Rumoured Targets 3

[Zoidberg]

I remember Watson saying he didn’t really want to play at hooker, so will be interesting if he does at the chooks.
Sad to see him go but it’s his decision to make.
I see Barney moving to that 13 jersey for us, and probably, unfortunately Fitzy being in the back row as 1st choice.
I wish Watson all the best though and hope he can finish off the year well with us.

 

[Yosh]

Pity Connor had to go. He sure is a loss on the field but will be missed for the character that he is off it. Not irreplaceable in any regard. Just don't want to see Mann replace him.

Will we make any big moves to cover Watson's position in the team? I hope we do. But best of luck Connor. Let's hope we send him off with a big premiership push so he regrets leaving us.

 

[Knight Tales]

It is tough one the Watson situation but I stand by My belief the club should have forced the issue and pulled his deal a couple of weeks back. By letting it drag out it has led to fan anguish and now the inevitable fall out. The speculation this could derail our year is probably not off the mark. It is us after all. The fanbase are pretty filthy on social media.

 

[Woosh]

Knights utility Connor Watson will quit the club at the end of the season to link with the Sydney Roosters for the next two seasons. It's understood Watson told coach Adam O'Brien and his Newcastle teammates of his decision on Tuesday morning. Watson rejected an offer of a three-year extension at the Knights worth around $350,000-a-season to return to the Roosters, the club who gave him his start in the NRL, on a deal understood to be for less money. The utility star, who played his 100th NRL game against the Sharks on Sunday, has played 62 of those with the Knights over the past four seasons. As late as last week, O'Brien was still confident of retaining the 25-year-old despite the Roosters' interest. He claimed the club had made him a good offer. "From what I understand, it's more than competitive with our rivals, so I think now it comes down to a decision from Connor himself on where he sees himself next year," O'Brien said prior to the Sharks game. "But certainly from the club's point of view, I think it's more than competitive, our offer, and we do value him, we all love Connor. "I'd love for him to continue with us and be a member of, hopefully, any future success we have."

Watson quits Knights to link with Sydney Roosters

It's understood Watson told coach Adam O'Brien and his Newcastle teammates of his decision on Tuesday morning.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

 

[Woosh]

I think he'll still play 14 but will be injected at hooker abit like Harry Grant and Josh Starling, he'll also be able to cover some minutes at 13 when Victor the Inflictor inevitably gets suspended

Did Josh eat Tom

 

[Zoidberg]

Fox League story saying Trent Robinson told Connor he could turn him into a 14 pushing for an Origin spot.
It’s that old vicious cycle, players going to clubs for less money expecting success, those clubs getting success because they get those players for less. No wonder they have such great depth.

 

[perverse]

Fox League story saying Trent Robinson told Connor he could turn him into a 14 pushing for an Origin spot.
It’s that old vicious cycle, players going to clubs for less money expecting success, those clubs getting success because they get those players for less. No wonder they have such great depth.

Good luck to him. Nothing we can do to compete with that offer. Hopefully for Connor it doesn't turn out to be an empty promise.

 

[Yosh]

We can make promises too!!

- You'll make some great mates here
- Great surf here
- Really difficult to be dropped while playing for the Knights so don't worry about your form
- Locals will love you regardless of how you play so free beers all weekend

See, plenty of promises!!

 

[Jono078]

I gotta be honest its not adding up for me.

1. taking a pay cut to go live in the more expensive eastern suburbs of Sydney?

2. talk of turning him into an origin 14. Why couldn’t he do that here - for more money?

3. Good mate Ponga is here and they have a growing podcast and possibly other business ventures on the rise. Are these at jeopardy now?

Keep a keen eye on Ponga. This may be the reason he moves on. Heck it may be the reason for his questionable form lately. This decision of Connor’s impacts him. Will Kalyn be a Rooster before they let Teddy go and retire, or play Ponga at 6?

Some of the above sounds crazy now but at the same time it wouldn’t surprise me.

 

[NewySteel]

I gotta be honest its not adding up for me.

1. taking a pay cut to go live in the more expensive eastern suburbs of Sydney?

2. talk of turning him into an origin 14. Why couldn’t he do that here - for more money?

3. Good mate Ponga is here and they have a growing podcast and possibly other business ventures on the rise. Are these at jeopardy now?

Keep a keen eye on Ponga. This may be the reason he moves on. Heck it may be the reason for his questionable form lately. This decision of Connor’s impacts him. Will Kalyn be a Rooster before they let Teddy go and retire, or play Ponga at 6?

Some of the above sounds crazy now but at the same time it wouldn’t surprise me.

The roosters have Tedesco at fullback and walker/keary as halves already. I think your reading too much into this regarding Ponga. He will stay put, I’m sure he wants to carve out his own legacy.

 

[slotmachine]

Fox League story saying Trent Robinson told Connor he could turn him into a 14 pushing for an Origin spot.

Maybe I should get into coaching, haha.

Why couldn’t he do that here

The Knights are not the Roosters and Adam O'Brien isn't Trent Robinson.

 

[Knight Tales]

I would be waiting patiently now and not getting reactive looking for a signature. A lot of clubs still trying to sort a roster. We could actually get our strike edge forward out of this. We lost a utility and yes while Mann is a lesser player, we have the position covered. I think Mann was signed as insurance in case this Watson thing eventuated.

 

[Jono078]

The Knights are not the Roosters and Adam O'Brien isn't Trent Robinson.

So you reckon he's taken the easy way out? If he had belief like Ponga that we were building something great here he should have backed himself to be a part of that (for more money) and reap the rewards of rep duties if good enough.

I just can't see him being any better for the Roosters than us. He'll have even more limited game time. In 2 years he may be begging to come back for 250k.

It's an interesting one and I look forward to how the next couple of years unfold for him!

 

[slotmachine]

No doubt in my mind he will be a better player at the end of the two years making this move rather than sticking around at the Knights.

As for the money, he's probably backing himself to get a healthy deal in that third year on the back of good roosters form. It was playing for the chooks that had the tigers offering 600k and us 500k in the first place

 

[Old dog]

Better but poorer

 

[slotmachine]

Better but poorer

300+300+500 > 350+350+350

 

[AusKnightRKO]

So you reckon he's taken the easy way out? If he had belief like Ponga that we were building something great here he should have backed himself to be a part of that (for more money) and reap the rewards of rep duties if good enough.

I just can't see him being any better for the Roosters than us. He'll have even more limited game time. In 2 years he may be begging to come back for 250k.

It's an interesting one and I look forward to how the next couple of years unfold for him!

With How good he is for us, you can only imagine what he will do in that Roosters Set up, they are better than when he left the first time, and will legit be the 14 they have been screaming out for.

With Keary, Radley, Walker he will absolutely smash it, best of luck for him.

 

[aqua_duck]

Your mob is talking to Curtis Sironen.

I might be in the minority but I actually wouldn't mind sironen, he's no world beater but at least offers something different to our current forwards with his ball playing and off loading ability and having just turned 28 should be entering his prime as a forward. I think a guy like Sironen who's a genuine ball playing forward would be a low key great acquisition if he can stay injury free

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Whilst it’s a shame that he’s leaving I can understand the reasoning.

The Roosters are perennial premiership contenders and have one of the best coaches/systems in the business. On the other hand we’re a club that is coming off the back of two decades of mediocrity and we’re still trying to figure out what success looks like. If Watson is chasing a premiership then he’s made the right choice.

Ultimately we already paid him big money to get him here and what we got was three years where he barely played a game and one consistent year so far. It’s a shame that he didn’t repay the loyalty especially when the club stuck by him last year and given we offered him a fair deal and plenty of time to test the market. But that’s business in the NRL these days, I’m sure neither he or the club holds a grudge over it.

Moving forward for 2022 that means there’s an extra spot on our roster and approximately $350K to spare so I hope we use it wisely.

 

[perverse]

The Knights are not the Roosters and Adam O'Brien isn't Trent Robinson.

No doubt in my mind he will be a better player at the end of the two years making this move rather than sticking around at the Knights.

As for the money, he's probably backing himself to get a healthy deal in that third year on the back of good roosters form. It was playing for the chooks that had the tigers offering 600k and us 500k in the first place

Sure. Origin 14 is a massive long shot, though. I can vaguely imagine it, but it's a biiiig long shot. He wouldn't be anywhere near my origin team, even at his very best. There's too many legitimate superstars that can't make the starting team already.

Additionally - he got 500k because it was potential 5/8th money. He's unlikely to get that again unless he can convince another (desperate) club that he's worth rolling that dice again imo.

He doesn't want to be here, with somewhat understandable reasons why. Do you think we should have thrown big money at him to stay?