Karmawave
Bench
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MONEYBALL: The Art Of Winning An Unfair Game is a brilliant book written by Michael Lewis about the General Manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team and how the team used a highly modern unusual computer statistic method to find players who were cheap in value but high on return for the small financial outlay.
By taking rejects from other teams and trying to turn a low budget and low spending team into a competitive outfit.
In Newcastle, we have a situation where our " GM " , CEO Steve Burraston, and the recruitment team ( I imagine headed by Brian Smith ) seem to mould off the " Moneyball " technique.
Last season, we had the retirement of Andrew Johns - with his massive salary opening up alot of space in the salary cap. With the other players cleanout, Perry, Reynoldson etc, we had a massive amount of spending money.
In return we signed what can only be described as rejects from other teams. There is no way in the world that Naiqama, Wicks, Houston were not seen as being expendable by the Dragons, as when you look at the current Dragons team, there isn't a player in their squad that any of our signings could realistically expect to replace in the Dragons first grade team.
Matt Hilder was a solid signing, and he fits the exact type of player described in " Moneyball ".
However overall, we have a team of bits and pieces of players who failed to succeed at other clubs.
This year, for good measure, we have Danny Buderus moving on to the UK. I imagine Mad Dog is leaving too. Doubt remains over a few other players.
Once again, and considering we are already spending under the salary cap for this season, we are cashed up and have money to spend.
Yet who have we signed?! Isaac De Gois is the replacement for Buderus and a good choice, but where is a marquee name?
Karmichael Hunt is potentially available, and the Knights no doubt have the cash to go after him, making Kurt Gidley's utility value even more valuable to make a play at Hunt. But will we? I doubt it.
Big names have come off contract at other clubs, superstars, and the Knights seem reluctant to go after any superstars to replace them.
When Fittler retired from the Roosters, the team went out and bought big name replacements.
When the Bulldogs had a lot of free money, they have gone off and purchased Hannant, Ennis, Morris, and others for next season in addition to Sonny Bill Williams.
What are we doing at the Knights?
Fair to say not alot. We made a play for Anthony Tupou, but it was never going to happen.
Is the club even attempting to talk to the likes of Hunt? Folau? I know we might not be in with a realistic chance with many of the players, but are the team even trying?
The perception from many players that Brian Smith is not good to play under may be having an impact, but I think overall the Knights have a policy of trying to find cheaper, undervalued players from other teams to mould into the Knights first grade team.
We have Kurt Gidley, and after Buderus leaves, not much else to build the team's identity around.
Even at Knights games now, only Gidley and Buderus get massive cheers when the team is announced.
It is important for a club to have big names. And the " Moneyball " approach is concerning.
When you line up the players we have lost in recent years, Johns, Buderus, Gidley, Tahu... and next to them list the players we have signed to replace them, it doesn't look pretty.
Oakland, with all their famous Moneyball technique, have never won a World Series, and this year are dumping salary again by trading away their high profile players in order to move into a new stadium and cut costs.
In Newcastle, I'm just worried that the penny pinching tactics that is seen by our match day entertainment budgets etc, are flowing over into our player recruitment.
Gone are the days when we could sign a Ben Kennedy.
As for " Moneyball " you don't have to be into baseball to get alot out of it. It's brilliant.
I'm worried Newcastle is following down the same path, and that we no longer have the junior system bursting at the seams that we once had a few seasons ago.
Onslow might be able to change that, but for now, I'd like to think the Knights were having a real crack at trying to pull some big name players to the team to replace the world class players leaving the club.
To make money you have to spend money after all.
By taking rejects from other teams and trying to turn a low budget and low spending team into a competitive outfit.
In Newcastle, we have a situation where our " GM " , CEO Steve Burraston, and the recruitment team ( I imagine headed by Brian Smith ) seem to mould off the " Moneyball " technique.
Last season, we had the retirement of Andrew Johns - with his massive salary opening up alot of space in the salary cap. With the other players cleanout, Perry, Reynoldson etc, we had a massive amount of spending money.
In return we signed what can only be described as rejects from other teams. There is no way in the world that Naiqama, Wicks, Houston were not seen as being expendable by the Dragons, as when you look at the current Dragons team, there isn't a player in their squad that any of our signings could realistically expect to replace in the Dragons first grade team.
Matt Hilder was a solid signing, and he fits the exact type of player described in " Moneyball ".
However overall, we have a team of bits and pieces of players who failed to succeed at other clubs.
This year, for good measure, we have Danny Buderus moving on to the UK. I imagine Mad Dog is leaving too. Doubt remains over a few other players.
Once again, and considering we are already spending under the salary cap for this season, we are cashed up and have money to spend.
Yet who have we signed?! Isaac De Gois is the replacement for Buderus and a good choice, but where is a marquee name?
Karmichael Hunt is potentially available, and the Knights no doubt have the cash to go after him, making Kurt Gidley's utility value even more valuable to make a play at Hunt. But will we? I doubt it.
Big names have come off contract at other clubs, superstars, and the Knights seem reluctant to go after any superstars to replace them.
When Fittler retired from the Roosters, the team went out and bought big name replacements.
When the Bulldogs had a lot of free money, they have gone off and purchased Hannant, Ennis, Morris, and others for next season in addition to Sonny Bill Williams.
What are we doing at the Knights?
Fair to say not alot. We made a play for Anthony Tupou, but it was never going to happen.
Is the club even attempting to talk to the likes of Hunt? Folau? I know we might not be in with a realistic chance with many of the players, but are the team even trying?
The perception from many players that Brian Smith is not good to play under may be having an impact, but I think overall the Knights have a policy of trying to find cheaper, undervalued players from other teams to mould into the Knights first grade team.
We have Kurt Gidley, and after Buderus leaves, not much else to build the team's identity around.
Even at Knights games now, only Gidley and Buderus get massive cheers when the team is announced.
It is important for a club to have big names. And the " Moneyball " approach is concerning.
When you line up the players we have lost in recent years, Johns, Buderus, Gidley, Tahu... and next to them list the players we have signed to replace them, it doesn't look pretty.
Oakland, with all their famous Moneyball technique, have never won a World Series, and this year are dumping salary again by trading away their high profile players in order to move into a new stadium and cut costs.
In Newcastle, I'm just worried that the penny pinching tactics that is seen by our match day entertainment budgets etc, are flowing over into our player recruitment.
Gone are the days when we could sign a Ben Kennedy.
As for " Moneyball " you don't have to be into baseball to get alot out of it. It's brilliant.
I'm worried Newcastle is following down the same path, and that we no longer have the junior system bursting at the seams that we once had a few seasons ago.
Onslow might be able to change that, but for now, I'd like to think the Knights were having a real crack at trying to pull some big name players to the team to replace the world class players leaving the club.
To make money you have to spend money after all.
