Rumoured Targets 3

[perverse]

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.

Oh stop it, I can only get so erect.

Are there any more below-average hookers running around that need a contract? We could probably use a few more.

 

[Knight Tales]

Matt Arthur will go alright. The talk around his father was weird though. Didn't Greeny and Mac sign on for another season?

 

[PhilGould]

KNIGHT SHOPPED TO PHINS​

Former Blues Origin prop Daniel Saifiti has been shopped to the Dolphins as doubt hovers over the future of the injured Tom Flegler.

Saifiti is on the lookout for a new club after being told he is free to leave Newcastle along with hooker Jayden Brailey.

On a huge contract since becoming a regular NSW player from 2019-21, Saifiti is having trouble finding a club with the salary cap space to accommodate him.

One club with plenty of room to move is the Dolphins after they missed out on Tigers star Stefano Utoikamanu after he decided to join Melbourne.

Saifiti has been offered to the Dolphins, who will farewell retiring front row stalwart Jesse Bromwich at the end of this season.

The Dolphins have already released Jarrod Wallace and Tevita Pangai Jr will head to Catalans next year.

Flegler is fighting to overcome a shoulder problem which could end his career and Saifiti could be a handy pick-up for incoming coach Kristian Woolf.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/sport-confidential-vision-captures-cam-smithcooper-cronk-embrace-joeys-shock-immortals-snub/news-story/15ff6cc5fde3ab811de6c4a78f4d2eb5?amp

 

[ryan.a87]

Will trade him for Katoa please

 

[Haffa]

The Komo will get a bump in revenue if he moves to Reddy.

 

[PhilGould]

The Dolphins have emerged as the most likely landing spot for Newcastle prop Daniel Saifiti after the former NSW big man flew to Queensland to meet with Dolphins officials.

It comes as the Wests Tigers have also been linked to Canberra Raiders prop Corey Horsburgh.

It is understood that Saifiti is on the verge of agreeing to a long-term deal to leave Newcastle and join the Dolphins from next season.

The final stumbling block will be the two clubs agreeing on a financial commitment from the Knights, given Saifiti still has two years left on his rich deal worth about $850,000 a season. Newcastle are expected to tip in about $200,000 for the next two seasons for Saifiti to play elsewhere.

It is understood Saifiti travelled to Queensland on Thursday to meet with Dolphins officials.

He knows incoming Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf from his stint at Newcastle – first as Nathan Brown’s assistant and then as interim coach for the final two games of the 2019 season.

The Dolphins have been on the lookout for a marquee prop to add to their forward pack for next season. They went close to securing Melbourne-bound Stefano Utoikamanu and have remained interested.

The Dragons also spoke with Saifiti and he underwent a medical with the club. However, the Dragons and the Knights were unable to agree on financial terms to get the deal done.

The Dragons have since turned their attention to Reagan Campbell-Gillard but have rejected Campbell-Gillard’s hopes of three year deal to get him to move away from Parramatta.

Saifiti’s potential move is the first big step in Newcastle’s plan to help rebalance their salary cap. They gave Saifiti permission to explore his options, as well as hooker Jayden Brailey, as they look to get a better balance in their roster.

Newcastle have already poached NSW under-19s hooker Matt Arthur from Parramatta on a three-year deal after he was allowed a release from the final year of his Eels contract on “compassionate grounds” following the sacking of his father and head coach Brad Arthur.

The Knights signing of Arthur is problematic given that starting hooker Brailey and back-up dummy-half Phoenix Crossland are both contracted through until the end of 2025 and 2026, respectively.

The Dolphins have already added rising Cowboys back-rower Kulikefu Finefeuiaki. They have earmarked Saifiti to replace the retiring Jesse Bromwich.

The Dolphins will welcome back injured representative duo Tom Gilbert and Tom Flegler next year too.

Meanwhile, the Tigers are keen to land Horsburgh, who has met with Canterbury and Brisbane in recent weeks. However, it is unlikely that either clubs have the salary cap space to get a deal done.

The Tigers however have the money for Horsburgh and want to land the one-time Queensland Origin player, who has fallen out of favour at the Raiders.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/daniel-saifiti-to-join-the-dolphins-in-2025-knights-to-chip-in-200k-per-season/news-story/6b520c9892d78181b69406151531a655?amp

 

[Yosh]

$200k on our cap for 2 years. I think I can live with that. Looks like Dan is solved. Hopefully Brailey gets solved quickly too.

Gus was saying that there will be a lot of player movement in the off-season this year, hopefully we are one of them!

 

[Apey]

200k on our cap would be a bargain, I was honestly expecting more. Get it done.

 

[Old dog]

I don’t know DSafs contract payment but whatever it is I was thinking we pay a 1/3 but that amount seems to be less than a 1/4 so good deal for us.
now let’s use the money wisely

 

[Knight Tales]

Woolfy will be great for D Saf.

 

[perverse]

The 200k is a less bitter pill to swallow than expected for sure. The big question is can we use the ~600k made available wisely to add more value to our squad than he was providing?

It should be a doddle, given his absolute lack of contribution.

 

[Yosh]

The 200k is a less bitter pill to swallow than expected for sure. The big question is can we use the ~600k made available wisely to add more value to our squad than he was providing?

It should be a doddle, given his absolute lack of contribution.

Parr and O'Sullivan making the moves so there is hope yet.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Skinny prop market and tough to offload- says everything, he's lucky to be 650K value

We may have to suck lemons until the end of next year when we free up over 3.5 mill in cap

Hastings
Brailey
Hetherington
Elliot
Pryce
KPP
Jenkins

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

The 200k is a less bitter pill to swallow than expected for sure. The big question is can we use the ~600k made available wisely to add more value to our squad than he was providing?

It should be a doddle, given his absolute lack of contribution.

extend and up-grade Leo would be priority

 

[perverse]

extend and up-grade Leo would be priority

Perhaps. Leo has hardly been setting the world on fire lately either tbh. I would say you can replace DSaf with an unfashionable hard working prop and use the rest to bolster the spine. Friz moves to the middle and away we go.

 

[Knight Tales]

Leo’s drop off in form has been a little concerning. It has all the hall marks of a player who has convinced himself that he has to carry his side on his shoulders. And he is simply too early in his career to do that yet. We forget he is only 24.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Perhaps. Leo has hardly been setting the world on fire lately either tbh. I would say you can replace DSaf with an unfashionable hard working prop and use the rest to bolster the spine. Friz moves to the middle and away we go.

What about the young bloke Su'a to replace DSaf?. Probably just as much output with twice the passion.

I agree the spine is a worry. 600K in the kitty just isnt enough.

If we could offload Hastings and or Brailey ( no one will take Brailey ) I'd throw the kitchen sink at Walker. He'll be a superstar.

 

[Knight Tales]

I

What about the young bloke Su'a to replace DSaf?. Probably just as much output with twice the passion.

I agree the spine is a worry. 600K in the kitty just isnt enough.

If we could offload Hastings and or Brailey ( no one will take Brailey ) I'd throw the kitchen sink at Walker. He'll be a superstar.

Only way we’d get Walker here is if we signed his father. As an assistant or better. And we simply aren’t in a place to do that. He is not committing to the Roosters cos he knows his value is going up every week. Smart kid.

 

[perverse]

What about the young bloke Su'a to replace DSaf?. Probably just as much output with twice the passion.

I agree the spine is a worry. 600K in the kitty just isnt enough.

If we could offload Hastings and or Brailey ( no one will take Brailey ) I'd throw the kitchen sink at Walker. He'll be a superstar.

I think we have to position ourselves to make a play for Walker, regardless of the likelihood, for sure. It'll be 600k on top of whatever freeing up the spine players a halfback would replace put into the kitty too. Obviously you need to fill out the top 30. Arthur will replace Brailey for better or worse for a much cheaper price tag, and obviously Hastings money comes into the picture as well. If we can move blokes on, there should be money to play with unless we believe this narative that seems to be floating around that we're over the cap next year with less than 30 players signed, which I just don't buy.

Only way we’d get Walker here is if we signed his father. As an assistant or better. And we simply aren’t in a place to do that. He is not committing to the Roosters cos he knows his value is going up every week. Smart kid.

It's obviously a pretty good sign if he does test the market. Pretty rare for a Rooster that they want to keep to get as far as testing their worth. He'll have a lot of suitors, I think we have to be one of them.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

I

Only way we’d get Walker here is if we signed his father. As an assistant or better. And we simply aren’t in a place to do that. He is not committing to the Roosters cos he knows his value is going up every week. Smart kid.

The Knights need to sharpen the sales pitch, practice makes perfect as they say.

We could do worse than sign his dad as an assistant, personalized tuition with the 8th for the length of the contract, Man Shake 3rd party, surfing tuition with Mark Richards, recording contract with Daniel Johns, Lifetime chicken snitty at Wests, date with Jenifer Hawkins, whatever it takes - just get him.