Rumours and Stuff

[Glenneel]

The only edge forward we have contracted for 2020 is Lane. We also don't have any noted leaders contracted (except maybe Brown and Paulo): https://forums.leagueunlimited.com/threads/squad-succession.437729/page-104

Don't assume we're going to be able to re-sign merkins for the price we want to pay. We aren't the only desperate club.

Hopefully Pou some of our juniors come good. Waiting in the wings are Fainga'a and Filia (Stefino's brother), 2 big edge forwards with plenty of potential.

 

[hindy111]

Faiinga is slow to me and lacks power.

 

[hineyrulz]

He's only 28 ffs!

And he wouldn’t have been here till 2020 FFS!!

 

[Glenneel]

He’s a bigger, less skilled, less pantywaist version of Cartwright whereas Graham is a bigger, equally skilled, less pantywaist and more experienced, premiership winning version of Cartwright. I’m not a huge fan of Graham but I’d certainly expect him to be earning more than Kikau

Kikau has plenty of skill and like Graham is a thinking forward. Seems to know when to run, when to pass and occasionally when to kick, and provides much more impact being a much bigger body.

 

[hineyrulz]

Hindy/Hiney...who cares...You are both PLOP!!!

Finally something we can all agree on.

 

[Glenneel]

Also cost them games. Missed eight tackles on two occasions. The Cowboys tried to carry Taumalolo on the edge but gave up and moved him into the middle.

Yes the smaller quick backs can make Kikau miss tackles, but so can they to other more nimble forwards and also backs. Being a bigger body you generally have less flexibility so miss more tackles but that can be balanced by better attack. One balances out the other.

With better team defence one would assume Kikau's defence will also improve, and I'm expecting Cleary will have Penrith defending better this year.

 

[hineyrulz]

He wouldn’t have had the leaders surrounding him that he had at the Sharks and is unlikely to have been as effective at Parra. Hard to turn around a team full of f**kwits unless you are a truly great leader and player.

Easy to look at what he has done over there and think that would have been his natural progression at Parra but I don’t see it that way.

Deathrider!!!!

 

[Gronk]

At the Eels Andrew Ryan also wasnt rated that high imo. Nor was Jason Cayless. I always was a big fan of Jason but Ryan I thought was average.
Ryans turned out to be one of the best we let go. By memory we kept I.Hindmarsh,Cayless and Vella first.

The Dogs offered Bobcat a poker machine to go to them. We certainly didn't lose him. If you check your facts and timelines, they signed Ryan and then the Oasis development whistleblower salary cap dramas unfolded. The first thing they said was that they would honor Ryan's contract.

 

[Glenneel]

At the Eels Andrew Ryan also wasnt rated that high imo. Nor was Jason Cayless. I always was a big fan of Jason but Ryan I thought was average.
Ryans turned out to be one of the best we let go. By memory we kept I.Hindmarsh,Cayless and Vella first.

Ryan always had poor hands at Parra but that was fixed at Dogs in one off-season. Not much has changed then at Parra.

 

[hineyrulz]

The Dogs offered Bobcat a poker machine to go to them. We certainly didn't lose him. If you check your facts and timelines, they signed Ryan and then the Oasis development whistleblower salary cap dramas unfolded. The first thing they said was that they would honor Ryan's contract.

It helped the Dogs were allowed to take pay cuts.

 

[hindy111]

The Dogs offered Bobcat a poker machine to go to them. We certainly didn't lose him. If you check your facts and timelines, they signed Ryan and then the Oasis development whistleblower salary cap dramas unfolded. The first thing they said was that they would honor Ryan's contract.

We lost him due to putting priority on Cayless and Vella.
At time I would have done same thing. J.Cayless was a massive mistake. Was cheap at time. I shook my head when this happend.

 

[hindy111]

Finally something we can all agree on.

We have an opinion on signings. We get drilled for it.
Like i said I am happy with our 2019 signings and junior retention.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Good Managers develop good leaders. The NRL is no different to business. The concerning issue is we seem unable to develop leaders so our fall back position is to go to the market place. Good leaders such as S Edge and Gibbo can change a clubs attitude for an extended period. Using that as a criteria, our attempts thus far being Watmough, Scott and Foran have failed miserably. Has The Review identified this and if so do we have a plan? What is the real issue?
Every new recruit trots out the same line "BA wants me to be a leader". The search continues.

 

[Gronk]

We lost him due to putting priority on Cayless and Vella.
At time I would have done same thing. J.Cayless was a massive mistake. Was cheap at time. I shook my head when this happend.

Rubbish. You are talking about props and Bobcat was a backrower.

Nobody could have competed with a club that was millions above the cap, back when it was only $4/5M.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Deathrider!!!!

It’s true, but also why I understand our attempts to sign established leaders and not players that may turn out to be good leaders.

 

[Gronk]

Ryan always had poor hands at Parra but that was fixed at Dogs in one off-season. Not much has changed then at Parra.

Rubbish FFS. Ryan's first season at the Dogs was 2003. He started playing origin for NSW in 2001. Game 1 he was on the bench. Game 2 he started at lock.

https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/andrew-ryan/summary.html

 

[Happy MEel]

Flanagan gone.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Good Managers develop good leaders. The NRL is no different to business. The concerning issue is we seem unable to develop leaders so our fall back position is to go to the market place. Good leaders such as S Edge and Gibbo can change a clubs attitude for an extended period. Using that as a criteria, our attempts thus far being Watmough, Scott and Foran have failed miserably. Has The Review identified this and if so do we have a plan? What is the real issue?
Every new recruit trots out the same line "BA wants me to be a leader". The search continues.

Leadership isn’t just what happens on the field. I reckon Scott and Watmough provided plenty of leadership in a team with a paucity if it. Had a few others taken their lead we might have moved in the right direction on and off the field.

Foran was a disappointment and the less said the better. But given what he has done since leaving Parra I’m glad he went early.

I think BA and the club has been aware of this for a while but good leaders also cost big $ and they are trying to judicious with their spending. It is a tough balancing act but I have to agree that they haven’t got that balance right over the last 5 years.

 

[hindy111]

Leadership isn’t just what happens on the field. I reckon Scott and Watmough provided plenty of leadership in a team with a paucity if it. Had a few others taken their lead we might have moved in the right direction on and off the field.

Foran was a disappointment and the less said the better. But given what he has done since leaving Parra I’m glad he went early.

I think BA and the club has been aware of this for a while but good leaders also cost big $ and they are trying to judicious with their spending. It is a tough balancing act but I have to agree that they haven’t got that balance right over the last 5 years.

Scott and Watmough come for a pay day. I am sure they huffed and puffed but both just baited the club and took them for what they are worth. Fooled them.
Two shithouse signings and only one eyed supporters would disagree to soften the blow of the duds they where and garbage they dished out.
Once guys get to 30 and played mainly for one club its hard for them to put their heart and soul i to a new team. Especially if already won the big prize.

 

[strider]

I always rated him and wanted at Parra. No hineysight at all in this one.

In all likelihood the parra curse would have got him had he come straight to parra ... he would have been washed up 3 years ago