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Rumours and Stuff

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,738
If he gets 1 match

The NRL integrity unit needs to be put in a cannon and fired into the sun.

If you see the footage of the accident and the car going at a hefty pace lose complete control onto the other side it actually looks worse then the horrific one on the harbour bridge last Thursday. The only difference being no one has died here

He has tested positive to initial roadside drug test which suggests he was under the influence of Drugs. He was also driving unlicensed. Which is inexcusable.

Like if he is not getting a bare minimum of 6-8 matches to send a message then the NRL are literally taking the piss.

It wouldn't surprise me anyway the Broncos flick him an easy excuse to clean up the cap & Madge to send an early message.

Ben Hunt will be a Bronco in 2025 if that eventuates i reckon.
Broncos is NRL's love child and don't think will be that harsh but hope they are. Madge has some serious problems up there with a toxic culture up there with the players having the power and the old boys having a say. He is on a hiding to nothing if he pushes for a harsh penalty and the players arc up. They'll never win a premiership while ever this culture exists up there. Long may it reign.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,880
What do you think of volkman , we are linked to him according to SMH

An unrealised talent that has had an injury hiccup that has halted his development and progression. If we can get him fit and focused enough to start playing like he used to he could be a very handy pickup.

More of a backup and insurance option then a genuine elite player at this stage that will surpass our current two halves maestros. But he does have skills.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
91,009
according to their profiles Hawkins/Volkman are similar height but Hawkins is 84kg or so Volkman 93kg.....

That's decent size for a half...maybe Volkman could be fighting for an 14 role if he comes....with Hawkins purely halves depth...
In 2023 they both played 22 games, all in the halves, and Hawkins (78 missed tackles) missed a lot more than Volkman (50 missed).

 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
77,351
I'm sure we're hoping he doesn't. If he activates his PO it means we didn't make him an offer because we didn't want him to stay.
OR he could be very comfortable with his contract price, our trajectory and just tell his uncle to shelve the theatrics and exercise the PO.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,880
My point really this morning was that there has been many on here who have flippantly said that it’s time for Gutho to go. I think that his loss will be underestimated by some, simply because we are pinning our hope on a rookie (or two) to fill the void.

Rookie seasons are quite often up and down and quite often those players need to be spelled in reggies just to take a breath. They also often don’t live up to expectations straightaway.

We will miss Gutho and I will be very surprised if any rookie can adequately fill his shoes in year one. Another reason why next year will be tough to string a few together IMO.

I am not against any of this BTW, but we will be very much the baby eels again and I hope that some of you merkins are patient.

I agree with all but the last bit regarding patience. I have absolutely no patience for any Eels team going forward until we win a premiership. I don't care if it is a new coach or one that has been here for years. We have brought this all upon ourselves by repeatedly, year after year, failing dismally to address the junior development/pathways and the culture of the club as a whole.

We are only in the predicament we are in by not having for years, new ready junior blood coming through to put pressure on our slack jaw loser stars and or also fill in when we lose a star to larger offers as will always happen no matter which club you are. We have been promising the fans for years now that all has been fixed and yet nothing seems to ever change. Until that is sorted then I have no more patience I'm afraid.

Fu*k em! I will blaze away cos that is the only way I can cope with this sh*t club that I have been cursed to fall in love with when I was a wee young lad that didn't know any better. If only I was wiser then, I would have listened to Emperor Palpatine and turned to the dark side and become a bankers Darth Rooster and thus most seasons my winter months would of been a song and a joy. But no, instead I get this dark and all encompassing foreboding pit of doom at the bottom of my stomach almost each and every time I hear the kickoff whistle. Ah if only...

Sh*t Club!!!
 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
15,144
I am starting to think its madness if we let Gutho go early for 2025.

All well and good to not offer him anything for 2026 and he goes the Dragons then.

But unless we sign a genuine replacement that offers the Utility/Coverage in the backline of similar ilk with the money we free up.

We really are just asking to finish bottom 4 for 2025.

Relying on Lomax, Moses & Drown playing every week.

Sounds like we have signed a few youngsters and need a few more especially with speed.

But gee you still want an insurance policy somewhere for next year.

Unless we have some pretty good lined up for 2025.
 

JokerEel

Coach
Messages
13,240
I am starting to think its madness if we let Gutho go early for 2025.

All well and good to not offer him anything for 2026 and he goes the Dragons then.

But unless we sign a genuine replacement that offers the Utility/Coverage in the backline of similar ilk with the money we free up.

We really are just asking to finish bottom 4 for 2025.

Relying on Lomax, Moses & Drown playing every week.

Sounds like we have signed a few youngsters and need a few more especially with speed.

But gee you still want an insurance policy somewhere for next year.

Unless we have some pretty good lined up for 2025.


100% we let him go a year early who are we replacing him with and who takes up his cap space .

It's the same with REG who took his cap space? Was it the merkin from the sharks?
 

T.S Quint

Coach
Messages
14,436
If he gets 1 match

The NRL integrity unit needs to be put in a cannon and fired into the sun.

If you see the footage of the accident and the car going at a hefty pace lose complete control onto the other side it actually looks worse then the horrific one on the harbour bridge last Thursday. The only difference being no one has died here

He has tested positive to initial roadside drug test which suggests he was under the influence of Drugs. He was also driving unlicensed. Which is inexcusable.

Like if he is not getting a bare minimum of 6-8 matches to send a message then the NRL are literally taking the piss.

It wouldn't surprise me anyway the Broncos flick him an easy excuse to clean up the cap & Madge to send an early message.

Ben Hunt will be a Bronco in 2025 if that eventuates i reckon.

Dylan Brown was stood down for three games and suspended for a further 4 when he touched a woman.

Not condoning what he did at all, he deserved to be punished, but no one was ever going to die in that situation.

What Mamm did was inexcusable and incredibly dangerous. It was lucky no one was killed. For starters, he knew he didn’t have a license. That’s at least 6 games right there. Add in that he was on drugs at the time (allegedly) and that should double.

This shit happens too often. Zero f**king tolerance on this. Someone can lose their life. Just need to look at what happened on the Harbour Bridge last week to see that. It’s not hard to call a taxi or an Uber. I can afford to do it, so these merkins who earn ten times what I do can certainly afford it.

Needs to be drilled into them when they are signing their contracts, by their club and the NRL - if you drink/take drugs and drive then you will be punished harshly.

The fact that the ex-CEO of the NRL actually wrote to the courts asking for leniency for Latrell Mitchell when he was caught significantly over the limit was disgraceful and makes me sick. They wanted to make an example of Brown, fair enough. Make an example of these f**kwits as well.
 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
15,144
Broncos is NRL's love child and don't think will be that harsh but hope they are. Madge has some serious problems up there with a toxic culture up there with the players having the power and the old boys having a say. He is on a hiding to nothing if he pushes for a harsh penalty and the players arc up. They'll never win a premiership while ever this culture exists up there. Long may it reign.
The NRL cant defend or hide from this and nor they shouldn't.

Its easy for Broncos to cover stuff up that doesn't make the media and the NRL to let it slide.

But once its out it's a lot a harder for the NRL to go softly with it

He was driving unlicensed and a child was in the other car have been involved in the accident.

Have you seen the video yet of the leadup to the accident.

Mam was swerving all over the place.

Its beyond disgraceful the NRL should be the ones ripping up the contract.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,880
If they rated Joash highly he would be infront of Taafe and Tracey

That's my concern too. If he is a half the Dogs don't have all that much quality there, If he is a hooker, he can relieve the squirt during games, God knows he needs it and if he is a fullback sure Tracey had an ok season but he is hardly in the elite class at this point of his career and you would think that it wouldn't take all that much talent to jump ahead of Taafe in the pecking order and for much less.

So why I wonder did they let him go? But then again Gould has a history of signing and releasing players at times that don't make sense. So maybe this is also one of those times. Lets hope it is a mistake that they rue to regret.
 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
77,351
That's my concern too. If he is a half the Dogs don't have all that much quality there, If he is a hooker, he can relieve the squirt during games, God knows he needs it and if he is a fullback sure Tracey had an ok season but he is hardly in the elite class at this point of his career and you would think that it wouldn't take all that much talent to jump ahead of Taafe in the pecking order and for much less.

So why I wonder did they let him go? But then again Gould has a history of signing and releasing players at times that don't make sense. So maybe this is also one of those times. Lets hope it is a mistake that they rue to regret.
You could say the same thing about Iongi. Dylan Edwards did not play 6 or 7 games this year and he was replaced in them mostly by Dane Laurie. In Round 22 Iongi got a shot, however the next round 23, Laurie was preferred.

Laurie played more reggies with the Magpies in 23 than NRL with the Tigers.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,880
I like the Volkman signing if it happens, although it does seem a bit strange after signing Hawkins as I think they are both natural 7s.

Volkman was an elite junior. If he’s back fully fit, with game time under his belt I still think he’s capable of making it as a first grader.

I have no issue in having real depth in the most important position in a roster. The two halves backups if we have indeed bought both, would be cheep and also be great fit in our NSW squad so as the players around them have savvy playmakers to work and develop their games with.

We need our pathways strengthened and getting quality in the halves can only be a good thing going forward. Players respond when they are playing with quality play makers.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
91,009
That's my concern too. If he is a half the Dogs don't have all that much quality there, If he is a hooker, he can relieve the squirt during games, God knows he needs it and if he is a fullback sure Tracey had an ok season but he is hardly in the elite class at this point of his career and you would think that it wouldn't take all that much talent to jump ahead of Taafe in the pecking order and for much less.

So why I wonder did they let him go? But then again Gould has a history of signing and releasing players at times that don't make sense. So maybe this is also one of those times. Lets hope it is a mistake that they rue to regret.
Those players you mention are all on top 30 contracts. Papali’i isn’t. And if we sign this guy it won’t be for the top 17. Where would he play? He would need to be able to defend in the middle to get a spot on the bench. If we sign Papali’i it’s as a young backup. He is only 21 next year. He is still developing.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,880
You could say the same thing about Iongi. Dylan Edwards did not play 6 or 7 games this year and he was replaced in them mostly by Dane Laurie. In Round 22 Iongi got a shot, however the next round 23, Laurie was preferred.

Laurie played more reggies with the Magpies in 23 than NRL with the Tigers.

Yes you could. That's why I wouldn't be giving Gutho up for 2025, even if he does sign for someone else for 2026.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,880
Those players you mention are all on top 30 contracts. Papali’i isn’t. And if we sign this guy it won’t be for the top 17. Where would he play? He would need to be able to defend in the middle to get a spot on the bench. If we sign Papali’i it’s as a young backup. He is only 21 next year. He is still developing.

You missed the point as usual, but I don't want to tell you the point so as to avoid your relentless counter dribble.

Live well young Pou.
 

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