Rumoured Targets 3

[Johns Magic]

Would love to know how much we are actually offering Bird. Seems pretty pie-in-the-sky figures bring thrown around right now but Cronulla should have plenty to throw at him.

Bird played his NYC in the backrow.

 

[PhilGould]

If it comes down to money I'd think we'll have a pretty good chance of getting him.

 

[Johns Magic]

Yeah I'm just a bit concerned what that may take.

 

[perverse]

I kinda agree that Bird is one of those players that you just get in your team where ever you can get him. I don't see why other teams having non-ball playing locks necessarily rules a line through him playing there. Greg Bird may well be the last of his kind through no reason other than there hasn't been someone in that mould be good enough since. You'd need to make up the go-forward elsewhere in the team, but you lack a bit of imagination if you just dismiss it because that's what other clubs think. With that attitude, you are a very good follower.

I would want Bird here. No idea where he'd play, but I don't really care too much. He'll be one of the players of his generation. Ponga may be too. You want those players in your team.

 

[Johns Magic]

I kinda agree that Bird is one of those players that you just get in your team where ever you can get him. I don't see why other teams having non-ball playing locks necessarily rules a line through him playing there. Greg Bird may well be the last of his kind through no reason other than there hasn't been someone in that mould be good enough since. You'd need to make up the go-forward elsewhere in the team, but you lack a bit of imagination if you just dismiss it because that's what other clubs think. With that attitude, you are a very good follower.

I would want Bird here. No idea where he'd play, but I don't really care too much. He'll be one of the players of his generation. Ponga may be too. You want those players in your team.

Greg Bird made plenty of metres through the middle once he moved to the backrow and decided to bulk up.

When Greg Bird was Jack Bird's age right now(2006) he looked like this:

A couple of years later(2008) he would've been 10kg heavier and looked like this:

I genuinely think Jack Bird could go the same way if he wanted to. They are the same height and both have that toughness and competitiveness.

I don't think it's realistically gonna happen but I would love to have a young Greg Bird in our pack.

 

[Caped Crusader]

The problem is Gagai is being paid fullback money at the moment, if he wants to stick around for above-average centre money then great.

Gagai definitely needs a pay cut. Looked good last night though

With the cap going up in 2018, I think Dane is probably on the right amount now for an Origin player.

I'd be surprised if the club offers him much of if any upgrade

 

[slotmachine]

Greg Bird may well be the last of his kind through no reason other than there hasn't been someone in that mould be good enough since.

Someone like Bryce Cartwright fits the bill. Wade Graham. SBW when he was around. Probably forgetting others. There are guys with the same skill set floating around, they just don't play in the middle anymore.

 

[Glendale]

On another note - when was the last time we produced a first-grade standard back? Is it actually Mullen or McManus/Uate? Makes life harder when you have to poach in positions that should be produced from within. Other junior nursery clubs seem to churn them out regularly. Speaking of which, Gela-Mosby is a weapon and off-contract this year.

This was one of the biggest things I noticed and took out of last weekends Nines.

All we've been hearing in the pre-season is how good this Meaney kid is and how he's the fastest we have at the club and how he was well suited to carve up at the Nines... Then he gets there and he can't outrun the Storm Reserve Grade halfback... Scored 0 tries for the tournament, and looked very average in comparison to the other outside backs on display in the tournament.

It is a real worrying trend that we haven't been able to produce ANY outside back of firstgrade standard since Uate/McManus. We froth over guys like Mamo and Meaney when they come through but when they get to firstgrade it's quite obvious they don't have the skills required to even hold down a regular spot in a firstgrade side (given, jury is still out on Meaney ofcourse). These should be the easiest and cheapest positions in the squad to fill and with our large junior base surely we can find a couple of kids from the juniors each year and chuck them on the wing, saving us from buying guys like Sio and Elliot for more money because we can do it ourselves... Surely?

Then I watch other teams like Penrith who took what was initially seen as a weak squad to the Nines and watch them get all the way to the final, and see other outside backs for other clubs that haven't played firstgrade like Gela Mosby rip it up and I worry that maybe we just don't have good enough talent identification? Whatever it is, we surely have the worst record in the league for developing outside backs.

 

[perverse]

Someone like Bryce Cartwright fits the bill. Wade Graham. SBW when he was around. Probably forgetting others. There are guys with the same skill set floating around, they just don't play in the middle anymore.

Graham is the only one I'd really compare to Greg Bird, and he's been behind a pretty handy lock down at the Sharks. Cartwright could do it. SBW not in that mould at all - he's the archetypal modern backrower. I just don't buy your "the favourites aren't doing it, so it's not viable" argument. I don't think there are enough innovative thinkers in the game anymore as a whole, to be honest. I'd love to see the Walker brothers get an NRL gig somewhere.

Unfortunately blokes thinking like this are coaching most NRL teams these days. I miss watching Brian Smith coach, he could take a bunch of spare parts and craft something more from it.

 

[slotmachine]

http://www.watoday.com.au/rugby-lea...ewcastle-knights-hitlist-20170211-guaqis.html

Yes please to Finucane.

 

[perverse]

The thing is, if you can get a guy like Jack Bird in your squad, playing with a guy like Ponga behind a pack with the Saifitis leading it in a few years... maybe some of McGuigans "magic" might start brewing on the field. There's at least some ingredients there. I think Bird playing Lock could be a genuine point of difference for the team, if anything. The trick with the ballplaying Lock is not having too many cooks. I think if you can get the harmony right with the spine then it can still work fine. They need to be good defenders, and any go forward you can get is a plus. Not sure how Jack Birds knees (i think it's his knees?) would hold up playing in the forwards, though. I suppose it wouldn't be much better at fullback given the amount of ground they cover in a match, and he wanted to play there at one point.

Brown does seem to be a bit of a fan of a more old school approach to footy. He tried to get Hodko playing both sides of the field when he got here, although I don't know how crash hot he is on that idea now that he knows it's illegal to run a wheelchair out on the field to get Hodko on the other side of the ball every play. You could also argue that he may have just wanted Mullen playing wider more often, too.

I dunno, at the end of the day I'd be happy enough with 7. Lamb/Cogger 6. Bird too. Banking on both Lamb AND Cogger being competent first graders is playing things pretty loose anyway. It's an interesting discussion to have, at the end of the day wouldn't it be a nice headache to have to find a spot for Jack Bird to play in the team?

 

[Caped Crusader]

Outside backs? How are you all forgetting Rossdawg

And I must be out of touch because I didnt hear nor read anything about Meaney leading up to the 9s. I'd never even heard of the kid until then

 

[perverse]

http://www.watoday.com.au/rugby-lea...ewcastle-knights-hitlist-20170211-guaqis.html

Yes please to Finucane.

Oh yeah, sign me up too.

 

[perverse]

Outside backs? How are you all forgetting Rossdawg

It's hard to say you produced a footballer when they debut at 27 years of age. I guess he counts, technically. Really Ross is an anomaly, he actually responded to Bennetts criticism in the way that you hope every player responds to it, and turned his whole career and life around in the process. We could probably have a lot more Rosses with the right culture at the club.

 

[slotmachine]

Contemplating a pack of Scott, saifiti x 2, grevsmuhl, Finucane, Barnett, Bird, Sione, Buhrer would have had you locked up.

Probably missing a fourth out and out prop, but Jesus.

 

[perverse]

Contemplating a pack of Scott, saifiti x 2, grevsmuhl, Finucane, Barnett, Bird, Sione, Buhrer would have had you locked up.

Probably missing a fourth out and out prop, but Jesus.

We won't get them all I don't think, but they're the kinds of names you want to be seeing mixing together for sure. Saifitis will need big upgrades eventually, other clubs will be circling.

 

[perverse]

Another thought - am I to assume that Brown thinks he's got an NRL quality backline locked in? We don't get linked to high profile backs since Ponga crossed the line.

I'd love to see the name Brendon Elliott fade into the obscurity of non-history as soon as possible.

 

[slotmachine]

It's funny, after all the whining about locals we might end up with only the saifitis, lamb, barnett and sione in the team.

As for the backs, Gagai, ross and sio pick themselves and he's probably banking on one of the Elliott/Chanel/gagan/meaney/Denniss scrub parade to not be a complete embarrassment.

 

[perverse]

It's funny, after all the whining about locals we might end up with only the saifitis, lamb, barnett and sione in the team.

And if they're winning, no-one will even notice. Ponga will be remembered as a local as much as Robbie O'Davis is if he hangs around the club long enough and wins a lot. If Gagai signs again and we start winning, he'll be our modern mad dog. Honestly, it all revolves around results. Outsiders are only unwelcome if they're losers.

 

[Johns Magic]

http://www.watoday.com.au/rugby-lea...ewcastle-knights-hitlist-20170211-guaqis.html

Yes please to Finucane.

Finucane on 650K ? No thanks.

He is a good pack member and I wouldn't complain if we got him, but I don't think you throw that coin at that type of player.

I would be looking at a guy like Jack De Belin to fill that role assuming he comes a fair bit cheaper i.e. sub 400K.

I know Brown will love the fact Finucane has come from the Storm system though and that does add value.

It's a bit hard to figure out what is value these days though, everything seems to be getting inflated.