Rumours and Stuff

[Stevie]

Cameron Smith would have been playing for the Gold Coast years ago if the Storm hadn't been cheating.[/QUOTE]

And by Gold Coast you mean Broncos.

 

[Stevie]

I'll understand if we don't manage to sign Klemmer. I'd just like BA to at least offer him a contract, unlike that other player...

He is not off contract you f**king merkin! You can't!

 

[Soren Lorenson]

He is not off contract you f**king merkin! You can't!

Stevie. Get with the program.

edit; we've gone in too many circles with this and now I don't know who is playing and who is not.

 

[Bazal]

He knows what is needed it's just a little concerning to see most teams have done they're recruitment for 2018 already, let's hope some talent free's up in pre season.

Who would you have recruited that we've missed out on? If we take it that we mostly needed a five-eighth, a prop or two, and a hooker....we have signed Moses and Evans, so the half and one prop are done already.

I'd have spoken to Matulino. But I wouldn't have got within 200k of what the Tigers paid him...is he worth 700k-odd?

Woods is quality but far too expensive. There are guys like Seumanufagai and Tof Sipley who are good players but nothing better than what we already have and no improvement size wise. I wouldn't want Russell Packer at the club and I don't think many would disagree.

Of the players who have definitely signed elsewhere, I would have liked Jordan McLean. Others like John Asiata have re-signed with their clubs.

Off contract for hookers we still have Peats and Lichaa available (and we seem to be talking seriously to Peats) as well as Tyrone Roberts who can do a good job at hooker and some decent quality youngsters like Sione Katoa and Karl Lawton. Available middle forwards at this stage of decent quality and/or size are Agnatius Paasi, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Albert Vete, Mose Masoe....young Jai Arrow is a bit smaller but a genuine quality youngster, Joe Ofahengaue is a big body with potential, and so on.

There are players available, albeit not a huge number. There are also persistent rumours of a couple of clubs in cap trouble. The Bulldogs will definitely have to shed players.

If we do sign Peats and, say, Paasi (chosen randomly because I like him and I believe NAS will stay at Melbourne) and add Willis Meehan as a project player, will you still be worried? I think we're sitting reasonably well in terms of signings given what's available right now. We've picked up one of the better available halves and the perfect player to fit what we're missing up front....

 

[84 Baby]

I'll understand if we don't manage to sign Klemmer. I'd just like BA to at least offer him a contract, unlike that other player...

Vaughan or Peats?

 

[84 Baby]

He is not off contract you f**king merkin! You can't!

Stevie. Get with the program.

Yeah Steve! Contracts don't mean anything these days. If we offer him what he wants he'll sign for sure. I just wish we kept him when he was a junior here. I always knew he'd been a gun. But we signed Carl f**king Webb instead. Good one BA you numpty

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Vaughan or Peats?

Vaughan. So we haven't offered Peatsy a contract either? FFS!!

 

[Djay]

Who would you have recruited that we've missed out on? If we take it that we mostly needed a five-eighth, a prop or two, and a hooker....we have signed Moses and Evans, so the half and one prop are done already.

I'd have spoken to Matulino. But I wouldn't have got within 200k of what the Tigers paid him...is he worth 700k-odd?

Woods is quality but far too expensive. There are guys like Seumanufagai and Tof Sipley who are good players but nothing better than what we already have and no improvement size wise. I wouldn't want Russell Packer at the club and I don't think many would disagree.

Of the players who have definitely signed elsewhere, I would have liked Jordan McLean. Others like John Asiata have re-signed with their clubs.

Off contract for hookers we still have Peats and Lichaa available (and we seem to be talking seriously to Peats) as well as Tyrone Roberts who can do a good job at hooker and some decent quality youngsters like Sione Katoa and Karl Lawton. Available middle forwards at this stage of decent quality and/or size are Agnatius Paasi, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Albert Vete, Mose Masoe....young Jai Arrow is a bit smaller but a genuine quality youngster, Joe Ofahengaue is a big body with potential, and so on.

There are players available, albeit not a huge number. There are also persistent rumours of a couple of clubs in cap trouble. The Bulldogs will definitely have to shed players.

If we do sign Peats and, say, Paasi (chosen randomly because I like him and I believe NAS will stay at Melbourne) and add Willis Meehan as a project player, will you still be worried? I think we're sitting reasonably well in terms of signings given what's available right now. We've picked up one of the better available halves and the perfect player to fit what we're missing up front....

McClean, Asiata and Packer I would have been interested in but again can see the non interest in Packer. I think McClean would have been honestly ideal, his a huge body who has learnt in the best system in the game for the past 10 years wish we threw money at him. Asiata is a prop who played 5/8 that alone explains what sort of skill set he has he would have been beyond handy but prying him from Townsville would have been hard. Funny that both those men will be Cowboys next year FFS.

Ignatius Paasi, Asofa-Solomona are all available and really hope we are talking to them. Also like I said opportunities for talent to become available later in the year could very well occur, I am hoping that happens and we land a forward or someone much like how we did with Jennings last year and of his pedigree but obviously as a forward.

Matulino for f**k all money yes, but not for what the Tigers offered.

I had given up on Peats? What's the story there? In my eyes I would be giving him 500k or 550k, his worth every cent IMO, SoO showed it, yes his service isn't the greatest but his attitude and line speed in defence is legit the best. Yes, yes and more yes if he is still on offer but I thought he was staying on the GC?

I won't be worried if a hooker like Peats is signed, another middle forward is added on top of Evans and personally I wouldn't shy away from another back rower. But essentially if we were to sign a prop and a hooker then by all means my outlook will change, but those 2 positions need to be addressed more then they have especially up front in the forwards.

 

[El Diablo]

And by Gold Coast you mean Broncos.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arc...n/news-story/c42398920b313b10dd79b8aa11c5d101

Titans' $3m offer to Storm captain

• Brent Read
• TheAustralian
• 12:00AM November 1, 2008

CAMERON Smith's resolve to stay in Melbourne is being tested by an offer from the Gold Coast which could earn the Test hooker more than $3 million.

Titans chief executive Michael Searle declined to comment on the size of any deal, but it is understood the Gold Coast is willing to table a five-year deal worth $2.5m.

Smith's estranged manager Jim Banaghan yesterday confirmed he had third-party deals in place which could net Smith a further $125,000 a season over the life of any contract with the Gold Coast. That means he could expect to earn more than $600,000 a season should he sign with the Titans when his contract with Melbourne expires at the end of next year.

"Our cap position in 2010 would make it very hard for any club to top our offer," Searle said last night.

The Storm is desperate to keep its skipper and has put contract talks on hold with several other players as the club attempts to make Smith a competitive offer.

A number of the club's first-graders are off contract at the end of next season, including Steve Turner, Will Chambers and Ryan Hoffman.

The size of the Titans' offer illustrates the task Melbourne faces in retaining one of the game's best players. Money isn't the only factor for Smith. The Test hooker's desire to return to Queensland, something he has spoken about in the past, is another factor in the Titans' favour.

"Cameron is a former Australian captain, he's one of the highest profile players in the game," Searle said.

"I have been in contact with him just to let him know that we're happy to talk to him.

"We made a tentative offer to him before the end of his relationship with Jim Banaghan. It's fair to say we would like to keep talking to him."

Searle said Titans coach John Cartwright, in camp with Smith in his capacity as an assistant to Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart, had reinforced Gold Coast's interest.

"I believe John Cartwright has had a brief chat to him in camp to say we're very, very keen," Searle said.

"We'll wait and see whether he will make a quick decision or whether he's prepared to sit and wait."

Melbourne has locked up several of its stars this year, including five-eighth Greg Inglis and halfback Cooper Cronk. However, those signings have swallowed much of the club's space under the salary cap.

It is understood Melbourne is willing to offer Smith a four-year deal worth $1.6m, meaning he could be forced to turn his back on more than $1m to stay with the Storm.

"It's one thing to be a professional footballer, it's another thing to negotiate a professional footballer's contract," Banaghan said.

"There's a very short time at the top. In my experience of doing this for 15 years, I have never seen any player walk away from $1 million."

The bidding war for Smith comes as the Storm star prepares to take his place in the Australian side for tomorrow night's World Cup match against England at Melbourne's Telstra Dome.

Smith will be a pivotal figure in that game, although England coach Tony Smith yesterday spoke of his side's plans to target halfback Johnathan Thurston and his ailing shoulder.

Thurston will have a fitness test today on the shoulder he injured in Australia's World Cup win against New Zealand.

Given his importance to the Kangaroos, Thurston is likely to be a focal point of England's attack as it attempts to exploit any lingering concerns the Australia No 7 may have with the shoulder.

The tit-for-tat over the respective halfbacks comes a day after Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart predicted the contest between the arch-rivals would be a tough one.

"He will get tested at some stage," Smith said of Thurston.

"We're not going to go out of our way. But it's pretty well publicised he has a crook shoulder. I'm sure some of the players in my team will test him out at some stage."

Smith also hinted England enforcer Adrian Morley would be promoted to the starting side. Morley did little to douse talk of a fiery Test match, warning he and his team-mates were ready to fight fire with fire.

"I think our forward pack has been a match for the Kiwis and the Aussies over the last few years," Morley said.

"If we have a chance of winning this tournament we need to stand up and be counted."

 

[El Diablo]

"Our cap position in 2010 would make it very hard for any club to top our offer," Searle said last night.

unless they were cheating

Melbourne has locked up several of its stars this year, including five-eighth Greg Inglis and halfback Cooper Cronk. However, those signings have swallowed much of the club's space under the salary cap.

and now we know it did swallow their entire cap yet they are still benefiting from it

It is understood Melbourne is willing to offer Smith a four-year deal worth $1.6m, meaning he could be forced to turn his back on more than $1m to stay with the Storm.

unless you sign three contracts which don't show up on the NRL's books

 

[Bazal]

McClean, Asiata and Packer I would have been interested in but again can see the non interest in Packer. I think McClean would have been honestly ideal, his a huge body who has learnt in the best system in the game for the past 10 years wish we threw money at him. Asiata is a prop who played 5/8 that alone explains what sort of skill set he has he would have been beyond handy but prying him from Townsville would have been hard. Funny that both those men will be Cowboys next year FFS.

Ignatius Paasi, Asofa-Solomona are all available and really hope we are talking to them. Also like I said opportunities for talent to become available later in the year could very well occur, I am hoping that happens and we land a forward or someone much like how we did with Jennings last year and of his pedigree but obviously as a forward.

Matulino for f**k all money yes, but not for what the Tigers offered.

I had given up on Peats? What's the story there? In my eyes I would be giving him 500k or 550k, his worth every cent IMO, SoO showed it, yes his service isn't the greatest but his attitude and line speed in defence is legit the best. Yes, yes and more yes if he is still on offer but I thought he was staying on the GC?

I won't be worried if a hooker like Peats is signed, another middle forward is added on top of Evans and personally I wouldn't shy away from another back rower. But essentially if we were to sign a prop and a hooker then by all means my outlook will change, but those 2 positions need to be addressed more then they have especially up front in the forwards.

I have heard a whisper around the local RL community that McLean signed for the Cowboys to get out of Melbourne, but also that he was never going to Sydney because the Alex McKinnon thing. He felt that the media attention in Sydney would be too much. Of course, it's just chat around the place and may be entirely false. And even if it is, it's tough to beat the prospect of playing alongside Matt Scott for a young future Origin prop, and the prospect of playing with JT, Morgan, and so on wouldn't hurt either. He would have been perfect but if the choice was us or the Cows (for the sake of this discussion, I have no idea who spoke to whom) you can completely understand why he chose North QLD.

On Peats, there are stories that discussions may be back on after the Titans also refused to budge on price. Who knows what the truth is. I'd give him 500k if the Titans are offering 450.

Ultimately I think we're in good shape. We've signed on of the better halves available, and we've signed the best genuine big body on the market, with some good quality still left for us to speak to. The Tigers have been on a spending spree but they just freed up half their salary cap. Reynolds for 800k, Matulino for 700k, Packer for much bigger money than his current club was willing to offer....they've spent overs, which I'm glad we haven't done.

 

[Wicked Witch Of The West]

 

[Gronk]

Titans chief executive Michael Searle declined to comment on the size of any deal, but it is understood the Gold Coast is willing to table a five-year deal worth $2.5m.

Smith's estranged manager Jim Banaghan yesterday confirmed he had third-party deals in place which could net Smith a further $125,000 a season over the life of any contract with the Gold Coast. That means he could expect to earn more than $600,000 a season should he sign with the Titans when his contract with Melbourne expires at the end of next year.

Hmm so Smith is expected to earn $600k per year whilst the Tits are paying Hayne $1.2M per year.

Am I understanding this right ?

He's 34 next year. So the Tits are going to pay him until he's 39 ?

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Hmm so Smith is expected to earn $600k per year whilst the Tits are paying Hayne $1.2M per year.

Am I understanding this right ?

He's 34 next year. So the Tits are going to pay him until he's 39 ?

No. It's old.

 

[Stevie]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arc...n/news-story/c42398920b313b10dd79b8aa11c5d101

Titans' $3m offer to Storm captain

• Brent Read
• TheAustralian
• 12:00AM November 1, 2008

CAMERON Smith's resolve to stay in Melbourne is being tested by an offer from the Gold Coast which could earn the Test hooker more than $3 million.

Titans chief executive Michael Searle declined to comment on the size of any deal, but it is understood the Gold Coast is willing to table a five-year deal worth $2.5m.

Smith's estranged manager Jim Banaghan yesterday confirmed he had third-party deals in place which could net Smith a further $125,000 a season over the life of any contract with the Gold Coast. That means he could expect to earn more than $600,000 a season should he sign with the Titans when his contract with Melbourne expires at the end of next year.

"Our cap position in 2010 would make it very hard for any club to top our offer," Searle said last night.

The Storm is desperate to keep its skipper and has put contract talks on hold with several other players as the club attempts to make Smith a competitive offer.

A number of the club's first-graders are off contract at the end of next season, including Steve Turner, Will Chambers and Ryan Hoffman.

The size of the Titans' offer illustrates the task Melbourne faces in retaining one of the game's best players. Money isn't the only factor for Smith. The Test hooker's desire to return to Queensland, something he has spoken about in the past, is another factor in the Titans' favour.

"Cameron is a former Australian captain, he's one of the highest profile players in the game," Searle said.

"I have been in contact with him just to let him know that we're happy to talk to him.

"We made a tentative offer to him before the end of his relationship with Jim Banaghan. It's fair to say we would like to keep talking to him."

Searle said Titans coach John Cartwright, in camp with Smith in his capacity as an assistant to Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart, had reinforced Gold Coast's interest.

"I believe John Cartwright has had a brief chat to him in camp to say we're very, very keen," Searle said.

"We'll wait and see whether he will make a quick decision or whether he's prepared to sit and wait."

Melbourne has locked up several of its stars this year, including five-eighth Greg Inglis and halfback Cooper Cronk. However, those signings have swallowed much of the club's space under the salary cap.

It is understood Melbourne is willing to offer Smith a four-year deal worth $1.6m, meaning he could be forced to turn his back on more than $1m to stay with the Storm.

"It's one thing to be a professional footballer, it's another thing to negotiate a professional footballer's contract," Banaghan said.

"There's a very short time at the top. In my experience of doing this for 15 years, I have never seen any player walk away from $1 million."

The bidding war for Smith comes as the Storm star prepares to take his place in the Australian side for tomorrow night's World Cup match against England at Melbourne's Telstra Dome.

Smith will be a pivotal figure in that game, although England coach Tony Smith yesterday spoke of his side's plans to target halfback Johnathan Thurston and his ailing shoulder.

Thurston will have a fitness test today on the shoulder he injured in Australia's World Cup win against New Zealand.

Given his importance to the Kangaroos, Thurston is likely to be a focal point of England's attack as it attempts to exploit any lingering concerns the Australia No 7 may have with the shoulder.

The tit-for-tat over the respective halfbacks comes a day after Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart predicted the contest between the arch-rivals would be a tough one.

"He will get tested at some stage," Smith said of Thurston.

"We're not going to go out of our way. But it's pretty well publicised he has a crook shoulder. I'm sure some of the players in my team will test him out at some stage."

Smith also hinted England enforcer Adrian Morley would be promoted to the starting side. Morley did little to douse talk of a fiery Test match, warning he and his team-mates were ready to fight fire with fire.

"I think our forward pack has been a match for the Kiwis and the Aussies over the last few years," Morley said.

"If we have a chance of winning this tournament we need to stand up and be counted."

Hear that whooshing sound? That's my Broncos celery cap joke flying over your head.

 

[The EELiminator]

Hmm so Smith is expected to earn $600k per year whilst the Tits are paying Hayne $1.2M per year.

Am I understanding this right ?

He's 34 next year. So the Tits are going to pay him until he's 39 ?

lol look at the date on the article mate it's from 2008

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It's from nine years ago. $600k per year was top dollar back then.

I can't believe no merkin has pointed this out.

 

[84 Baby]

Can't believe Tits are going to sign Smith for $600k! Conspiracy plus our shit board should have jumped in! Reckon he would sign if we offered him 750. Get it done BA!

 

[Bazal]

FFS what a shock, the NRL owned Titans signing Cam Smith for 600k......

 

[Djay]

I have heard a whisper around the local RL community that McLean signed for the Cowboys to get out of Melbourne, but also that he was never going to Sydney because the Alex McKinnon thing. He felt that the media attention in Sydney would be too much. Of course, it's just chat around the place and may be entirely false. And even if it is, it's tough to beat the prospect of playing alongside Matt Scott for a young future Origin prop, and the prospect of playing with JT, Morgan, and so on wouldn't hurt either. He would have been perfect but if the choice was us or the Cows (for the sake of this discussion, I have no idea who spoke to whom) you can completely understand why he chose North QLD.

On Peats, there are stories that discussions may be back on after the Titans also refused to budge on price. Who knows what the truth is. I'd give him 500k if the Titans are offering 450.

Ultimately I think we're in good shape. We've signed on of the better halves available, and we've signed the best genuine big body on the market, with some good quality still left for us to speak to. The Tigers have been on a spending spree but they just freed up half their salary cap. Reynolds for 800k, Matulino for 700k, Packer for much bigger money than his current club was willing to offer....they've spent overs, which I'm glad we haven't done.

If we were to get Peats, Paasi and hit the jackpot with someone and land another forward in pre season we will be looking real good, squad wise.