Rumoured Targets 3

[Swarzey]

Yeah it's incredibly frustrating, we always seem to be behind the 8-ball.

Clubs like the Tigers are throwing offers around left, right & centre and all we ever hear about our recruitment is that we're "interested" in players or that we've "been in contact" but we don't seem to be making any actual offers to them.

I get the whole due diligence thing that we're doing but that whole process seems to take ages and meanwhile other clubs snap up all the talent on the open market.

Wests have the luxury of a coach who a some of their signings either played under or were developed within his system. The addition of being in Sydney would have been critical in signing Reynolds. The likelihood of signing Packer rolls off the back of him being best mates with Matulino. They threw big bucks at Matulino yet he's someone who has had a history of knee injuries; something many here had concerns over with Scott and used it as a reason not to sign him. The MWZ signing is also something many here would have labeled poor because he's just an untested young talent.

They are taking risks and playing cards we don't have; just consensus here is that people don't want the club to take risks in signing players. Can't look at Wests and think highly of them while knocking the club if Wests are approaching the market in a way that isn't ideal for us.

We've been ahead of the curve when it came to getting onto the Jack Bird signing but were derailed at the end. We also signed Ponga by being head of every other club. We've been trying to sign Graham for months; historically we are a club that is vague on signings, this year is the most active publicly I feel we've been in years.

 

[Caped Crusader]

When the draft is over is the perfect time to be talking to young athletes who have trained in far better programs than the NRL about coming to play in the local league.

Park them at Souths, Wests, Kurri, Central - give them a year or two working holiday to learn the game and sample the local ladies. Wouldn't be a hard sell,

If one makes it, it is worthwhile. Could do it with Fijians too.

Low risk high reward.

What we are doing now isn't working, only a complete negative idiot like you would shitcan an idea where we have nothing to lose in favour of the same old.

Hahaha ok m8, I'm sure some young American fella would jump at the chance to move halfway across the world to play a totally unfamiliar sport in a 4th tier competition in a country town for peanuts

I think you are confusing negativity with just being plain old realistic

 

[God-King Dean]

When the draft is over is the perfect time to be talking to young athletes who have trained in far better programs than the NRL about coming to play in the local league.

Park them at Souths, Wests, Kurri, Central - give them a year or two working holiday to learn the game and sample the local ladies. Wouldn't be a hard sell,

If one makes it, it is worthwhile. Could do it with Fijians too.

Low risk high reward.

What we are doing now isn't working, only a complete negative idiot like you would shitcan an idea where we have nothing to lose in favour of the same old.

Jesus

 

[Spot On]

Wests have the luxury of a coach who a some of their signings either played under or were developed within his system. The addition of being in Sydney would have been critical in signing Reynolds. The likelihood of signing Packer rolls off the back of him being best mates with Matulino. They threw big bucks at Matulino yet he's someone who has had a history of knee injuries; something many here had concerns over with Scott and used it as a reason not to sign him. The MWZ signing is also something many here would have labeled poor because he's just an untested young talent.

They are taking risks and playing cards we don't have; just consensus here is that people don't want the club to take risks in signing players. Can't look at Wests and think highly of them while knocking the club if Wests are approaching the market in a way that isn't ideal for us.

We've been ahead of the curve when it came to getting onto the Jack Bird signing but were derailed at the end. We also signed Ponga by being head of every other club. We've been trying to sign Graham for months; historically we are a club that is vague on signings, this year is the most active publicly I feel we've been in years.

Top post.

Stop writing so much truth Swarzey. Nail on the head - again.

Enter the emos.

 

[jonno_knights]

When the draft is over is the perfect time to be talking to young athletes who have trained in far better programs than the NRL about coming to play in the local league.

Park them at Souths, Wests, Kurri, Central - give them a year or two working holiday to learn the game and sample the local ladies. Wouldn't be a hard sell,

If one makes it, it is worthwhile. Could do it with Fijians too.

Low risk high reward.

What we are doing now isn't working, only a complete negative idiot like you would shitcan an idea where we have nothing to lose in favour of the same old.

You do know NFL squads gets extended to 90-odd people after the draft for training camp?

So a lot of these good undrafted rookies still get picked up, and get to continue their dream for a modest salary in training camp, and don't usually get cut until September (that would be a better time to pick up players).

And if the players luck out and make a practice squad, they get minimum US$6,900+ a week for a maximum of 17 weeks. That's over A$150,000 to basically train for 4 months.

If they don't make it there they can then go onto CFL and AFL leagues to continue playing in the hope for scoring an NFL contract. Money isn't great in these leagues, but the top players would earn over more then the average NRL players.

So basically, you'd be left scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of talent over there, bringing them over to play a game they've never played before, to quite frankly, hope they one day cut it as an NRL winger. Finding other positions would be a massive challenge.

 

[God-King Dean]

But they'd get to sample the women in Australian country towns!

 

[Caped Crusader]

..and get paid $500 a game all while pulling beers at the local RSL. What every young American kid dreams of doing

 

[jonno_knights]

Where we could be looking at is Rugby Sevens.

According to this article (although written in 2016, salaries might have jumped a little bit), average salary is only $90k, with a base of $50k.

At least the skills will be translated to Rugby league a lot better, so you might find some decent Wingers, Halves, Centres, attacking second rowers.

Sure you're going to have to take risks, but offering the cream of the crop say 250-300k a year, an average NRL salary, will surely make them think. Question will be, are the cream of the crop good enough to cut it in the NRL? who knows, I'm not talent scout, but they seem to at least have the physical tools.

The majority of the Aus squad is between 22-24, so not too late to develop either.

Only downside, Sevens provides a pretty good lifestyle for a young bloke wanting to see the world, and now has the carrot of going to the Olympics.

 

[Alex28]

Weidler is saying that Des Hasler reckons that Cooper Cronk will end up with us.

Bold.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

The biggest challenge in rugby league is to lead the knights to 15th spot in 2018. Maybe Cronk wants to take up that challenge to truly be considered one of the greats of the game.

 

[Spot On]

Weidler is saying that Des Hasler reckons that Cooper Cronk will end up with us.

Bold.

Smart. Taking the heat out of any stories to be written about the Dogs fitting their million a season recruits in without letting go of any big fish like Graham I suspect.

 

[PhilGould]

No chance. I do know that Cronk is a fan of Lamb & Cogger though so I wouldn't be shocked to see him do some work with them if he does retire.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Yeah if Cronk does retire we should definitely put some feelers out there to employ him a few days a week, or more if he wants, as a halves coach. Joey did it at a few clubs, but i don't think he was that successful. Cronk however looks like he would make an excellent coach.

 

[Scar Tissue]

The Rugby 7's suggestion has merit if you want entitled, precious, kick happy prettyboys who cant or won't tackle & won't get down & dirty to grind out a win, week in week out. They should be right at home with some of our current crop! With a few exceptions.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Storm are apparently chasing kasiano. So that rules us out of contention.

 

[Swarzey]

I don't think Kasiano is ideal for us. We need a big minutes prop and a real leader in the pack up front, not someone who has two 20/25 minute stints. He wants to be a starting prop and maybe Storm can convert him into one but for now he isn't.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

We need players better than what we have now. Kasiano is better than any prop at this club.

 

[slotmachine]

Well next year's prop rotation is Saifiti, Saifiti and King at the moment, so probably need a starting prop, a bench prop and hopefully one or two more for depth.

 

[Spot On]

I don't think Kasiano is ideal for us. We need a big minutes prop and a real leader in the pack up front, not someone who has two 20/25 minute stints. He wants to be a starting prop and maybe Storm can convert him into one but for now he isn't.

He plays less than 30 mins, so 15 min stints approx. Why on earth anyone thinks we need that is beyond comprehension.

 

[slotmachine]

I shouldn't be surprised, but LOL.