Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

If there was no player option for 2025 and just a normal deal running until end of 2025, he wouldn't be able to start fielding offers until 1 November this year right??

But they didn’t want him locked in on unders beyond this year. Assume he’s on minimum salary for 2024 (before playing a single game against adults), what was he worth for 2025? It could be anything. How much would we have had to offer for them to be comfortable they weren’t being short changed? He could’ve been worth $800k or more next year. When we made the offer for this year, how high should we have gone for the extra year? $500k? $650k? He hadn’t even played reserve grade. You think he would’ve taken a measly $300k for 2025? Clearly the player’s management wanted a better idea of what he was going to be worth before locking him down without genuine competition from rival NRL clubs. The player’s salary is determined by competition, and he’d only get that after his NRL debut.

But the player option allowed him to reject what we had on the table for 2025 and start negotiating earlier (i.e any time from 3-4 weeks ago).... Do I have that right??

2025 is what they wanted to be negotiating for, with genuine interest from rivals. Not a cheap multi year deal that locks them in on unders. From the Talagi/Moses camp, that’s a lot of money left on the table.

The PO was a sweetener to get him to sign for 2024. A token gesture to protect the player if he got injured or otherwise was off the market for 2025. What if we had no injuries and he was stuck in reserve grade all year? He’d be negotiating from a position of weakness. Players might be dumb enough to agree to that but their managers know better.

 

[Zoso]

Talagi could be our X factor from fullback, it’s up to the club to firstly keep him and then develop his talent. The real question is can they do this?? Otherwise calling yourself a development club is absolutely laughable.

A lot of variables outside of the clubs ability to develop; can he put on the muscle he needs, will he work on his game, does he have the football smarts to start with, will he listen to hard but well meaning advice, can he work well with his teammates, will he maintain a good attitude and mental application?
I’m sure other people can think of more and better attributes that are entirely out of the clubs control.
But I agree with the first part; we need to keep him…At a reasonable price.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It's just as plausible that he is simply backing himself to play as much NRL as he can to crank up his price.

Absolutely. If you’re on the market you need maximum exposure to bid your price up.

 

[84 Baby]

Btw I do agree that the team lacks leadership as a whole.

Gutho/Moses missing obviously hurts but the next tier of leaders haven’t even appeared to try and step up. That failing also falls on BA. Just like our general game strategy, there doesn’t appear to be any contingency plan to when players are unavailable.

 

[Eelementary]

Gutho/Moses missing obviously hurts but the next tier of leaders haven’t even appeared to try and step up. That failing also falls on BA. Just like our general game strategy, there doesn’t appear to be any contingency plan to when players are unavailable.

Appointing Paulo was stupid, and clearly it was just a way to keep him in the team.


The only players who show genuine leadership qualities (other than Gutho, and Moses), are Cartwright, and RCG (before his form fell off a cliff), imo.

With our two gun players out, we have zero leadership, imo.

 

[hindy111]

I can definitely see he has ability, and a tonne of potential.

I just don't think he's at First Grade standard yet .

He isn't
But we are rebuilding so happy for him to learn and develop.

 

[the phantom menace]

With our two gun players out, we have zero leadership, imo.

Agree. Penisini had been widely touted as a future leader, but he's shown f**k all in that department, when in the absence of Gutho and Moses there was ample opportunity to do so.

 

[Sensei Cobra]

N

A lot of variables outside of the clubs ability to develop; can he put on the muscle he needs, will he work on his game, does he have the football smarts to start with, will he listen to hard but well meaning advice, can he work well with his teammates, will he maintain a good attitude and mental application?
I’m sure other people can think of more and better attributes that are entirely out of the clubs control.
But I agree with the first part; we need to keep him…At a reasonable price.

Nah mate .. didn’t you hear the club are dopes and whatever happens they’re morons and asleep at the wheel

 

[Eelementary]

Agree. Penisini had been widely touted as a future leader, but he's shown f**k all in that department, when in the absence of Gutho and Moses there was ample opportunity to do so.

Yup.

Ditto for Hopgood.

 

[Incorrect]

Yup.

Ditto for Hopgood.

And Matterson - when the team was crying out for leadership, he put in for a couple of RDO's.....

 

[hineyrulz]

And Matterson - when the team was crying out for leadership, he put in for a couple of RDO's.....

Come on mate it’s been a big year for Matto, the season started 3 weeks early for him this year ffs!!

 

[Noise]

And Matterson - when the team was crying out for leadership, he put in for a couple of RDO's.....

Been saying it for a long time. Huge f**kwit and everyone at the club and previous clubs knows it.

 

[hindy111]

And Matterson - when the team was crying out for leadership, he put in for a couple of RDO's.....

Bali belly

 

[Eelementary]

And Matterson - when the team was crying out for leadership, he put in for a couple of RDO's.....

Yep.

I'm his biggest fan, because he's such a damn good player.

But he's totally lost my support.

 

[Glenneel]

Appointing Paulo was stupid, and clearly it was just a way to keep him in the team.


The only players who show genuine leadership qualities (other than Gutho, and Moses), are Cartwright, and RCG (before his form fell off a cliff), imo.

With our two gun players out, we have zero leadership, imo.

Yes and that is the disturbing thing about this team and a big reason why BA failed. We're too reliant on 2 players, Moses and Gutho and appear lost without them.

In an earlier post yesterday I highlighted how 2 teams, Titans and Warriors, with 3 players missing from their respective spines, and a whole heap of other players out, won against the odds. Compare them to us and you can see how hopeless our coaching has been for a long time. Adding to that is our hopeless defence for years so those whinging about BAs demise need to dig into our team's performance to see it was justified and imo about one year too late.

Our new coach needs to develop a system where the team is not so reliant on a player (or 2) and be more resilient in defence and have more speed and more mobile forwards. In retrospect more speed in itself leads to better defence and better attack.

 

[JokerEel]

Yes and that is the disturbing thing about this team and a big reason why BA failed. We're too reliant on 2 players, Moses and Gutho and appear lost without them.

In an earlier post yesterday I highlighted how 2 teams, Titans and Warriors, with 3 players missing from their respective spines, and a whole heap of other players out, won against the odds. Compare them to us and you can see how hopeless our coaching has been for a long time. Adding to that is our hopeless defence for years so those whinging about BAs demise need to dig into our team's performance to see it was justified and imo about one year too late.

Our new coach needs to develop a system where the team is not so reliant on a player (or 2) and be more resilient in defence and have more speed and more mobile forwards. In retrospect more speed in itself leads to better defence and better attack.

Have a look at the riff how many of their players could be the Captain of the club they have so many players that area leaders..

 

[parra pete]

Has anyone else noticed the Raiders are signing the talent that was on show in the 2023 SG Ball Cup competition..The Raiders have secured Ethan Sanders, Ethan Strange, Myles Martin, Chevy Stewart and continue to pick the eyes out of talent developed by other Clubs. The late Raiders recruitment officer Peter (Skull) Mullholland had a 'great eye' for talent, and has passed his skills onto his successor, RIP Pete.
The Raiders are building for a big couple of years....just sayin`

 

[JokerEel]

Has anyone else noticed the Raiders are signing the talent that was on show in the 2023 SG Ball Cup competition..The Raiders have secured Ethan Sanders, Ethan Strange, Myles Martin, Chevy Stewart and continue to pick the eyes out of talent developed by other Clubs. The late Raiders recruitment officer Peter (Skull) Mullholland had a 'great eye' for talent, and has passed his skills onto his successor, RIP Pete.
The Raiders are building for a big couple of years....just sayin`

They have recruited well. Not sure wo their long term dummy half is they dont really need someone that is an attacking player just one that will lead the defense line and tackle everything.

I said they will win a competition in 5 years if all these players stay fit and healthy.

 

[King-Gutho94]

Has anyone else noticed the Raiders are signing the talent that was on show in the 2023 SG Ball Cup competition..The Raiders have secured Ethan Sanders, Ethan Strange, Myles Martin, Chevy Stewart and continue to pick the eyes out of talent developed by other Clubs. The late Raiders recruitment officer Peter (Skull) Mullholland had a 'great eye' for talent, and has passed his skills onto his successor, RIP Pete.
The Raiders are building for a big couple of years....just sayin`

With BA gone it might be time to put the blowtorch on Ben Rogers and the recruitment team.

 

[Gronk]

Has anyone else noticed the Raiders are signing the talent that was on show in the 2023 SG Ball Cup competition..The Raiders have secured Ethan Sanders, Ethan Strange, Myles Martin, Chevy Stewart and continue to pick the eyes out of talent developed by other Clubs. The late Raiders recruitment officer Peter (Skull) Mullholland had a 'great eye' for talent, and has passed his skills onto his successor, RIP Pete.
The Raiders are building for a big couple of years....just sayin`

Yes, I said that the Raiders would be very competitive in 2026.