Rumoured Targets 3

[Apey]

The shitty part of trying to rebalance the roster is having to be within 95% of the salary cap and have a top 30. So if we move on gigantic contracts like DSafs and Hastings, we need to sign replacements and also offer them decent money. Upgrades for other players cover some of the shortfall, but not everything.

Ironically enough I think that's where chipping in for departing players is actually beneficial. That 200k potentially means less money we have to pay someone to be cap compliant in 2025, but gets freed up in two years time when maybe there are better moves to be made.

 

[ryan.a87]

If we don’t sign anyone, couldn’t we technically top up someone like pongas contract, to front load his contract more to save us cap space in 2026+

 

[perverse]

If we don’t sign anyone, couldn’t we technically top up someone like pongas contract, to front load his contract more to save us cap space in 2026+

If we renegotiated the contract as an extension I believe this is possible.

 

[Old dog]

I’m sure those that matter have the answer or at least should have.
My thoughts is keep a spot vacant until you have who you want then if short of 95% spent sign a top player due to retire on a 1 yr contract using his experience to develop others, like Gags or Frizell options

 

[Knight Tales]

This is up there with the people who complain when players are laughing or talking with opponents post game.

Yeah. Sure it is. Absolutely. NRL players regularly watch opponents games and openly praise their performances. A endemic really. Why not. Only getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to get online and give a leg up to someone they are paid to defeat.

 

[Yosh]

I think we are getting rid of our dead wood nicely. As mentioned above, if we can get rid of Hastings and sign a fantastic classy spine player, I think we should be making a run at the top 6 in 2025.

 

[Woody90]

I think we are getting rid of our dead wood nicely. As mentioned above, if we can get rid of Hastings and sign a fantastic classy spine player, I think we should be making a run at the top 6 in 2025.

Thing is even if we free up money for a spine player, there’s nobody available. The position we sorely need is a halfback. We can make do with what we have at 6 and 9 imo if we sign a halfback.

There’s just nobody available though. We seem to be hanging our hopes on Pezet who may not amount to anything outside of the Storm system and isn’t available until 2026 anyway.

The one thing we have in our favour is that we’re not trying to do a rebuild when we’re right down the bottom of the ladder.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Biggest problem is finding a classy spine player. There aren’t many of them around and none off contract.

 

[Old dog]

I haven’t seen Pezet in action and even if we sign him for 2025 not sure how good he is, will he be better than say Cogger.
If all else fails we will have Ponga, Gamble, Cogger and Crosslands/Arthur as our spine, barring injury and if they allow them to blend as a unit we will be ok, not great but ok, don’t like moving them around, changing positions

 

[Apey]

Thing is even if we free up money for a spine player, there’s nobody available. The position we sorely need is a halfback. We can make do with what we have at 6 and 9 imo if we sign a halfback.

There’s just nobody available though. We seem to be hanging our hopes on Pezet who may not amount to anything outside of the Storm system and isn’t available until 2026 anyway.

The one thing we have in our favour is that we’re not trying to do a rebuild when we’re right down the bottom of the ladder.

I think that's the positive of paying some $$$ to get rid of DSaf and hopefully Hastings. If not Pezet it'd be nice if we could find a mid-price halfback for two years until that additional cap money is unlocked. The last thing we want to do is have to fork out 800k for just another crappy halfback.

 

[ryan.a87]

Technically we could afford Sam Walker in 2026 with Dsaf and Hastings money

 

[Woody90]

Technically we could afford Sam Walker in 2026 with Dsaf and Hastings money

We definitely have to make a play at Walker for 2026. Not that he’d ever sign for us in a million years but the club needs to at least try. Also try for Pezet who would be a more realistic option. I also wouldn’t be surprised if someone like Nicho Hynes or Ben Hunt became available (although tbh both are mental midgets so not sure they’d improve us).

1. Ponga 6. Gamble 7. Cogger 9. Crossland/Arthur will be the spine in 2025 with hopefully a new halfback in 2026 (tbh I think Connor Votano will be in the spine somewhere too).

 

[Allstar Knights]

I heard Sam Walker is wanting 1.4mil a year. If true, no thanks. He’s good, but he isn’t worth that.

 

[Rod]

Ben Hunt is an interesting shout. He was bad to finish the year but is at least a proper halfback. Would be a solid Pearce-type stopgap option.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

The thing with Hunt is that on a good day he’s one of the best halfbacks in the comp. On a bad day he’s one of the worst. Bigger problem is that the bad days have been more and more frequent over the last couple of years.

Personally I wouldn’t mind him at hooker, which would utilise some of his strengths, and a no.9 with a kicking game is very useful.

That being said he was wanting to go back to SE QLD right? So I can’t see him going anywhere other than Broncos, Titans or Dolphins if he does leave Saints.

 

[Zoidberg]

Hunt is 34. No way would I sign him now. He will be slowing down dramatically in the next few years.

 

[Apey]

Hunt would cost too much. He's way better than Hastings but I wouldn't pay 800k for him either.

 

[macavity]

Pezet and Wishart would make a great halves pairing. Pity the Storm will keep both.

It is a joke how concentrated the halves talent is in this comp.

 

[Alex28]

Pezet and Wishart would make a great halves pairing. Pity the Storm will keep both.

It is a joke how concentrated the halves talent is in this comp.

I have some hope we get Pezet. Is he going to want to be a halves understudy for the next 5 or 6 years to Munster and Hughes?

 

[Woody90]

I heard Sam Walker is wanting 1.4mil a year. If true, no thanks. He’s good, but he isn’t worth that.

He’ll get it easily IMO because the halfback market is so limited.

I’d offer 1.2 happily. Sam Walker on 1.2 is better value than Hastings + DSaf on 1.6 between them.