Rumours and Stuff

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

When I was a youngster I went to this party (BYO). After I'd finished the VB longneck I'd brought along, I started nicking VB twist tops from the fridge. At some stage my mate noticed that they all had different random bottle tops on them. I reckon they had been replaced with light beer because I remained sober. I still made a merkin of myself, but I remembered it all the next day.

Funny that. I have a mate who tells a story of some pubic wig who crashed his party, and drank several throwdowns of urine samples he had stored in his fridge.

 

[hineyrulz]

Just reading on silvertails forum that Turbo bros will be offered a "package deal" of 4.5 mill over 3 years. That's 1.5 mill between the 2 meaning 750k each year average. Is Tom Turbo 6 times the player French is? Assuming that Bev will be on around 150k from next year onwards.

lol@Moanly!!

 

[hineyrulz]

That's why you should always start by bringing her a Panadol. When she says 'I haven't got a headache', you've then ruled that excuse out.

i'all use that one, sadly normally it's me that gives her the headache

 

[Chipmunk]

Just reading on silvertails forum that Turbo bros will be offered a "package deal" of 4.5 mill over 3 years. That's 1.5 mill between the 2 meaning 750k each year average. Is Tom Turbo 6 times the player French is? Assuming that Bev will be on around 150k from next year onwards.

Do you think French will still be at Parra in 3 years time if all we're offering him is $150k?

 

[Happy MEel]

Do you think French will still be at Parra in 3 years time if all we're offering him is $150k?

Probably not but Tom will have cost Manly 2.25mil in the meantime so I'd say we've got the significantly better value player.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Manly will have gotten very good value out of Trbobabobba these past couple of years and we will probably likewise get great value out of French until the end of his current contract.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Trobobobobobobabbobba

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

TT is a great player and will be an origin player for years to come. French may well be great but he hasn't even established himself as a first grader yet.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

f**ken hell, I give up...if it wasn't icing what was it?? This is gonna bug me all night.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Mr Trbobbalina, Mr Bob Trbobbalina.

 

[Happy MEel]

Manly will have gotten very good value out of Trbobabobba these past couple of years and we will probably likewise get great value out of French until the end of his current contract.

This year they did with him playing 23 games and about half at fullback but last year he only went ok, pretty much playing exclusively on the wing. I'd say he was worth what an average 1st grade winger would be worth (150k-200k) for the games he played. He played 9 games so the true value they got from him was closer to about $100k or just over minimum wage. They were ahead but I wouldn't say that's great value.

 

[yy_cheng]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...k=6a0eca40ba38076bc3211cd42f2b83bf-1475777635

 

[yy_cheng]

ANTHONY Watmough and the Parramatta Eels are headed for a $1.2 million legal showdown, with the former Test forward prepared to return to pre-season training in order to receive his promised career-ending injury payout.
Watmough was in shock this week when he discovered Parramatta is attempting to operate outside the Collective Bargaining Agreement by offering him a reduced figure, ‘significantly less’ than the value of his $1.2 million contract.
Watmough was forced into premature retirement this season with a debilitating knee injury, just 12 months into his four-year deal, worth around $750,000 a season, with the Eels.
Much to their frustration, the Eels have been forced to cover the seven-figure sum after QBE rejected any insurance payout last month by deeming Watmough’s injury as pre-existing.
Anthony Watmough is prepared to train in pre-season to receive payment for 2018 season. Picture: Brett Costello
However, much to the 33-year-old’s surprise, he received a letter from Eels management stating their desire to pay him a lump-sum payment prior to October 31 — but not the full amount of around $1.2 million.
The dispute arises over the final year of Watmough’s contract.
The Eels have paid him in full for the 2016 and 2017 seasons but don’t believe they should pay him for the 2018 season because that is an option year.
“(The option to play) was in his favour but the terms could not be performed,” Donnelly said. “It’s not like he can exercise his option to play. He can’t play.”
Watmough has told close friends he will challenge Parramatta’s bid, even if it means returning to training in order to force the Eels to pay him.
That would be disastrous for the Eels and the NRL’s controversial career-ending insurance scheme, as Watmough’s remaining 2017 and 2018 contract money would then be immediately added to the club’s salary cap.
Anthony Watmough’s career ended prematurely because of injury.
At this stage, any payout due to a career-ending injury has no impact on the club’s salary cap.
But it would immediately become a cap issue if Watmough carried through his threat, although the more likely outcome is a costly and lengthy legal case.
Having secured the likes of South Sydney’s Nathan Brown, Manly’s Sosaia Vave and Penrith’s George Jennings for 2017, the Eels simply haven’t budgeted for Watmough’s extra $1.2 million being added to their cap.
The drama is yet another issue for the Eels to clean up following the club’s most tumultuous season in their history.
Parramatta were stripped of 12-competition points due to a string of salary cap breaches.

 

[Gronk]

 

[Stagger eel]

Jesus! .... RIP
Rebecca Wilson
Condelenses to her family and friends.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Yeh, someone on ABC Offsiders on Sunday signed off by sending best wishes to Bec, and said that she was doing it 'very, very tough'. RIP.

 

[Gronk]

BOOKMAKERS have written off the Cronulla Sharks’ chances of defending their grand final triumph in 2017.

It’s hard to argue with their logic. No team has gone back-to-back in the NRL since its inaugural season in 1998.

All 19 premiership winning teams since then have failed to defend their title. That trend is not about to change in 2017.

In the past four years, the NRL has had eight different clubs qualify for the grand final.

Trying to predict the future of the chaotic ever-shifting mess that is the greatest game of all guarantees some level of egg on face.

So with that in mind, here is how it’s all going to play out for your team next season.

PREMIER — MELBOURNE STORM

THE temptation is always to assume the runner-up is the next cab off the rank, but in the NRL the losing grand final team has bounced back to win the grand final just once (Manly in 2008).

The Storm will have lost winger Marika Koroibete and playmaker Blake Green, but it’s difficult to see how this team will not be stronger in 2017 with the return of star fullback Billy Slater — who, admittedly, is yet to confirm if he is certain to play on next season.

Melbourne still has a forward pack to be feared and the Craig Bellamy-inspired culture down south will ensure this team remains the benchmark of the NRL — as they were for most of 2016.

Ins: Josh Addo-Carr (Wests Tigers), Brandon Smith (Cowboys), Vincent Leuluai (Roosters)

Outs: Marika Koroibete (rugby union), Josh Kerr (Dragons), Ryan Morgan (St Helens), Blake Green (Sea Eagles)

RUNNER-UP — CANBERRA RAIDERS

THE scary part of Canberra’s rise in 2016 is that it happened when the club was rocked with countless injuries to key position players.

The Raiders will surely be stung by the loss of star players to State of Origin selection next year, but that is the only rain cloud on the horizon for this team on the up and up.

Ins: Jordan Turner (St Helens)

Outs: Lachlan Lewis (Bulldogs), Sisa Waqa (rugby union), Zac Woolford (Bulldogs), Sam Williams (Wakefield)

THIRD — PENRITH PANTHERS

PENRITH won nine of their final 12 matches in 2016 and will be much stronger in the second season of coach Anthony Griffin’s tenure.

Penrith’s pre-season began with plans involving James Segeyaro in the No. 9 and a halves pairing of Jamie Soward and Peter Wallace.

There will be a lot of pressure on promising playmakers Nathan Cleary and Te Maire Martin, but the partnership could easily follow in the footsteps of former Manly duo Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans when the young halves guided the Sea Eagles to the premiership in 2011.

James Tamou is also a great buy.

Ins: James Tamou (Cowboys), Tim Browne (Bulldogs), Michael Oldfield (Rabbitohs)

Outs: Ben Garcia (Catalans), Chris Smith (Sydney Roosters), Elijah Taylor, George Jennings (Eels), Zak Hardaker (Leeds)

FOURTH — NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS

NO team with Johnathan Thurston and Jason Taumalolo could finish outside the top four. Despite going close to defending their title from 2015, the Cowboys’ only major loss to their roster is prop James Tamou.

Ins: None

Outs: Brandon Smith (Storm), James Tamou (Panthers)

FIFTH — CRONULLA SHARKS

MICHAEL Ennis is a huge loss and that famous fuel of the club having never won an NRL grand final will no longer be there. Young stars Wade Graham, Valentine Holmes and Jack Bird will have to stand up and pick up the slack of an ageing roster. Despite this, the Sharks remain a star-studded team that could easily challenge for the title if they have some luck with injuries.

Ins: Manaia Cherrington (Wests Tigers)

Outs: David Fifita (released), Mitch Brown (Leigh), Josh Cleeland (Bulldogs), Michael Ennis (retirement), Connor Tracey (Rabbitohs)

SIXTH — PARRAMATTA EELS

DESPITE being caught cheating the salary cap, losing captain Kieran Foran and high-profile forward Anthony Watmough and having to sell hooker Nathan Peats, Parramatta won 13 games of football in 2016.

It is arguably one of the most bungled seasons from a football club in rugby league and they still won 13 games of football.

Like the Gold Coast this season, coach Brad Arthur appears to have found a way to get the best out of his players. It’s a modestly-talented roster, but it’s basically the same playing group that won more games than they lost in 2016 despite essentially playing for nothing after the club was gutted by the NRL’s salary cap sanctions.

Ins: Jamal Fogerty (Burleigh Bears), Siosia Vave (Sea Eagles), Nathan Brown (Rabbitohs), George Jennings (Panthers)

Outs: Tyrell Fuimaono (Rabbitohs), Michael Gordon (Roosters), Kieren Moss (Bradford), Anthony Watmough (retired), Kieran Foran (Warriors)



http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/fe...7/news-story/a533a9d27a5428b44e2fe5f0cd6e530d

 

[Gronk]

SEVENTH — BRISBANE BRONCOS

WAYNE Bennett has some real problems. There is no obvious area of the game where the Broncos will find improvement next season. Corey Parker is a huge loss, while it’s hard to see how five-eighth Anthony Milford could do any more than he did this year.

Ins: Moses Pangai (Townsville Blackhawks), David Mead (Titans)

Outs: Greg Eden (Castleford), Brett Greinke (Rabbitohs), Corey Parker (retirement), Jarrod Wallace (Titans), Jack Reed (retirement)

EIGHTH — NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS

BETTING on the Warriors is stupid. You should never do it. The club gave up at the end of this season losing their last four games of the season, including their last three matches at home. If new coach Stephen Kearney can find a way for his side to take care of their matches at home, they should easily win enough matches to play finals football.

Star fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will provide a huge boost, while Kieran Foran could easily become the feel-good story of 2017. Any normal club with a spine of Tuivasa-Sheck, Foran. Shaun Johnson and Issac Luke should not miss the top eight, but the Warriors are no ordinary football club.

Ins: Kieran Foran (Eels)

Outs: Raymond Faitala-Mariner (Bulldogs), Thomas Leuluai (Wigan), Shaun Lane (Sea Eagles)

NINTH — WESTS TIGERS

IF James Tedesco finally plays a season without getting injured, the Wests Tigers can easily play finals football. The young playing list should continue to improve next season. It looms as a huge season for halfback Luke Brooks. It seems a long time since the rising star was labelled the next Andrew Johns.

Ins: None

Outs: Josh Addo-Carr (Storm), Jack Buchanan (Widnes), Josh Drinkwater (released), Asipeli Fine (Bulldogs), Lamar Liolevave (Bulldogs), Billy McConnachie (released), Jesse Parahi (Rugby Sevens), Manaia Cherrington (Sharks), Dene Halatau (retired), Robbie Farah (Rabbitohs)

10TH — GOLD COAST TITANS

AFTER Jarryd Hayne’s first handful of games on the Gold Coast, the Titans have actually gone backwards in the eyes of bookmakers.

Hayne’s signing saw the club slashed to $10 to win the 2017 grand final, but now find themselves drawn out to $17. Neil Henry has done an impressive job with what many thought was one of the worst playing lists in the NRL last season, but there is a lot more obvious improvement in the teams that finished around them this year.

Ins: Dan Sarginson (Wigan), Jarrod Wallace (Broncos)

Outs: Nathan Friend (retirement), David Hala (released), Nene Macdonald (Dragons), David Mead (Broncos), Cameron Cullen (Sea Eagles), Luke Douglas (St Helens)

11TH — CANTERBURY BULLDOGS

DES Hasler is a genius, but even he won’t be able to get the Bulldogs out of the mess they find themselves in. The Bulldogs appeared too structured and struggled to create scoring opportunities this year. Difficult to see how they improve that next year.

Ins: Zac Woolford (Raiders), Josh Cleeland (Sharks), Rhyse Martin (Townsville Blackhawks)

Outs: Lyndon McGrady (released), Pat O’Hanlon (retired), Sam Perrett (retirement), Curtis Rona (rugby union), Tim Browne (Penrith)

12TH — MANLY SEA EAGLES

FOR the second season in succession the Sea Eagles will undergo a major roster shake-up. Being able to put Blake Green at five-eighth and move Dylan Walker to the centres is a good start, but there are too many unsettled pieces in the Manly puzzle heading into the pre-season.

Ins: Frank Winterstein (rugby union), Shaun Lane (Warriors), Blake Green (Storm), Cameron Cullen (Titans), Akuila Uate (Knights)

Outs: Jamie Lyon (retirement), Tim Moltzen (retired), Tom Symonds (Huddersfield), Siosia Vave (Eels), Liam Knight (Roosters), Nathan Green (released), Blake Leary (released), Issac John (released), Jayden Hodges (released), Rhys Armstrong (released), Josh Starling (released), Jamie Buhrer (Knights)

13TH — SYDNEY ROOSTERS

EVEN when the Roosters welcomed back star forwards Boyd Cordner and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves they struggled in 2016. There is no quick fix for this club, despite winning the minor premiership in 2015.

Ins: Michael Gordon (Eels), Luke Keary (Rabbitohs), Liam Knight (Sea Eagles), Zane Tetevano (Wyong Roos)

Outs: Vincent Leuluai (Storm)

14TH — ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

THE Dragons roster clearly needs major surgery, but coach Paul McGregor has still been able to win 22 football games in the past two seasons. It is going to be another long season for the Dragons faithful, but you can bet the players will still play with heart every week.

Ins: Josh Kerr (Storm), Nene Macdonald (Titans), Cameron McInnes (Rabbitohs)

Outs: Mike Cooper (Warrington), Sebastine Ikahihifo (Huddersfield), Ben Creagh (retirement), Mitch Rein (released), Benji Marshall (released), Dylan Farrell (retirement)

15TH — SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS

THE battle for the first high-profiled coach to get the chop in 2017 appears to be a two-horse race between Bunnies mentor Michael Maguire and Bulldogs coach Des Hasler.

The Rabbitohs fell hard in 2016 and the signing of Robbie Farah doesn’t seem like it will be enough to arrest the slide. They need star fullback Greg Inglis to have an injury-free year to have any hope of playing finals football.

Ins: Tyrell Fuimaono (Eels), Robbie Rochow (Knights), Connor Tracey (Sharks), Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers)

Outs: Joe Burgess (Wigan), Luke Keary (Roosters), Paul Carter (released), Kirisome Auva’a (released), Cameron McInnes (Dragons), Nathan Brown (Eels), Michael Oldfield (Panthers)

16TH — NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

ONLY won one game this year and it’s not going to get much better any time soon. Their recruitment efforts won’t be enough to turn the club around. They appear to be treading water, desperately hoping their promising bunch of young talents can come through sooner rather than later. Don’t hold your breath.

Ins: Jamie Buhrer (Sea Eagles)

Outs: Jeremy Smith (retirement), James McManus (retirement), Kade Snowden (retirement), Robbie Rochow (Rabbitohs), Akuila Uate (Sea Eagles)

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/fe...7/news-story/a533a9d27a5428b44e2fe5f0cd6e530d

 

[Gronk]

ANTHONY Watmough and the Parramatta Eels are headed for a $1.2 million legal showdown, with the former Test forward prepared to return to pre-season training in order to receive his promised career-ending injury payout.
Watmough was in shock this week when he discovered Parramatta is attempting to operate outside the Collective Bargaining Agreement by offering him a reduced figure, ‘significantly less’ than the value of his $1.2 million contract.
Watmough was forced into premature retirement this season with a debilitating knee injury, just 12 months into his four-year deal, worth around $750,000 a season, with the Eels.
Much to their frustration, the Eels have been forced to cover the seven-figure sum after QBE rejected any insurance payout last month by deeming Watmough’s injury as pre-existing.
Anthony Watmough is prepared to train in pre-season to receive payment for 2018 season. Picture: Brett Costello
However, much to the 33-year-old’s surprise, he received a letter from Eels management stating their desire to pay him a lump-sum payment prior to October 31 — but not the full amount of around $1.2 million.
The dispute arises over the final year of Watmough’s contract.
The Eels have paid him in full for the 2016 and 2017 seasons but don’t believe they should pay him for the 2018 season because that is an option year.
“(The option to play) was in his favour but the terms could not be performed,” Donnelly said. “It’s not like he can exercise his option to play. He can’t play.”
Watmough has told close friends he will challenge Parramatta’s bid, even if it means returning to training in order to force the Eels to pay him.
That would be disastrous for the Eels and the NRL’s controversial career-ending insurance scheme, as Watmough’s remaining 2017 and 2018 contract money would then be immediately added to the club’s salary cap.
Anthony Watmough’s career ended prematurely because of injury.
At this stage, any payout due to a career-ending injury has no impact on the club’s salary cap.
But it would immediately become a cap issue if Watmough carried through his threat, although the more likely outcome is a costly and lengthy legal case.
Having secured the likes of South Sydney’s Nathan Brown, Manly’s Sosaia Vave and Penrith’s George Jennings for 2017, the Eels simply haven’t budgeted for Watmough’s extra $1.2 million being added to their cap.
The drama is yet another issue for the Eels to clean up following the club’s most tumultuous season in their history.
Parramatta were stripped of 12-competition points due to a string of salary cap breaches.

I'm sure Max has got dis.

 

[Gronk]

I rarely agreed with what RWilson wrote and her roll as full time News Ltd shit stirrer, however 54 is way too young for anyone. Cancer is a bitch.

RIP Rebecca.