Rumoured Targets 3

[Woosh]

Newcastle and their utility star Connor Watson are poised to split - and that could mean a homecoming at the Sydney Roosters.

Off contract after this season, Watson and the Knights have been talking regularly about a possible new deal but both parties cannot reach a suitable conclusion.

The Daily Telegraph has been told the Roosters and Manly had shown some preliminary interest in Watson.

There are now suggestions the Roosters’ curiosity has increased.



Watson played 38 games for the Roosters in 2016 and ‘17 before shifting to the Knights.

He could be used as a number 14 off the bench at Bondi.

No deal has been struck with any club. Should he leave, Watson would join a new club from the start of next season.

A fine utility player, who could start or come off the bench, Watson is hoping to secure a new deal which spans two to three years.

Newcastle’ offer for Watson fell well short of what the player expected. There had been a revised deal lodged.



There have also been reports linking Watson to Cronulla. And just last week, Watson was being mentioned as a possible Wests Tigers recruit.

The Knights may have one last crack at Watson on Tuesday before both parties reluctantly agree to separate.

Just last month, Watson, 25, took the unusual step of personally contacting head coaches at rival clubs. Watson represented NSW Country in 2017.

Watson has played every game this season for Newcastle.

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[Yosh]

If the Roosters and Manly want him, surely he is the type of player we should keep? What's the issue? Used all our cap to retain Mann and Fitzy?

 

[Zoidberg]

I really hope we manage to keep Watson.

 

[Rod]

If the Roosters and Manly want him, surely he is the type of player we should keep? What's the issue? Used all our cap to retain Mann and Fitzy?

We definitely still have money, there's whatever we offered Finucane plus extra I believe. I guess the club just has their price and is sticking to it.

 

[perverse]

I really hope we manage to keep Watson.

It feels like a f**k up if we don't, but I don't think he's in our top 5 most critical players either. Pearce, Ponga, DSaf, Best and Brailey are probably those. Not sure how far down the list Watson is tbh, probably not too far after those blokes though. He's definitely a livewire and an asset to the team, but how high do you go for him as a 14? I'm not sure anymore.

 

[Jono078]

Watson’s value is hard to determine.

Id still be surprised if he left based on other things he has happening around now. I guess it’d have to be a significant enough difference.

 

[slotmachine]

He's regularly in our three best players coming off the bench or not. This year it's probably him, KP, Brailey and Dan fighting it out for the danny buderus medal.

I have an uncomfortable suspicion the club is happy to play hardball because they think if he walks they can just plug Mann in at 14. Yuck.

 

[ryana87]

There's going to be big fan backlash if he isn't resigned, especially considered the extentions of Mann and Fitz

You look at the comments on all their social posts and regardless of the content, most of the comments are people either saying "Resign Watson!“

 

[perverse]

He's regularly in our three best players coming off the bench or not. This year it's probably him, KP, Brailey and Dan fighting it out for the danny buderus medal.

I have an uncomfortable suspicion the club is happy to play hardball because they think if he walks they can just plug Mann in at 14. Yuck.

Probably yeah. I dunno, it'll come down to how much he's being paid to leave for me. How high do we go for him? $500k seems reasonable, but that's about what he's on now as far as I'm aware. Do we do 600k? 700k? How much is too much? I'm not sure.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

My main concern with losing Watson is that we’re already a pretty poor attacking team and he’s one of the few guys who we’ve got who can cause some real problems in the middle of the field with his short passing and running game as well as his support play. I shudder to think how our attack will look without the impact that he brings.

The Roosters getting involved could be an issue and they usually get who they want. Also Watson has been there before and it’s a big successful club so I wouldn’t blame him for going back there. Let’s just hope the upsides of staying are worth more than the upsides of going.

 

[Yosh]

He is a much better version of Mann. A bit more injury prone though. I hope we sign him because he is exciting to watch and definitely lights up the team when he is on the field.

 

[Knight Tales]

We definitely still have money, there's whatever we offered Finucane plus extra I believe. I guess the club just has their price and is sticking to it.

Interesting. The reports in the media were we could only afford one out of he or Gagai.

 

[Knight611]

Connor Watson would suit the 13 position for the knights to a T. But With O'Brien reluctant to start him i don't see why we would pay top dollar for him. It frustrating to see O'Brien pick weak teams. We conceded first try 80% of our games and our attack looks off when Connor isn't on the field. He is a highly instinctive player, and at age 25 with another year and proper guidance he can have the affect of C.murray or V.radley. but don't waste money on the pine.

 

[Knight Tales]

Connor Watson would suit the 13 position for the knights to a T. But With O'Brien reluctant to start him i don't see why we would pay top dollar for him. It frustrating to see O'Brien pick weak teams. We conceded first try 80% of our games and our attack looks off when Connor isn't on the field. He is a highly instinctive player, and at age 25 with another year and proper guidance he can have the affect of C.murray or V.radley. but don't waste money on the pine.

We all love Watson as a player but he is a 14. He is not in Murray or Radley’s postcode for ability. Their effect is astronomical when they are fully fit. You are talking about 2/3 of NSW backrow for the next decade right there.
He has done little as a starter to show he changes a game over 80 mins. Murray and Radley are game changers. Absolutely make their teams exponentially better when present . Watson does certainly change a game off the bench though. I think he has tried to get the club to pay overs and it has not worked . We all hope he stays but it actually is looking less likely despite denials.

 

[perverse]

Yeah, I actually think starting Watson blunts his impact. It's not that he's horrible starting, but his tempo lift as a specialist 14 is definitely the most valuable way to use him for mine. That's one I think O'Brien has got mostly right.

 

[Old dog]

Don’t see the difference playing 40mins+ as a 13 or 40mins+ as a 14 as far as his worth contract wise.
Saf’s are on good money yet they play about same minutes as Watson it’s not as if he is a irregular selection, if fit like this season, he is either starting in various positions or as the 14. Watsons 40+ mins are as valuable as most starting so he should be considered on that.
Not saying he is worth DSaf etc money but he is a valuable member of our top 17

 

[Yosh]

Is he as good as Yeo, Murry or Radley? Of course not. However, the impact he has when he comes on is comparable to the impact those three have on their teams. Comparable.

I would say Yeo is the best ball player out of the bunch, Murry has the best carries and quick play the balls and Radley is the best enforcer out of those players. Watson doesn't do many things as well as those three but he offers the most spark and adds uncertainty to our attack (something we really, really, really lack). I personally don't mind him starting in 13 but I think Barnett is the better starting lock.

Overall, there is no doubt he is an integral part of the side. If the club thinks Mann can do his job, I think we're all going to be for a rude shock. Watson's carries are strong and he pokes his head through more often than not. Plus he rarely misses a tackle even when he is making 40 plus a game. I would even say Watson's ball playing is superior to Mann's as well. I really hope we keep him.

 

[Rod]

Interesting. The reports in the media were we could only afford one out of he or Gagai.

If memory serves before Finucane signed with the Sharks Toohey mentioned we had the money for both.

 

[Jono078]

It's clear everyone wants to keep Watson... Out of every re-signing we probably wanted his signature the most, but I do applaud the club for putting a value on players this year and sticking to it, we'll have to continue doing it to avoid getting ourselves really stuck with the salary cap.

So let's say hypothetically the Knights have offered him 400k. Are you comfortable with this offer and would you be upset if he left over this amount? What is everyone prepared to pay him to stay? And as solid as he's been this year you have to consider his history with injuries. We can't afford (no pun intended) to have key players taking up a good chunk of the cap sitting on the sidelines next year.

 

[aqua_duck]

Whilst Watson should be a priority re-signing I can understand the club holding firm to their number as the sample size of Watson staying injury free is still fairly small.
In terms of best position, I don't see him as a starting 13 especially defensively. Not saying he's a bad defender but he just doesn't have the physical size to make dominant tackles or put opposition forwards on their back. Whilst the game has evolved to be less wrestle focus there's still a forward battle to be won in the opening 20-30 minutes