Rumoured Targets 3

[Spot On]

Is it right that Ferg is turning back to his old off-field ways?

That's probably the only thing for me passing on him.

Have heard this and think the Roosters are happy to let him go.

 

[Johns Magic]

How much would Ferguson want anyway? Too much I'm guessing.

 

[Caped Crusader]

I have no interest in bagging Gagai but I'm not really sure what you're going for in this post.

A bit of a laugh

 

[Caped Crusader]

Back on topic. I'd not want Fergo tbh

He fades in and out of games a bit too much for my liking and is a massive dickhead

As JM hinted too, he'd want rep player money

 

[Spot On]

I'm still not sold on the title - rep quality player. Yes he is a rep player, just like Sione played for Australia, but I'm not convinced that either are rep quality at this stage.

I don't get caught up in the 'rep' tag too much. We all know there's been plenty of blokes who get a rep jersey that shouldn't and plenty that don't get one that should. There's obvious 'rep' stars and to me they are the only players who should be paid the mega bucks - Thurston, Cronk, Smith etc and not too many more. These bloke are worth say a million a year. Sam Burgess and Taumololo, although not spine players, are another 2 who are leagues above the rest in their positions. They deserve massive dollars. These players influence a game nearly every week, every year.

At the moment there's a bubble in player prices and Brown knows it. Yes we have to factor in paying some overs for players but we can't put ourselves in a position to pay hugely inflated prices for decent first graders any more. And let's not kid ourselves. the majority of NRL plays are not game winning superstars. There aren't that many around.

Too many players have had their pay day at Newcastle and that has stopped. Brown has identified and kept a pretty decent bunch of kids. Three big signings and more time for the kids to get their 50+ games (and a bit of luck as well) under the belt and this period of shitness will be a distant memory - hopefully.

 

[MKCS]

Hypothetically lets say you guys don't table an offer to Gagai, you then lose one of your more experienced players and get nothing except more money in the cap. I'd give him what he wants and pay overs (Within reason) unless the plan is to table a monster offer (1.7 - 2.0 million a season) to Cooper Cronk. At 26 Dane Gagai will be the QLD winger for a little while I think.

Would it be safe to assume that the Knights have 2.0-2.5 million in the salary cap as it stands? If so, that's enough for 2 marquee players in key positions and a very very strong player in your prop department. Unfortunately for you guys I don't see that many great players coming off contract.

5/8 has nothing available, Halfback has Cronk and allegedly Thurston available. Don't see Thurston leaving the Cowboys and although I hope Cronk goes to you guys I assume he's going to retire. I'd offer him 1.5 million a year and find him an additional 500k in TPA to ensure you have him for 2 years. He'd do a lot for your football team and the crowds would come out in force for him.

After that I still think you guys should grab Russell Packer who would sign with a more competitive Knights outfit (If he is wanted), SKD on a contract that says he can't get up to any mischief or can be terminated without pay and an experienced head like an Eddy Pettybourne or Frank Pritchard on a one year deal off the bench.

If you could fit that under your cap you'd be looking at:

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Ken Sio (Moving to the left) 3. Nathan Ross 4. Dane Gagai 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 6. Brock Lamb/Jaelen Feeney (Whoever plays better this year) 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Danny Levi 10. Russell Packer 11. Sione Mata'utia 12. Jamie Buhrer (C) 13. Mitchell Barnett 14. Jacob Saifiti 15. Josh Starling 16. Frank Pritchard 17. Joe Wardle.

---

Not sure you guys could attract 3 relatively big name players in SKD, Packer and Cronk but to me that side looks like a top 8 side and potentially even top 4. Don't think it'll ever happen due to Brown wanting to stay away from troublemakers and former troublemakers (Like Packer and SKD) which is fair enough but it's a shame because I think Gagai and SKD would be a good pairing down the right and I think Packer would be huge for you.

 

[Spot On]

The club has apparently offered 650K a season to Dane. I would have thought that is 'within reason'. If his decision is based on money or as one article claimed a desire to play next to his idol in Inglis then we'd need to trump Souths offer of 700K a year and give him maybe 750 to 800K a year.

I can't see how an extra 50K after tax per annum is such a huge incentive to pack your family up and leave the place he tells everyone he loves but each to their own.

Maybe Brown will change his mind and give him 700K?????? He would need to take his game to a new level for that money. A whole new level each and every week.

I'd hope any marquee signings that may occur would be slightly more 'marquee' than say Packer or SKD.

 

[macavity]

Hypothetically lets say you guys don't table an offer to Gagai, you then lose one of your more experienced players and get nothing except more money in the cap. I'd give him what he wants and pay overs (Within reason) unless the plan is to table a monster offer (1.7 - 2.0 million a season) to Cooper Cronk. At 26 Dane Gagai will be the QLD winger for a little while I think.

Would it be safe to assume that the Knights have 2.0-2.5 million in the salary cap as it stands? If so, that's enough for 2 marquee players in key positions and a very very strong player in your prop department. Unfortunately for you guys I don't see that many great players coming off contract.

5/8 has nothing available, Halfback has Cronk and allegedly Thurston available. Don't see Thurston leaving the Cowboys and although I hope Cronk goes to you guys I assume he's going to retire. I'd offer him 1.5 million a year and find him an additional 500k in TPA to ensure you have him for 2 years. He'd do a lot for your football team and the crowds would come out in force for him.

After that I still think you guys should grab Russell Packer who would sign with a more competitive Knights outfit (If he is wanted), SKD on a contract that says he can't get up to any mischief or can be terminated without pay and an experienced head like an Eddy Pettybourne or Frank Pritchard on a one year deal off the bench.

If you could fit that under your cap you'd be looking at:

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Ken Sio (Moving to the left) 3. Nathan Ross 4. Dane Gagai 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 6. Brock Lamb/Jaelen Feeney (Whoever plays better this year) 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Danny Levi 10. Russell Packer 11. Sione Mata'utia 12. Jamie Buhrer (C) 13. Mitchell Barnett 14. Jacob Saifiti 15. Josh Starling 16. Frank Pritchard 17. Joe Wardle.

---

Not sure you guys could attract 3 relatively big name players in SKD, Packer and Cronk but to me that side looks like a top 8 side and potentially even top 4. Don't think it'll ever happen due to Brown wanting to stay away from troublemakers and former troublemakers (Like Packer and SKD) which is fair enough but it's a shame because I think Gagai and SKD would be a good pairing down the right and I think Packer would be huge for you.

No to all of that. And we have closer to 4mil left under the cap. Not that cap dollars mean that much these days.

 

[Alex28]

Love the Roosters fan saying "just find $500K in TPA's" like everybody can do it easily...

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

We signed packer once, then he almost murdered some poor bloke and went to jail. I don't think we will ever consider him again.

There are 3 players I want us to go all out for.

Obviously Cronk And graham.

If they fall through the cracks we should at least pick up tolman.

Then we should be offering Nelson Asofa solomona $100k more than any offer the storm put to him.

If we lose gagai then table SKD a reduced offer to what was on the table before the coke stuff just to fill a hole.

 

[Johns Magic]

The first centre we should be re-signing is Pete.

Both our wins this year he has crashed over for a try he had no right scoring to get us in front, then made a try-assist to seal the deal.

Underrated player who bleeds red white and blue and on a moderate contract...yes please.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

The first centre we should be re-signing is Pete.

Both our wins this year he has crashed over for a try he had no right scoring to get us in front, then made a try-assist to seal the deal.

Underrated player who bleeds red white and blue and on a moderate contract...yes please.

Pete has been great this season. Better than our other centre who's name shall not be mentioned

 

[Spot On]

Brown on radio this morn re Gags saying the salary cap for some clubs is bigger than others due to TPA $$$ and that he'd love Gags to stay BUT understands he has a family to think of and players don't have long at the top so ....... well have to wait to see what happens.

Would have thought 650K a year was good coin to raise a family in a place you love?

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Pete has been great this season. Better than our other centre who's name shall not be mentioned

100% agree, he's wasn't the most fashionable signing when we first got him back last year but he's improved a lot and is a solid week to week contributer in our team. As previously mentioned he's scored some important tries this year and he's got a good combo with Ross on the left edge. Gives his all every week in both attack and defence as well. He's got a few errors in his game still but I'll take that considering what he delivers each week.

Definitely an astute signing from Brown, I think offering him $250k-$300k for another 3 years would be about right for Pete.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Brown on radio this morn re Gags saying the salary cap for some clubs is bigger than others due to TPA $$$ and that he'd love Gags to stay BUT understands he has a family to think of and players don't have long at the top so ....... well have to wait to see what happens.

Would have thought 650K a year was good coin to raise a family in a place you love?

You would think that gagai would be one of the few players in our squad that would attract some decent TPA $$ in the Newcastle region. Regardless of how good he is as a player he is still our highest profile player.

 

[Knight76]

The club has apparently offered 650K a season to Dane. I would have thought that is 'within reason'. If his decision is based on money or as one article claimed a desire to play next to his idol in Inglis then we'd need to trump Souths offer of 700K a year and give him maybe 750 to 800K a year.

Gags doesn't strike me as a player that signs with a club simply because they have the biggest offer. If he is leaving us, it is because he wants to have a better shot at winning games, or to play with inglis, personal reasons.

If he has it in his head to leave then trumping their offer by 50 or 100k isn't going to stop him.

If we lose gagai then table SKD a reduced offer to what was on the table before the coke stuff just to fill a hole.

If Gags leaves I think we need to offer SKD exactly what we did pre coke crisis. We desperately need something to happen and we are going to need an NRL standard Centre. We just have to pretend that coke stuff never happened. Trump out the line that we think he is sorry for his behavior blah blah blah.

SKD offered to take a hair follicle test to prove he hasn't taken any. Maybe we offer him that same contract, but we get that test done, if he passes it we pay him the full contract, otherwise......pay him it anyway, we desperately need some signing news going our way.

Why do the follicle test if we are going to pay him anyway, because it gives us something to point to for our reason for signing him to the media and NRL world.

 

[Glendale]

Brown on radio this morn re Gags saying the salary cap for some clubs is bigger than others due to TPA $$$ and that he'd love Gags to stay BUT understands he has a family to think of and players don't have long at the top so ....... well have to wait to see what happens.

Would have thought 650K a year was good coin to raise a family in a place you love?

Got a link to this interview with Brown?

 

[Glendale]

The first centre we should be re-signing is Pete.

Both our wins this year he has crashed over for a try he had no right scoring to get us in front, then made a try-assist to seal the deal.

Underrated player who bleeds red white and blue and on a moderate contract...yes please.

Another thing with Pete is I reckon Sione has always played better footy when he has an older brother in the side.

Awkward thing is I reckon SKD was planned as a Pete replacement more then anything else.

 

[perverse]

The Daily Telegraph today have put a $700k figure on Souths offer to Gags, but it's a year shorter than our offer. If he leaves for that offer, then it isn't about the money. Apparently the opportunity to play with Inglis is appealing, too.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Inglis will be lucky to get on the field for half of next season. He is very injury prone, will be 31 next season and is well over the hill. I don't understand the appeal of this.