Rumoured Targets 3

[perverse]

What I will say is when we re-signed DSaf it was in his real purple patch wasn’t it? When it looked like he’d go in to be a top 3 prop in the game. Still ridiculous money for a prop. Didn’t Brian Smith have the rule about not overspending in props? Or was that Bennett?

I think Bennett let Petero go to the Panthers over that policy. Petero's salary at the panthers was nearly 10% of the salary cap, almost as eye-watering as Ponga's deal - which seems to be around 10-12% of the cap. He's not really wrong. It's a simple job for a large and willing body to do a good enough job.

I think we can infer that Smithy felt similarly given he had AK47 and Dan Tolar lining up for us at one stage, but I don't know if he's ever on record talking about it.

 

[Knight Tales]

What I will say is when we re-signed DSaf it was in his real purple patch wasn’t it? When it looked like he’d go in to be a top 3 prop in the game. Still ridiculous money for a prop. Didn’t Brian Smith have the rule about not overspending in props? Or was that Bennett?

Bennett. But he would sign Haas tomorrow. So that may have changed.

 

[perverse]

Bennett. But he would sign Haas tomorrow. So that may have changed.

I think it's more just Bennett says whatever is convenient for him at the time - especially to the media. It's a lot easier to say to the media "I won't pay any prop that kind of money" than it is to say "I don't think Petero is worth that much". A lot easier to say to the team too as far as team harmony goes.

He's not stupid and he knows how to manage people and keep them happy.

 

[PhilGould]

Newcastle have warned rivals clubs off Daniel Saifiti as the Bulldogs step up their bid to sign off-contract NSW forward Tyson Frizell.

Frizell is locked in a three-way tug of war for his services with the Tigers and Canterbury trying to entice him away from the Knights.

It is understood Frizell met with Bulldogs officials last week having already spoken to the Tigers.

Newcastle have also tabled a multi-year deal to keep the 31-year-old at the club.

Privately, Newcastle are confident they will be able to keep Frizell but the Tigers and Canterbury are keen to bolster their forward packs. Frizell is close to Tigers coach in-waiting Benji Marshall who is pushing for the club to sign him.

Frizell has had a career revival after picking up Newcastle’s player of the year award last year. Despite winning the club’s individual honours, his form this year has been arguably even better and led to him earning an Origin recall.

While the Knights continue to navigate a tricky salary cap situation in the hope of keeping Frizell, they have warned rival clubs against talking to Saifiti or centre Bradman Best.

Instead it could be the likes of new recruits Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliott who are moved on at the end of the season.

The Bulldogs and the Dragons were among the clubs keen on pursuing Saifiti – who is a chance of earning a NSW recall of his own for game two.

The 27-year-old prop is on a mega deal worth more than $800,000 next year.

He is contracted until the end of 2026. Despite the huge payday the Knights have made it clear to Saifiti that they will not be letting him go early.

Saifiti has shown no signs of wanting to leave. The Knights have also told Best that they will honour the final 12 months of his contract despite some suggestions he too may be moved on.

There is little doubt though that Newcastle will move players on at the end of the season. Among those who could exit prematurely is Elliott, with some clubs already aware that he may be available despite being just months into a three-year deal.

The Knights threw big money to secure Elliott from the Raiders last year.

Hetherington has also had an underwhelming first few months in Newcastle and he too has another two years left on his contract.

The Knights have a host of players off-contract including Adam Clune, Brodie Jones, Enari Tuala, Hymel Hunt, Jack Johns, Kurt Mann, Lachlan Fitzgibbon. Dom Young will join the Roosters next year.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/tyson-frizell-targeted-by-bulldogs-and-wests-tigers-adam-elliott-on-the-outer/news-story/caab963a71a7bbf13fb918059c910edf?amp

 

[Knight Tales]

That won’t quieten the O’Brien detractors in the media. If anything it sounds like a destabilisation of the club from within. Toohey speculated as much.
Usually when clubs need to find money to re-sign and simultaneously make mass roster changes, it starts by making. Players feel unwanted. Media leaks is often the starting point. Denials follow. Then it builds and your season is over.

 

[Zoidberg]

Elliot has hardly even played this year.

 

[perverse]

Elliot has hardly even played this year.

Completely invisible when he has so far, though. Didn't he move here with Millie? Well, she's gone so... is Newcastle looking so great to him now I wonder?

 

[Woody90]

Newcastle have warned rivals clubs off Daniel Saifiti as the Bulldogs step up their bid to sign off-contract NSW forward Tyson Frizell.

Frizell is locked in a three-way tug of war for his services with the Tigers and Canterbury trying to entice him away from the Knights.

It is understood Frizell met with Bulldogs officials last week having already spoken to the Tigers.

Newcastle have also tabled a multi-year deal to keep the 31-year-old at the club.

Privately, Newcastle are confident they will be able to keep Frizell but the Tigers and Canterbury are keen to bolster their forward packs. Frizell is close to Tigers coach in-waiting Benji Marshall who is pushing for the club to sign him.

Frizell has had a career revival after picking up Newcastle’s player of the year award last year. Despite winning the club’s individual honours, his form this year has been arguably even better and led to him earning an Origin recall.

While the Knights continue to navigate a tricky salary cap situation in the hope of keeping Frizell, they have warned rival clubs against talking to Saifiti or centre Bradman Best.

Instead it could be the likes of new recruits Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliott who are moved on at the end of the season.

The Bulldogs and the Dragons were among the clubs keen on pursuing Saifiti – who is a chance of earning a NSW recall of his own for game two.

The 27-year-old prop is on a mega deal worth more than $800,000 next year.

He is contracted until the end of 2026. Despite the huge payday the Knights have made it clear to Saifiti that they will not be letting him go early.

Saifiti has shown no signs of wanting to leave. The Knights have also told Best that they will honour the final 12 months of his contract despite some suggestions he too may be moved on.

There is little doubt though that Newcastle will move players on at the end of the season. Among those who could exit prematurely is Elliott, with some clubs already aware that he may be available despite being just months into a three-year deal.

The Knights threw big money to secure Elliott from the Raiders last year.

Hetherington has also had an underwhelming first few months in Newcastle and he too has another two years left on his contract.

The Knights have a host of players off-contract including Adam Clune, Brodie Jones, Enari Tuala, Hymel Hunt, Jack Johns, Kurt Mann, Lachlan Fitzgibbon. Dom Young will join the Roosters next year.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/tyson-frizell-targeted-by-bulldogs-and-wests-tigers-adam-elliott-on-the-outer/news-story/caab963a71a7bbf13fb918059c910edf?amp

So it sounds like we are trying to shed players but the media was wrong in which ones we were trying to shed? Hetherington and Elliot literally just got here. How has the club gotten this so wrong?

According to Baz the club were fine with Hetherington leaving but he didn’t want to go. I suppose there’s not much you can do if they won’t leave.

I heard Hetherington interviewed a couple of weeks ago and somehow he’s even more underwhelming when he talks than he has been on the field.

 

[Yosh]

Don't know how much Fitzy is on but it shouldn't be anymore than Dylan. They offer like for like minus the forward passes.

 

[Woosh]

Sabotage or simply just the NRL rumour mill in overdrive, zeroing in on the Knights?

Over the past month, if you didn't know better, you'd swear someone was deliberately trying to undermine the club by destabilising the playing group and bringing down coach Adam O'Brien.

O'Brien is under enough pressure trying to hang onto his job without the added burden of having to deal with media reports suggesting leading players are being shopped to rival clubs without his knowledge, and speculation Michael Maguire is waiting in the wings with support from Knights insiders to take over from him.

It started several weeks ago when it was reported Daniel Saifiti and Bradman Best were being shopped to rivals in a bid to ease salary-cap pressure. The inference was they are both on big salaries, with Saifiti earning close to $800,000 and Best on around $500,000 this season, and their money could be better spent elsewhere.


O'Brien had only just put out that spot fire before another rumour surfaced about Maguire having support at the club to take over the coaching job, should the team not finish strongly this season.

Maguire, an assistant coach at the Canberra Raiders, and Knights director of football Peter Parr share the same manager, which may explain the connection.

Where the rumours are coming from and whether there is an element of truth to any of it will likely remain a mystery.

One thing is certain - they are distractions O'Brien and his players could well do without at a critical stage of the season.

TYSON A TARGET

NSW Blues representative back-rower Tyson Frizell is making all the right noises about remaining a Newcastle Knight beyond this season.

He has just purchased a property in the city and it's clear he doesn't want to leave Newcastle.

But the club won't rest easy until his signature is on a contract.

Knights coach Adam O'Brien is desperate to retain Frizell, but Newcastle are struggling to match offers from elsewhere.

It's understood three rival clubs, Canberra, Wests Tigers and the Bulldogs, are keen to poach Frizell. The Raiders, cashed-up after losing Jack Wighton to South Sydney, are considered by Knights insiders as the biggest threat.


POSITION VACANT

The Knights have ruled out making a play for lower-grade Cronulla hooker Jayden Berrell to fill the one remaining spot left on this year's top-30 roster.

The Knights have until August 1 to complete their roster and Berrell's name has done the rounds on social media in recent times as a potential target. But signing another hooker is no longer considered a priority at this stage, despite Jayden Brailey's season-ending knee injury.

The form of Phoenix Crossland, coupled with the versatility of Kurt Mann and the emergence of Riley Brown, has convinced the club's hierarchy to keep their powder dry. A lengthy injury to Crossland would undoubtedly force a quick rethink.

We suggested last week Jones could get an NRL debut before the season is out and that's now looking more and more likely.

STAYING POWER

Despite only enjoying limited game time from the bench in the top grade this season, rugged forward Jack Hetherington is clearly happy with his move back to Newcastle.

We hear the prop turned down an approach within the past few weeks to join a rival NRL club immediately. Given all the talk surrounding the salary cap supposedly being tight, we doubt the club would have stood in his way if he'd wanted to go.

BRAILS TO CONSIDER GURU VISIT

The Knights are considering sending injured co-captain Jayden Brailey to world-renowned injury reconditioning expert Bill Knowles after the luckless hooker ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee for a second time earlier this season, ruling him out for the year.

Knowles, from Philadelphia, treated NRL stars Latrell Mitchell, Tom Trbojevic and Ryan Papenhuyzen and has also worked with the likes of Tiger Woods and Andy Murray. Former AFL player Danny Menzel suffered four ACL injuries by the time he was 21 before seeing Knowles and went on to play a further six seasons.

https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/...whispers-are-a-hindrance-for-knights/?cs=7580

 

[Woody90]

https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/...whispers-are-a-hindrance-for-knights/?cs=7580

This is all starting to become really strange:

- We start getting these reports a month ago that we’re trying to shop DSaf and Best. The reports all seemed like media speculation made up by Weidler at the time based on nothing but “inside” reports from the club.
- More articles pop up that we’re under salary cap strain, yet we tried to re-sign Dom.
- Articles later come out that the club assured both DSaf and Best that they were safe.
- Through the week AOB is asked to categorically say that both DSaf and Best will be here next year. He skates around the question and says that they’re not looking to move on either because they’re juniors, but then when pressed again to say that they will both be here next year AOB makes some weird comment he can’t give that information because decisions may be made out that he’s not privy to (strange that the head coach wouldn’t have that sort of info about recruitment).
- Gus Gould makes a suspicious trip up to Newcastle in a suit to meet with Parr for a coffee catch up.
- Now we’re getting reports that Hetherington and Elliot may be being shopped around. Also why would a rival club be approaching Hetherington who is under contract unless they had some info that we were shopping players?

Does all of this sound incredibly strange to anyone else? I get the feeling the club might already be working on the plan that AOB won’t be there next year and there’s potentially some roster work being done by the football department away from AOB, possibly on behalf of new coach (? Madge).

Either that or there’s someone really unhappy at the club who really is trying to destabilise it from within. It can’t be good for team morale hearing new players are being shopped every week.

 

[Yosh]

AOB needs to go so I say it's good news.

 

[Woody90]

AOB needs to go so I say it's good news.

I definitely don’t disagree with you. I just find the last month of events strange and it keeps getting stranger.

 

[Knight Tales]

This is all starting to become really strange:

- We start getting these reports a month ago that we’re trying to shop DSaf and Best. The reports all seemed like media speculation made up by Weidler at the time based on nothing but “inside” reports from the club.
- More articles pop up that we’re under salary cap strain, yet we tried to re-sign Dom.
- Articles later come out that the club assured both DSaf and Best that they were safe.
- Through the week AOB is asked to categorically say that both DSaf and Best will be here next year. He skates around the question and says that they’re not looking to move on either because they’re juniors, but then when pressed again to say that they will both be here next year AOB makes some weird comment he can’t give that information because decisions may be made out that he’s not privy to (strange that the head coach wouldn’t have that sort of info about recruitment).
- Gus Gould makes a suspicious trip up to Newcastle in a suit to meet with Parr for a coffee catch up.
- Now we’re getting reports that Hetherington and Elliot may be being shopped around. Also why would a rival club be approaching Hetherington who is under contract unless they had some info that we were shopping players?

Does all of this sound incredibly strange to anyone else? I get the feeling the club might already be working on the plan that AOB won’t be there next year and there’s potentially some roster work being done by the football department away from AOB, possibly on behalf of new coach (? Madge).

Either that or there’s someone really unhappy at the club who really is trying to destabilise it from within. It can’t be good for team morale hearing new players are being shopped every week.

This is all common place when new coaches are rumoured. The Madge chatter is going to intensify. As much as close results against Panthers and Broncos may seem like plusses for O’Brien, the argument could be made it is the inability to seal two games we were leading as the ammunition to see him replaced. Cos match winning leads are insignificant if you can’t find a way to close them out.

 

[Spot On]

Stranger than all that is how a $800K a year prop is so unfit he struggles to get off the ground after making a tackle, retreats 5 metres behind the defensive line (ie 5 metres further than he had to retreat) when the ball was still clearly alive, leaves a gaping hole in said line and watches Brisbane score a game winning try with 3 and half minutes left.

He had only played 46 mins of football at that stage. Why so f**king exhausted he couldn’t get up off the ground at the most important stage of the game?


He didn’t have to retreat 5m behind the behind our defensive line so why did he? Why didn’t he fall into the line? I can only assume he thought the ball carrier was about to put on the ground?? That would indicate he was totally unaware of what was actually happening in front of him. But that is hard to believe when he had a couple looks to his left when retreating but did not fall into the line for some strange reason.

The Origin snub for Ponga and Gags has given both players a big shake up and they were outstanding last night. Why won’t O’Brien do the same thing here with D. Saf? He needs a kick up the arse for that lazy f**king piece of play. He needs to be fit enough to play just over half a game of footy.

Or look to move him on.

 

[Woody90]

I really hope he goes to the Bulldogs. There’s no way Gus drove all the way up to Newcastle on the weekend to have a friendly catch up with Parr. He wants something and I really hope it’s DSaf not Frizzell.

 

[macavity]

It is really sobering that next year is a rebuilding year... of a team on track to run 12th.

 

[Seage]

I really hope he goes to the Bulldogs. There’s no way Gus drove all the way up to Newcastle on the weekend to have a friendly catch up with Parr. He wants something and I really hope it’s DSaf not Frizzell.

It would be Friz.

I'm just baffled how we can possibly be in a cap trouble and happy to unload two players 6 months into 3 year deals (irrespective of how underwhelming they've been). What muppet did the calculations on that last year? How amateurish can you be?

 

[PhilGould]

Frizell is off-contract. No need for Knights officials to be meeting with the Bulldogs over him unless it's for an early release for this season, which would be surprising.

 

[Old dog]

Frizell is off-contract. No need for Knights officials to be meeting with the Bulldogs over him unless it's for an early release for this season, which would be surprising.

Can understand early release if unhappy and/or going to a top side with a chance of G/F win but Bulldogs, no way.
More likely Friz manager shopping for guide price, he has indicated he is happy, bought a house so would likely have to be well over Knights offer for him to leave, I think he will stay