Rumours and Stuff

[Joshuatheeel]

Who have the Knights got in the halves atm? Watson, Cogger, Lamb, Pearce. You'd have to think he would be surplus to their needs given his reputation. He's not coming in to provide leadership qualities.

Cogger has signed with the dogs. Watson seems to be more of a utility player. While lamb is off contract.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

On the eels:

 

[84 Baby]

Nothing article really:

“Norman and Eels to part company

Take it as read the Corey Norman won’t be at the Eels next season - and the big-spending Knights are making a move to sign the troubled playmaker.

Despite his obvious talent, Norman has burned his bridges at the Eels and the club is prepared to cut him loose for 2019 - if not sooner.

Corey Norman might be heading to Newcastle to continue his career. (AAP)
His old club Brisbane remains an option, but the Knights are making a sneaky bid to entice him up the F3 freeway.

Norman has plenty of talent but has under-performed this year - and his continual off-field ‘issues’ have proved too much for the Eels to tolerate.”

https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/06/26...ls-to-part-company-with-corey-norman-the-mole

LOL at the stuff a Norman/Pearce combo could get up to

 

[84 Baby]

I kept reading that as a giant RSL was signing Matagi.
Jeez Rooty Hill would be a fall from the heights of NRL

 

[hindy111]

The problem I have with a masive clean out is it reflects back on BA. Into his 5th year it is finally the squad he wanted and assembled and yet it needs a massive clean out?

Alarm bells for me. He already dodged a bullet with Watmough and Foran. I am not a BA hater but surely people must question why we need a massive clean out

 

[T.S Quint]

Define 'massive clean out'.
We need to replace a few players. We don't need to get rid of the whole team, or even half the team.

Maybe 5 or 6 players within the squad. I would think most coaches would get rid of a decent amount of players, even the good ones.

 

[parrathruandthru]

The "clean out" was always gonna start from next year. Look at the way the contracts have been structured with so many off contract for 2019. Just that nobody expected the squad to perform as badly as it has this year. If we were in the 8 a few would have been resigned, then you could expect a few outside players to come in and some rookies upgraded. Then over the next few years the juniors would start to filter through

 

[EelsFan05]

Define 'massive clean out'.
We need to replace a few players. We don't need to get rid of the whole team, or even half the team.

Maybe 5 or 6 players within the squad. I would think most coaches would get rid of a decent amount of players, even the good ones.

As much as it pains me to admit it Bellamy is the master of cultivating talent, promoting them at the right time and offloading talent as soon as someone is willing to pay too much for one of his players.

He doesn't have to have massive clean outs, rebuilds etc. Some might say that will all change when Smith and Slater retire. I think they will continue to be contenders, maybe just not in the top two evey year, while Bellamy is still is charge.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

 

[Matty Bhoy]

Glad to hear we didn’t get Sharon, to be honest.

 

[Gronk]

Sharks should be focused on Holmes rather than signing that pillow.

 

[El Diablo]

Luke Phillips as assistant coach:

“But the word is out about Phillips - and the Tigers, Dragons and Eels have all made subtle inquiries about his availability for 2019.

He is enjoying the job at the Panthers - but it will cost Gus a decent pay rise to keep him on board.”

https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/06/26...ls-to-part-company-with-corey-norman-the-mole

he was in the same year as I was at college in Canberra

 

[hybrideel]

The problem I have with a masive clean out is it reflects back on BA. Into his 5th year it is finally the squad he wanted and assembled and yet it needs a massive clean out?

Alarm bells for me. He already dodged a bullet with Watmough and Foran. I am not a BA hater but surely people must question why we need a massive clean out

Is it really the squad he wants though? Do we really know how much the salary cap cheating hampered signings over the past 2 years.
It is possible that the current squad wasn't what BA wanted, just all he could get at the time

 

[rugby league fan]

I'm hearing 6 current juniors are doing NRL pre-season come November..
Anyone else herd it.?

 

[Twizzle]

The problem I have with a masive clean out is it reflects back on BA. Into his 5th year it is finally the squad he wanted and assembled and yet it needs a massive clean out?

It reflects on the amount of money he had to spend at the time our club was a train wreck

 

[T.S Quint]

As much as it pains me to admit it Bellamy is the master of cultivating talent, promoting them at the right time and offloading talent as soon as someone is willing to pay too much for one of his players.

He doesn't have to have massive clean outs, rebuilds etc. Some might say that will all change when Smith and Slater retire. I think they will continue to be contenders, maybe just not in the top two evey year, while Bellamy is still is charge.

It certainly does help to have some of the best players of all time in your team, players that make the others around them better.
Means he can let a couple of players leave each year and replace them with other average players. No clean out needed.
Hes lost Cronk already, now only two more to go until he has to rely on non-HOF players to get him through. I'm very interested to see how he goes.

 

[Delboy]

What is open for discussion is , what are we actually doing to sign better quality players than those we apparently have conmitted. Replacing those at the back of the roster won’t improve us at all.
Coaching staff needs an upgrade , obviously what we have isn’t working.
The Saleyatds is a big upgrade on what we had at Richie Benaud, but is light years behind the centres of excellence at other clubs. Lack of foresight under Fitzy’s reign has come to haunt us.
Really need to get some positive news out, the next generation of fans need a spark which is not happening currently.
The urbane and professional Bernie had to get on the front foot, buzz words are not what we need .

 

[Obscene Assassin]

I'm hearing 6 current juniors are doing NRL pre-season come November..
Anyone else herd it.?

Wouldn't that be the case anyway as we have 6 development players? Or do you mean 6 on top of the 6 development spots?

 

[T.S Quint]

What is open for discussion is , what are we actually doing to sign better quality players than those we apparently have conmitted. Replacing those at the back of the roster won’t improve us at all.
Coaching staff needs an upgrade , obviously what we have isn’t working.
The Saleyatds is a big upgrade on what we had at Richie Benaud, but is light years behind the centres of excellence at other clubs. Lack of foresight under Fitzy’s reign has come to haunt us.
Really need to get some positive news out, the next generation of fans need a spark which is not happening currently.
The urbane and professional Bernie had to get on the front foot, buzz words are not what we need .

Well we have already upgraded one top-of-the-roster position with Paulo.
Rumours we are interested in Korobiete and Taupau.

We aren't hearing much, which is probably a good thing. Remember how pissed of people were when every little piece of info was released to the media?
#stoptheleaks

 

[rugby league fan]

Wouldn't that be the case anyway as we have 6 development players? Or do you mean 6 on top of the 6 development spots?

I'm not so sure here. No idea who they have currently in mind for the 6 development players.
But I'm sure some players signed prior to the development initiative so id be only guessing some of the 6 would be development payers & others are not..
That's a great question Obscene Assassin, I'm sure we will know soon enough