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Rumours and Stuff

Joshuatheeel

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
19,829
Yep, we need to fix a few things up, but gee I don't think losing 3 promising juniors is the end of the world....there are 3 different circumstances surrounding each, and just unfortunate they happened all together and eels sells papers:

- Ethan, we were never going to match the Raiders offer. There was no pathway at the eels
- MA, was never staying after his dad was sacked.
- Blaize, yep no denying this one hurts and we desperately wanted to keep him. But how do you knock back the panthers. Not sure we could do much more. Shit happens.

Quite possible this time next year, Pensini junior, is our next promising junior and it's all forgotten.

In Ryles we trust
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
88,004
Go and read Prosenzko article he just released on the SMH.

It makes for happy reading.

The club opted against pursing Trei Fuller as a potential replacement for Gutho because the club decided to wait in limbo for 4 months for Blaize to make a decision as the next FB.

It's now August and Blaize has finally made decision after not taking his PO and now guess what Fuller is locked up.
Fuller is a backup ffs. He is half the player Gutherson is, which is why no club offered him a top 17 spot.
 

yy_cheng

Coach
Messages
18,687
What we need firstly more then anything is another 2 x quality backs. Preferably fullback and centre a boom 2nd rower who can break tackles and a hooker.
Fix those 3 positions and the squads good enough to challenge again I feel.
I could live with a backline of

Gun fullback
Sivo
Simonson
Penisini
Lomax
TBH, Kelma showed alot of potential post BA. I would persist with him as still cheap.

Anyone watch the drags get thrashed with Lomax at FB?

How did you think he went in defense? Assuming not alot of attack was done coz they got thrashed
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,598
He made Australian school boys last year at only 17. And is now playing Flegg at only 18 (19 next year) at prop, which is impressive/ good sign. Pretty big jump from SG ball to flegg as a forward at only 18 (even more so when he doesn't have islander heritage, don't mean this in a bad way, they just develop physically a lot earlier). Would happen but not super common for 18 year old forwards in flegg

Yes I totally agree. But it is a little weird that he doesn't seem to be signed up at present which I hope is true. It would allow a smart club to get under their nose and sign him up without to much fuss. Oh wait..
 

Avenger

Immortal
Messages
33,157
TBH, Kelma showed alot of potential post BA. I would persist with him as still cheap.

Anyone watch the drags get thrashed with Lomax at FB?

How did you think he went in defense? Assuming not alot of attack was done coz they got thrashed
I'd be trying to get Sloan. He is more realistic than Papenhuyzen. Has plenty of pace and I'd get Gutherson to teach him the art of defence at fullback. Don't forget Gutherson himself was shocking as a defensive fullback when he first took the role.
 

JokerEel

Coach
Messages
12,193
Isaiya Katoa

If they’re ready for first grade (or another club thinks they are) then they won’t hang around to play reserve grade. Use some common sense ffs

McLean brothers
Longi

Just to name 3 from the riff

Faalogo

From the Storm who is 20 this year won't make it poor kid...

All signed up long term before making their first grade debut.
 

Joshuatheeel

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
19,829
Yes I totally agree. But it is a little weird that he doesn't seem to be signed up at present which I hope is true. It would allow a smart club to get under their nose and sign him up without to much fuss. Oh wait..
Yeah it is, like Buchanan at the dragons. I suspect he/both has a "junior" rep contract. A lot of these promising players are contracted, just search the social media of player managers, they are always posting juniors signed up for 2 or 3 years...obviously most not on NRL contracts...

But I have no idea how a "junior" contract works, compared to an "NRL" contract. Can they be broken easily? Can other clubs talk to them? No sure.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
88,004
I’m not sure we’re in a position to be issuing ultimatums. The loyalty thing is a throwback to a different time. All players will understandably look to maximise their earning potential as quickly as they can, because they have a very limited shelf life.

The way to effectively deal with players and to make them want to play for you potentially for unders is to make the club an attractive place to be. That might mean different things to different players - it might be money, it might be geographic, it might be playing with your mates, it might be being given a crack at a preferred position.

The question is why juniors coming through our ranks aren’t staying. For some, undoubtedly it’ll be feeling like you’ll have a better shot at first grade or your preferred position elsewhere (Sanders). For some, it’ll be personal (Matt Arthur). For some, it might be the opportunity to play somewhere successful (Talagi, if the Penrith mail is right).

But why isn’t our club attractive to stay? I can’t help but believe there’s something to the criticism of MON being slow, low-balling and just a pain in the arse to deal with. We’re also woefully underachieving, and have for the better part of four decades now. Then you have diehard Parra juniors like Galvin who we don’t prioritise and understandably f**k off somewhere else.

Our recruitment and retention has been pretty ordinary for a long time. I don’t know where it starts getting better unless and until we have new people in key roles. Sacking Arthur was a good start. But the broom need to go through more of the place. And the sooner, the better.
Only if you believe it’s impossible to get worse people. Or even unlikely.
 
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