts had a draining effect on the knight's and they had to go to help a rebuild. Newcastle had to completey builldoze their roster to rebuild. Gagai was the last link to the bennett era.
As for whether we over paid for gagai, or his bad defence, i don't see a problem with either.
For years, since Walker left, with lacked a strike player out wide. With no danger out wide teams can quite quickly shut down or few danger players, walker or when his fit Inglis. Players can double team GI knowing that if they pass out to Goodwin, gray or Hunt that they can easily cover for them. They won't with gagai because you cant give gagai a sliver of a chance. So that should take pressure of GI and walker and give them more room. Gagai might not be worth 600k to everyone, but his exactly what we need.
As for his defence, it's no worse then walker or Goodwin. We already know how to cover for defensively weak centres. Goodwin is the king of Watching opposing attacks go straight past him like people accuse gagai off. Gagai defense won't be a problem for us. Well it'll be a problem obviously, but nothing we don't have experience with
