Rumours and Stuff

[hindy111]

You can ‘safely assume’ that it’s been known for a long time how much cap space (including Blake’s contract) has been available for 2024. Yet we haven’t signed anyone new despite them being free to negotiate since November 2022. Maybe it’s not that much after all?

It would of been 500k minus what Penrith chipped in which I heard 150k for first 3 season. Full freight after.
High chance we averaged the whole lot out which brings it to about 400k. I think at the time that would of been seen as a fair deal. Young with stack of upside. And he hasn't been a terrible player.
I reckon guy like Opacic would cost 200k while Superman closer to the 250k mark.
150k wouldn't get you anything much good. Id guess even Russel is north of that amount as is Dunster. And both aren't even guaranteed NRL players. Jury still out.

Waqa is still at this point better then both regardless of what fans on here think. Not to say either wont be better. But on his day Waqa is a game breaker. And if one on one within 10mtrs he is unstoppable. The other two are not.

 

[TheRam]

You can ‘safely assume’ that it’s been known for a long time how much cap space (including Blake’s contract) has been available for 2024. Yet we haven’t signed anyone new despite them being free to negotiate since November 2022. Maybe it’s not that much after all?

One word comes to mind.

Glacier.

 

[Gronk]

Doesn't matter. He is still our best player mate. Unless you know something the rest of us don't know he should remain in that position and we should be working on our weaknesses in those other positions I have already point out.

The game isn't that hard to work out people. Gutho is not the sort of player that will just lie down and relax. He will always be a hard working merkin of the highest order. He has never relied on speed or strength. He is a workhorse type of player that just doesn't stop. Now barring injury, does anyone see that changing?

No matter what Potato Head has thought or said about us needing X-factor, Gutho is our best. Potato Head should be looking to add to that with real strike in the backline with speed and or power. Averillo is that speed and is staring him in the face. Will he take the tip and try hard to sign him? I sure have my doubts.

Well you're side-stepping the very big elephant in the dressing room. We have to decide in the next 12 months if we re-sign him and (if we do) what position he plays. No doubt BA and Gutho have already talked about it, hence the X-factor story that came out last month. You say he's not a centre. I agree he's our best player right now, but what about 2026+ ?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

On their site they have him at 183cm and 92kg's, but look at him hardly a big boy. He would not have the power of a big framed player.

He’s about the same size as Michael Jennings.

 

[TheRam]

Of course but a front loaded contract provides more definition to future cap space which reduces chance of poor cap management which means less risk of circumventing cap rules

Not in the spirit of the game.

 

[TheRam]

Well you're side-stepping the very big elephant in the dressing room. We have to decide in the next 12 months if we re-sign him and (if we do) what position he plays. No doubt BA and Gutho have already talked about it, hence the X-factor story that came out last month. You say he's not a centre. I agree he's our best player right now, but what about 2026+ ?

We re-sign him mate. I'm haven't sidestepped anything. We re-sign our best player. He has at least 5 more years at a very high level of output barring injury. He is only going to have even more experience too and know how to prepare himself to make sure he can cope like all the great veterans do. Look at Cronk in his early to mid 30's. Not the fastest player in the world, but had footy smarts. He has never relied on speed, just fitness and will. I can't see that changing much, can you?

 

[TheRam]

He’s about the same size as Michael Jennings.

Jennings was thicker and more muscle I think. If Averillo can put on another 5-8kgs of muscle without losing any speed, then he will really be something special.

 

[Gronk]

We re-sign him mate. I'm haven't sidestepped anything. We re-sign our best player. He has at least 5 more years at a very high level of output barring injury. He is only going to have even more experience too and know how to prepare himself to make sure he can cope like all the great veterans do. Look at Cronk in his early to mid 30's. Not the fastest player in the world, but had footy smarts. He has never relied on speed, just fitness and will. I can't see that changing much, can you?

I think We need to look for a young No.1 and pay a lot of money for him, like a Sua'luli. Start him off on the wing with Gutho ending up as centre. Either that or as YY said just swap Dylan for Gutho, however a slow 6 is worse than a slow centre. You can get away with a slow centre (Opacic). I can see Gutho ending up like a battered old Ray Price and playing too long in the No.1. I don't want that for him or the club in 2026/7.

 

[King-Gutho94]

We re-sign him mate. I'm haven't sidestepped anything. We re-sign our best player. He has at least 5 more years at a very high level of output barring injury. He is only going to have even more experience too and know how to prepare himself to make sure he can cope like all the great veterans do. Look at Cronk in his early to mid 30's. Not the fastest player in the world, but had footy smarts. He has never relied on speed, just fitness and will. I can't see that changing much, can you?

100% his attitude from these comments below he ain't slowing down anytime soon.


IN-FORM GUTHO WILL ‘NEVER GIVE UP’ ON ORIGIN DREAM

Former Blues coach Laurie Daley believes Clint Gutherson is in close to career-best form and the Parramatta Eels star is making no secret of his hopes for a Blues call-up — even if it’s as a reserve again.

Gutherson has played three times for the Blues — in 2020 — but hasn’t been able to crack into a star-studded backline over the past couple of years.


The 28-year-old featured in Brad Fittler’s squad for the second and third games of last year’s series as a reserve player and that may represent his best chance of being involved again this year.

“It’s a tough one because you want to be playing in those representative games ... I said a few weeks ago whenever you get that opportunity, we were talking about Jack Wighton (pulling out), that’s something I’ll never give up,” Gutherson said on the Big Sports Breakfast on Monday.

“You always want to strive to be in those teams but I have probably come to terms with the fact there’s some really good fullbacks out there.

“Turbo, Latrell, Teddy (James Tedesco) who’s been there for a number of years and you go deeper and deeper with the likes of (Dylan) Edwards and Will Kennedy as well.

“There’s lots of quality fullbacks but if they like what I’m doing and can bring to a team obviously I’d love to be in the 17 even the 20 and get around them and try to help them win

Gutherson’s attitude and will to win is perfect for the Origin era and he echod fellow hopeful Nicho Hynes’ recent comments about “hating” the Maroons.

“I saw Nicho come out the other day and say how much he hates Queensland and I’m exactly the same, you just want to beat them and they’re one up on us at the moment,” Gutherson said.

We just need to try and play good footy for our clubs as all players do and if you get that phone call from Freddy and the staff you’re going to go out there, no matter what number you are, and try to help them win. I’m exactly the same and I’ll be doing that as well.”

Freddy drops big Luai hint amid his ‘toughest Blues call’ yet as job threat exposed - Origin Scout

Freddy drops big Luai hint amid his ‘toughest Blues call’ yet as job threat exposed - Origin Scout

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[IFR33K]

And throwing the ball away instead of having a collision.

You could be onto something there. Maybe we shouldn’t run into the ruck as much.

 

[hineyrulz]

If we play to our strengths they’re not going to change based on the opponent. Stop trying to outsmart every merkin ffs Brian Smith.

I don’t think we have to worry about Bea Arthur outsmarting anyone.

 

[Eelementary]

Sure my only concern with him has been his size and seeing that the Dogs have opted to bring in two larger, stronger and also very fast bodies tells me that they also had/have the same concern.

But we don't have that luxury and seeing that he is as quick as he is and so brilliant on his feet, he is definitely worth a shot. He should only get stronger and fill out a little more as he matures. I'm still not sure if centre is where he should stay, for mine he may end up being a better option at wing a la Addo-Carr. We could finally compress our attack for a couple of sets and then at the right time when we have sucked in the defense enough to concentrate in the middle, fire the ball out to him as quickly as possible and he would almost always beat everyone to the try line, a la Storm - JAC. Overlaps would once again be real opportunities. Then again Potato Head will ask him and demand he become a bulldozer and take hit ups instead.

But who am I kidding. I'll stop dreaming now. We wouldn't have a clue and he will probably go to the Tigers now that the have their new recruitment officer in Scott Fulton who builds all his squads on speed. We build our on collision and power but then don't recruit enough of the right players to execute it.

He's listed as 183cm, and 92kg.

Penisini is listed as 180cm, and 98kg.

Michael Jennings was listed as 180cm, and 96kg.

He's a little lighter, but slightly taller.

And he's only 22.

But what he does have is sheer speed, and brilliant foot work.

A centre pairing of Penisini, and Averillo, would give us deadly options on both sides of the field.

But I'll stop dreaming now, as we probably go after Jarrod Croker...

 

[Eelementary]

Schuster to Tigers, Papali’i back to us. Can’t see it happening this year though. Ice hates it there.

I mean, I genuinely don't mean any disrespect to the Tigers here, but...

What the f**k did Papali'i expect? They've been a basket-case for so long.

 

[TheRam]

I think We need to look for a young No.1 and pay a lot of money for him, like a Sua'luli. Start him off on the wing with Gutho ending up as centre. Either that or as YY said just swap Dylan for Gutho, however a slow 6 is worse than a slow centre. You can get away with a slow centre (Opacic). I can see Gutho ending up like a battered old Ray Price and playing too long in the No.1. I don't want that for him or the club in 2026/7.

Stop worrying about a hypermetrical of what may or may not happen to our best and hardest working player. So what if Gutho ends up like a battered old Ray Price. It wouldn't matter if he did as long as we built up our team with real quality and support around him as we did with the Crow and Pricey all those years ago, unlike what we did for Hindy's last few years and we made him look like a busted hot mess running all over the place with no impact and his mate on the panel shows laughing at him for those last few years.

How good would it be if in Gutho's last season we see him off like we did Pricey and the Crow holding up the premiership Trophy? What a fitting thank you and good bye that would be all of us right?

But that can only happen if our brains trust doing the hiring and the firing realise that he isn't a problem they need to solve but there are other more pressing areas they need to shore up and strengthen. If we added speed and power to our backline and a couple of quality props, then someone like Gutho would be a standout star no matter how old and battered he is. That is in his blood. He just needs to be supported with the players around him not letting him down and making him look like a spent force trying to chase their shortcomings and merkins on here thinking he is the problem.

There is always a place for old quality players as long as you have younger quality around them. Look at the Sharks, they had what 5 or 6 veterans in their GF winning team? It is all about how you support those players with the personnel around them. If we don't have a good enough team to make Gutho's life easier and him to be able to shine when he is in his mid 30's, then I have news for you mate, we won't have a good enough team to win it anyway. Gutho is not the problem.

 

[the phantom menace]

Waqa is still at this point better then both regardless of what fans on here think. Not to say either wont be better. But on his day Waqa is a game breaker. And if one on one within 10mtrs he is unstoppable. The other two are not.

Trouble is, Waqa's day was in 2019 and earlier. He hasn't got the game breaker in him anymore - and BA has also seen the truth and made his choices accordingly.

 

[Tiger5150]

He also like talent size and muscle. The problem with Schuster is not his football abilities but his attitude. The Tigers like all desperate clubs are willing to take a punt that they can correct that. Remember Schuster is still young and therefore can have an attitude change if guided correctly and he wakes up to himself and also one suspects the Tigers won't be paying full freight.

If they can manage to persuade the kid that the forwards is where he should be playing then I think he will have turned the corner and we might see the best of him yet. But it is a big risk for sure.

Im not keen on Schuster for all the reasons you have listed. We are in desperate need for an organising half with good passing and kicking game and not Schuster who effectively would be a bigger Brooks in the halves. It seems that Schuster is set against playing in the pack.

I dont want him .......but........I love our pack at the moment but the one position we dont really have sorted is a ball playing lock. If Schuster put his mid and body to it, he could be an excellent 13. As everyone has said, he needs a serious attitude adjustment and I dont think the Tigers is the place that would do it for him. Storm would turn him into a monster.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Mate if you go back a few pages you will see that you scoffed at the suggested amount of $500k plus per season for this thief.

If you go back you’ll see I said he might be on $500k but it makes no sense as there is no mechanism to pay him that much. Not by us and not by Penrith. He was an outside back (not a spine player or a forward) in his mid-20s who had achieved nothing. There just wouldn’t have been the demand, especially with the security provided by such a long contract. Clubs might take that risk on a shorter contract but not for four or five years.

You stated that there is no way the contract per year was that much, suggesting Penrith wouldn’t be that stupid to pay that amount. Now there is evidence that it actually is and maybe even as much as $600k per season not matter what the f**king agreement is between the clubs.

This isn’t evidence. It is private information and the media claim to know how much every player is on? It’s bullshit, designed to stir up idiot footy fans.

Rather than admitting you were wrong in understating his salary you are arguing semantics to safe face.

Fall on your sword, FFS.

It can happen to the best of us.

You are doing exactly what sports journalists want you to do.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

@Poupou Escobar you dingbat! Read them and weep. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....

The document that shows why NRL will approve Souths’ Wighton deal

The NRL’s 2022 salary cap benchmarking document shows the average salary of a top five centre last year was $614,680. The Rabbitohs have signed Wighton for $800,000.

www.smh.com.au

According to rugby league sources with knowledge of contract value, it’s believed the top-five-paid centres in 2022 were Joseph Manu, Kotoni Staggs, Waqa Blake, Stephen Crichton and Zac Lomax.

How many of those centres were being paid by two clubs?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I wonder if they used Zero tackle for thier info as I do!

View attachment 73608

No doubt their ‘sources’ are this professional.

 

[Gronk]

Some might not like this, but I suggest that you put your big boy pants on and read the analysis. Then argue the points (maybe without hysteria), if you have any disagreement.