Rumoured Targets 3

[mozza91]

We have literally the best man for the job in O'Sullivan so I'm gonna trust the process. It's gonna take some hurt before it gets better. What's another 2 more years of hurt after 20 years of failure?

Also, should we take his son in?

Nah we’re all set for mediocre halfbacks.

 

[Apey]

I'm all for shifting the $$ around to players who deserve it, the problem is having to use 95% of the cap. That means any downgrades mean upgrades for someone else, or attracting a new, better player.

In other words, I see downgrading to a cheaper hooker in the short term a positive move, but it relies on offloading Brailey and then using his money appropriately when its available.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Someone's gotta go, it's that simple. You can't have 1/6th of your squad tied up at hooker.

It would not be radical to think the Nathan Brown hooker agenda would have dissipated within club ranks in the 6 years since, but here we are.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

We have literally the best man for the job in O'Sullivan so I'm gonna trust the process. It's gonna take some hurt before it gets better. What's another 2 more years of hurt after 20 years of failure?

Also, should we take his son in?

That's the main positive I take from the whole season - O'Sullivan is a proven winner. Let's hope he clears the decks gets a decent roster in place.

The extension of AOB is looking to be a disaster - will the Knights bite the bullet and pay him out?

Would AOB be a decent coach with a decent roster ? I dont think he can win us a Premiership

 

[Alex28]

Tallis on 360 tonight asked if Gardner knows what he is doing after he found out about the length AOB’s contract. The entire panel agreed KP’s form had nothing to do with O’Brien. The response from Dave Riccio was that Phil G knows how to run a leagues club. LOL. At least people with some idea think like we do in here. Well most of us.

Phil Gardiner is a great financial manager. The way Wests have grown under his management is super impressive.

He’s realised that he isn’t a football manager and has finally bitten the bullet and got some real people in to do the job.

As long as he lets them do their job and just focus on the pokies across the road, all should be ok. Not convinced he can do that.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Someone's gotta go, it's that simple. You can't have 1/6th of your squad tied up at hooker.

How many of them are top 30?

 

[PhilGould]

Brailey, Crossland, Jones and Arthur will be top 30 as of now. Not certain on Davis' contract status but haven't seen any indication that he's joining the top squad. Obviously there's been talk of Brailey hopefully moving on and someone on the other forum (can't vouch for their reliability) said they'd heard Jones is on the outer as well.

Jones was a fullback/half/centre/utility who had a really good game filling in at hooker so they kept him there, but he's been named at five-eighth this week for the first time all season so maybe they've decided to shift him back out from hooker now that they've got Arthur (assuming he is staying).

 

[Old dog]

How many of them are top 30?

Brailey, Crosslands, Jones and Arthur will be, Davis maybe not.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Jones was a fullback/half/centre/utility who had a really good game filling in at hooker so they kept him there, but he's been named at five-eighth this week for the first time all season so maybe they've decided to shift him back out from hooker now that they've got Arthur (assuming he is staying).

jeez , I'm no expert on developing kids but wow ....it is little wonder the club has developed few juniors. My god the poor kid would be better off leaving.

 

[perverse]

jeez , I'm no expert on developing kids but wow ....it is little wonder the club has developed few juniors. My god the poor kid would be better off leaving.

It's like they just come in week to week, throw shit at the wall and hope something sticks. Cody Hopwood will end up at fullback logjammed behind KP and Sharpe or something ridiculous at this rate.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

It's like they just come in week to week, throw shit at the wall and hope something sticks. Cody Hopwood will end up at fullback logjammed behind KP and Sharpe or something ridiculous at this rate.

It's so blatantly obvious that the club is poorly run.

If the above is correct and that kid has changed playing positions that many times, all the while trying to hone his craft, and develop into an NRL player with a defined pathway to achieving his dreams- the club is a rabble.

Hence we hold aloft Bradman Best as our shinning light of the last 10 years of juniors development.

Very disappointing.

 

[PhilGould]

Toohey's News

- Brad Arthur now looking likely to stay at Leeds.
- Toohey states the obvious re: Hastings - his future here looks very cloudy.
- Riley Jones will likely be playing a new position next year. Toohey says Matt Arthur will be Crossland's understudy if Brailey leaves, and Jersey Flegg hooker Malachi Smith will be on a development deal behind them.
- Toohey wonders if contract negotiations dragging on has been a reason for Leo Thompson's drop in form.
- Gamble is having surgery on his hand but could return this year if the Knights make the finals. Cody Hopwood is going in for surgery after a syndesmosis injury last week as well.
- Seb Su'a still closing in on a debut, likely to be 18th man this week for the first time.

 

[Knight Tales]

Toohey's News

- Brad Arthur now looking likely to stay at Leeds.
- Toohey states the obvious re: Hastings - his future here looks very cloudy.
- Riley Jones will likely be playing a new position next year. Toohey says Matt Arthur will be Crossland's understudy if Brailey leaves, and Jersey Flegg hooker Malachi Smith will be on a development deal behind them.
- Toohey wonders if contract negotiations dragging on has been a reason for Leo Thompson's drop in form.
- Gamble is having surgery on his hand but could return this year if the Knights make the finals. Cody Hopwood is going in for surgery after a syndesmosis injury last week as well.
- Seb Su'a still closing in on a debut, likely to be 18th man this week for the first time.

Thanks as always for the summary.

 

[Apey]

I'm not sure if it was Phils wording or Tooheys, but something tickled me with the phrasing "Crosslands understudy".

 

[PhilGould]

"If Brailey signs elsewhere for next year, Arthur will become Phoenix Crossland's No.9 understudy with Smith, on a 2025 development contract, waiting in the wings for an opportunity."

 

[perverse]

I'm not sure if it was Phils wording or Tooheys, but something tickled me with the phrasing "Crosslands understudy".

Imagine being the understudy to Phoenix Crossland. Jesus wept.

 

[Yosh]

If we can't get Brailey and Daniel off our books, then what happens? We just going to play them right?

 

[slotmachine]

If we can't get Brailey and Daniel off our books, then what happens? We just going to play them right?

We're screwed. We probably can't fill the top 30 next season for a start.

 

[perverse]

We're screwed. We probably can't fill the top 30 next season for a start.

The only problem I have with this line of thinking is that the NRL are usually on top of clubs backing themselves into a corner where they're at the cap with 5 free roster spots.

I'm not sure I buy that this is the case. It does happen that teams pop over the cap regularly due to performance based incentives being triggered, but I doubt that's the case for us. What's your source for this cap assessment, slots? I feel like there's some dishonesty in it somewhere along the like (not from yourself, but from the source).

That is to say, I don't think we have any room to play with either - but I find it hard to believe the NRL would let a club get into a position where it's not possible to pay 30 players under the cap. I don't believe that they would register the contracts leading to that eventuality. Clubs get stopped from registering contracts that will put them over the cap all the time. Maybe it's the case, but I reckon I need a better source than "reading between the lines" on that one. Seems a bit far fetched at face value.

 

[chiefy1]

"If Brailey signs elsewhere for next year, Arthur will become Phoenix Crossland's No.9 understudy with Smith, on a 2025 development contract, waiting in the wings for an opportunity."

Good luck with Arthur. I'll think you'll find that you've signed one of the slowest 9s of all time and isn't big. He's probably 80kgs wringing wet.