Rumours and Stuff

[hindy111]

Would think everyone realises what an effort player Gutho is, and who”d love him to stay, but his manager is looking to extend his contract on elite fullback money. That’s the real issue, the club appears happy to for 2025, but doesn’t want to commit beyond that if he is trailed as a utility. Business decision is at the forefront of expenditure in a cap influenced roster.

That’s where it’s at, and don't forget there remains the issue of players on various options over the next 2 years, which makes decisions like this crucial.

He isnt worth more then 400k

 

[hindy111]

Sometimes to move forward you have to make a tough call like putting a rookie in at fullback or like we did in 2019 with a 19 year old Dylan Brown after canning one of our more experienced halves. Difference between the two, Iongi is probably less of a risk. 2.5 years in reserve grade compared to Brown's .5 years and 3 years older. Iongi is coming into a more settled spine whereas our spine when Dyl was coming in also had Mahoney who had played under NRL 10 games.

Plus he has Ivan Cleary training like Hopgood. That can't be underestimated

 

[Incorrect]

Would think everyone realises what an effort player Gutho is, and who”d love him to stay, but his manager is looking to extend his contract on elite fullback money. That’s the real issue, the club appears happy to for 2025, but doesn’t want to commit beyond that if he is trailed as a utility. Business decision is at the forefront of expenditure in a cap influenced roster.

That’s where it’s at, and don't forget there remains the issue of players on various options over the next 2 years, which makes decisions like this crucial.

Yep, thought this was pretty obvious.... Hopefully your succinct explanation will help to make the penny drop for some...

 

[84 Baby]

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 don’t think anyone has said it flippantly. Most understand that likely Gutho will be a better fullback option in 2025 but that likely severely reverses in 2026 especially if Iongi spends 2025 at fullback, and then the likelihood of one or the other being the difference in our 2025 premiership credentials is minimal

 

[Gronk]

Would think everyone realises what an effort player Gutho is, and who”d love him to stay, but his manager is looking to extend his contract on elite fullback money. That’s the real issue, the club appears happy to for 2025, but doesn’t want to commit beyond that if he is trailed as a utility. Business decision is at the forefront of expenditure in a cap influenced roster.

That’s where it’s at, and don't forget there remains the issue of players on various options over the next 2 years, which makes decisions like this crucial.

Where did you get that I my angle is for Gutho to stay or that I don’t understand why this is happening?

I was talking about year one post Gutho.

Yep, thought this was pretty obvious.... Hopefully your succinct explanation will help to make the penny drop for some...

Yeah I though it was pretty obvious too.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

And the Dogs don't have a fullback so they obviously don't rate him to highly.

They have Tracey and Taafe on the books.

Just like Alamoti who is a dud.

I don't think a dud would be on $250k

 

[hindy111]

They have Tracey and Taafe on the books.

I don't think a dud would be on $250k

Oh I forgot. The highly talents Taffe

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Or Sticky told him lies and offered him a lot of coin.

I'm pretty confident Sanders will start in round one.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Oh I forgot. The highly talents Taffe

He's a backup ffs. How talented should he be? He's played 40 NRL games and Wayne Bennett trusted him to start in a grand final.

 

[hindy111]

He's a backup ffs. How talented should he be? He's played 40 NRL games and Wayne Bennett trusted him to start in a grand final.

If they rated Joash highly he would be infront of Taafe and Tracey

 

[Tiger5150]

SHOOSH
Which experienced NRL forward is not expected to be at his club next season, despite being contracted and having played more than 20 games this year for the top 8 side?

Rudolph

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Well you should.

Well I don't. It's a thirty man roster. Some will overperform and some will underperform. Usually it all comes out in the wash. For example, between 2019 and 2022 they overperformed as a group, even though some of them undoubtedly provided poor value. Likewise this year (and 2018) they underperformed as a group, even though some merkins would've been playing better than their salaries.

 

[hindy111]

Rudolph

Had a very shiny nose

 

[Tiger5150]

What a load of bull shit! Gutho has been given permission to leave - Eels decision. Hunt hasn't been given permission - Drags decision. There is no linkage so where's the hypocrisy?

Both players are under Contract to their club for 2025 and neither has been given permission to leave for 2025. Guffo was given a 14 day early mark to negotiate.

 

[Tiger5150]

Yeah that'd be a great highlights reel watch... Some bloke pointing left and right and barking at his teammates 30 metres in front him....

Jackson Hastings made a semi serious career out of it.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Bea could sign a homeless bum with no legs off the street and Pou would tell us all what a shrewd and smart signing it was.

It’s at least exciting we are chasing young talent again and not signing over the hill journeymen from other clubs.

Over the hill? The premiers have these merkins on the books:

Eisenhuth
Garner
Luke
Peachey

The grand finalists have these merkins:

Lewis
Garlick
Moeroa
Seve
Tonumaipea

There's a place for over the hill journeymen in every squad.

And we have always signed young talent. These merkins all made their NRL debuts for us in recent years:

Merkin	Year	Age on debut
Kaufusi	2018	19
Mahoney	2018	20
Salmon	2018	19
Stone	2018	21
Drown	2019	18
Parry	2019	20
Dunster	2020	21
Utoikamanu	2020	20
Arthur	2021	18
Greig	2021	21
Loizou	2021	18
Penisini	2021	18
Russell	2021	19
Miller-Stephen	2023	20
Arthur	2024	19
Guymer	2024	20
Sanders	2024	19
Talagi	2024	19

And before you f**ken whinge about the quality of some of these youngsters, you're the one jizzing over 'exciting' young talent who have played f**k all first grade. Just because they're young doesn't mean they will become NRL players or even backups. That's why clubs like Penrith and the Storm sign over the hill journeymen ffs

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If they rated Joash highly he would be infront of Taafe and Tracey

If we rated him highly he would be in front of Iongi.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

*most other

No. Every single one.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

100% not denying this at all just saying he isn't an X factor like Walsh or Faalongo.

Penrith don't need an X factor when they have Cleary..

*Luai

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He says in the interview he wants Nrl opportunities. We already have signed Hawkins. If Gutho stays he and JPap can also play 5/8.
So he sits in reggies limiting opportunities for juniors like Lyn and Twiddle.
How does this work for either party?

We might've already made a decision on the likes of Lynn and Twidle. Lynn has played nine games in NSW Cup, which is decent for his age, and he is still eligible for Flegg next year. Twidle is also eligible for Flegg next year and he has never played reserve grade. Volkman is two years older than those merkins and was very good in 2023 in his first full season in reserve grade, after appearing in the two previous seasons as well. He is ahead of those two, from a development perspective, and might be considered a better prospect.