Rumours and Stuff

[Gronk]

He's gone from providing value getting 45-50 minutes a game without doing too much stupid, to getting dropped for the Dogs game, and then getting 8 minutes against the Panthers where we could only score off plucky luck of the bounce kicks, 29 minutes against the Titans when the game was done and not being in the 17 against the Raiders.

Hipgrave can provide what they currently want from Cartwright, only probably better.

The coaching staff either doesn't know how to use his natural game, or they don't want him to use it. If we're not going to let him play his natural game, then we don't need him, because we can get most players on not much more than minimum wage to do what what we currently appear to want from him.

We certainly don't need him for his defence, so why bother with him?

You’ve answered your own question. He’ll get more time when he becomes more valuable to the team. Not do low percentage clutch plays. There is a spot for him on the bench, but if we sign one more like Woods etc then he might not make the team.

I think we DO know how to use him properly and that’s to get his defensive efforts up to our team standards and reduce his brain farts.

 

[Chipmunk]

I didn't have time to read it.

It probably would've taken the same amount of time to read the whole message, as it did to actually reply to 1/4 of the message, and by the end you probably wouldn't have had to even replied.

 

[Chipmunk]

You’ve answered your own question. He’ll get more time when he becomes more valuable to the team. Not do low percentage clutch plays. There is a spot for him on the bench, but if we sign one more like Woods etc then he might not make the team.

I think we DO know how to use him properly and that’s to get his defensive efforts up to our team standards and reduce his brain farts.

Then he is not needed. He's more valuable to someone else so just tell him he's no longer required.

 

[yy_cheng]

Bryce is there if we are down by more than 1 try and there is not alot of time left on the clock. Otherwise, ba is hesitant to use him in tight matches

 

[hindy111]

I kinda agree. Are we prepared to pay some of his contract ? If we do pay say $200k, that might mean we lose junior. Does it work that way ?

Our best hope is put him on the wing and see how he performs. I'd say he is costing 500k a season. A team would bite at 250- 300k but do we get much better a player for that amount?

 

[Gronk]

Then he is not needed. He's more valuable to someone else so just tell him he's no longer required.

He’s a low coin project player. Everyone knows that. He’s never played with a NRL club as good as ours before and he’ll just have to adjust and improve.

 

[lingard]

Dunster will never be as good as Waqa Blake. He should take Ferguson's wing spot next year, with Penisini and Opacic in the centres.

Dunster is already as good as Waqa Blake; and not as bad.

 

[hindy111]

In his prime Ferguson was the best winger in the game. But Blake is a better defender which is why he can play centre.

Blake is powerfull. He also is by far our best weapon under the bomb.
Thoughts on D.Brown and Gutherson switching spots? Or D.Brkwn as a centre?

 

[Chipmunk]

He’s a low coin project player. Everyone knows that. He’s never played with a NRL club as good as ours before and he’ll just have to adjust and improve.

I can't see him staying for 2 years for what we paid him this year. He's worth at least double to half the comp.

 

[hindy111]

I tend to agree, although we won't get the same return from the backfield with Waqa as what we get with Fergo.

Although a combined Sivo, Penisini, Opocic, Waqa could probably potentially get the same.

I think buying another centre/winger is pointless though, unless we can offload Waqa. We'd be better of spending some non-cap money on an assistant coach responsible for our attack.

Blake is more powerful imo. He has to hit it up when defense is set and the side is out wide. On the wing you have a chance of a broken line along with a big wind up and able to run anywhere.

 

[Chipmunk]

Blake is more powerful imo. He has to hit it up when defense is set and the side is out wide. On the wing you have a chance of a broken line along with a big wind up and able to run anywhere.

Who are you referring to as Blake? (It can be a little confusing with this comparison)

 

[hindy111]

Agreed, but we would get much more from Blake than from Dunster. What are the other options?

Russel and Naiduki might be

 

[hindy111]

Who are you referring to as Blake? (It can be a little confusing with this comparison)

Waqa. He still is imposing and hard to put down. A winger gets a better wind up in hit ups. Centres usually take theirs after the defense is set. And hasn't run 50mtrs to get to them.

 

[lingard]

In the last 48-hours, the Eels have put the finishing touches on a new two-year contract for Bryce Cartwright. Utility Will Smith is aiming to be retained, which eats into the theory that the Eels would be keen on Anthony Milford as a bench player. The Eels appeared short of a forward with size in their loss to the Raiders — which lends reason to why Cronulla prop Aaron Woods has been discussed as a bargain-buy.

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If we are happy enough with Cartwright to give him a two year contract, why is he getting such limited game-time? Maybe there's a legit reason, but I'd really like to know it.

 

[Gronk]

I can't see him staying for 2 years for what we paid him this year. He's worth at least double to half the comp.

Well the cap isn’t going up, so who are we chopping to pay him significantly more ?


OFF CONTRACT 2021
Bryce Cartwright, Blake Ferguson, Samuel Hughes, Sam Loizou, Joey Lussick, Solomone Naiduki, Michael Oldfield, Jordan Rankin, Nathaniel Roache, Sean Russell, Will Smith, Ray Stone

 

[Chipmunk]

Bryce is there if we are down by more than 1 try and there is not alot of time left on the clock. Otherwise, ba is hesitant to use him in tight matches

You can't ask a player to play like that.

 

[Chipmunk]

Well the cap isn’t going up, so who are we chopping to pay him significantly more ?


OFF CONTRACT 2021
Bryce Cartwright, Blake Ferguson, Samuel Hughes, Sam Loizou, Joey Lussick, Solomone Naiduki, Michael Oldfield, Jordan Rankin, Nathaniel Roache, Sean Russell, Will Smith, Ray Stone

Surely this is a rhetorical question?

The bloke on the list next to Cartwright.

 

[Gronk]

Surely this is a rhetorical question?

The bloke on the list next to Cartwright.

So you don’t think that we paid any of these guys more ?


RE-SIGNED
Haze Dunster (2022), Keegan Hipgrave (2022), David Hollis (2023), Ryan Matterson (2022), Mitchell Moses (2024), Tom Opacic(2022), Will Penisini (2023), Maika Sivo (2023)

 

[Chipmunk]

So you don’t think that we paid any of these guys more ?


RE-SIGNED
Haze Dunster (2022), Keegan Hipgrave (2022), David Hollis (2023), Ryan Matterson (2022), Mitchell Moses (2024), Tom Opacic(2022), Will Penisini (2023), Maika Sivo (2023)

Ferguson is on a f**kload this year ($500 plus), and we obviously still have money available from all that we're paying players for this season if we were considering Milford...

Matterson took up an option, so I suspect we're paying him the the same.

Who else would be after Opacic for more than what we paid him this year?

The club took up the option on Hipgrave, so I presume we're paying him the same.

Dunster, Hollis and Penisini would all be signed for minimum or rookie wage (which is slightly less). You don't have a choice but to pay players that, so they don't count to whether you're saving money by not signing one player and giving it to others.

Moses would be getting more, as would Sivo.

So if you take out Ferguson's money and the fact that we still have money available this year even with all of those players in the roster, then another probably $125k more on top of what Cartwright reportedly got for this season ($175k) seems about his value to me, and I suspect he wouldn't be signing for two years for less.

We don't need Cartwright for $300k.

 

[Avenger]

Papa deserves at least $400k.