Rumours and Stuff

[chiefy1]

Which players do we have in the squad that are ready for fg? Remember Moses was bought only 18 months ago.

No current squad players are ready to slot straight into a starting position. Salmon needs more time coming from the bench and the others like kahfusi wont be starting.

On the other hand all the players we let go to keep the old heads like Vave haffmon and matagi, are all reaping the rewards and are getting towards 50 nrl games - Think of how useful Twal, Matteson and Aloai would be now.

But no we'd rather recruit plodders like Evans & keep gower going

 

[TheRam]

It could be something like this:

Let’s say Norman and Jennings are on $800k each. And BA wants to move them on as they aren’t providing value and thinks our younger players are capable to cover them. Plus they aren’t in our long term plans.

Salmon takes Norman’s top 13 spot and French takes Jennings top 13 spot (Hayne centre French fullback), so we have covered them with our current players (just an example could be any player in the squad)

Brown moves into the top 30 to cover a halves spot and parry or Dunster to cover a backs spot (what salmon / French were doing)

We then pay $300k (or even $400k) each for Jennings / Norman to play with another club, which frees up $1 million. We pay Brown / Parry or Dunster $100k each, so we now have freed up $800k (or $600k).

We now have enough have more cap space to do what ever we want.

BTW based on 2018 form are we any worse off by doing this ?

Maybe not worse, but certainly not better...so we still come last.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Maybe not worse, but certainly not better...so we still come last.

But then you factor in the extra $600-$800k we will have to spend

 

[hineyrulz]

You can very quickly go from good to shit and vice versa in this game. That’s an opinion formed by watching thousands and thousands of games rather than just one.

The Eels can do that 3 or 4 times a game.

 

[Noise]

But then you factor in the extra $600-$800k we will have to spend

So we may go into 2019 with the worst squad in the comp and room in the salary cap to buy someone who may or may not become available?

 

[TheRam]

Interestingly Penrith and the roosters also shopped jennnings around towards the end of his contract.,....

And plenty reckon they are the yardstick for managing a squad!!

Exactly. That's why they did it whern they had quality replacements. We do not.

 

[hineyrulz]

Maybe not worse, but certainly not better...so we still come last.

It will be very exciting, what’s yet another spoon for the Eels.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

So we may go into 2019 with the worst squad in the comp and room in the salary cap to buy someone who may or may not become available?

Will if it’s the worse squad in the comp, we might as well try to move on our worse performers of 2018....

Cap space can be used to re-sign players for 2020....

 

[hineyrulz]

But then you factor in the extra $600-$800k we will have to spend

Like the extra 600k-800k we had to spend this year?? What’s just another wasted season, new Stadium same old Eels.

 

[hineyrulz]

So we may go into 2019 with the worst squad in the comp and room in the salary cap to buy someone who may or may not become available?

That worked so well this season.

 

[TheRam]

You're describing the death riders this year. And next year.

No I think he got it just right.

 

[IFR33K]

Do you mean to cover Jennings/Moses/Norman?

To cover Moses/Norman (reckon only one wouId be released) in the halves we have, Gutho, Hayne, Taka, Salmon, Smith and Brown

To cover Jennings in the backs, we have French, Taka, Hoffman, Salmon, Dunster, Sivo, GL and Parry (they are all not top 13 and could cover a spot in the backs at either fullback, centre or wing. On the rookies after a good offseason they could potentially be options at wing)

BTW I am not saying all the above players are my preferred options but they are options here in 2019 (yes Hayne isn’t contracted but I suspect he will stay)

So why was BA interested in signing Austin or that other average half from newcastle, the name eludes me. It’s because he knows if he moves one half on, we can’t cover within, without a major reshuffle.

 

[hineyrulz]

So why was BA interested in signing Austin or that other average half from newcastle, the name eludes me. It’s because he knows if he moves one half on, we can’t cover within, within a major reshuffle.

Plod Lamb.

 

[El Diablo]

You can very quickly go from good to shit

especially if your coach is BA

 

[Glenneel]

With the potential offloading of our halves, it’s evident the plan thus far has failed. Until I see otherwise or see more stability/better recruiting then I won’t be changing my opinion.

If BA allows both our halves to go it'll only prove he has lost the plot.

Salmon has shown he can tackle and that is all, nothing suggests so far that he is a brilliant signing. Brown hasn't even played first grade yet. None should be playing fg fulltime just yet, just filling in for injuries, so imo we should keep our current halves for next year.

Now MJ is a different story. With his reported income around $700k which is just too much for a centre. Better to let him go and Parra pay $200-300k and put the money into another good quality middle forward or dummy half, that is where our need is greatest.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

So why was BA interested in signing Austin or that other average half from newcastle, the name eludes me. It’s because he knows if he moves one half on, we can’t cover within, within a major reshuffle.

Why was BA looking at Austin even when our current halves were still contracted? There weren’t even strong rumours Norman had potentially found a club, yet we were still interested in Austin. Was this because there wasn’t any guarantee Austin was going to play in the halves if he came?

The other player was Lamb, notice how our interest in him ended around the time Brown was promoted to NSW cup and showed he could handle the step up? I suspect we were looking at Lamb as a back up (which is supported by rumours we only made a small offer ) and our interest ended once Brown showed he was good enough to be our back up in 2019?

Additionally the interest in those 2 were early in the year, so if as you have suggested BA was interested in them as we couldn’t cover the halves, wouldn’t the fact he is still shopping the halves around with no rumours of us being interested in signing any new halves now mean BA knows he can cover the halves with players already here? ???? Can’t have it both ways ?

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Plod Lamb.

Yep, so shit he signs with the premiers for 2019...

 

[hindy111]

Good afternoom to everyone on daylights savings time.

 

[IFR33K]

Why was BA looking at Austin even when our current halves were still contracted? There weren’t even strong rumours Norman had potentially found a club, yet we were still interested in Austin. Was this because there wasn’t any guarantee Austin was going to play in the halves if he came?

The other player was Lamb, notice how our interest in him ended around the time Brown was promoted to NSW cup and showed he could handle the step up? I suspect we were looking at Lamb as a back up (which is supported by rumours we only made a small offer ) and our interest ended once Brown showed he was good enough to be our back up in 2019?

Additionally the interest in those 2 were early in the year, so if as you have suggested BA was interested in them as we couldn’t cover the halves, wouldn’t the fact he is still shopping the halves around with no rumours of us being interested in signing any new halves now mean BA knows he can cover the halves with players already here? ???? Can’t have it both ways ?

You’re challenging gronk for the captaincy. Maybe we should have a nut huggers challenge.

 

[Noise]

Will if it’s the worse squad in the comp, we might as well try to move on our worse performers of 2018....

Cap space can be used to re-sign players for 2020....

Lol so we throw away another year (2019) and finish down the bottom of the ladder. Great plan.

And Merkins will still want to extend BA for 2020