Rumoured targets thread

[Johns Magic]

If Sims comes through this year, which I expect him to, it will get real interesting selection-wise. I think Costigan could be in trouble mid-way through the year.

 

[red and blue]

I think having him is good to the fact that if we loose smith or scott with injury we wont lose the mongrel in the pack.

 

[Frederick]

Fa'alogo will be next years Bennett project, like Laurie this year. Signed to a minimal contract for peanuts, it's all on him to prove his worth to the team and force his way into first grade. If he does, good for him. If he doesn't, no skin off our nose

 

[Big Tim]

We are a fickle bunch.

Complain that our team lacks mongrel, sign a bonified lunatic, complain that he isnt a "solid" player........

I am happy with it. We are going to be a tough, defensive team, with intimidation factor across the park. Fits the scheme perfectly IMO.

 

[Joker's Wild]

I think its fair to say that "mongrel" needs to be coupled with ability Tim.

Also, if he is off the field suspended all the time then he would be less than useless

 

[Mr_Knightside]

It seems like Wayne has a two pronged recruitment strategy for next year:

1. experience
2. mongrel

Smith
Scott
Fa'alogo

All have 100+ FG games under their belt, and all of them known for being enforcers/intimidators on the field.

In fact if you look at our available forwards for next year I'd say we will have one of the most experienced packs in the whole comp.

Mason
Snowden
Buderus
Smith
Scott
Costigan
Housten
Cuthbertson
Fa'alogo
Hilder
McKinnon
Rochow
Tetevano

I haven't listed those in any particular order, but I'd wager that all those guys above the 3 at the bottom are all in the 100+ FG games club, and probably 2 or 3 are over the 200+ club (Bedsy and Mase, not sure who else?)

The only other forward packs I can think of with a similar level of experience next year would be Manly, Cronulla, NQ and Gold Coast.

Although my concern with investing in experience is that these guys are all much closer to the end of their careers than the start and it's hard to tell just how much good footy they have left in them.

 

[K-Man]

Please name your 2013 pack and tell me who he will be in for

Unless he is moved to prop, has some hidden talent at hooker and kills it in the off season I cant see him cracking a backrow spot over the 2 current, yes current, rep players we have already bought for next season, House who is consistently favoured by coaches and teammates, McKinnon who is a gun and Jnr rep, Nev who Wayne seems to love, Rochow who Wayne debuted over more seasoned lower graders or Cuthbo who has proven his worth.

Honestly mate, a one year deal for a guy who has been in oblivion for 3 years and is pretty much only known for 2 thug acts does not scream "guaranteed FG spot" to me

This is not MY pack, but it's what I'm expecting to see. And for the record I consider "depth players" to be anyone outside probably the top 19 that you expect to see a lot of all year. I think of a depth-only player as someone who needs at least 2 or 3 injuries to get a start.

Anyway...

8. Snowden
9. Buderus
10. Mason
11. Scott
12. Smith
13. Houston

14. Costigan
15. McKinnon
16. Fa'aologo
17. Cuthbertson

18. Rochow
19. Sims/T.Likiliki/Vai Vai
20. Adams/Hilder/Waddell

We've lost a lot of forwards and brought in a few. I like Rochow but you're talking about like he's an absolute gun young player guaranteed to continue his rise. The guy has been around a few years and basically couldn't break into a Melbourne Storm team that Fa'aoso just won a grand final with. It's not a criticism of Rochow who I rate, but there's every chance Fa'aologo will go straight past him in the pecking order because he's an experienced NZ rep and first-grader over a long period of time. He's not 35 or some bloke from the NSW Cup.

Bennett has also shown his willingness to use a non-traditional bench without a second specialist prop. So yes, I expect Fa'aologo is going to play the majority of matches as long as he's not injured/suspended.

The 80% call was just to say that even if it takes a few games to work his way in, I'm predicting that basically when he is available he will play first grade.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

What have we gained by letting go of Fa'aoso and buying Fa'aologo? I dont understand the logic here. There would be what? 50-75k difference in price between them? Other than that i'd prefer Richie

 

[K-Man]

Fa'alogo will be next years Bennett project, like Laurie this year. Signed to a minimal contract for peanuts, it's all on him to prove his worth to the team and force his way into first grade. If he does, good for him. If he doesn't, no skin off our nose

I really don't think of Fa'alogo as a "project player" like Daine Laurie.

There is absolute chasm between the careers of David Fa'alogo and Daine Laurie.

It's not far off Souths bringing back someone like Matt King from years in the ESL, and getting toward the end of his career, and people suggesting he's a project/depth player who will have to prove himself to get past a few of their good young prospects.

Fa'alogo is easily a first-grade footballer, and I'm not even a big fan. But you guys are talking about him like he's an absolute nobody or a one-season wonder like Daine Laurie, and he's not.

Fa'alogo > Rochow > Tetevano > Sims (this will be roughly how WB sees it until evidence shows him otherwise).

 

[Big Tim]

I think its fair to say that "mongrel" needs to be coupled with ability Tim.

Also, if he is off the field suspended all the time then he would be less than useless

I think it is fair to say he has ability.

He was a Kiwi rep when they won the WC. Wayne was part of that staff, he knows what he does and doesnt bring to the team.

Whilst he may not be a blue chip signing, he fits very well with the scheme that Wayne is implementing. Add to that the fact that at this point I dont see him in the top 17, and I cant understand why anyone would be against the signing.

He fills a need, and like most of the other guys Wayne has bought in, he is someone he knows can do the job he asks.

 

[Joker's Wild]

The WC was 5 years ago and Fa'alongo was well down the list of NZ's best in that tourney

Like you mate, I dont see him in our top 17 and unless he's on major coin I dont have much of an issue with the signing. Im just not all that comfortable with a guy who has a clear history of being a thug representing my club. I just hope he doesnt embarrass us by doing something stupid

 

[macavity]

Interesting isn't it - whether someone is a "thug" or "tough" doesn't depend so much on what they do to earn that term, as it does whether they have a bit of skill to go along with it.

Dave (I am not attempting his last name, so to me he is Dave) hasn't done anything worse on the field than Gallen, Bird, Thaiday, Cam Smith, etc etc... but strangely he is a thug and they are tough (or in the case of Smith, a dirty merkin).

might be the neck tatts, hey bro.

 

[perverse]

Dave (I am not attempting his last name, so to me he is Dave) hasn't done anything worse on the field than Gallen, Bird, Thaiday, Cam Smith, etc etc... but strangely he is a thug and they are tough (or in the case of Smith, a dirty merkin).

[youtube]vEtjH5Lr76I[/youtube]


i've never seen Cam Smith dog shot someone like that. don't think Cam Smith has ever planted one on his coaches chin, either. he's a grub... and one of the bigger grubs running around. no doubt.

 

[Miller was a legend]

What have we gained by letting go of Fa'aoso and buying Fa'aologo? I dont understand the logic here. There would be what? 50-75k difference in price between them? Other than that i'd prefer Richie

Gained two additional letters in his name?

 

[Dave_]

Gained two additional letters in his name?

Two?

 

[Joker's Wild]

Interesting isn't it - whether someone is a "thug" or "tough" doesn't depend so much on what they do to earn that term, as it does whether they have a bit of skill to go along with it.

Dave (I am not attempting his last name, so to me he is Dave) hasn't done anything worse on the field than Gallen, Bird, Thaiday, Cam Smith, etc etc... but strangely he is a thug and they are tough (or in the case of Smith, a dirty merkin).

might be the neck tatts, hey bro.

None of those guys have ever king hit a player or their coach

Besides, no one has ever referred to Thaiday as "tough" lol

 

[Big Tim]

JW, this is the issue I have.

We all cry out for an enforcer, or a mongrel.

We sign one. Now we cry he isnt a saint, or at least his worst crime is used as an argument as to why he shouldnt be here.

We cant have enforcement angels. Doesnt work that way.

 

[perverse]

I could handle the despicable grub part if he had any amount if talent and wasn't on the wrong side of 30. It's a shit sandwich signing from what I can see. There are bound to be a few from time to time, but I can't call a spade a bobcat.

 

[slotmachine]

I could handle the despicable grub part if he had any amount if talent and wasn't on the wrong side of 30.

Haha, truer words have never been spoken.

He was garbage before he left for the ESL.
Now he will be old, worse, garbage.

If he is featuring in first grade we are struggling.

Oh, I also see Jeremy Smith has a busted shoulder.

And Wes and Junior will still be in our Top 25 despite playing for teams that aren't the Knights.

Bring on 2014!

 

[RABK]

Punching out Jason Taylor is not a grub act. Ask around the sydney RL community what the general consensus is about JT and you'll hear a lot of stories about him. He is a well known wanker who got belted a lot because he simply couldn't handle the grog. I have no doubt he probably deserved whatever Fa'aologo dished out to him.

The anasta king hit was a dog act though. I don't mind the signing, i think he'll perform well in a bench role for us. The pack certainly has a lot of starch about it now. But when penalty magnet Chris Houston is looking like your most disciplined forward i think we can look forward to getting nailed in the penalty counts next year.