Rumoured Targets 3

[Apey]

Ah here we go. Are we going to fork out ludicrous $$ to keep him and find ourselves in the same situation a few years down the line?

Stay tuned.

 

[perverse]

The article suggests he’s concerned about the senior players getting the tap on the shoulder which I can understand if he doesn’t feel he’s ready to be a pack leader yet. We cant not move the likes of DSaf on though.

Well he's clearly lost faith in the process. He's been in the leadership group himself for a while now (a leadership group that seems to include half the damn squad I might add - ridiculous).

If Leo believed in the direction we were heading, he'd have signed by now. It's a constant with us tbh. The only players that re-sign with us ahead of contract deadlines are generally the Friz/Gags types who have found their spot to "settle down in life". The ones with plenty of tomorrows and yet to hit their peak typically hit the market.

The irony is that the blokes that have decided to settle in Newcastle to retire are the ones that consistently give us the most at the moment, lol.

 

[Woody90]

Well he's clearly lost faith in the process. He's been in the leadership group himself for a while now (a leadership group that seems to include half the damn squad I might add - ridiculous).

If Leo believed in the direction we were heading, he'd have signed by now. It's a constant with us tbh. The only players that re-sign with us ahead of contract deadlines are generally the Friz/Gags types who have found their spot to "settle down in life". The ones with plenty of tomorrows and yet to hit their peak typically hit the market.

The irony is that the blokes that have decided to settle in Newcastle to retire are the ones that consistently give us the most at the moment, lol.

Yeah I think we’ll have to wait and see. Players have very little to gain these days by not testing themselves on the open market. Even Sam Walkers going to market. Tbh I’m less concerned re Leo potentially wanting to leave (although no actual confirmation of that) and like Apey more worried about us now likely needing to pay overs to keep him and ending up in another DSaf situation.

 

[Apey]

I mean if I was Leo I'd be heading straight to the Panthers if they were interested.

Let's hope getting his brother is enough to keep him here.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

This is such a damning indictment on our club and how the players feel in the group tbh. Good clubs can get deals done before players hit the open market, especially with 2nd and 3rd tier players (i.e not elite players).

at the good clubs the elite players tend to stay, even if they do hit the market. They know the club culture is where they will play their best footy.

Some of the comments from players when they have left the Knights are very telling.

 

[perverse]

Yeah I think we’ll have to wait and see. Players have very little to gain these days by not testing themselves on the open market. Even Sam Walkers going to market. Tbh I’m less concerned re Leo potentially wanting to leave (although no actual confirmation of that) and like Apey more worried about us now likely needing to pay overs to keep him and ending up in another DSaf situation.

Well Sam Walker stands to be the biggest earner in NRL history, so I understand him going to market. It's understandable for the big names to do so - and I don't even knock our club for Kalyn doing so more recently either.

Ultimately yeah I agree, honestly I'm happy to let Leo walk if it comes down to a bidding war. I've never rated him at quite the lofty heights as others anyway. Not to say I think he's a dud, but he's 25 next year and should be hitting his prime as a footy player in the next 12 or so months - and he's going backwards to my eye. On top of that, he's never had much of a work rate at all.

He's not irreplaceable. Not to the stretch that i'd be paying him origin money or something silly to keep him. If he feels he'd be better off leaving, good luck to him. He's probably right anyway.

 

[Apey]

Yes, we can't be paying overs once again for someone like Leo if we want to have any cap sense going forward. I think we all want to keep him, but we don't want to end up paying him top 20% prop money like Saifiti and regret it later.

 

[Yosh]

Really like Leo. Hope he stays. I'd be testing the market also if he was getting close to minimum salary while DSaf and Heighington were on 800k and 500k.

 

[Old dog]

Have trouble understanding all the comments as some conflict one player to another.
DSaf criticised for phoning in then playing stronger when tapped but won’t make any difference to him if new club signs him for a low figure as Knights will pay more meaning he will get his $850K p.a. Anyway.
Thompson not performing as earlier in season, unhappy? Hasn’t resigned yet? Likely testing the market for higher pay but not going to get as much if not performing. DSaf might leave but he will still have JSaf and Frizell as mentors for at least 2025 if he stays
I tend to go more with the unsettled nonsense going on, unhappy players and unrest and in house nonsense which should be dealt with by Club/Coach

 

[perverse]

Have trouble understanding all the comments as some conflict one player to another.
DSaf criticised for phoning in then playing stronger when tapped but won’t make any difference to him if new club signs him for a low figure as Knights will pay more meaning he will get his $850K p.a. Anyway.
Thompson not performing as earlier in season, unhappy? Hasn’t resigned yet? Likely testing the market for higher pay but not going to get as much if not performing. DSaf might leave but he will still have JSaf and Frizell as mentors for at least 2025 if he stays
I tend to go more with the unsettled nonsense going on, unhappy players and unrest and in house nonsense which should be dealt with by Club/Coach

Tbh I agree with most of what you said but it's plain as day that DSafs form flipped on a dime the moment he was tapped on the shoulder. Money or otherwise, the tap woke him up. Too little, too late.

It does seem pretty obvious that there's some unrest in the playing group. Where that's coming from, dunno. Agree, it's up to the coach and the club to fix it. That's their job, and it's why Bennett is so highly regarded. Man management is a huge part of being a head coach.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Provide a culture where leaving just doesnt enter the equation.

This situation with Dsaf was highly avoidable in a strong culture, and it screams at a weak culture with vague principles and leaders.

If Dsaf is a member of the leadership group then those that appointed him should have a long hard look at themselves, and what it is they hope to achieve at the club.

 

[perverse]

Provide a culture where leaving just doesnt enter the equation.

This situation with Dsaf was highly avoidable in a strong culture, and it screams at a weak culture with vague principles and leaders.

If Dsaf is a member of the leadership group then those that appointed him should have a long hard look at themselves, and what it is they hope to achieve at the club.

Heaps of us have been saying it for years, but Kalyn should have never been made captain. He was way too young, and wouldn't know the first thing about settings standards and culture. He's a pretty good kid and sets a good example personally I think, but he's too easy going to be the guy that pulls others into line.

People aren't going to like hearing it but I'll say it again - Pearce was the last leader we had at the club and we never replaced him. Ponga has started to grow into it... but I don't know if he's ever going to have the fierceness required to lead men into battle.

 

[Burwood]

If Leo goes, say goodbye to his brother as well…

 

[Jono078]

Heaps of us have been saying it for years, but Kalyn should have never been made captain. He was way too young, and wouldn't know the first thing about settings standards and culture. He's a pretty good kid and sets a good example personally I think, but he's too easy going to be the guy that pulls others into line.

People aren't going to like hearing it but I'll say it again - Pearce was the last leader we had at the club and we never replaced him. Ponga has started to grow into it... but I don't know if he's ever going to have the fierceness required to lead men into battle.

I had plenty of criticism of Lachy Fitz, but last year was one of his best years and he showed some great leadership. You could argue he's been missed too.

It's sad we have a leadership group of 11 and none of them are really able to stand above all else and say follow me. Maybe the fact we have a leadership group of 11 that is the case..

 

[Woody90]

Heaps of us have been saying it for years, but Kalyn should have never been made captain. He was way too young, and wouldn't know the first thing about settings standards and culture. He's a pretty good kid and sets a good example personally I think, but he's too easy going to be the guy that pulls others into line.

People aren't going to like hearing it but I'll say it again - Pearce was the last leader we had at the club and we never replaced him. Ponga has started to grow into it... but I don't know if he's ever going to have the fierceness required to lead men into battle.

Yep Ponga’s just not a leader. He’s never had those attributes and that’s OK, some people just don’t. Doesn’t diminish his talent as a player. I feel like we gave him the captaincy so he’d stay on but that shows a very little awareness of the type of person he is. I also think we need to face facts that he just doesn’t live and breathe rugby league. To me he’s a young guy that sees rugby league as a job that allows him and his family to have a good quality of life outside of football, not a way of life.

 

[perverse]

I had plenty of criticism of Lachy Fitz, but last year was one of his best years and he showed some great leadership. You could argue he's been missed too.

It's sad we have a leadership group of 11 and none of them are really able to stand above all else and say follow me. Maybe the fact we have a leadership group of 11 that is the case..

I'd definitely argue he's been missed for sure, and I thought we all said he would be based on last years form. Last year was by far Lachie's best year. The hope was that KPP would eventually grow into a higher ceiling (and also, Fitzgibbon maintaining that form was hardly a given). But yeah, most teams would miss the 2023 edition of Fitz, he was very strong.

I think the fact that we have a "leadership group" of 11 speaks volumes. It means yes, there's no standout leaders in the group at all.

Yep Ponga’s just not a leader. He’s never had those attributes and that’s OK, some people just don’t. Doesn’t diminish his talent as a player. I feel like we gave him the captaincy so he’d stay on but that shows a very little awareness of the type of person he is. I also think we need to face facts that he just doesn’t live and breathe rugby league. To me he’s a young guy that sees rugby league as a job that allows him and his family to have a good quality of life outside of football, not a way of life.

I think Kalyn has, over the past 18-24 months, realised that doing the extras has value and that talent isn't going to carry him and the team alone. Look at his goalkicking and general consistency as indicators of that. I think he puts a lot more into his footy now than he had in the past. As you said, though - he straight up just doesn't have the temperment or demeanor of a leader. And yes, that's not a criticism of him as a person or a player - it's an indictment of the people who put him in that position to begin with.

 

[Woody90]

I had plenty of criticism of Lachy Fitz, but last year was one of his best years and he showed some great leadership. You could argue he's been missed too.

It's sad we have a leadership group of 11 and none of them are really able to stand above all else and say follow me. Maybe the fact we have a leadership group of 11 that is the case..

I actually truely believe that Fitzy has been a bigger loss than Dom. He was a crucial cog in the left side attack. It seems to me like we’re still trying to play the same way we did when Fitzy was there, despite the fact that he and KPP couldn’t be further apart in terms of the type of back rowers they are.

 

[perverse]

I actually truely believe that Fitzy has been a bigger loss than Dom. He was a crucial cog in the left side attack. It seems to me like we’re still trying to play the same way we did when Fitzy was there, despite the fact that he and KPP couldn’t be further apart in terms of the type of back rowers they are.

We're playing our entire backrow wrong as far as I can see. It's time next year for Friz to move to the middle (more a team need than a slight on Friz, he's a beast) and to put Lucas on the left and switch KPP to the right. Blind Freddy can see this is the way forward.

 

[macavity]

Gags is the obvious leader in the club. Strange he wasn’t given captaincy tbh.

 

[Yosh]

I don't blame Leo at all. See nuffies getting paid a lot more than him and offer a lot less. No winning culture at the club. No direction under the head coach.

His form has taken a bit of a dive and it looks like this contract talk has been weighing up on his mind. Hope we resign him and pay him what he is worth.