Rumoured & Confirmed Signings - Part 5

[Iamback]

So just to be clear, you have mentioned 7 guys there with current wages of c$1.85m, who have been selected because they have cheap deals.

So with Luai moving on us down, the $900k we were offering him need to a) sign another player to slot into our top 30 and b) any surplus can be used to top up other players. Assuming that a) is a minimum contract level player, that gives us $750k to upgrade all those other players. That means we have c$100k each to upgrade each of them.

A couple of caveats;
-this is assuming all else was equal. It is perfectly plausible that when the sums were being done around Luai that at least one, if not more, of the names mentioned above were assumed to be needed to be moved on and replaced with cheaper deals. If that is the case, to keep all those players we would need to find their current wages (or at least the difference between the current wages and the cheaper options assumed to replace them) out of the $750k.
- we might not want to re-sign all the players mentioned above. But we need to remember that every player we move on needs to be replaced by another player. So someone like Laurie being moved on (assuming he is on $150k) gets us almost no salary cap benefit.

So the number isn’t $3m, it’s close to 750k without losing players. So we will be losing players; 750k isn’t enough to upgrade and keep all of those players; I don’t think it is even enough to upgrade Tago, Turuva and Kenny.

We aren't going to keep everyone anyway. Not sure it makes sense for the side to stagnate

Here is who we have on contract for 2025

Edwards - set in stone
To'o - set in stone
McLean
Tago - set in stone
Iongi
Cole
Cleary - set in stone
Leota - set in stone
Luke
Fish - set in stone
Martin - set in Stone
Sorro - set in stone
Yeo - set in stone

Smith - set in Stone
Henry
Mav
Hassett

Riley Price
Schneider

If McLean does kick on. Do we need to pay both Alamonti and May?

replace one with some one on Minimum and you have say $200k to play with.

Same too with the backrow. Those young guys kick on and We can replace Garner, Hosking and Peachey with guys on minimum.

Or keep 1 and replace two.

That is before you start on the Luai money.

That is my point we have many options and can strengthen the side where is needed

 

[ColdWetPanther]

We aren't going to keep everyone anyway. Not sure it makes sense for the side to stagnate

Here is who we have on contract for 2025

Edwards - set in stone
To'o - set in stone
McLean
Tago - set in stone
Iongi
Cole
Cleary - set in stone
Leota - set in stone
Luke
Fish - set in stone
Martin - set in Stone
Sorro - set in stone
Yeo - set in stone

Smith - set in Stone
Henry
Mav
Hassett

Riley Price
Schneider

If McLean does kick on. Do we need to pay both Alamonti and May?

replace one with some one on Minimum and you have say $200k to play with.

Same too with the backrow. Those young guys kick on and We can replace Garner, Hosking and Peachey with guys on minimum.

Or keep 1 and replace two.

That is before you start on the Luai money.

That is my point we have many options and can strengthen the side where is needed

Your point was that we have 3m to spend. And we don’t; know where near it.

Let’s have a look at some of the options you talk about. If McLean kicks on we can move on Alamonti and May and have $200k. That is assuming that a ‘kicked on’ McLean still wants to play in the starting line-up of a premiership contender for minimum or close to it.

Same goes with the back row.

The reality is the guys at the bottom end of our pay scale (which are increasing in number as we lock in more bigger earners for longer contracts) are going to be harder and harder to keep because there isn’t a pot of gold that we have saved ourselves with Luai; it just means we can keep a few more of these guys that generally want (and in my case deserve) an upgrade. We wont be able to go into the market and buy quality players except for those where we can find angles (Garner, Alamotti etc).

 

[Iamback]

Your point was that we have 3m to spend. And we don’t; know where near it.

Let’s have a look at some of the options you talk about. If McLean kicks on we can move on Alamonti and May and have $200k. That is assuming that a ‘kicked on’ McLean still wants to play in the starting line-up of a premiership contender for minimum or close to it.

Same goes with the back row.

The reality is the guys at the bottom end of our pay scale (which are increasing in number as we lock in more bigger earners for longer contracts) are going to be harder and harder to keep because there isn’t a pot of gold that we have saved ourselves with Luai; it just means we can keep a few more of these guys that generally want (and in my case deserve) an upgrade. We wont be able to go into the market and buy quality players except for those where we can find angles (Garner, Alamotti etc).

pretty much that is it. That is the exciting part as to where the team sits we can change the whole side while keeping the core there

It was the same at the Roosters and Storm. Look at their player turnover during their successful time.

Ivan does well with the discards from other clubs, Problem is you can only get them cheap for so long. Same too the young guys, I think Turuva stays for one more deal only

Back to McLean is contracted until 2026 though. Lets say he is on $150k you get a starting centre for 2 years on great money.

Sorensen for example is off contract at the same time, The aim would be use that money to upgrade him.

If not you got 2 good years off him, off to get someone who wants to play outside Cleary in his prime for a reasonable price.

 

[West Nowra Panther]

pretty much that is it. That is the exciting part as to where the team sits we can change the whole side while keeping the core there

It was the same at the Roosters and Storm. Look at their player turnover during their successful time.

Ivan does well with the discards from other clubs, Problem is you can only get them cheap for so long. Same too the young guys, I think Turuva stays for one more deal only

Back to McLean is contracted until 2026 though. Lets say he is on $150k you get a starting centre for 2 years on great money.

Sorensen for example is off contract at the same time, The aim would be use that money to upgrade him.

If not you got 2 good years off him, off to get someone who wants to play outside Cleary in his prime for a reasonable price.

I don't try to over think this dilemma.

I look at if we are on the salary cap for the top 30 for 2024 and we keep 29 players on the same money for 2025, then all we have to sign 1 player and upgrade any others for 2025 is what Luai is on for 2024.

Hypothetically, if Luai is on 600k for 2024, his replacement in the top 30 is paid 200k for 2025, then we have 400k for upgrading.

I know it's not that simple because there will be plenty of shuffling of the decks with players on differentamounts, space for development players who play 1st grade during the year, future cap increases etc.

That's Matt Cameron's job, and he's done fairly well in the last couple of years.

 

[Iamback]

I don't try to over think this dilemma.

I look at if we are on the salary cap for the top 30 for 2024 and we keep 29 players on the same money for 2025, then all we have to sign 1 player and upgrade any others for 2025 is what Luai is on for 2024.

Hypothetically, if Luai is on 600k for 2024, his replacement in the top 30 is paid 200k for 2025, then we have 400k for upgrading.

I know it's not that simple because there will be plenty of shuffling of the decks with players on differentamounts, space for development players who play 1st grade during the year, future cap increases etc.

That's Matt Cameron's job, and he's done fairly well in the last couple of years.

That is a good way of doing it.

The other way to do the cap is pay, guys like Tago on potential for a longer deal.

I prefer this way to evolve the side

 

[GowersDallyM]

Don’t worry about it. There been some classic comments on here, like Nathan to hooker, or Ivan is not an elite coach and will never win a premiership!

TBF tho Nathan would make one hell of a hooker...could be a very similar Cam Smith style but with an elite kicking game and Nathan tackles probably harder aswell.

 

[Iamback]

TBF tho Nathan would make one hell of a hooker...could be a very similar Cam Smith style but with an elite kicking game and Nathan tackles probably harder aswell.

That was why it was mentioned those years ago, well that and to get Luai into the side

 

[Chins get the wins]

It was ridiculous then and it's ridiculous now

 

[Luke Bowden]

It was ridiculous then and it's ridiculous now

100%

 

[betcats]

TBF tho Nathan would make one hell of a hooker...could be a very similar Cam Smith style but with an elite kicking game and Nathan tackles probably harder aswell.

Plenty of hookers tackle harder then Smith but not many were better defenders.

 

[BossleyPanther]

I think some thought James Maloney and Luai would be a good partnership if Nathan went to Hooker. I think that's what they were saying.

 

[Chins get the wins]

I think some thought James Maloney and Luai would be a good partnership if Nathan went to Hooker. I think that's what they were saying.

Jimmy was washed up before he even signed here

 

[Crashtest]

I think some thought James Maloney and Luai would be a good partnership if Nathan went to Hooker. I think that's what they were saying.

So move your organising 7 to hooker, so you can then have a halves pairing with two 6’s and no organising 7?

 

[Munky]

Cam Smith is a physical freak.

An accountant's body playing in the middle for over 525 NRL/Origin/internationals.

Once he became Melbourne's starter he only played less than 23 club games twice in eighteen seasons (including 2020).

Cleary in seven seasons as starter on the edge has played 23 or more club games in a season once.

 

[murraymob]

Any talk of Cleary going to nine has surly disappeared after his efforts in the 7 .he is a generational freak and already our greatest half .The players we have lost in the past 3 years where enough for us to be a mid table team.
But here we are champions and still a genuine chance this year .Case closed

 

[Iamback]

So move your organising 7 to hooker, so you can then have a halves pairing with two 6’s and no organising 7?

If we didn't sign Api things turn out way different.

That signing was out of the box

Tigers have paid $6m for one of those 6's to organise

 

[Iamback]

Any talk of Cleary going to nine has surly disappeared after his efforts in the 7 .he is a generational freak and already our greatest half .The players we have lost in the past 3 years where enough for us to be a mid table team.
But here we are champions and still a genuine chance this year .Case closed

Of course. We had no 9 and were a team trying to take the next step.

Team is way different now.

 

[BossleyPanther]

Jimmy was washed up before he even signed here

I think he had it in him still, he played some awesome games. Now you might laugh but I said if James wins a title here he should be an immortal. 3 clubs he won comps in ( I think he was at the warriors during GF too) he brings success. Our success he was apart of.

 

[BossleyPanther]

So move your organising 7 to hooker, so you can then have a halves pairing with two 6’s and no organising 7?

Not my idea it was alot of others.

 

[Iamback]

Not my idea it was alot of others.

It was also tossed up. Luai to Fullback... Until his shocker in Brisbane playing there.

That is what you do trying to improve a team