Rumours and Stuff

[I'm a loser baby...]

More depth doesn’t mean they don’t rate a player, they wouldn’t have given Naiduki a top 30 contract with minimal NSW cup experience or get Komolafe to do the NRL pre season if they didn’t rate them as potential NRL players.

Clubs have specific ways they structure their squad, and it’s obvious we need another back to meet our squad structure. And it appears they want someone with experience which is supported by Oldfield being in the squad last year, our chasing of Scott, chasing the broncos dude, Marsters and Paulo and not bringing a rookie outside the top 30 into our squad with the current injuries.

Additionally if you look at our squad our backs lack a fair bit of experience (this is rough guess couldn’t be bothered looking up:

most experience - Blake, Sivo (only 3 years ) and Opacic (never first picked)

next - Simonson (replaced fergo), not even 70 games

Rookies (not a full year of NRL), Dunster, Will, Russell, Perham (also a spine depth player)

outsiders (in the squad for experience unlikely to be picked ) - SL, MK

then there is Cini.

We really lack a lot of back experience, thus why I don’t think chasing someone suggests we don’t rate who we have.

Are you sure Naiduki is top 30?

 

[84 Baby]

They don't rate Naiduki or Komolafe is what a signing like this tells me......

I reckon we’re looking at signings for this year only. Naiduki/Komolafe aren’t ready for this year (at least not for the team to compete where it wants to)

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So why keep them in the system?

You need to field teams in Flegg and NSW Cup. You need blokes who play 100 NRL games, 10 NRL games and 1 NRL game. Blokes playing reserve grade before the age of 23 have a place in the game. It all comes down to when they've had enough of training like a first grader without getting paid as one.

 

[T-Boon]

Even premiership winning teams have plodders. The only valid criticism is that a team has too many of them, which isn't the fault of any given plodder. That's why it's dumb to look for scapegoats.

For me any attack on a plodder is always really an attack on the coach.
They don't pick themselves.
I have a radical opinion that elite RL/some other sport doesn't even need coaches (if they went on strike the game would be actually better on the field and there would be no less money in the game) but it does need plodder players (if they went on strike the game would not be able to go ahead).

 

[Poupou Escobar]

For real? Jake is in the starting team now (ridiculously) even though he is younger than Lui and even though Lui is way better in lower grades. Jake has basically for some reason (his dad) bi-passed lower grades.
Lui isnt even in the squad. He is being made to earn it in lower grades the way it is supposed to be done when nepotism is not involved.
Jake's dad sees him as the future for sure. He is going to just make sure of it.

Jake Arthur ticks the boxes for being an NRL backup. Lui looks like he might be a future first grader (or even a future star) but also possibly never even good enough in defence for the bottom of the top 30.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Does Ponga really produce the 1% ers ? I’m going to say that he’s too inconsistent and still gets paid on his potential.

I we didn’t have Gutho, I reckon A J Brimson would be way better value than Ponga.

I reckon Ponga is one of the best players in the game. He just plays for a very ordinary team.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Are you sure Naiduki is top 30?

Yes:

2024 NRL Signings Tracker: Xerri extends with Bulldogs

Bronson Xerri has committed to the Bulldogs until the end of 2027 while Ben Hunt is headed back to the Brisbane Broncos.

www.nrl.com

 

[Incorrect]

If he's never better than a backup he'll still have a place in the NRL.

*my heart

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Yes:

2024 NRL Signings Tracker: Xerri extends with Bulldogs

Bronson Xerri has committed to the Bulldogs until the end of 2027 while Ben Hunt is headed back to the Brisbane Broncos.

www.nrl.com

Interesting. I wonder why he's top 30 if we only contracted him for this year and didn't play him when we had no backs.

 

[butch82]

not sure how true but someone on facebook reported 2gb said moses has forgone his player option for 2024.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Interesting. I wonder why he's top 30 if we only contracted him for this year and didn't play him when we had no backs.

Injured around the time Blake got injured. That’s how bad our injuries have been.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He was the leading tackler, was scoring a try every 2nd game and was running good lines in 2021. He's improved again this year, although 4 of the 5 games he's played this year have been against lowly sides, but he definitely wasn't ordinary.

*EDIT* As for Jake he put on some weight over this off-season. If he can comfortably play at 95kgs he'd be a good lock and play the in-vogue role of middle half, I'm unsure of his ruck work and ability to lead the defensive line. But I believe his future is in the middle, not as an edge forward.

Yep, merkins forget Matterson was playing in the halves in the under 20s at the age Arthur is now.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Injured around the time Blake got injured. That’s how bad our injuries have been.

Ah okay

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

not sure how true but someone on facebook reported 2gb said moses has forgone his player option for 2024.

They were talking about this on ABC Radio. He has informed the club that he doesn't intend to take up the option which is in November, reportedly because he believes he is worth more now.

 

[Soren Lorenson]

 

[T-Boon]

not sure how true but someone on facebook reported 2gb said moses has forgone his player option for 2024.

what does that mean?
please explain.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

what does that mean?
please explain.

It means he wants more money or he's going to market for 2024.

 

[Incorrect]

what does that mean?
please explain.

It just means he'll be playing for Parra in 2023, but he is choosing not exercise his option for 2024 and will instead look to negotiate... Which is not to say he wants to leave, just that he thinks he might get a better/higher deal for 2024 and beyond. Much like RCG did during the last off-season....

 

[Incorrect]

It also means potentially more money for Jakey boy!!!

 

[T-Boon]

Jake Arthur ticks the boxes for being an NRL backup. Lui looks like he might be a future first grader (or even a future star) but also possibly never even good enough in defence for the bottom of the top 30.

I don't agree. A back up should bring energy and pep (like Will Smith or Rudy Ruddiger). JA plods and almost seems to kill the energy of the team.
He ticks one box, namely that he isn't good enough to be an NRL starter.
He really needs to be given the opportunity to go back and prove himself as a back up by doing okay/well in reserve grade.