Rumoured Targets 3

[Woosh]

VETERAN centre Dane Gagai is set to become only the ninth player to appear in 200 first-grade games for the Newcastle Knights after re-signing with the club for at least another season.

Knights officials fended off interest from the Sydney Roosters, who were reportedly eyeing Gagai as a possible replacement for rugby-bound Joey Manu.

Knights coach Adam O'Brien said Gagai's new deal was "a great result for the club", describing him as Newcastle's best-performed player this season.

"If presentation night was tonight, Dane would probably win it," O'Brien said.
"He's been excellent. And it's more than just the 80 minutes. He's a leader at training each week and he does so much to help our young guys."

Gagai told the Newcastle Herald recently he felt capable of playing on for at least another couple of seasons and O'Brien has no doubt that is a realistic goal.

"Knowing Dane, the way his make-up is, it'll end up being a two-year deal," he said.
"There's so much left in him. He's a resilient, stubborn bugger and that's the way he plays."
O'Brien felt the option clause in the contract offered both parties flexibility.
"In the past the club has sometimes had to go above and beyond to either bring guys here or keep them, but I think this is a really good deal," he said.

Knights director of football Peter Parr said the club was "delighted" about Gagai's retention.
"Dane is one of the best outside backs in the NRL and playing as well as ever," Parr said.
"When you combine his on-field performance, experience and leadership, Dane is a highly valued member of our club.
"We believe this re-signing will not only benefit the current playing group but will assist educate and elevate future Newcastle Knights NRL players."

Dane Gagai set to join Knights' 200 club after signing new deal

'There's so much left in him.'

www.newcastleherald.com.au

 

[mozza91]

Gags is a shoe in for First Try tomorrow at $13 with Sportsbet. Don’t gamble responsibly put your rent money on it.

 

[Burwood]

Have we signed a storm player since? Once bitten, twice shy…

 

[Old dog]

Kirk Reynoldson

​

Tks, very good, took it to court or some such thing

 

[mozza91]

Have we signed a storm player since? Once bitten, twice shy…

The great Anthony Quinn for his 2nd stint here. Also think Rochow came from Melbourne.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

the forward that name escapes me, played for the Storm recruited by Browny to finish his career at the Knights - Responsible for the Storm signing Josh King

 

[PhilGould]

Tim Glasby. Slade Griffin around the same time as well.

 

[Burwood]

That's a sorry list of players.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Tim Glasby. Slade Griffin around the same time as well.

Glasby thats the one

 

[macavity]

Tim Glasby. Slade Griffin around the same time as well.

hardly played a game for us. Gave the storm plenty of intel though.

 

[HarVeeGee]

People act like it’s a guarantee that Storm players won’t pan out at other clubs, or they won’t be able to reproduce the same form, like no one who’s played there has ever been talented and it’s all just the system. But Drinkwater, Hynes, Addo-Carr, Kaufusi all going pretty well as far as I can see. Arguably better, even.
Before them, I seem to remember Cronk, Inglis, Folau and some others being just fine elsewhere too…

The recipe at Melbourne has long been the same. 1. An elite spine (guys who make the game way easier for teammates) 2. A stable of guys with elite athletic attributes in need of coaching, who they’ve gotten either by picking the eyes out of other clubs’ junior systems (particularly in SE Queensland) or taken from other clubs’ discard piles (see Eli Katoa, Shawn Blore for recent examples) 3. Plugging the holes in the rest of the roster with no frills hard workers who are all given minor roles and a simple job (Josh King is unquestionably one of these).

What happens is that other clubs sign guys from group 3 and expect them to be pack leaders or otherwise key squad members. Then when they can’t do it the refrain is “that’s why you don’t players who were good at Melbourne!” But the reason they’re not good elsewhere is that they in reality weren’t that good at Melbourne, either… they were just in a good team.

 

[aqua_duck]

hardly played a game for us. Gave the storm plenty of intel though.

I thought Glasby was decent but then again around that era anyone above park footy level was decent amongst that playing group

 

[macavity]

I thought Glasby was decent but then again around that era anyone above park footy level was decent amongst that playing group

he wasn’t awful for us, but “not a realNRL footballer” was the bar back then.. he was injured a lot for us though. Slade Griffin and Rory Kostjaysn also fill that brief but far more tragically.

 

[Knight Tales]

Browny's contribution to where we are now seems to have been easily forgotten by many. Not so much in this forum but by the general Knights fan forgets he got us KP when noone saw it coming. He got Glasby, Rory etc. to shift the mentality. Not to reset records.

 

[PhilGould]

Where we are now isn't a whole lot better than where we were before Brown convinced everyone losing every game for 2 years was actually a good thing. Still waiting on the sustained success he was preaching when he threw every half decent junior (and some not even that) into first grade before they were close to ready.

It's not exactly a tangible thing but I saw more of a shift in team mentality with characters like Gamble/Hastings/Elliott joining the team last year than I ever saw from the likes of Glasby. Kostjasyn never even got on the field for us.

 

[slotmachine]

Yeah completely agree.

Sure he managed to snag KP but that was on the back of an unprecedented contract for a rookie. We've made Kayln a millionaire 5 times over since then for a grand total of one finals win... Probably only KP and Brailey left now that Brownie signed?

On the flip side he also taught blokes like the Safs it's OK to lose and we are still paying the price for that.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Browny was awesome, did the best a coach could do to rebuild a roster from scratch in quick time. He laid a platform

Knights management are to blame for failings thereafter. In 10 years hardly a junior to speak of, in 10 years no 3rd parties to compete with the big boys.

Look at what Phil Gould did at the Panthers, and what he is doing now at the Dogs have a look at their juniors and where they are in EVERY competition. Have a look at their roster which in another couple of years will be a force.

If Gould is a 10/10 the Wests Group are a 3/10

 

[Yosh]

Browny was awesome, did the best a coach could do to rebuild a roster from scratch in quick time. He laid a platform

Knights management are to blame for failings thereafter. In 10 years hardly a junior to speak of, in 10 years no 3rd parties to compete with the big boys.

Look at what Phil Gould did at the Panthers, and what he is doing now at the Dogs have a look at their juniors and where they are in EVERY competition. Have a look at their roster which in another couple of years will be a force.

If Gould is a 10/10 the Wests Group are a 3/10

Well Phil Gould is the best in the business. Hopefully we improve over the coming years and get to a 8/10. I reckon 3/10 is a bit harsh. Surely we get a pass mark.

 

[macavity]

Browny was awesome, did the best a coach could do to rebuild a roster from scratch in quick time. He laid a platform

Knights management are to blame for failings thereafter. In 10 years hardly a junior to speak of, in 10 years no 3rd parties to compete with the big boys.

Look at what Phil Gould did at the Panthers, and what he is doing now at the Dogs have a look at their juniors and where they are in EVERY competition. Have a look at their roster which in another couple of years will be a force.

If Gould is a 10/10 the Wests Group are a 3/10

If only we could get Phil Gould.

I get the feeling Phils are like Homers though, you can only have one.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Well Phil Gould is the best in the business. Hopefully we improve over the coming years and get to a 8/10. I reckon 3/10 is a bit harsh. Surely we get a pass mark.

they get points for centre of excellence plus the girls team success (so far) and 1 finals win for the boys.