Rumours and Stuff

[hindy111]

So was Alex Twal.

Both where keepers along with Alioi and Stephano.
But would you swap any of them for RCG,Jnr,Papa?

I'd say they are on par or slightly ahead of Kafusi but my guess is twice the price also. None are world beaters. And of the four Stephano is the only guy I reckon who may become one.

Keppie could slowly develop into a very good starting prop. But I doubt he'd get to Jnr or RCGs level.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Pretty good sign for 2022 that only one top 17 player won't be here next year. I'm very keen to see who we retain for 2023.

Problem is though Poo that many will be distracted by either who will be the coach and their next contract. Top shelf Eels management is needed to ensure the boys only concern is game day. Look at Kikau since he found out he was probably being moved on. We need our boys focused.

 

[hindy111]

Kaufusi is as good, if not better than a bloke in the starting side of a top 4 side going in to a prelim final? Righto. Kaufusi isn't in the 17 for the team that finished 6th....but he's better than the other bloke at Manly....

Keppie at this point is better. But will he be in 2022? Kafusi has as much or more talent. He started the year very well but halfway thru seemed to lose steam. At his best he can be a starting NRL prop. Give him time.

 

[hindy111]

You can only release players that are desirable for other clubs. Most will say Shaun Lane. But what would he be on? $350k? He’s good value on that coin. Matterson is the one I’d be looking at offloading. Marata is better than him.

No I don't think so.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Reckon Nrown has been playing injured and it caught up with him. BA did mention the other day Nrown needs more strapping for training then most players do on game day.

Rookie mistake to play him last night. Makka or Kaufusi in the rotation would have been a better decision if Nrown was injured. These are the areas we need to improve.

 

[hindy111]

Nathan Brown’s regression is the most alarming thing and despite him only just being re-signed I’d consider tapping him on the shoulder whilst he is still valuable.

Playing injured. Still takes of fast. Physically won't be passed it till his contract ends. We just have far better forwards now with Papa,Matterson and RCG. Plus Maratas improvement.
N.Brown doesn't stand out as much

 

[hindy111]

I wouldn’t consider Cleary to be an X factor player. He’s more of a consistent player who can lead a team around the park rather than conjure up a match winning play from nothing. I’d consider Moses to have more X factor than Cleary.

Kikau, Too,Burton, Luai,Critchton all have X factor.

Penisini looks like he may.
Moses borderline does.

 

[hindy111]

I love Moses and think he is really maturing in his game management, but when I think x-factor, I kind of think it is a player that the opposition hang back from, the kind of player who gets the ball and the defence start to wonder "shit, what is he going to do???" - it puts doubt in their mind which then allows something to happen.
Moses doesn't do that unfortunately.

Who does?

Papenhauzen,Teddy,Turbo,Latrel,Walker,Ponga,Walsh.
Bar Walker they all play fullback. I can't think of tommany other x factor players. There isn't that many.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Keppie at this point is better. But will he be in 2022? Kafusi has as much or more talent. He started the year very well but halfway thru seemed to lose steam. At his best he can be a starting NRL prop. Give him time.

Keppie is a better defender, which makes him more suitable in a team that already has good attacking forwards. Kaufusi is best at carrying the ball, which means he needs a lot of carries to get the most out of him. In a team that has Paulo, RCG and Papali'i there's not much need for Kaufusi.

 

[King-Gutho94]

Keppie at this point is better. But will he be in 2022? Kafusi has as much or more talent. He started the year very well but halfway thru seemed to lose steam. At his best he can be a starting NRL prop. Give him time.

Kaufusi got 3 concussions which stalled his season. Hopefully he doesnt become another moeroa where he goes down every 3 or 4 weeks

 

[The Eel]

I am not sure it's hard your not going to get anyone decent as they will be a backup.

Joey lussick was perfect really but unfortunately going back to UK.

Also i think poor roache is another kaysa Pritchard and can't string games together.

There was talk at one stage we were interested in Starling from Raiders, as I have said previously, but I have heard nothing more. We will need to go to market you would think. Stone needs to stay as far away from dummy half as possible.

 

[Gronk]

If Radradra was still with us in the past 3 years we probably would have at least got to a GF by now.

Take sivo out and put semi there in the last 3 years getting service of Gutho and moses he would have scored 60 tries and is 100 x better version then Saab

Semi was the x-factor that could score from anywhere and change the game.

Back on saab how on earth we let a Merrylands junior go to Manly last year when we told fergo he was going is ludicrous. He was whinging to st george for months about wanting to play in sydney did we pick up the phone

Saab was in the STG system from age 16.

 

[The Eel]

How is his picking up of the ball after it gets played?

Poor Stone. I like how they generously described him as 3rd choice hooker. More like 5th (Mahoney, Lussick, Roache, Smith, Stone?), and not even that. Hopefully he spends the off-season in at dummy half, and is the starter for Wenty next year at 9. It is his best chance to be a first grader, but he needs a lot of game time to see how his passing goes, and whether he learns to run it

We no longer have an afiliation with Wenty. We have our own team.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

There was talk at one stage we were interested in Starling from Raiders, as I have said previously, but I have heard nothing more. We will need to go to market you would think. Stone needs to stay as far away from dummy half as possible.

We probably found his asking price too hard to swallow.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

We no longer have an afiliation with Wenty. We have our own team.

What are they called?

 

[yy_cheng]

There was talk at one stage we were interested in Starling from Raiders, as I have said previously, but I have heard nothing more. We will need to go to market you would think. Stone needs to stay as far away from dummy half as possible.

i don't agree. he wasn't that bad considering he's only be training there for a short bit and then playing in a pressure cooker game.

I would persist with him as a 3rd string hooker so that his defence can be utlized. His rucking is so so

 

[The Eel]

The main issue with marata is he spends most weeks on report. His judiciary record is horrendous. If he gets a grade 2 from last night he probably misses the first 3 rounds next year with carryover points.

If the warriors and dragons are willing to offer 500k i would begrudgingly let him go unless he wants to stay on unders around 350k

I am thinking the same. He is no good to us going on report all the time and getting suspended, good player that he is.

 

[The Eel]

i don't agree. he wasn't that bad considering he's only be training there for a short bit and then playing in a pressure cooker game.

I would persist with him as a 3rd string hooker so that his defence can be utlized. His rucking is so so

The thing is, he is not a hooker. The guy tries, and it wasn't his fault he was put there, but a better dummy half would have got us home last night. I personally think Ray is a bit small, but he is a lock or secondrower, not a hooker. I think he himself would agree with that.

 

[zuke]

Saab was in the STG system from age 16.

He is a Merrylands junior and used to work at Peter Wynn’s score

 

[hindy111]

Saab was in the STG system from age 16.

If he drove thru parra he will go down as an eels junior. If he goes well. Makes a great Story.
Another one they let go.