Rumoured Targets 3

[NewySteel]

He wouldn’t be a “cheap” replacement though because he left for more money. So it’s not like he’d ask to get out of his contract up there to come back here and be a fringe first grader at best for less money. Even if the Titans were chipping in half his contract I don’t think it’d be worth it.

If he has any career sense he would. Won’t get game time up there and he would know his market value is much less than the contract he’s on. Could see the Titans chipping in more than half.

In saying that, I guess there’s a 99% chance he goes to the tigers or super league on good money instead

 

[slotmachine]

he has an option to leave if we don’t

He can leave after next year regardless of what happens with winning a premiership.

 

[Burwood]

I’ve read the article three times, and I still can’t figure out the clause or the problem? The article makes it out to sound like if we don’t win a premiership this year or next, then Ponga is unable to take up the player option for 23/24- he’ll be forced from the club. That’s just stupid and clearly not what would be in his contract.

The only way it’s a problem, is if it is a club option for 23/24 that is only activated if we win a premiership, but that’s not what the article states.

 

[aqua_duck]

The club seemed happy to let him leave so I don’t see why they would go back to him. Wasn’t his defence a bit suspect? I’d rather have Sue in the 17 over Herman based on that.

they let him go because the titans went silly with their spending, yes he had some lapses in defence but his overall tackle % was around 94%. Look Sue is a solid squad player but doesn't really offer that much in attack nor in terms of impact, beyond Sue there's no a whole lot of depth

 

[Yosh]

Is Clune coming to play 14?

The more I think about it, the more I hate the idea of Mann playing 14. He needs to be cover for the backs and only play 5-10 games a season to cover injuries.

There a ton more guys I would rather see play 14 ahead of Mann :

Crossland
Young
Clune
Sasagi
Jones
Johns
Hodgson
To'a

Not in any order but would rather see them named at 14 over Mann, any day of the week.

 

[Spot On]

they let him go because the titans went silly with their spending, yes he had some lapses in defence but his overall tackle % was around 94%. Look Sue is a solid squad player but doesn't really offer that much in attack nor in terms of impact, beyond Sue there's no a whole lot of depth

Titans have a giant sized problem with the Fifita contract if the coach can’t get a shit load more out of a million plus player in both attack and defence.

 

[Burwood]

Mann covers 1-7, 9 and lock. Every player you’ve named Yosh, pretty much covers one or two positions. With Watson gone, Mann is the only real replacement in our squad. When he comes on for injury cover, ideally we’d still have at worst 3/4 of our spine in tact and he can be the bit player that he suits, not the one that we’re looking to for structure/leadership/points.

 

[Jono078]

Can’t remember who wrote the post but I agreed with it 100% re: Mann at 14.

Sure I’d like Watson but I think Mann is capable of doing good things off the bench too. He doesn’t have the touch on his passes like Watson but a fresh Mann against a tiring defense is just as good of a pinball as Watson I think.

 

[Knight Tales]

Hooper claims a fair bit of interest in Pearce.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Why would we release Pearce for next year? That would be insanity given what we’ve looked like without him for a good chunk of the year and it’s not like we’re going to be able to go out and buy someone better at this stage, the halves market is massively inflating the prices of even bog average players. Pearce on $500K for another year is alright in my books considering what the alternatives are.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Can’t remember who wrote the post but I agreed with it 100% re: Mann at 14.

Sure I’d like Watson but I think Mann is capable of doing good things off the bench too. He doesn’t have the touch on his passes like Watson but a fresh Mann against a tiring defense is just as good of a pinball as Watson I think.

That was me, I’m glad I’m not the only one who can see some upside in Mann at 14.

 

[Woosh]

I see Ethan Bullemor is free to negotiate with other clubs and Manly are favourites to sign him.
Definitely someone worth chasing.

 

[perverse]

He can leave after next year regardless of what happens with winning a premiership.

The Knights will confront the biggest elephant in the room — by showing him the door: HOOPER

The Knights will confront the biggest elephant in the room — by showing him the door: HOOPER

www.foxsports.com.au

This article claims he only has the option to leave if we win a comp this year or next year.

There’s been plenty written and said about Kalyn Ponga’s options in his Newcastle contract and on closer examination it makes interesting reading.

Ponga has a player option in his favour for 2023 and 2024 but the catch is the Knights have to win the premiership either this season or next year.

They’re clearly a hundred to one and drifting this year and next year they’d need to improve a dozen or more lengths on where they sit right now.

Crucially, that means Ponga is not a free agent as of November 1 in terms of rival NRL clubs being able to table him an offer for 2023 and beyond.

So, according to Hoops, if we win the premiership this year or next, Kalyn becomes a free agent for 2023/2024. If we don't win a premiership, he can't trigger that option to leave. It makes sense that the club would agree to such a clause. Unless I'm misinterpreting what I'm reading here? It's not an easy couple of sentences to parse to be fair. Are we saying we're only offering Kalyn an extra 2 years (in his favour) if we win a premiership? That doesn't really make sense for either party tbh. I dunno, the more I read it, the more confused I get with it tbh.

 

[Old dog]

Maybe that clause in contract was when Ponga was thinking All Blacks and if he won a premiership he would go but that now might be no longer relevant as situations change. Knights would have been happy winning as well so both sides would be happy.
Just putting it out there, don’t know if a good guess or a load of you know what

 

[Jono078]

Are we saying we're only offering Kalyn an extra 2 years (in his favour) if we win a premiership? That doesn't really make sense for either party tbh. I dunno, the more I read it, the more confused I get with it tbh.

Sort of makes sense? If we don't win won then maybe that's a sign (for Kalyn) that we're not where we should or promised him we'd be, so he'd be free to go then.

But as you said, it's a tough one to really decipher.

EDIT: No, now I think I've muddled it.. It's in his favor to LEAVE if we win the comp, i.e job done here?

 

[perverse]

Sort of makes sense? If we don't win won then maybe that's a sign (for Kalyn) that we're not where we should or promised him we'd be, so he'd be free to go then.

But as you said, it's a tough one to really decipher.

EDIT: No, now I think I've muddled it.. It's in his favor to LEAVE if we win the comp, i.e job done here?

Well yeah I mean my interpretation was the latter, but now I can't make heads or tails of it. It makes more sense to me that Kalyn would want the option to go to market if he felt the job was done, and we'd be more receptive to let him too. The reverse makes sense for Kalyn if he had ambitions to build a dynasty here (or prove that we're a force by then i guess), but makes little sense for the club to agree to.

I dunno, with the poor way the article is written, it's hard to say either way. It's not particularly clear in the wording.

 

[Knight Tales]

Bulldogs want Pearce for 2023 reports say. Barry not denying it. Make of it what you will.

 

[macavity]

Bulldogs want Pearce for 2023 reports say. Barry not denying it. Make of it what you will.

he can’t deny they are thinking about having a meeting to discuss anything

 

[macavity]

And the Ponga clause thing is rubbish. They are player options regardless. Meaning he can walk away whenever he wants.

 

[Spot On]

Bulldogs want Pearce for 2023 reports say. Barry not denying it. Make of it what you will.

Phil Gould is chasing what will be a 34 yr old average halfback on his best day that won’t have won anything for a decade?

FFS.

Why wait? Take him now.