Rumoured Targets 3

[Alex28]

Rothfield is essentially that drunk bloke at the pub who tells stories that are obviously made up. The bloke at the pub is more sober and easier to understand though.

His column is literally shit he has read online during the week. I read it and realise I read it all via The Lurker a few days earlier...

In saying that, hope he's right!

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Apparently Foran to the dogs is a done deal

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

So the dogs are certainties to have Cronk and Foran yet here we are, more cap space than anyone and can't sign shit.

 

[slotmachine]

Hopefully means Graham falls our way, we need props more than alledged match fixers.

But it will probably be Eastwood and a pair of Kasiano's used speedos after a kebab feast.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Paul Kent on 360 believes Graham will be staying at the Dogs.. If they get Foran and keep Graham, I Fair dinkum give up on the NRL haha

 

[Pedge1971]

Paul Kent on 360 believes Graham will be staying at the Dogs.. If they get Foran and keep Graham, I Fair dinkum give up on the NRL haha

To be clear it is alleged to be Cronk, Foran, Tedesco, Woods and keeping Graham on big numbers..

The other clubs will riot.

 

[otori]

Dogs have signed Woods so if they get Foran as well, you have to think they will shed players.

Graham's next deal will be awkward to negotiate with his apparently back-ended contract situation plus his age. I get the feeling musical chairs is kicking off now and we may be the club without a chair when the music stops.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

I'd settle for an experienced prop. I reckon we will be stuck with Hodko next year.
Maybe Pythian is a future half prospect. Cogger would need to do a lot to convince me but there has been confidence in his potential.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Buderus backing Foran. At least it's someone else speaking out.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/da...d/news-story/b293b1d5f18859b442184ce11e7add58

 

[mozza91]

I'd settle for an experienced prop. I reckon we will be stuck with Hodko next year.
Maybe Pythian is a future half prospect. Cogger would need to do a lot to convince me but there has been confidence in his potential.

An experienced prop or 2 won't prevent another spoon if we still have Hodkinson and a kid in the halves.
We need a quality half desperately and if we can't get one of the few available here next year then Brown will be looking for a job this time next year.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Money is usually the biggest factor when players make their decisions, I know they all bang on about playing with their mates and being loyal blah blah blah but if the Jack Bird situation has taught us anything it's that the highest bidder usually wins.

I don't really care that much about missing out on Bird now, yes he would make our team better but sounds to me like he's got a massive ego so it might be a blessing in disguise.

We'll get someone sooner or later, but we might have to make an offer too good to refuse.

I personally think that fixing our front row rotation is a bigger priority than the halves right now. We need a couple of hard headed experienced front rowers to come in and crack a few heads together and show our young guys what needs to be done on the field.

Our halves situation still isn't great but I feel that Lamb (and possible even Hodko) would perform better if we actually had forward momentum for once.

That's not to say we shouldn't be going after Foran/Widdop or another big name half because we've gotta take our opportunities when they're available to us. But surely the Bulldogs can't sign 3 or 4 elite players and hang on to all the guys they've got, no way is that possible. So I'll be quite happy to see a few guys signing elsewhere if it means that pushes other players our way.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

An experienced prop or 2 won't prevent another spoon if we still have Hodkinson and a kid in the halves.
We need a quality half desperately and if we can't get one of the few available here next year then Brown will be looking for a job this time next year.

I can't see Hodkinson being dropped unless he is physically unable to play - current struggle aside.
If he chooses to end it all the better.
I'd like to see him gone now but the reality is that Brown is sticking with him.
I reckon we have no hope with Foran - disinterested and we'll be too far away for him to be close to his kids.
Who does that leave us with?

 

[Still Nutty]

I'd settle for an experienced prop. I reckon we will be stuck with Hodko next year.
Maybe Pythian is a future half prospect. Cogger would need to do a lot to convince me but there has been confidence in his potential.

I must admit that I have had Phythian in the back of my mind as a potential future half/five eighth when Ponga comes next year based on the limited game time I've seen of him - his profile lists him as utility, fullback, half, five eighth and he has the best kicking game in the team based on the limited game time he's had. He's still only 21 but there seems to be a lot of maturity in him already. The other thing I like about Phythian is his size -at 95KG and 185 cm, he makes a solid half that would be more capable defensively of handling forward traffic.

His biggest problem is that he already has a rep of being injury prone which you don't want in a young player - it tends to extend into chronic problems all too often that limit development.

If he can get his rehab right and get a good off season under his belt he may well be a reasonably priced replacement that could jump the queue ahead of Cogger to push Hodko out of the squad for 2018...we can live in hope that this is another option if Foran doesn't eventuate

 

[mozza91]

I can't see Hodkinson being dropped unless he is physically unable to play - current struggle aside.
If he chooses to end it all the better.
I'd like to see him gone now but the reality is that Brown is sticking with him.
I reckon we have no hope with Foran - disinterested and we'll be too far away for him to be close to his kids.
Who does that leave us with?

Widdop, Johnson, Townsend and Maloney may be available from what I've heard at different times this year and I would take any of them.

As much of a problem as Hodkinson is and will continue to be 5/8 is a similar concern. Lamb is making a decent fist of it at the moment but I don't see anyone at our club now being a good First Grade half in the future. Lamb is meh, Cogger too small, Phythian unproven and ridiculously injury prone.

 

[Still Nutty]

I can't see Hodkinson being dropped unless he is physically unable to play - current struggle aside.
If he chooses to end it all the better.
I'd like to see him gone now but the reality is that Brown is sticking with him.
I reckon we have no hope with Foran - disinterested and we'll be too far away for him to be close to his kids.
Who does that leave us with?

As has been flagged by others , Brown has no genuine choices at present to have the option of dropping him...I'd like to think that he would if somebody gave him half a reason to select them but the sad fact is that there just aren't any genuine options within the rest of the club at present IMHO

 

[macavity]

Widdop, Johnson, Townsend and Maloney may be available from what I've heard at different times this year and I would take any of them.

Widdop will end up at the Storm, Johnson will stay at the Warriors, Maloney will stay at the Sharks (still under contract) and Townsend is second tier. Cronk will surely retire rather than play at the Tigers (unless the Dogs find some money down the back of the couch for him).

We will end up throwing marquee money at a second tier player (like Reynolds or Townsend), and/or signing Albert Kelly (who isn't turning us around either).

NRL players these days are like NBA players - no one wants to be first, they all want to join other established stars/teams.

Hell, look at Korbin - rather play for a pie and a coke (and win) in Brissie than try to set a standard at a "losing" club that looked after him for his whole career. Its all very millennial.

Our signing bread and butter has always been kids looking for a chance or blokes on the downward slide who want a nice place to raise their family. We have signed exactly one "superstar" in our history (BK) - and that was because he could see we were on the rise (and he was right).

Not confident we can change that this year - especially when any offer we make can be trumped by a number of other clubs with limitless access to dirty money. All the cap money in the world really means squat these days.

I doubt we will land that "first one". Really hope I'm wrong.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Ponga might also be an option for 5/8 in the future.
I'd give him a couple of seasons at fullback and then think about it.
I seriously don't think any of our halves will do well unless we get some experience up front. The experience up front will help everyone.
If we can ditch Hodko and get an experienced half then all good. If we can't or don't then we have some options that might work out in time.
If we focus on one player to be the be all to end all we might get trapped again.
With Kostajyn looking a no go we might also look for a utility for like, now. Use that utility at Hooker and maybe half.
Something I think will help us is to put Buhrer as captain when he's back and focus some plays around him.

 

[PhilGould]

We're one of a handful of clubs that are interested in John Asiata according to the Courier Mail.

 

[Noname36]

We're one of a handful of clubs that are interested in John Asiata according to the Courier Mail.

Take him in a heartbeat.

 

[Sydney Knight]

Take him in a heartbeat.

As a halfback?