Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

I definitely take your point however there appears to be a massive difference between the standard examinations, which appear to be bugger all and what occurs once the Whistle Blower opens his/her mouth.
Why cant the exhaustive process that has had success in finding issues, move randomly from club to club?

I'd say it's very expensive.

 

[lingard]

I agree with everything you said in your novel, Ram. I'd be careful about criticising Arthur, though. He can't be seen as a really good coach who's made a few mistakes, apparently. Any decision he makes that turns out badly, isn't a mistake, you know. He doesn't make them.

 

[lingard]

I'd say it's very expensive.

Well, what else have they got to spend their money on?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Assuming that the Roosters are not doing anything dodgy, and that they're above board, they are a great example of why this stupid TPA system needs a massive overhaul; year after year, the NRL beats its chest about how close the competition is, and that they aspire for equality across the competition - yet the Roosters, year after year, are able to stack their starting line-up full of representative players.

Again, I'm not insinuating that the Chooks are doing anything wrong, but clearly, the system needs a revamp.

It's not exactly a fair system when the Roosters can boast half a dozen rep-quality players in their club, but other clubs struggle to get three.

Kudos to the Roosters for doing their jobs properly, but the system needs to be examined.

I don't actually rate their roster as much as some of you merkins. They have zero depth, and what's more, they don't even have 17 genuine first graders in their squad. Sure they just signed Tedesco and Cronk (at the same time) but they did indeed axe a bunch of merkins to create space, and those two would be their most expensive players. Who would be their next most expensive? Cordner, Friend, Keary, JWH, Ferguson. Those seven would cost about $5M (IMO). That leaves about another 4.5 million for the other 24 squad members. Napa, Taukeiaho, Tupou and Mitchell might be on another $1.2M between them. $3.3M for the remaining 20 blokes? They're a bunch of nobodies. They aren't worth more than $165k each.

So it's actually pretty easy to fit a few stars into your team when you have no depth. Is that an argument against depth? Only if no merkin gets injured.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Coz it's a very different job trying to find something when a) you don't know specifically what you are looking for, or b) you are unable to access the documentation that might show you where to look (or what happened).
If somebody opens their mouth and says 'Sponsor X is paying player Y through mechanism Z' you at least know what information / documents to attempt to obtain.

It's easy enough to audit what is actually disclosed. It is much more difficult to audit what is not disclosed and what may not directly involved the club. Let's say Sponsor X does pay player Y in cash at a golf day, Or Non-sponsor (but 'friend') J pays player Y by paying them to do Z. Even if the auditor somehow got wind of this behaviour, he can't compel the player and 'friend' to play ball. If they say 'no such event / payment occurred', it is not easy for the auditor to establish that it did.

Are you saying there are known unknowns and unknown unknowns?

 

[Noise]

I don't actually rate their roster as much as some of you merkins. They have zero depth, and what's more, they don't even have 17 genuine first graders in their squad. Sure they just signed Tedesco and Cronk (at the same time) but they did indeed axe a bunch of merkins to create space, and those two would be their most expensive players. Who would be their next most expensive? Cordner, Friend, Keary, JWH, Ferguson. Those seven would cost about $5M (IMO). That leaves about another 4.5 million for the other 24 squad members. Napa, Taukeiaho, Tupou and Mitchell might be on another $1.2M between them. $3.3M for the remaining 20 blokes? They're a bunch of nobodies. They aren't worth more than $165k each.

So it's actually pretty easy to fit a few stars into your team when you have no depth. Is that an argument against depth? Only if no merkin gets injured.

Who in the roosters top 17 do you think isn’t a first grader?

 

[hineyrulz]

Napa was offered big money by the Broncos, I’m sure stayed for peanuts.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Well, what else have they got to spend their money on?

The new women's comp?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I believe that we will lose tomorrow. The Tigers defense will shut us out. The Tigers have a more savvy coach then us. That is already evident by how well he has recruited in one off season compared to the five by our coach. He also inherited a basket case of a club when he signed on, but it didn't take him that long at all to attract the right type of players to his club to change their attitude.

I have said it before, in the salary cap era it should only take a decent coach/recruiter one to two years to create a good roster. I know we had our issues due to the previous management team, but boy were we cheating/paying overs for a long time for some real crappy players. Anyway some of it was BA and some of it not, but his inability to address our forward issues quickly(in one off season) has led us to this point.

Sure he doesn't want to pay big bucks, but that's to bad for him, the team and ultimately us the fans who make the team and his job possible. The more I think about it and watch other teams in the comp play the more bleeding obvious it is that he has failed big time in recruiting to our club what is the foundation of any team that wants to win the big end of season games.

He has done well only with the halves, well in bringing Moses back anyway. But to constantly overlook the frontrow, is coaching suicide. The game has never really changed from the very old adage that forwards win you games and the backs dictate by how much.

We are lacking massively in the frontrow. The only real class forward we have is Brown. from there it really goes down hill as far as genuine game breakers. Sure there are a few quality workers like Mannah and Alvaro and I like Edwards for his enthusiasm and up tempo approach coming off the bench which is always a necessary thing that a bench player should possess coming on. But the rest, well who really cares. Now don't get me wrong, Mannah and Alvaro, are not the answer to our engine room woes, but should only be a part of a bigger and more destructive running duo that we bring to the club.

Then having those two worker type of frontrowers makes sense and they shouldn't cost a fortune being tradesmen types. But size, power and muscle up front is what it is all about. Then our halves will have the freedom to play their natural and talented game. Look at the Warriors yesterday. That pack obliterated the Chooks. Why, because as good as their starting pack is, they don't have the go forward of the dynamic pack that is the Warriors and a good to solid half in Blake Green thrived and looked like a SOO player. People will say that maybe the Chooks did it to themselves with all that dropped ball. Yes maybe they did, but if you look closely, you will see that it was the intensity of the Warriors pack that helped in creating those errors.

Last year even when we were going well, we couldn't really put teams away or backup, back to back to back quality performances. Some games we would look tired or lacking enthusiasm, until someone like Semi would turn it for us. That is because our boys were trying their collective guts out last year, but being on the smaller side, would really struggle to play with the same ferocity week in week out. This year we have no Semi.

When was the last time that we had a powerful frontrower that consistently came on and made space by breaking up structured defense. Junior and before him Fui. Well that just isn't good enough BA. Now there are quite a few gorillas off contract this year, lets see what BA does from here. But if he can't bring at least two major scalps to our club, he hasn't got what it takes to win a premiership. Which is the best coaches are the best recruiters.

Also, don't get me started on our backrowers, this year. Or should I say our non-existent backrowers. Do we even have backrowers???

Three losses and you've shoehorned it all into a narrative. Well done.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Who in the roosters top 17 do you think isn’t a first grader?

From yesterday's team, Robinson, Manu, Radley. Maybe Tetevano too.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Napa was offered big money by the Broncos, I’m sure stayed for peanuts.

'Big money' could just mean big for that player. Napa is massively overrated by fans but I doubt the clubs rate him any higher than he is. He brings some aggression and height but he is very ordinary in attack, and he misses plenty of tackles without being an especially prolific worker.

 

[hineyrulz]

'Big money' could just mean big for that player. Napa is massively overrated by fans but I doubt the clubs rate him any higher than he is. He brings some aggression and height but he is very ordinary in attack, and he misses plenty of tackles without being an especially prolific worker.

He turned down Bronco dollars, yeah i'm sure he stayed for unders.

And i agree i reckon he is one of the most overrated front rowers in the comp.

 

[hindy111]

What is your evidence for the claim that they don't get examined? They are subject to the same audits as every other club. If there is something dodgy going on, without a whistleblower, you are not going to find it, because you are looking for something that is not on the books (unless they are as dumb as our club).

What examination are you proposing they be exposed to? We can't get player tax returns, or bank statements.

Easy. Make player salaries public along with tpas.

 

[hindy111]

I saw Maloney on a show a few weeks agao and he basically said, Uncle Nick made good on his promise the take em all to Las Vegas as a reward for winning a GF ... no one batted an eyelid .... if Politis has given them some extra monetary based reward then isnt that dodgy as f**k?

What is stopping a players family member buying property and getting a 50k discount. Isntead of 1.2mill its 1.15

Or eating at a fancy restaurant whwre its on house.

Many perks could be present at bigger clubs. If i had a restruant id like guys like Teddy and Cronk eating there for free. It would give great advertisement and publicity.

 

[hindy111]

I agree with everything you said in your novel, Ram. I'd be careful about criticising Arthur, though. He can't be seen as a really good coach who's made a few mistakes, apparently. Any decision he makes that turns out badly, isn't a mistake, you know. He doesn't make them.

BA is loyal. He has the side he wanted now so lets see what he does. I hope he shines but loyalty may cost him his job. Time will tell, and oh its all very exciting.

 

[hindy111]

Napa was offered big money by the Broncos, I’m sure stayed for peanuts.

Napa would be on 500k

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What is stopping a players family member buying property and getting a 50k discount. Isntead of 1.2mill its 1.15

Or eating at a fancy restaurant whwre its on house.

Many perks could be present at bigger clubs. If i had a restruant id like guys like Teddy and Cronk eating there for free. It would give great advertisement and publicity.

You would want NRL players in a fancy restaurant? They would drive away the customers you want there. Maybe having footy players frequenting your nightclub or knock shop would get the punters in, but not an upscale dining establishment.

Maybe you own a charcoal chicken joint?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Napa would be on 500k

f**k off. What has he ever done? He was even a passenger in Origin last year.

 

[hindy111]

You would want NRL players in a fancy restaurant? They would drive away the customers you want there. Maybe having footy players frequenting your nightclub or knock shop would get the punters in, but not an upscale dining establishment.

Maybe you own a charcoal chicken joint?

Your stereotyping. Cooper Cronk is a good man, honest inteligent and respectable.
I am not talking your $500 a head joints. Your city style average places.
I use the word fancy cause im used to chiko rolls. Bondi pizza is fancy to my eyes. I eat dominoes. I do not want to try the better stuff cause then when I treat myself to the cheaper stuff it wont be held in such high regaurds by me.

 

[hindy111]

f**k off. What has he ever done? He was even a passenger in Origin last year.

You ansered it in the same question and didnt realize it. Good work my son your learning.