Rumoured Targets 3

[Caped Crusader]

Thompson is shit. Can't even get a start in the halves over a 2nd rower for the cowvoys

 

[Yosh]

Who cares about the cap anyway... We can't get the TPAs that other big clubs do so the cap is meaningless. We need to focus on getting our club sold so that we can attract top level TPAs that will actually make us competitively financially.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Who cares about the cap anyway... We can't get the TPAs that other big clubs do so the cap is meaningless. We need to focus on getting our club sold so that we can attract top level TPAs that will actually make us competitively financially.

Nah, f*ck it. I think we should just start cheating the cap like Melbourne.

Sure they were disgraced in the end, but do you think fans cared after 4 GFs in a row?

 

[Spot On]

Apart from waiting for all these quality players that are supposedly going to be pushed out, the cupboard is looking pretty bare in terms of players left off contract.

Gavet and Agnatius Paasi would be definite upgrades. Maybe Ray Thompson?

I don't think Brown and Mooney have given up all hope - yet.

 

[Sacrolishes]

Knight are notorious for not really revealing who they are chasing or secured until they release the knews themselves. And journos especially in Sydney rarely have a clue mostly because they could give two f**ks. Theory only one who seems to get inside news and he has said to "keep the faith the club knows why they are doing".

 

[slotmachine]

So who are these three or four rep players we are targeting in secret?

SKD and?

 

[AusKnightRKO]

We don't need rep players, i hope we are looking at the Next Cordners, Mitchells, Birds at other clubs and poach them like what happened to us, build from the ground up.

 

[Apey]

Reported that aku = Buhrer + $200k

Surprisingly good deal by our standards if true.

He wasn't going to be Manly's captain. He wasn't wanted by them.

Check the articles around late last year - earmarked for co-captaincy at worst. Backed by players. Endorsed by Barrett... although given he left maybe that was like 'full support of the board'.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Knight are notorious for not really revealing who they are chasing or secured until they release the knews themselves. And journos especially in Sydney rarely have a clue mostly because they could give two f**ks. Theory only one who seems to get inside news and he has said to "keep the faith the club knows why they are doing".

Yeh, we have a good history of keeping signings under raps...

I was really surprised when the Bird and Foran rumours came out. I guess its only because there were also Sydney teams interested.

Im sure we are looking at and talking to a few contracted players, but we will never hear about any of them unless we get a signature.

 

[macavity]

Yeh, we have a good history of keeping signings under raps...

I was really surprised when the Bird and Foran rumours came out. I guess its only because there were also Sydney teams interested.

Im sure we are looking at and talking to a few contracted players, but we will never hear about any of them unless we get a signature.

We are known to be cashed up, and player managers like to create a market. Player managers also like to help favoured clubs move players around.

Expect a lot more rumours involving us.

 

[slotmachine]

Dane Gagai is preparing to quit the Knights.
The Queensland Origin centre has been offered over $750,000 a season by Melbourne, St George-Illawarra and the Sydney Roosters.
Gagai has an option in his favour to remain at the Knights in 2018.
But the 2018 season is worth a lot less than what each of the three clubs vying for his signature are willing to pay.
Gagai has already begun a family and wants to secure their future.

In more good news.

Unenviable choice there, pay $700k+ for gags or let him walk.

 

[perverse]

I still can't see him leaving. Brown may as well prepare for life after coaching if he lets him go. It's bad enough that no-one will come here already - it's only going to make it more difficult if our only rep player, best clubman and a guy who is allegedly very close to the coach walks out.

I can't see him leaving - but his manager is going to get every last dollar out of us that he can. If he does leave, then I think it's worthwhile to cast an eye over the coaching talent available, because Brown and Mooney have hit the wall big time at the moment... and their plan to force clubs into giving up players that they want to keep seems dubious and likely to fail to me. That strategy might work anywhere else, but surely they're realising by now that they're in a somewhat unique pile of shit.

 

[Johns Magic]

In more good news.

Unenviable choice there, pay $700k+ for gags or let him walk.

Not to be a forum cop but where is that from?

 

[perverse]

Not to be a forum cop but where is that from?

It's from nospam47, who are dribblers at the best of times. It'd be naive to think he's not attracting and considering interest from other clubs, though... and I'm sure they'll be coming in over the top of his current $600k to entice him.

 

[Knight76]

Not to be a forum cop but where is that from?

It's from that sporting news site. So could be totally made up. Could be true, who knows.

and their plan to force clubs into giving up players that they want to keep seems dubious and likely to fail to me. That strategy might work anywhere else, but surely they're realising by now that they're in a somewhat unique pile of shit.

The problem with this plan is they are attempting it right at the time the salary cap is going up, and all clubs have money to spend. So what happens, and what we are seeing happen, is player movement happens as normal, players are forced out as normal, but the amount of clubs vying for signatures is all of them, and the amount of clubs with cap space is all of them. So, any player that is on the market has 2-3 clubs chasing them and pretty much any other club is a better option than us.

I honestly am staggered we signed Ponga. I put that down to his youth and NRL inexperience.

 

[Johns Magic]

It's from nospam47, who are dribblers at the best of times. It'd be naive to think he's not attracting and considering interest from other clubs, though... and I'm sure they'll be coming in over the top of his current $600k to entice him.

It doesn't sound legit to me. Roosters signing him and Tedesco in one year at that coin?

since when do the Storm pay big money for centres? They are losing forwards, that's where any spending would go.

Dragons possible in theory but the article sounds rubbish to me.

 

[perverse]

It doesn't sound legit to me. Roosters signing him and Tedesco in one year at that coin?

since when do the Storm pay big money for centres? They are losing forwards, that's where any spending would go.

Dragons possible in theory but the article sounds rubbish to me.

Yeah, I don't trust the accuracy of the article at all on a number of levels. If the info is coming from anywhere, it'll be Gags manager. Having said that, he's the best centre on the market at the moment, someone will be throwing cash at him.

 

[PhilGould]

nospam47 is the same website that put out an article saying Vaughan had signed with the Knights a few hours before his deal with the Dragons was officially announced. Once it had been announced all they did was edit the article and replace all the mentions of 'Knights' with 'Dragons'. I wouldn't believe anything they write.

 

[slotmachine]

Their plan to force clubs into giving up players that they want to keep seems dubious and likely to fail to me. That strategy might work anywhere else, but surely they're realising by now that they're in a somewhat unique pile of shit.

Mooney won the lottery once by fleecing other clubs for basically half their GF winning team (Lewis, Fifita, Maloney, Barba, Ennis, Heighington).

What are the chances it happens again with a historically bad side that isn't on the beach in Sydney?

 

[perverse]

Mooney won the lottery once by fleecing other clubs for basically half their GF winning team (Lewis, Fifita, Maloney, Barba, Ennis, Heighington).

What are the chances it happens again with a historically bad side that isn't on the beach in Sydney?

Well yeah, exactly. The strategy kinda assumes certain market conditions, and that they will fall favourably. That boat has sailed already for this years recruitment. The strategy can't just be sit back and wait for lightning to strike. There needs to be a plan B, because we need to improve. Wallowing in shit isn't going to get us anywhere. Well it will - it gets us moving backwards. As much as our defence and attitude has improved a bit this year, it's hard to argue that we've moved forward very much if the results are largely the same.

I can see Brown surviving this year and going into next year, I'm willing to give him that time - but there's no-where to hide at all next year. If he can't get results to improve at all over a 3 year period, then it's not going to happen over 5 or 10 years either.