Rumoured Targets 3

[Woosh]

Canterbury is expected to make a play for Newcastle big man Daniel Saifiti if the former Blues prop is squeezed out of the club because of salary cap restraints. The Bulldogs have emerged as a keen suitor for Saifiti as they look to stiffen up their forward pack. The Knights are reluctant to let Saifiti break his deal early but are in the process of working through ways to tidy up their salary cap situation. Saifiti and centre Bradman Best may be the unlucky casualties as the club looks to rejig its roster.

The 27-year-old is on a mega deal worth more than $800,000 with his contract not expiring until the end of 2026. His twin brother Jacob is also contracted to the Knights until the end of next year.

The Bulldogs are also expected to make a play for Blues star Payne Haas, should he not extend with the Broncos, before he hits the open market on November 1. While Haas is still contracted until the end of next year, the Bulldogs could land Saifiti for 2024 should the Knights let him go.


Aside from Best and Saifiti, the Knights are still working through discussions with Blues back-rower Tyson Frizell, who is off-contract this year and being courted by the Tigers.


The Knights need to move swiftly because aside from Frizell they still have Adam Clune, Bailey Hodgson, Brodie Jones, Enari Tuala, Hymel Hunt, Jack Johns, Kurt Mann and Lachlan Fitzgibbon off-contract at the end of the year.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/sport-confidential-nsws-lack-of-desire-exposed-in-origin-i/news-story/e31f78e861620f732ddc4e33937cefd3?amp

 

[Yosh]

So we don't have cap space for one Saifiti but the Bulldogs can you get both a Saifiti and a Haas??

 

[Woody90]

Dan’s not on 800k per year is he?

 

[Jono078]

Dan’s not on 800k per year is he?

Who bloody knows with us.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out Crossland is on 500k either.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

1. How in f**k's name can Bulldogs afford D. Saf but we can't?

2. How in the f**K is D. Saf worth 800k a season???

 

[Burwood]

It’s laughable that the article thinks the knights need to move swiftly because they have a host of players off contract. Let’s be honest, if any of those players were decent, they would behave had clubs chasing their signature since Nov 1 2022. Frizell is the only guy worth fighting to keep.

 

[perverse]

Dan’s not on 800k per year is he?

With cap increases and ratchet clauses he absolutely would be. He was a State of Origin starting prop when he signed his deal. People can giggle about Kalyns contract all they like, but DSaf is an absolute thief.

 

[Apey]

It’s laughable that the article thinks the knights need to move swiftly because they have a host of players off contract. Let’s be honest, if any of those players were decent, they would behave had clubs chasing their signature since Nov 1 2022. Frizell is the only guy worth fighting to keep.

Lol yeah that list of off contract players is a who's who of nuffies.

 

[Rod]

Yeah of all of those names Fitz is the only one I would want to keep (at the right price of course).

I don't really believe any media reporting when it comes to the cap, but if it's true that we're under pressure it's a bit depressing. Only thing with that to remember is that we have KPP and Pryce coming and they won't have been cheap.

I like the Saifitis but splitting them up might be a good result for everyone. Leo has shown what is possible this year on a fraction of the price.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Maybe Andre negotiated all player’s contracts.

Our management is an unfunny joke, except to the squad who find it hilarious.

 

[Knight Tales]

Thank Freddy the myth for this mess. Neither of the Safs are origin players. An origin player does it for several seasons both at club and rep level. The minute they get an origin jersey they think they are marquees. SOO is a legit player market nightmare for clubs like us. We are forever clueless to it.

 

[aqua_duck]

It’s a who’s who of players off contract, Clune, Mann, Hunt, Tuala, Jones, Johns, Hodgson, etc god forbid if we were to lose any of those mainstays

 

[Burwood]

We’d have to be the only team in the NRL with a top 30 player running around in Jersey Flegg?

 

[Woody90]

I’m really conflicted about DSaf. We’ve seen from NSW that he can be fantastic, and I keep blindly hoping we’ll see that for the Knights. It’s also not like we have an heap of other quality props to take his place, and if we did lose him, could we sign a decent replacement?

At the same time though hearing he’s on 800k I’d be tempted to say let him walk. Even in 2023, for a prop to be on 800k you would at least expect a forward leader or somewhat damaging player. Dans not really shown any of that, at least in a couple of seasons, if anything he’s looked more and more lazy. Even missing out on the Blues didn’t seem to fire him. His stats always look good on paper but I’m not sure if he would be as missed as I initially thought. I’ve also been thinking that the current game might have become a bit too fast for the type of player he is.

 

[Knight Tales]

I’m really conflicted about DSaf. We’ve seen from NSW that he can be fantastic, and I keep blindly hoping we’ll see that for the Knights. It’s also not like we have an heap of other quality props to take his place, and if we did lose him, could we sign a decent replacement?

At the same time though hearing he’s on 800k I’d be tempted to say let him walk. Even in 2023, for a prop to be on 800k you would at least expect a forward leader or somewhat damaging player. Dans not really shown any of that, at least in a couple of seasons, if anything he’s looked more and more lazy. Even missing out on the Blues didn’t seem to fire him. His stats always look good on paper but I’m not sure if he would be as missed as I initially thought. I’ve also been thinking that the current game might have become a bit too fast for the type of player he is.

You can apply the same criteria to the Safs that we have with Klem. We do use our backs better than most coming out of trouble. I’d argue we have the strongest backline in the game across the park.
letting the Safs go is a tough call but we have Leo and Croker. Now if for arguments sake we choose to go with them as two smaller but more athletic props it can work. Look at Cotter.
Then we can get the backrowers we lack money for who can truly add the final polish to a backline who know how to get themselves forward. In addition to the rumoured Bulldogs interest in D Saf we could potentially work out a player swap there as well.

 

[Old dog]

Despite his so so form think we have got more out of DanS in 2022 & 23 for $800k than we have for Ponga at $1.4m, both overpaid for what we are getting.
On Dan going does that elevate Hetherington and I don’t see anyone in Cup side pushing up

 

[ryan.a87]

Toohey listed a couple of young fowards in his podcast that could step up if Dsaf were to leave

 

[aqua_duck]

Toohey listed a couple of young fowards in his podcast that could step up if Dsaf were to leave

Any names we’d be familiar with? From what I understood Bradbury was the pick of the bunch but luckily we turfed him to get Miller a year early to warm the pine

 

[macavity]

Dan’s not on 800k per year is he?

If he is, burn the place down.

 

[slotmachine]

Widely reported 700k before the cap jumped 25%, ratchet clause would have him above 800k.

Is Hages back and no one noticed?