Rumoured Targets 3

[Mr_Knightside]

And our main recruitment target is Rochor's brother in law... Hmmmm

Everything is pointing to us having an even worse roster in 2017. F*** this is depressing.

At least we'll have a roster full of players who want to play here though. I'd rather that than the team full of pretenders we've had over the last few years.

 

[slotmachine]

Going to have $1.2m cap space free, but no one to spend it on.

 

[Nuffy]

Ok, so I don't care that Rochow is out the door. The way I see it, we've done without him for 2 years anyway... So nothing lost on our current situation, just salary cap gained.

However, as they say in politics, this is bad optics for the club. It's bad enough when you're on the way down and your few remaining stars start jumping ship. We're at the very bottom of the well and even slightly above average players that come from the region are willing to play elsewhere for less, in a marketplace where we can't spend as much as many other clubs even if players would come to us for more money. It's a bad look, and only adds further woe to trying to attract any talent at all to the place.

100% correct. It's a very bad look when a local offered more and hasn't delivered anything approaching value still jumps ship. It sends a clear message about that person but it send an equally clear message on what they think the future of the club is.

We've lost a good junior in Tapine who chased money and we've lost a local offered more who still wouldn't stay. We shouldn't assume young players who've been belted for a couple of years are going to stick around, why would they.

I also think Rochow's decision is a clear message that Bird isn't coming, if he was serious, I suspect Rochow would have stayed.

So right now our recruitment for 2017 is Rory Kostjacyn, maybe.

If there is a recruitment plan in place, it's very well hidden.

 

[Nuffy]

At least we'll have a roster full of players who want to play here though. I'd rather that than the team full of pretenders we've had over the last few years.

Noble sentiment but means nothing if we are getting pumped every week. If that's the ultimate criteria, then let's just recruit exclusively from the real NRL, all those players will want to be in the NRL.

 

[Knight76]

Recruitment not looking great in 2017, are we going to lose Ross also?

Maybe it's time for Brown to recruit a few talented players from the UK looking for an opportunity in the NRL. No other team is really looking to raid the UK, most of them have their rosters fairly set for 2017 and don't have the salary cap space we will have.

If Kostjacyn comes to the club he would be a handy utility able to play hooker or 5/8 and give us some options there when Mullen inevitably gets injured. Gives us a little more depth.

If we can keep Ross I'd be playing him in the centres as he just does not get enough ball or space on the wing. Every time he gets the ball he looks dangerous and with his half breaks he can punch through the line and get a ball to the winger in support. He is wasted on the wing. Mamo to continue at fullback, Gagai to the wing.

Josh King to go full time next year will give us a boost in the forwards.

The way I see it is we don't need wingers and we don't need centres, half and 5/8 are spoken for, they aren't going to get rid of Hodkinson, fullback can be handled by Mamo and at a pinch Gagai. Hooker is taken also especially if we get Kostjacyn. This leaves us with the forwards to handle and this is where we struggle in games with laying the platform.

So, I'd be recruiting some bigger forwards to give us the size we lack.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

The fact the club offered him a more than competitive offer concerns me. Hes been injury prone and a middle of the road player at best.

 

[Joel-22]

Recruitment not looking great in 2017, are we going to lose Ross also?

Maybe it's time for Brown to recruit a few talented players from the UK looking for an opportunity in the NRL. No other team is really looking to raid the UK, most of them have their rosters fairly set for 2017 and don't have the salary cap space we will have.

If Kostjacyn comes to the club he would be a handy utility able to play hooker or 5/8 and give us some options there when Mullen inevitably gets injured. Gives us a little more depth.

If we can keep Ross I'd be playing him in the centres as he just does not get enough ball or space on the wing. Every time he gets the ball he looks dangerous and with his half breaks he can punch through the line and get a ball to the winger in support. He is wasted on the wing. Mamo to continue at fullback, Gagai to the wing.

Josh King to go full time next year will give us a boost in the forwards.

The way I see it is we don't need wingers and we don't need centres, half and 5/8 are spoken for, they aren't going to get rid of Hodkinson, fullback can be handled by Mamo and at a pinch Gagai. Hooker is taken also especially if we get Kostjacyn. This leaves us with the forwards to handle and this is where we struggle in games with laying the platform.

So, I'd be recruiting some bigger forwards to give us the size we lack.

Ross re-signed for 2 years the other day

 

[Spot On]

I'm not much of a fan of Rochow's so I'm not disappointed to see him go BUT there obviously needs to be some serious movement on the recruitment front to give me some confidence that the joint will turn around by 2018. I would love to know how much cap we have to spend going forward and hope that if the club is bought by someone it enables us to attract some good TPA $$$ to help deliver some decent players. Then it'll be up to Brown to get hem playing like they want to be here and turn it all around.

I have to laugh at where Rochow's ended up though. I thought he had multiple clubs chasing him???? Souths isn't the most stable environment atm. They haven't won a game for 2 and half months and could very well lose 3 of their last 4. Plenty of talk of how unhappy players are there, reports of TPA not being upheld as well and a coach that will be punted if they make a poor start in 2017.

Similar with Tariq Sims. Jumps a sinking ship and lands on ..... another sinking ship.

Lol.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Noble sentiment but means nothing if we are getting pumped every week. If that's the ultimate criteria, then let's just recruit exclusively from the real NRL, all those players will want to be in the NRL.

A talented player means nothing if he doesn't want to play here. Darius Boyd is the perfect example, we paid him a mint and he played like a busted for 3 years then goes back to Brisbane and is the form FB in the comp.

I agree that we need better players than what we've got currently but we shouldn't throw the kitchen sink at guys who will disappear at the first offer they get from somewhere else.

 

[Joel-22]

I'm not much of a fan of Rochow's so I'm not disappointed to see him go BUT there obviously needs to be some serious movement on the recruitment front to give me some confidence that the joint will turn around by 2018. I would love to know how much cap we have to spend going forward and hope that if the club is bought by someone it enables us to attract some good TPA $$$ to help deliver some decent players. Then it'll be up to Brown to get hem playing like they want to be here and turn it all around.

I have to laugh at where Rochow's ended up though. I thought he had multiple clubs chasing him???? Souths isn't the most stable environment atm. They haven't won a game for 2 and half months and could very well lose 3 of their last 4. Plenty of talk of how unhappy players are there, reports of TPA not being upheld as well and a coach that will be punted if they make a poor start in 2017.

Similar with Tariq Sims. Jumps a sinking ship and lands on ..... another sinking ship.

Lol.

I don't know if I'm out of line here but I feel like the club needs to be more transparent about the salary cap situation and our recruitment process. Maybe they have been but I'm just not hearing it for whatever reason. It is incredibly disheartening though to have won a single game all year and to have every sign pointing towards us having a weaker squad than this year's.
Besides from Brown speaking highly of Rory Kostjasyn and Matt Gidley making the pathetic claim that we were chasing Jarryd Hayne there seems to be no communication pertaining to the plans for our 2017 squad.
It just doesn't make sense to me that we can lose Tariq Sims, Kade Snowden, Jeremy Smith, James McManus, Robbie Rochow etc. and have not signed anyone for 2017. As I've probably shown all too much on this forum, I beginning to get incredibly frustrated with the whole situation.

 

[macavity]

The way I see it is we don't need wingers and we don't need centres, half and 5/8 are spoken for, they aren't going to get rid of Hodkinson, fullback can be handled by Mamo and at a pinch Gagai. Hooker is taken also especially if we get Kostjacyn. This leaves us with the forwards to handle and this is where we struggle in games with laying the platform.

Don't agree whatsoever.

the following Knights players are consistently and demonstrably first grade quality:

2. Ross
3. Gagai
11. Sione

.... and thats it.

Spine is by far our biggest weakness, followed by front row.

I would personally play Ross at centre and recruit wingers too.

Unfortunately there aren't any NRL quality spine players available (unless you count Foran, which just wouldn't happen). At any rate we seem committed to the potatoes we have there.

If we really hook in we might win 3 games next year.

 

[Knight76]

Our two halves are set in stone for the next few seasons. Mullen is contracted until end of 2018 isn't he? And Hodko is with us for the same period.

Hooker is also taken, and if we get Kostjasyn he would be our starting hooker. So Hooker is done recruiting wise.

That just leaves fullback and Mamo is doing a job there, hopefully he will improve over the off season at the roll if Browny decides he is going to be full time fullback. I can't see signing an established fullback from another club improving our game that much and we are not going to get a gun fullback, that leaves us signing another young player looking for an opportunity to cement a first grade spot. I'd rather stick with Mamo.

That is the spine done.

We have wingers, centres, we need forwards that can match it with the opposition and move the team up the field.

the following Knights players are consistently and demonstrably first grade quality:

2. Ross
3. Gagai
11. Sione

.... and thats it.

So with apparently 1.2 million in salary cap available we are supposed to recruit an entire spine and some forwards? We have to recruit where it is going to make the most impact, and where we don't already have existing players on good money, like Hodko and mullen.

 

[macavity]

Our two halves are set in stone for the next few seasons. Mullen is contracted until end of 2018 isn't he? And Hodko is with us for the same period.

Hooker is also taken, and if we get Kostjasyn he would be our starting hooker. So Hooker is done recruiting wise.

That just leaves fullback and Mamo is doing a job there, hopefully he will improve over the off season at the roll if Browny decides he is going to be full time fullback. I can't see signing an established fullback from another club improving our game that much and we are not going to get a gun fullback, that leaves us signing another young player looking for an opportunity to cement a first grade spot. I'd rather stick with Mamo.

That is the spine done.

We have wingers, centres, we need forwards that can match it with the opposition and move the team up the field.

Just because they are "set in stone" doesn't mean they are up to the job - thats my point. Our first choice spine is still the worst in the NRL by a LONG way.

 

[Glendale]

I hate our current spine, but there's nothing we can do about it for 2017 because they are under contract and there is no one better on the market. We are being a bit harsh, when Mullen and Hodkinson are on the field together we go alright (as in, we don't get completely smashed). But I'd want them both gone at the end of next year ideally and we can build a good spine for 2018 onwards.

Our biggest need is to get some experienced in the forwards. I'd say 1 forward to replace Jezza is an absolute minimum, but ideally I'd like 2. Brown and Midley have been saying all year that we are looking to complement our roster with these types of signings for 2017 so if that doesn't happen then I consider it a failure. After that then we can sort out fullback, but if we can't get a star or a future star, then I'd be happy to settle with Mamo and give him a full off season and season to see wether he has what it takes, he's not as bad as some of you like to make out.

 

[Knight76]

I don't disagree with you macavity. But they are not going to recruit another half and turf another big chunk of a salary cap to reserve grade. Good luck attracting talent with that direction. Same goes for Mullen, he is a one club man! Are you suggesting they dump him to reserve grade and replace him? We do look better with him playing.

1.2mill is not going to go very far. We simply can't recruit all these positions, they are not going to dump either halves. You have to be realistic here.

 

[Spot On]

I can't believe there's only 1.2 mill available to spend. FFS.

 

[Joel-22]

Realistically what I'd like to see is:

1.Jake Mamo
2.Nathan Ross
3.Dane Gagai
4.Pete Mata'utia
5.Chanel Mata'utia
6.Jarrod Mullen
7.Trent Hodkinson
8. (New Prop)
9.Danny Levi
10. (New Prop)
11.Sione Mata'utia
12.Mitch Barnett
13.Korbin Sims

14.Pauli Pauli
15.Daniel Saifiti
16.Sam Mataora
17.Tyler Randall

 

[macavity]

Realistically what I'd like to see is:

1.Jake Mamo
2.Nathan Ross
3.Dane Gagai
4.Pete Mata'utia
5.Chanel Mata'utia
6.Jarrod Mullen
7.Trent Hodkinson
8. (New Prop)
9.Danny Levi
10. (New Prop)
11.Sione Mata'utia
12.Mitch Barnett
13.Korbin Sims

14.Pauli Pauli
15.Daniel Saifiti
16.Sam Mataora
17.Tyler Randall

Really shows how thin we are at prop.

I don't rate Chanel - I would be giving Soper-Lawler (or Denniss) a go.

But realistically that is the best we could hope for. A three win team.

Seems Kostjasyn will be here for Randall too (no idea why we are bothering though). Wouldn't surprise me to see him start, Randall on bench and Levi back to NSWC.

Now watch a dozen of them get injured in the first three rounds, as per usual.

Oh, and 1.2mil gets one player of the quality we need - of which there are none who would even consider coming here. We will spend it on paying overs to two below-average players.

 

[Noname36]

I hate our current spine, but there's nothing we can do about it for 2017 because they are under contract and there is no one better on the market. We are being a bit harsh, when Mullen and Hodkinson are on the field together we go alright (as in, we don't get completely smashed). But I'd want them both gone at the end of next year ideally and we can build a good spine for 2018 onwards.

That's a pipe dream mate.

If we're being realistic - while Mullen and Hodkinson cop most of the criticism individually they're not our issue. There's a complete lack of talent/experience in the entire squad especially the other 50% of the spine. Mamo is Mamo. He can do something brilliant but he's not a quality fullback that you can depend on in attack and defence consistently. Most clubs have one of those. Also Levi has a lot of potential but he's just a baby and too soon to bank on.

Even if we magically managed to purchase or produce two ready halves by the end of next year (and come on, that's not going to happen lol), there's still the complete lack of quality around them.

For the record I think both will go at the end of their current contracts but we're not going to be in an any better position. Might free up some cash but realistically with how poor we are and how expensive good halves are it won't make a difference.

 

[Noname36]

Seems Kostjasyn will be here for Randall too (no idea why we are bothering though). Wouldn't surprise me to see him start, Randall on bench and Levi back to NSWC.
.

Didn't we recently find out that Randall was on a stupidly large contract for his talent (or lack there of)? Maybe they've gone after Kostjasyn because Randall is another overpaid bloke for the clean out.