Rumoured Targets 3

[Mr_Knightside]

I don’t really get it with the Gagai situation. $400K a year isn’t much these days for a guy who’s a guaranteed starter each week in the NRL, and rep quality on a good day.

If we’d signed an established player with age on their side to play right centre then I’d be able to see the logic but we’d be replacing him with Hunt or Schiller, neither of which give me confidence in that spot.

I can only assume there’s a plan here, which of course they’re not making public.

 

[Woosh]

 

[Yosh]

?

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Michelle's lost her mind

 

[Alex28]

She likes missing tackles?

 

[Woody90]

Does Dane’s wife know about you?

 

[Zoidberg]

How much have you watched him lately? He's improved heaps year on year and over this season he's really kicked on heaps. There's no 9 in the comp in better form right now. Hookers like him take a little while to mature and on the trajectory he's on he's probably going to be the consensus second best hooker & a lock for the Blues #9 going into next year.

I’m more implying Sharks still aren’t good enough.

 

[SamSepi0l]

Nice to see Blayke has the patented Brailey kick directly into defender on the goal line move.

 

[Woosh]

"You look at Dane Gagai and he'd be the first player I would re-sign if I was involved with the Knights," Stuart told reporters after the game.

"He was by far the hungriest, best player out there tonight. He just never stopped trying. That builds teams. You can build teams around someone like Dane Gagai”

Gagai earns Stuart's praise as Raiders beat Knights

The Canberra Raiders have won their ninth straight match to close in on their first minor premiership since...

www.canberratimes.com.au

Not sure Newcastle should be taking advice from the coach that has his team sitting on top of the ladder

 

[HarVeeGee]

If Dane was 28 and playing like he did today he would have already gotten a big contract extension. Old guys get paid less. It is what it is. They’re playing the exact same hardball as we are with Dane with Josh Papalii. Who, similarly, is still playing great footy.

 

[Woody90]

The thing is with Gags he’s been playing way better at fullback than he was at centre earlier in the year.

Looks like he’s gone anyway based on AOB’s comments in the presser.

 

[Alex28]

Gagai earns Stuart's praise as Raiders beat Knights

The Canberra Raiders have won their ninth straight match to close in on their first minor premiership since...

www.canberratimes.com.au

Not sure Newcastle should be taking advice from the coach that has his team sitting on top of the ladder

This from the coach getting rid of their best front rower who also happens to be old…

 

[slotmachine]

Since when are they pushing Tapine out? And 31 isn't that old.

 

[macavity]

The thing is with Gags he’s been playing way better at fullback than he was at centre earlier in the year.

Looks like he’s gone anyway based on AOB’s comments in the presser.

what did he say?

 

[Woody90]

This from the coach getting rid of their best front rower who also happens to be old…

And their halfback…

 

[Woody90]

what did he say?

He was asked about if he’ll start running more of the younger guys now the seasons over and he said he still wanted them to deserve the jersey over the player(s) currently in it, then said as example he didn’t want to give a young guy Gags jersey. I might be reading into it but to me he was saying that Gags won’t be there next year.

 

[jonno_knights]

He was asked about if he’ll start running more of the younger guys now the seasons over and he said he still wanted them to deserve the jersey over the player(s) currently in it, then said as example he didn’t want to give a young guy Gags jersey. I might be reading into it but to me he was saying that Gags won’t be there next year.

Didn't think of it that way, but kinda makes sense. I thought he might have just used gags as an example as he was sitting next to him.

The interesting thing I took away from it was he wouldnt give away a jersey, but someone higher up at the club may force him too.

Sounds to me the divide at the club isnt between players and coach, but between the team and management. Which fits in with gags/AoBs comments over the last week.

But then again, coaches would get forced to play guys all the time in a lost season to blood youngster, and determine who to re-sign. Just if AoB isnt going to be here next year he has nothing to gain by doing it.

 

[Old dog]

If I was Coach I would seriously consider playing Votano, Arthur J, De Courcey and Crouch at least a few games each over rest of season

 

[Woody90]

Didn't think of it that way, but kinda makes sense. I thought he might have just used gags as an example as he was sitting next to him.

The interesting thing I took away from it was he wouldnt give away a jersey, but someone higher up at the club may force him too.

Sounds to me the divide at the club isnt between players and coach, but between the team and management. Which fits in with gags/AoBs comments over the last week.

But then again, coaches would get forced to play guys all the time in a lost season to blood youngster, and determine who to re-sign. Just if AoB isnt going to be here next year he has nothing to gain by doing it.

Yeah it’s an awkward situation because the higher powers at the club have made it clear from our recruitment that setting up for the future is the number one priority over mitigating losses in the short term.

While I completely agree that’s what’s needed, it’s a conflict of interests as AOB needs to win as much as he can in the short term to save his job. Naturally he’s going to want to stack the side with as much experience as possible. To me that was telling today with 3 halves staying in the side over Arthur and Hethrington coming in over giving a young prop who’ll be here game time.

I definitely wouldn’t drop Gagai in a million years but someone higher up is going to have to intervene if players like Arthur, Crouch, ESL, etc. who will be needed next year, don’t get a run after the bye.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

If I was Coach I would seriously consider playing Votano, Arthur J, De Courcey and Crouch at least a few games each over rest of season

If I was coach I'd quit