Rumoured targets thread

[perverse]

yeah, the more you think about it, the less sense it makes.

 

[Rod]

I'd rather chuck Gidley at hooker than Ennis, or even see how Adams goes. Then we could concentrate on going after an awesome half. Even if we had to wait until 2014 for someone like Pearce it would be worth it.

 

[Frances the Mute]

You guys haven't seen Ennis the past couple of weeks, particularly the week before last he was outstanding.

 

[Rod]

I don't mind him as a player, in fact if you look past the fact that he is a knob, he can be a very good player. I just think there are probably better alternatives. I guess I agree with JM, it would depend on his salary. If bringing him here meant we were missing out in other areas (halfback) then I wouldn't support signing him as much.

 

[shane1970]

Dogs will need to free up some money - T REX - DONT come cheap fellas

 

[bluesbreaker]

I'd love to have Ennis here. Big fan of him as a player.

Massive trackhead but 99% of footy players are.

 

[RABK]

I don't get it.

Bird and the Knights keen as f**k to hook up last year but couldn't due to contract issues, this year he could sign but he extends with the titans.

Ennis and the Knights able to hook up last year but not a bar of it wanted by either party and now when it ain't possible we are trying to jump in bed together?

Meh.

 

[Yosh]

So bird isn't coming? Damn...

 

[RABK]

Not at least until 2014.

 

[The Showstopper]

Maybe we just could not give Birdy the guarantees he needed. Every chance it is money based and in fairness to Greg, he is in the 400 k a season plus bracket minimum at present. I hope he is right up there come Dally M time . Was the best player on the park for NSW IMO in Melbourne.

 

[Frances the Mute]

How the hell do Titans come even close to being under the cap?

 

[Nuffy]

I have been told by a very well connected source at a NRL club (not Newcastle) that providing a club actually has the money available, signing a player with respect to the cap isnt an issue. There are enough legal and other means to ensure the player is adequately compensated without an issue.

I suspect that a number of clubs are backending contracts assuming a substantial cap increase for the next few years, if there isnt, I suspect some clubs will be in the sh*t.

The key point is how effective some clubs are at managing their caps and getting quality into the team and how sh*tty some clubs are at stocking their teams.

Our fundamental issue for too long has been our inability to produce and retain quality juniors.

 

[perverse]

I have been told by a very well connected source at a NRL club (not Newcastle) that providing a club actually has the money available, signing a player with respect to the cap isnt an issue. There are enough legal and other means to ensure the player is adequately compensated without an issue.

I suspect that a number of clubs are backending contracts assuming a substantial cap increase for the next few years, if there isnt, I suspect some clubs will be in the sh*t.

The key point is how effective some clubs are at managing their caps and getting quality into the team and how sh*tty some clubs are at stocking their teams.

Our fundamental issue for too long has been our inability to produce and retain quality juniors.

i agree with your source, the cap is a farce. it doesn't work. i'm pretty amazed by the amount of people who "trust" the cap, to the point of getting outraged when a team like Melbourne gets pinged for massive breaches.

 

[Joker's Wild]

But whats the alternative though?

We need a cap to maintain at least a semblance of balance across the comp. The richer clubs will always have an advantage over the poorer ones but at least the enforcement, all be it flawed enforcement, of a cap reigns that advantage in some what.

 

[RABK]

Depends - i think a side like Manly is the best example of how the cap can work well and you can maintain a dynasty if your club is smart and a few things fall your way.

When Hasler became coach they had a great load of juniors (Stewart Bros, Watmough, Matai) coming through, they recruited well in a timely manner (Lyon, Foran, Williams, Kite and others over time like Orford, Kennedy, Monaghan) and sourced from QLD well (DCE, Ballin). They've kept a core group of 9 or so players together and done just the exact right of junior devolpment and retention/recruitment to be a top side for 8 years.

I'm hoping this kind of long term competitive 'dynasty' is what we may be heading towards under Bennett.

No doubt though when teams like Caneterbury, Parra, Penrith and the Titans are just turning over players constantly you'd have to think the cap is been abused in a lot of ways. And i don't mean cheated when i say abused.. .but just alot of fine lines crossed, we'll pay x here and worry about cutting y next year etc

 

[perverse]

But whats the alternative though?

We need a cap to maintain at least a semblance of balance across the comp. The richer clubs will always have an advantage over the poorer ones but at least the enforcement, all be it flawed enforcement, of a cap reigns that advantage in some what.

one course of action that might help things is having all player payments, including 3rd party, be registered with and paid by the NRL themselves, rather than letting the clubs handle the finance. most of the money that pays the players under the cap comes from the NRL grant anyway. make all players register their endorsements with the NRL, too - even have the endorsements paid to the NRL - and then to the player from the NRL. there needs to be an independent body looking after the money exchanging hands. it wouldn't eradicate the problem, but it would be better than what we have.

there are issues with this system, too... and i can think of a couple of ways to circumvent it easily enough, but it may well be easier to catch people in the act.

honestly, i don't really have the answers. i have some ideas, but ultimately I just know that the current system does not function as well as we are led to believe. not even close. i don't think pretending that it works and settling is the right course of action.

RABK - i like the word "abused" for the cap. cheating is the wrong terminology, technically the cap is probably not being "breached" in many cases. what i would say is that clubs are doing a lot to circumvent the spirit of the salary cap.

 

[The Showstopper]

one course of action that might help things is having all player payments, including 3rd party, be registered with and paid by the NRL themselves, rather than letting the clubs handle the finance. most of the money that pays the players under the cap comes from the NRL grant anyway. make all players register their endorsements with the NRL, too - even have the endorsements paid to the NRL - and then to the player from the NRL. there needs to be an independent body looking after the money exchanging hands. it wouldn't eradicate the problem, but it would be better than what we have.

there are issues with this system, too... and i can think of a couple of ways to circumvent it easily enough, but it may well be easier to catch people in the act.

honestly, i don't really have the answers. i have some ideas, but ultimately I just know that the current system does not function as well as we are led to believe. not even close.

Never has functioned Pervy. Could not agree more. Titans are dirt arse broke and slap the entire game in the face regardless with their marquee player signing stance. It makes the NRL look stupid. They should have blocked the Taylor signing until the Titans were semi profitable. The NRL based funding model would make that possible and legitimate. 35 million in debt beggars belief for a club that is less than ten years old. We would be gone pre Tinkler if that were us.

If i were going for the next TV rights and saw that a club in the competition was fatally in debt then i would not fork out 1.2 billion dollars without asking serious questions. Does part of the money go to rescuing a club that bleeds money out it's arse? Then how many others are bleeding money? Most likely answer is all to some extent. In this current GFC market that sort of money outlay needs to come with guaranteed returns or it is not happening. Billionaire's sweat every morning like never before these days. One bad day in Wall Street away from oblivion.

If the salary cap goes the game dies. Simple. It might take two decades or more before this game can rival AFL player rights and pay packets. I am all for the game watching Demetriou's competent administration and borrowing as many ideas they need to make sure the competition flows evenly and the players get the pay they deserve.

 

[Nuffy]

If the cap is to work effectively then it needs to be a overall football talent outlay cap. So the actual cap may be 5M for the FG team, 1M for 2nd tier and 1M for all other contracts.

Otherwise you get a situation like Melbourne or Brisbane who spend enormous amounts of money tieing up juniors. I think that a few years ago Melbourne signed something like 8 or 9 of the junior Kangaroos from one year.

Rich clubs can lock up vast amounts of emerging talent and then cherry pick the best.

Perhaps they should also limit the amount spent on Sports science and conditioning, to try and level the playing field. You have instances where Melbourne are poring enormous amounts of money into this area of their club and reaping the benefits, a club like the Sharks or Newcastle of old couldn't afford to, whereas Melbourne never have had to live within their means, it was always News or now the NRL writing checks each year to fund their excesses.

 

[Yosh]

If the cap is to work effectively then it needs to be a overall football talent outlay cap. So the actual cap may be 5M for the FG team, 1M for 2nd tier and 1M for all other contracts.

Otherwise you get a situation like Melbourne or Brisbane who spend enormous amounts of money tieing up juniors. I think that a few years ago Melbourne signed something like 8 or 9 of the junior Kangaroos from one year.

Rich clubs can lock up vast amounts of emerging talent and then cherry pick the best.

Perhaps they should also limit the amount spent on Sports science and conditioning, to try and level the playing field. You have instances where Melbourne are poring enormous amounts of money into this area of their club and reaping the benefits, a club like the Sharks or Newcastle of old couldn't afford to, whereas Melbourne never have had to live within their means, it was always News or now the NRL writing checks each year to fund their excesses.

That's th beauty of capitalism. Now we're at the forefront of all that and now (hopefully) we'll be the benchmark club for the next 10 maybe 15 years.

 

[Burwood]

That's th beauty of capitalism. Now we're at the forefront of all that and now (hopefully) we'll be the benchmark club for the next 10 maybe 15 years.

Brisbane spent $28million on their football team last year. Sure, Tinkler could match or exceed that amount, but do you really think he is going to year in, year out?