Rumoured Targets 3

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

I'd be surprised if other clubs were seriously after Gagai. He has been very good for us lately but the guy is 33. He's lost a bit of speed, he's only going to lose more. Really not a Roosters signing in particular.

Rorters dont have a cap. He'd be depth for them.

 

[Knight Tales]

I think you will find Schiller will be playing centre next year. Gags is on big coin here. So it is really not surprising the club has let him, at worst, explore his options. I would not mind us looking to emulate what Ricky has done and recruit form outside the sphere. We should be going back to the ESL as we have struck gold of recent times.

 

[perverse]

I'd be surprised if other clubs were seriously after Gagai. He has been very good for us lately but the guy is 33. He's lost a bit of speed, he's only going to lose more. Really not a Roosters signing in particular.

Mate have you had a look at Michael Jennings hair? They'll go after him if they see value there and he fills a need.

Gags came home so that he could settle in Newcastle, and we got him on a reasonable deal on the back of that. I think he's being greedy if he wants a multi-year deal from the club at this stage of his career, though. Year to year on a fair wage should be a workable arrangement for both parties in good faith I would have thought.

 

[Apey]

Mate have you had a look at Michael Jennings hair? They'll go after him if they see value there and he fills a need.

Gags came home so that he could settle in Newcastle, and we got him on a reasonable deal on the back of that. I think he's being greedy if he wants a multi-year deal from the club at this stage of his career, though. Year to year on a fair wage should be a workable arrangement for both parties in good faith I would have thought.

Not really the same situation. Jennings has been woeful and was out of the game for 3 years, it was a lifeline. He's a backup who is challenging Morgan Harper in the 'worst in position' discussions. Gagai would be one of their first choice centres and is going to command much more coin than Jennings. I can't see them buying a 33 year old centre for multiple years. It's much more a Parra, Dragons or Tigers strategy than a Roosters one.

 

[perverse]

Not really the same situation. Jennings has been woeful and was out of the game for 3 years, it was a lifeline. He's a backup who is challenging Morgan Harper in the 'worst in position' discussions. Gagai would be one of their first choice centres and is going to command much more coin than Jennings. I can't see them buying a 33 year old centre for multiple years. It's much more a Parra, Dragons or Tigers strategy than a Roosters one.

I think the Roosters have a pretty long history of picking up old blokes they think they can get a year or two value out of though right? Cronk and SBW come to mind as recent examples too.

The Roosters have a "premiership every year" mentality. I reckon if they think Gags is their best option to keep competing at a high level, they'll go for it.

edit - it might also signal that they expect Manu's stay in rugby to be a short one.

 

[Apey]

I think the Roosters have a pretty long history of picking up old blokes they think they can get a year or two value out of though right? Cronk and SBW come to mind as recent examples too.

The Roosters have a "premiership every year" mentality. I reckon if they think Gags is their best option to keep competing at a high level, they'll go for it.

I get where you're coming from, but Gagai isn't in the same stratosphere as those two as far as value goes. That, and this year is their shot and I'm sure they know it. JWH, Suaalii and Manu all leaving at the end of this year. Teddy and Keary are already borderline and will be a year older. They're cooked next year. Gagai won't change that.

But hey, if we can't keep him I'd be happy for a club I hate to sign up him up to a multi year deal and hopefully have it backfire ala Connor Watson.

 

[Burwood]

Gagai would be Josh Morris mk2 for the roosters. Would be a great pickup.

 

[perverse]

I get where you're coming from, but Gagai isn't in the same stratosphere as those two as far as value goes. That, and this year is their shot and I'm sure they know it. JWH, Suaalii and Manu all leaving at the end of this year. Teddy and Keary are already borderline and will be a year older. They're cooked next year. Gagai won't change that.

But hey, if we can't keep him I'd be happy for a club I hate to sign up him up to a multi year deal and hopefully have it backfire ala Connor Watson.

Yeah look we'll see what happens I guess with it. At the end of the day, I don't blame Gags/his management putting feelers out, testing value, etc... but to me the end result should really be a year-to-year deal on decent coin. Pay him what he's worth, but the deal length has to be in the clubs favour. Most other clubs get this benefit from long-standing veterans that want to keep plugging away, it'd be nice if we could too. We've been good to Gags and honestly, he's been good to us too. To me, an arrangement should be able to be sorted out.

Gagai would be Josh Morris mk2 for the roosters. Would be a great pickup.

Yeah I do tend to agree at this stage, I could see it happening.

 

[Woody90]

Didn’t Gagai reach out to us to come back because his partner was miserable in Sydney? IMO if we offer him something that’s not completely insulting, maybe throw in some life after football job, he’ll stay. I’d only be looking at one year at a time though. I don’t think he wants to leave.

I’m also not sure if the “come to the Roosters to win a premiership” pull is as strong as it used to be either.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Gags should be getting an extra year with another year option in the club’s favour. That’s a fair contract imo. Especially if the money isn’t silly.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Gags is closing on on 300 games, his experience is invaluable.

Backs are the least of our worries, it's the middle where the creampuffs are getting way too much coin.

 

[Woosh]

Knights centre Dane Gagai hasn't "thrown in the towel yet" on his State of Origin career and remains hopeful of winning a recall for Queensland this year.

But why Gagai, who was overlooked by the Maroons last year for the first time since his 2015 debut, is keen to add to his 22 Origins, that is not his main priority.

Now into his 14th year of first grade, and off-contract this season, the 33-year-old is desperate to claim the one prize that has eluded him in 274 NRL appearances.

"I haven't thrown in the towel yet," Gagai, whose agent Steve Gillis has held preliminary talks with the Knights about a contract extension, told the Newcastle Herald of his Origin aspirations. "The body is still feeling good, so I'll keep going and I'll know when it is time. But that time hasn't come for me yet.

"I just really want to win a grand final. I've been very fortunate to win a World Cup, win a few Origin series and the only thing that has evaded me is a premiership. That's what everyone is in it for and it would be pretty selfish of me if I was just thinking about Origin and anything individually.

"It was disappointing to miss out last year, but I've said it from the very start, and I'll keep saying it, I'm just focused on what I'm doing here at the club and anything else that comes off the back of that, is a bit of icing on the cake."

But given he missed out last year, he may need some standout displays in the five matches before Origin I.

"100 per cent," Gagai said of whether he would love to win a recall. "But I've just got to keep playing good footy here and see what happens."

Speaking after Newcastle's 22-20 loss to the Roosters, Gagai remained confident Newcastle could do some damage this year, despite their 2-4 start. The Mackay product believes making another grand final, which he achieved with South Sydney in 2021, is not beyond the realms of possibility. But the Knights, who sit 14th, need to start banking some competition points.

"I'm happy with the way I'm going ... but I'd be a lot happier if we were winning." Gagai said. "I've obviously come pretty close to winning a premiership, [and] I thought we had a pretty good crack last year. We've definitely got the team to do it. So that's all that is on my mind. I just want to be there at the end, and hopefully get to another grand final. But there's a long way to go yet."

The centre believes Newcastle are not far away from recapturing the type of form that propelled them to a fifth-placed finish last year.

"We just need to fix a few little details and I think if we get that right, we can be that team," he said.

Gagai still has Origin desire, but more interested in NRL title

The veteran Knights centre is more focused on a premiership.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

 

[Bartwah]

 

[aqua_duck]

he's the first cab off the rank, he isnt Robinson Crusoe in the not performing stakes in the pack. How much are Hetherington and Elliot on

From reports both arent cheap and they are both bog below average. We arent going anywhere with them also.

Elliott hasn’t been that bad, he’s an average starting lock and his pay paid at that sort of level, id say he’s performing as advertised when we signed him, Hethrington has always been more of an impact player who brings aggression (and bone headed plays), we definitely overpaid for him but we knew what we were getting. D Saf is in a different boat, we know what he’s capable of and he’s paid according to that level of capability but at a stage of his career when he should be in his absolute prime he’s regressed so badly it’s not funny. Not long ago he was averaging 150m per game and starting in the front row for NSW, these days he’s not even averaging 100m per game and is a bench warmer for us, he hasn’t had any debilitating injury that would explain his drop off either.

 

[Woosh]

ROOSTERS REPORTEDLY TARGETING 'TRUE GENTLEMAN' DANE GAGAI FOR 2025​

The 33-year-old has represented Queensland on 22 occasions and in 2017 became the first winger to win the Wally Lewis medal for State of Origin Player of the Series. He has also represented Australia.

Besides gaining a world-class outside back, however, Bryan Fletcher said Gagai’s character would make him a valuable signing in itself.

“The thing that I can see why they got Dane Gagai is he is a very good human and would fit into what Robbo wants,” Fletcher told The Run Home with Joel and Fletch.

“He is one of rugby league’s true gentlemen. I can see why they’d want him involved because he is a true gentleman.”

“He is absolutely prototype Robbo’s (Trent Robinson) Roosters.”

Gagai off off-contract at the end of the year, though it is yet to be seen whether he will leave Newcastle or not.

Roosters reportedly targeting 'true gentleman' Dane Gagai for 2025

The Roosters are reportedly eyeing Dane Gagai for a move to the Eastern Suburbs as a replacement for Joey Manu.

www.sen.com.au

 

[perverse]

In those quotes Fletch seems to be talking about it like the deal is already done. I would strongly doubt it is, but shows you the mentality of someone that has been in the Roosters system. He doesn't expect them to miss their man.

 

[Yosh]

Anyone know how much Hetho is on? I reckon he is providing plenty of value off the bench but hope he is close to minimum contract that 400k or something like that.

 

[slotmachine]

He walked away from a 500k option at the dogs to sign with us, so connect the dots

 

[perverse]

He walked away from a 500k option at the dogs to sign with us, so connect the dots

We don't really know the finer points of that, the Dogs may have said he's "free to leave"/unwanted beyond his current deal too - but I would assume he's on around that figure nonetheless. In the $12m+ salary cap world we live in at the moment, it's not exactly a kings sum, but on a whole he's provided less than value for money over his contract. He's nowhere near as far off the mark as DSaf, though.

I would go as far to say that I'd start him over DSaf at the moment, Daniel has been that ordinary.

 

[Knight Tales]

It is a no brainer the Roosters have tried to sign Gagai to replace Manu. He knows Dom’s game inside out.