Rumours and Stuff

[84 Baby]

How many good players are still on the market for 2024 ffs?

Broncos
Oates
Quai
Pereira
Bayliss
Taupau
Rogers
Smoothy
Sailor
Frei

Raiders
Trevilyan
Hopoate
Schneider
Webb
Guler
Croker
Rapana
Frawley
Starling
Clarkson

Bulldogs
Burns
Clarke
Patolo
Waddell
Casey
Brown
Averillo
Okunbor
Reynolds
Flanagan
Thompson
Alamoti
Hughes
O'Neill

Sharks
Berrell
Hiroti
Wilton
Graham
Atkinson
Finau

Dolphins
Ese/ese
Collins
Donoghoe
Gildart
Faamausili
Niu
Roberts

Titans
Kelly
Vuna
Lemming
McIntyre
Mikaele
Francis

Seagulls
Woods
Tu'itavake
Parker
Bullemor
Weekes
Boyle
Harper
Vaega
Fainu
Chan Kum Tong
Sykes
Humphreys

Storm
Ieremia
Jennings
Anderson
Nikorima
Grant
Sims
Moeroa
Warbrick
Geyer

Knights
Clune
Hodgson
Jones
Lucas
Tuala
Hunt
Johns
Mann
Fitzgibbon
Frizell
Vea'ila
Rugless

Cowboys
Hampton
Elliot
Shibasaki
Gosiewski
Bourke
Granville
Taunoa-Brown
Tamou
McLean
Lipp
Moceidreke
Dunn
Hiku
Price
Sadrugu
Wavik

Panthers
Smith
Blacker
Cogger
Salmon
Sorensen
Luke
Jenkins
Peachey
Falls
Geyer

Dragons
Burns
de Belin
Kerr
Ravalawa
Mbye
Lui-Toso
Moga
Fuimaono
Muhleisen
Finau

Rabbitohs
Taaffe
Hawkins
Sele
Cartwright
Knight
Chee Kam
Kalo Kalo
Kennar

Roosters
Smith
Watson
Allan
Tupou
Hutchison
Baker
Turpin
Waerea-Hargreaves
Paulo
Suaali'i
Lodge
Brown
Thomas
Deakin
Karawalevu

Warriors
Pompey
Sironen
Johnson

Tigers
Seyfarth
Saukuru
Wakeham
Staines
Laurie
Brooks
Talau
Simpkins
Ma'anaima

Not a lot of quality, but there are some promising youngsters (not 24-year-olds) that won't be cheap. I'm thinking the likes of Alamoti (currently 19) and Weekes (21).

Brad Parker FTW!

 

[Chipmunk]

How many good players are still on the market for 2024 ffs?

Broncos
Oates
Quai
Pereira
Bayliss
Taupau
Rogers
Smoothy
Sailor
Frei

Raiders
Trevilyan
Hopoate
Schneider
Webb
Guler
Croker
Rapana
Frawley
Starling
Clarkson

Bulldogs
Burns
Clarke
Patolo
Waddell
Casey
Brown
Averillo
Okunbor
Reynolds
Flanagan
Thompson
Alamoti
Hughes
O'Neill

Sharks
Berrell
Hiroti
Wilton
Graham
Atkinson
Finau

Dolphins
Ese/ese
Collins
Donoghoe
Gildart
Faamausili
Niu
Roberts

Titans
Kelly
Vuna
Lemming
McIntyre
Mikaele
Francis

Seagulls
Woods
Tu'itavake
Parker
Bullemor
Weekes
Boyle
Harper
Vaega
Fainu
Chan Kum Tong
Sykes
Humphreys

Storm
Ieremia
Jennings
Anderson
Nikorima
Grant
Sims
Moeroa
Warbrick
Geyer

Knights
Clune
Hodgson
Jones
Lucas
Tuala
Hunt
Johns
Mann
Fitzgibbon
Frizell
Vea'ila
Rugless

Cowboys
Hampton
Elliot
Shibasaki
Gosiewski
Bourke
Granville
Taunoa-Brown
Tamou
McLean
Lipp
Moceidreke
Dunn
Hiku
Price
Sadrugu
Wavik

Panthers
Smith
Blacker
Cogger
Salmon
Sorensen
Luke
Jenkins
Peachey
Falls
Geyer

Dragons
Burns
de Belin
Kerr
Ravalawa
Mbye
Lui-Toso
Moga
Fuimaono
Muhleisen
Finau

Rabbitohs
Taaffe
Hawkins
Sele
Cartwright
Knight
Chee Kam
Kalo Kalo
Kennar

Roosters
Smith
Watson
Allan
Tupou
Hutchison
Baker
Turpin
Waerea-Hargreaves
Paulo
Suaali'i
Lodge
Brown
Thomas
Deakin
Karawalevu

Warriors
Pompey
Sironen
Johnson

Tigers
Seyfarth
Saukuru
Wakeham
Staines
Laurie
Brooks
Talau
Simpkins
Ma'anaima

Not a lot of quality, but there are some promising youngsters (not 24-year-olds) that won't be cheap. I'm thinking the likes of Alamoti (currently 19) and Weekes (21).

The following players werent off contract for 2023 either, but they're all playing for different clubs now.

Reece Walsh
Karl Oloapo
Euan Aitken
Mark Nicholls
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Tesi Niu
Kruise Lemmings
Aaron Schoupp
Ken Maumalo
Patrick Herbert
Aaron Woods
Aaron Pene
Jackson Hastings
Greg Marzhew
Andrew Davey
Nathan Brown
Tyrone Peachey
Corey Allan
Te Maire Martin
John Bateman
David Klemmer

 

[The Predictor]

I think so, yes.

The losses of Lane, and Matterson (yes, yes, I know) were big blows early on.

Now we've lost our halfback, and our best prop is out indefinitely.

Not to mention that Brad has still not been able to address our abysmal defence.

I'm a pessimist from being an Eels fan for over 20 years, but I don't see us making the 8 now.

That’s true, I’ve been a fan for 47 years, and have seen all 4 GFs and I’m still a pessimist, let alone u younger ones, they last time they won when I was 18, I’m now 55

 

[84 Baby]

Rugless

@hineyrulz is definitely very very excited by this potential signing

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Brad Parker FTW!

At least he can tackle.

 

[Eelementary]

Can you give examples of where players who have performed exceptionally at both left and right centre?

Michael Jennings
Brent Tate played in his opposite side for Australia
Kris Inu often played on different sides for the Dogs

 

[Chipmunk]

Michael Jennings
Brent Tate played in his opposite side for Australia
Kris Inu often played on different sides for the Dogs

That's three in the NRL era, two in a decade and none in the last 5 years?

I'm not sure any of these were as good on both sides of the field.

 

[Eelementary]

That's three in the NRL era, two in a decade and none in the last 5 years?

I'm not sure any of these were as good on both sides of the field.

There's probably more that I can't think of right now - that was off the top of my head.

I'd say the players mentioned were great on both sides of the field.

Averillo is young enough, that he can adapt his game to play on the left.

Lomax has been chosen to play on the left, showing that professional coaching staff sees that he has the ability to make that switch, too.

But it takes time - Darren Lockyer was horrible for the first few weeks he started as a 5/8, until it all clicked for him.

 

[Chipmunk]

So, I think in our NRL squad we need to break our squad down into 5 groups.

Key Players we want to keep
Gutherson
Brown
Penisini
Moses
Lane
Campbell-Gillard
Paulo
Matterson
Hopgood

Current Top 17 players probably worth keeping at there current value.
Sivo
Cartwright
Hands
Doorey

Too young to tell, so probably worth keeping at their current value
Russell
Mataele
Arthur
Asi

That's 16 players probably worth keeping.

Then there is the rest...

Expendable players who can be offloaded if a better option comes along for 2024
Dunster
Simonsson
Hodgson
Ogden
Makatoa
Davey
Murchie
Greig

Players in the squad who are now excess to requirements and there is no need for them to be here.
Loizou
Blake
Rein
Rodwell
Momoisea

Some of these last two groups of 13 players are off contract and some aren't. Some are worth keeping I suppose, but they're all players that we need a better option in our Top 17 if we're going to be a contender.

 

[Chipmunk]

Lomax has been chosen to play on the left, showing that professional coaching staff sees that he has the ability to make that switch, too.

Is it actually the case that the coaching staff see Lomax as a potential Left Centre, or they know they have royally f**ked up their recruitment/retention and bought themselves two only Right Centres, and they consider one of them would be completely f**ken useless if he had to play on the left (Suli), so they make do with the best of a f**ked up situation?

 

[lucablight]

Maybe we should give lumelume a go, surely can't be worse that dunster

He is. He’s much worse.

 

[emjaycee]

I’ve been a fan for 50 years, and have seen all 4 GF wins and 4 GF losses and I’m still an optimist, let alone u younger ones, they last time they won when I was 18, I’m now 55

 

[Legal Eel]

How many good players are still on the market for 2024 ffs?

Broncos
Oates
Quai
Pereira
Bayliss
Taupau
Rogers
Smoothy
Sailor
Frei

Raiders
Trevilyan
Hopoate
Schneider
Webb
Guler
Croker
Rapana
Frawley
Starling
Clarkson

Bulldogs
Burns
Clarke
Patolo
Waddell
Casey
Brown
Averillo
Okunbor
Reynolds
Flanagan
Thompson
Alamoti
Hughes
O'Neill

Sharks
Berrell
Hiroti
Wilton
Graham
Atkinson
Finau

Dolphins
Ese/ese
Collins
Donoghoe
Gildart
Faamausili
Niu
Roberts

Titans
Kelly
Vuna
Lemming
McIntyre
Mikaele
Francis

Seagulls
Woods
Tu'itavake
Parker
Bullemor
Weekes
Boyle
Harper
Vaega
Fainu
Chan Kum Tong
Sykes
Humphreys

Storm
Ieremia
Jennings
Anderson
Nikorima
Grant
Sims
Moeroa
Warbrick
Geyer

Knights
Clune
Hodgson
Jones
Lucas
Tuala
Hunt
Johns
Mann
Fitzgibbon
Frizell
Vea'ila
Rugless

Cowboys
Hampton
Elliot
Shibasaki
Gosiewski
Bourke
Granville
Taunoa-Brown
Tamou
McLean
Lipp
Moceidreke
Dunn
Hiku
Price
Sadrugu
Wavik

Panthers
Smith
Blacker
Cogger
Salmon
Sorensen
Luke
Jenkins
Peachey
Falls
Geyer

Dragons
Burns
de Belin
Kerr
Ravalawa
Mbye
Lui-Toso
Moga
Fuimaono
Muhleisen
Finau

Rabbitohs
Taaffe
Hawkins
Sele
Cartwright
Knight
Chee Kam
Kalo Kalo
Kennar

Roosters
Smith
Watson
Allan
Tupou
Hutchison
Baker
Turpin
Waerea-Hargreaves
Paulo
Suaali'i
Lodge
Brown
Thomas
Deakin
Karawalevu

Warriors
Pompey
Sironen
Johnson

Tigers
Seyfarth
Saukuru
Wakeham
Staines
Laurie
Brooks
Talau
Simpkins
Ma'anaima

Not a lot of quality, but there are some promising youngsters (not 24-year-olds) that won't be cheap. I'm thinking the likes of Alamoti (currently 19) and Weekes (21).

I realise you were attempting to highlight a dearth of quality in your noble quest to maintain the status quo….but I would take blacker, weekes, Chan Kum tong and we could afford it with some squad consolidation that is inevitable.

well spotted Pou, you have identified that there are plenty of possibilities to improve our situation, even before we get to the on contract players we can persuade!

now would you mind creating a similarly disingenuous list of available coaches so that you can also unintentionally reveal the quality there?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I realise you were attempting to highlight a dearth of quality in your noble quest to maintain the status quo….but I would take blacker, weekes, Chan Kum tong and we could afford it with some squad consolidation that is inevitable.

well spotted Pou, you have identified that there are plenty of possibilities to improve our situation, even before we get to the on contract players we can persuade!

now would you mind creating a similarly disingenuous list of available coaches so that you can also unintentionally reveal the quality there?

If you think Eddie Blacker will improve our NRL side we are in dire enough straits that we can't accurately judge our coach based on this year's results.

 

[84 Baby]

If you think Eddie Blacker will improve our NRL side we are in dire enough straits that we can't accurately judge our coach based on this year's results.

Hopgood at least was dominant in NSW Cup. Blacker’s been ok but Greig at that level looks more dominant. Heck Rodwell has too.

 

[Eelementary]

Is it actually the case that the coaching staff see Lomax as a potential Left Centre, or they know they have royally f**ked up their recruitment/retention and bought themselves two only Right Centres, and they consider one of them would be completely f**ken useless if he had to play on the left (Suli), so they make do with the best of a f**ked up situation?

I don't know.

It is the Dragons, though, so option two is likely.

But they are also the Dragons - not historically short of a quality junior here, and there -, and they could probably find a left centre to slot in there over Lomax, but haven't.

I doubt we pick up Lomax, anyway.

 

[Eelementary]

I’ve been a fan for 50 years, and have seen all 4 GF wins and 4 GF losses and I’m still an optimist, let alone u younger ones, they last time they won when I was 18, I’m now 55

I genuinely admire you.

I'm ashamed to admit that my support of the club has wavered in the last few years - I'm just so mentally tired of supporting a club that makes decisions that seem so strange to the outside world (extending BA so early in the season, letting our quality hooker leave etc.)...it just seems like there is nobody in the administration side of things that has a ruthless streak in them.

 

[Eelementary]

Hopgood at least was dominant in NSW Cup. Blacker’s been ok but Greig at that level looks more dominant. Heck Rodwell has too.

I agree.

Blacker has the odd good game, here and there, but is not the player to build your pack around.

 

[Legal Eel]

I agree.

Blacker has the odd good game, here and there, but is not the player to build your pack around.

who said build your pack around? we have two origin props!

I meant Blacker as a back up and/or interchange prop!

 

[84 Baby]

who said build your pack around? we have two origin props!

I meant Blacker as a back up and/or interchange prop!

So another deck chair basically