Rumoured Targets 3

[Johns Magic]

Cowboys will be playing hard ball to try to change his mind. Once the 10 day cooling off period has passed I'm almost certain they'll let him go.

I'm not sure they will let him go but I agree that they definitely won't before the cooling off period for the reason you stated.

 

[PhilGould]

I don't think they'll make it easy on us, probably will push for a player swap, but I'll be shocked if he isn't a Knight in 2017.

 

[perverse]

Yep, also agreed on all of the above. The Cowboys need a prop, and we have one or two that I think Browny wouldn't mind moving on. The Cowboys are just looking to get the maximum they can from the situation, be that Ponga staying or as good a swap as they can get.

I don't know if he'll be here for 2017 or not, but from what I've seen of the NRL the past few years, I'd say it's a really good chance.

 

[perverse]

Who plays centre if Ponga and Wardle both end up here in 2017? Ross, Wardle and Gagai all competing for the spots.

 

[PhilGould]

1. Ponga
2. Sio
3. Gagai
4. Wardle
5. Ross

is my guess. If Wardle doesn't come or is used in the backrow then move Ross into centres and Elliot, Chanel or Gagan onto the wing.

 

[Kilkenny]

I truly hope it happens for you guys but I have seen these sort of rumours/headlines time and time again over the years and they seldom come to fruition.

If I was a betting man my money would be on him resigning the Cowboys.

Hope I am wrong, it would be great boost for the Knights such a great club with great fans but I can't help feeling it will end in heartache.

 

[Allstar Knights]

Our backline is looking at least a bit defensively sound on the edges next year with guys like Wardie, Gagan and Sio. That alone should see a fair bit of improvement in us

 

[perverse]

I truly hope it happens for you guys but I have seen these sort of rumours/headlines time and time again over the years and they seldom come to fruition.

If I was a betting man my money would be on him resigning the Cowboys.

Hope I am wrong, it would be great boost for the Knights such a great club with great fans but I can't help feeling it will end in heartache.

Honestly, if it never eventuates then it's business as usual for us. We've adapted to disappointment as a way of life. Hell, this Ponga fantasy may be one of the highlights of the year for us in a football sense. At least we were linked to a player other teams wanted.

 

[Kilkenny]

Honestly, if it never eventuates then it's business as usual for us. We've adapted to disappointment as a way of life. Hell, this Ponga fantasy may be one of the highlights of the year for us in a football sense. At least we were linked to a player other teams wanted.

I truly hope it happens, you guys deserve a boost and some good fortune.

 

[Burwood]

It's crazy how you look back just a few years ago and our backline contained Uate, McManus, Boyd, Gagai and Leilua- it was right up there with the strongest backlines in the NRL I thought at the time that those players (with the exception of Boyd) would have been mainstays for years to come.

 

[perverse]

I truly hope it happens, you guys deserve a boost and some good fortune.

It's more than mildly upsetting to me that there are people old enough to drink that don't remember our last premiership. Not only is it a reminder of my own age, but it's starting to have been quite a while between drinks. That's ignoring all the scandels and dud ownership coups. Oh and the spoons. Good god, the spoons.

 

[Kilkenny]

My Uncle is a Knights (and Jets) tragic. Long term season ticket holder with both. Left a family gathering early last season in Penrith to drive all the way home to see his beloved Knights. Sadly, it did not end well on that day. Big signings are a boost for all clubs, some are more used to it than others obviously. Signing a young gun like Ponga would be a huge boost and would be the start of bigger and better things longer term.

 

[Rhyno]

Remember 10 years ago when a player who has only play 2 games was lucky to get 50K a year

 

[Knight76]

Please football god, let this happen.

$600k for a player who has only played two NRL games is high, but given his prospects, if that works out, by the time we get to the end of 2018 that will likely look like a great deal, considering the salary cap increase coming.

If he does not arrive until 2018 that may work to our advantage also. That sort of signing, along with the promising youth squad we have coming through could look very attractive to off contract (and even on contract these days ) players come the 2018 player movements.

If he arrives this year and can cement the fullback spot then even better!

 

[nick87]

I wonder how many people here advocating signing this very talented kid off 2 games were the same people saying Stuart was stupid for paying what he did for Joey Tapine after 20 odd.

 

[Allstar Knights]

I wonder how many people here advocating signing this very talented kid off 2 games were the same people saying Stuart was stupid for paying what he did for Joey Tapine after 20 odd.

Both players chalk and cheese for mine.

Tapine is a very talented young backrower who admittedly has star potential. But he is not a key spine player like Ponga (in a position of absolute need for us - fullback). He never had the wraps on him as Ponga does either. Still very annoyed we lost Tapine, though.

 

[nick87]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a bad move
The knights need to take a risk like this. And if you're going to push the chips in the middle of the table, you might as well do it on a hand like Ponga. Doesn't mean it will work out but he's the type of talent you go all in on.

But it's just interesting to see how different the mentality can be when the shoe is on the other foot
We over paid for a highly talented young player and it's paid off, he's now an international player. Hopefully for the knights this pays off similarly with Ponga

 

[Allstar Knights]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a bad move
The knights need to take a risk like this. And if you're going to push the chips in the middle of the table, you might as well do it on a hand like Ponga. Doesn't mean it will work out but he's the type of talent you go all in on.

But it's just interesting to see how different the mentality can be when the shoe is on the other foot
We over paid for a highly talented young player and it's paid off, he's now an international player. Hopefully for the knights this pays off similarly with Ponga

I always thought Tapine was worth paying a bit of overs for in hope that he'd be worth it for us in the end. I suppose it's still worked out good for us as our backrow is looking pretty good for next year, but I was really annoyed at the time as we had no decent edge backrowers back then.

 

[Spot On]

I'm glad we didn't match the Tapine offer. If he was a spine player you would have thought differently possibly.

 

[slotmachine]

If you're going to roll the dice, and browny had to before he got sacked, it may as well be a spine player that everyone in the game seems to think is a can't-miss prospect.