Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

In a way, I'm excited to see mahoneys style and involvement at the dogs. I'm sure the dopey bush coach has him stifled in attack.

The dopey bush coach had Mahoney making more TAs and LBAs than any other dummy half this year, despite only playing 17 games.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If a player we have developed, who came to us as nothing, would rather play for our most hated rivals for the same coin he can get from us - then his heart and mind are not with our club.

"If" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Why would you believe the Bulldogs wouldn't be offering more money? Why else would anyone leave their club to go there if not for more money?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I have no idea how much Koroisau got paid but he was an origin standard player. I hope you’re right about having a stronger team in other areas with no Mahoney but that’s no guarantee.

There's no guarantee we would've been a better team if we'd kept Mahoney either. What if his huge new contract meant we lost a bunch more players?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Melbourne and Penrith are successful premiership winning teams who couldn’t keep all of their stars. The Eels couldn’t keep their rising star despite nothing to show but a couple of week 2 exits. Do you really think the Eels expected to lose Mahoney?

I already told you. They would've expected to lose some but had no control over which ones. How much other clubs offer was always out of our hands.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Hooker is a position in demand. How many clubs where linked with Rheed? If he was such hot property plenty of others would of been knocking the door down to get him.

Only the wooden spooners wanted him. And in the end the only club he wanted to go to were the wooden spooners.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Very disingenuous of you to say I’m coming to this conclusion without a shred of proof. There are multiple news stories that are reporting

Media speculation isn't proof. It's not even news ffs

how much Mahoney was offered and the amounts are not unreasonable at all. I’m assuming you believe the reports of Papali’i and Leilua getting their 600k and 700k contracts

I don't believe the reports per se, just that a player wouldn't leave a string club for a weak one unless he was getting more money. In many cases a lot more.

so why are you using a different standard here?
There’s also an independent source in the tweet from TCT guy who said we expected him to stay until today.
I also heard the former CEO in an interview talk about how the Eels were very confident in keeping the players they’d want to keep because Parramatta is seen as an attractive destination

He said we offer something more than just money, implying that we wouldn't be able to match offers from clubs offering only money. What do the Dogs and Tigers have to offer besides money? Even the Warriors offer the opportunity to live in Auckland, if that's important to a player.

Clubs generally don’t lose their star players on the rise unless they’re a poorly run club or they get squeezed out due to cap pressure.

Well there you go. It's one of those two. You're assuming it's the former.

So what’s more likely? That the Eels got blown out of the water by Canterburys offer but thought he was going to stay until today?

I'm sure they knew he was always a chance of leaving. All of them were. How much desperate clubs offer our players is out of our hands. It shouldn't make us behave with desperation though. That would make us as poorly run as them.

Or that they lowballed Mahoney and he signed with the Bulldogs?
I’m saying the Bulldogs probably did offer more but they offered him closer to what he is worth rather than our offer.

He certainly doesn't seem to care much about success. We were still in crisis when Mahoney signed with us. Now he's going to the wooden spooners.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The evidence seems to suggest that we refused to pay Mahoney what he was worth rather than the Bulldogs paying an exhorbitant amount. There wasn’t necessarily a need for a bidding war.

What evidence? Media narratives?

 

[Jake the snake]

The whole loyalty thing is dead. It’s a business. Very rare would we get players that want to stay and play for a club. It’s all About the dollars and as I said earlier I can’t blame them. If someone was offering me a difference over 500-600k over the period of a contract, it’s a no brainer. Everyone of us would do it.

Mahoney is a very good player but not worth anywhere near 700k per year, Parra know this. If we sign Starling for 450k it’s a freakn win win for us.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

When exactly are you planning to provide proof?

All his proof is in old copies of Big League.

 

[Jake the snake]

it will be interesting to see how Matt Burton feels with all these massive contracts being handed out to his new team mates. Bulldogs got him for a bargain 350-450k. You have a hooker on 700k and all these second towers on 800k. He’s going to be feeling ripped. Burton will be a brilliant 5/8 and commanding 800k-1 mill. He will not be happy!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The vicous fish and Yeo are middles. Both on big $$

But not close to the alleged $800k that Bennett allegedly is alleged to be about to offer Paulo.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Are you not capable of using your brain? If I said to you that we signed James Tedesco for 50k would you be able to figure out by yourself that he’s not being paid what he’s worth?

I wouldn't believe you if you said that. I'd think it's bullshit because it doesn't fit with my preconceived idea that $50k is not even close to enough for a player of his calibre.

I wouldn't even believe it if the media reported it.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What happens when Paulo announces that he too is leaving? Does he then stop being a leader and turn from a nuffie to the next Paulo?

And you wanted Gutherson to leave last week and now you rely on him to try and win another stupid argument by calling him a leader.

I don't like Gutherson but he's obviously a leader in our squad. It just shows what a bunch of peanuts footy players are. Paulo is my favourite player but he has his flaws. I also think he's overrated and probably overpaid. If he leaves I'll be focusing on that. Do you not understand this?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What is something the club could do in regards to recruitment and retention that would make you think they stuffed up?

Win a bidding war, or even get into one in the first place. But in the case of a bidding war, the biggest loser is the team that ends up stuck with the overpaid player on their books.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The overs were for questionable, aging, injury prone stars of yesterday. Not for your main 9 about to enter his prime.

Is it impossible to pay overs for Reed Mahoney now?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I’d say he thinks the dogs will have a stronger team than us in 2023. To be fair, I agree with him.

Let's wait for their fire sale before judging how strong their 2023 team will be.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Yep. I think we made the wrong call prioritising RCG over Paps.

I don't think it was a matter of prioritisation. The speed at which both players signed for 2023 indicated they both got take-it-or-leave-it offers. More important players are still negotiating. Less important players won't be getting offers until next year.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Ok dickhead, now my turn. We won't be winning shit now with all these players leaving. We will now be lucky to make the 8. That's how much this will impact our 2022 campaign.

I hope you're right mate.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

You’re tap dancing around the question. Do you think 600k over 4 years is an unreasonable offer for Mahoney if that’s what he signed for?

Ooh, now do "if he was signed for $700k"!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If the club did that are you saying you would be critical off it?

Yes

I think you would argue in support of it.

Why would I when I already indicated I would be critical of it? Do you think I agree with every decision the club makes? I already said they should've f**ked Gutherson off. I also think they've overpaid Paulo and are about to do it again.