Pazza
First Grade
- Messages
- 9,753
its a big risk, huge. i wish the club had more balls when it came to atleast the Penisini, Matterson and Blaize contracts.
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Over to the Ponnisi of the West to work through all the options he approved and negotiated. Interesting times as we wait for outcomes
Looking after No.1: Papenhuyzen to test the market after Storm pay cut
It will be a big few weeks for Ryan Papenhuyzen given that the Storm are now privately conceding their superstar fullback will test his worth on the open market.
The Storm have been in negotiations with Papenhuyzen for several weeks and remain hopeful of keeping him, but the harsh reality is they are offering him less money than his current contract to stay.
Papenhuyzen could turn around in an instant and re-sign – especially after this appears – but all the signs are that he wants to know what he’s worth.
I have been told by sources with knowledge of the situation that his current deal with endorsements thrown in is worth about $1.1 million for next year.
The Storm are keen to get him for about $750,000 on their salary cap in his next deal, but Papenhuyzen, who is highly marketable as well as being a huge talent on the field, could earn close to $200,000 extra in endorsements on top of his regular wage. Regardless, it would be a pay cut.
The Storm hold Papenhuyzen in the highest regard, not just for his playing ability and courage in the way he has returned from injury, but also for his leadership. Those qualities make him attractive to clubs who are either approaching a premiership window or are in a rebuilding phase. He is a Sydney boy and would have appeal to any of the big Sydney teams.
Parramatta have added depth to their fullback stocks as they prepare for the departure of Clint Gutherson. He can stay at Parramatta if he chooses, but I have been told the Dragons are willing to go in hard for him with a three-year contract.
Whether Gutherson wants to leave Parramatta for the Dragons is another story. The Dragons are building, but not all the noises are positive coming out of the club.
Papenhuyzen would be an interesting option for Parramatta or St George, but lurking on the outside are the Bulldogs, who are becoming a more attractive option as the club rebuilds. The Bulldogs do have a good option at fullback in Connor Tracey. He also has utility value, which means he can play a range of positions if Papenhuyzen became a real option at Belmore.
Risky business
A leading player is taking a risk by continuing to break the law, and people in the game are aware of his risky behaviour. If it continues, and he is caught, forget football for the foreseeable future.
Looking after No.1: Papenhuyzen to test the market after Storm pay cut
The Storm remain hopeful of keeping Ryan Papenhuyzen, but the harsh reality is they are offering him less money than his current contract to stay.www.smh.com.au
So by that logic, Lussick is shit because he's never been offered a better deal by Bennett, Bellamy, Robinson, Cleary, etc. In fact, only one coach, at one NRL club, of the 16 NRL clubs (now 17), has ever given him a game as first choice 9 in the NRL.
Is the club under less pressure after missing the finals for two straight years? We are under so much pressure we sacked our long serving coach less than two years after making a grand final. We have been under much more pressure than we were at the end of 2022. It doesn't seem to have led to an increase in player options, though it might have led to the club no longer reporting them when they announce a contract extension. The media has been very disingenuous in how they've reported this, and I suspect rival clubs have also been quiet about options when they've reported contract extensions. We recently found Harry Grant's PO was actually a MO. The fact is the media don't know, including NRL.com. They just report what they hear, which is always based on incomplete information.
Players were leaving because of salary cap pressure. The same pressure that led us to offer player options (to a minority of players) in lieu of more cap money. Player options also seem reserved for players the club knows and trusts, which means internal re-signings.
Now that we are getting rid of players instead of trying to keep them, we are under significantly less cap pressure. Therefore there is less need to offer player options.
It's a fair opinion. I just think the facts support my opinion better. I've explained why. My opinion assumes that even the worst NRL clubs aren't run by idiots. Yours seems to depend on the assumption that most people in these positions are incompetent, incapable of understanding stuff that even a bunch of deadshits on the internet can figure out. It has the stink of Facebook merkins solving climate change or the pandemic response.
It depends on our risk tolerance. With more pressure to keep players (like when we have a good team we are struggling to retain) we are more likely to keep using them. With less pressure to keep a team together (like now) we are less likely to use them. It's all related to how much risk we are willing to accept. That doesn't mean zero risk either. The more money you pay a player the more risk you are taking on as well. If you only offer players unders, your risk is very low, but you won't be able to fill the cap.
Does more balls mean we are more or less willing to accept risk?
That logic says nothing about signing players into the top 30, which includes squad players and backups. All those great coaches have signed nuffies and used them in first grade. Bellamy played Lumelume six times in two years, including in a finals match. Does that mean Bellamy has no idea? I'd say he knew Lumelume was only good enough to be a backup. We knew the same about Lussick, which is why he left the first time.
Lussick has never been first choice 9 in the NRL, including at our club. Hodgson was signed to be our hooker this year. By the time he retired there were no other options on the market, so we brought in Lussick as an emergency squad rotation option with Hands.
I'll keep replying to your posts. But if merkins start dogpiling you like a bunch of smartarses I will refrain from adding to it.
Me either. With Iongi and Papalii, fullback is covered and that's assuming Gutherson leaves. Blake Mozer is one player I'm certain we will be going hard for.
I'm going hard for him right now
I'm here to learn as much as you are. If your arguments are supported by facts and logic, I will be very keen to absorb them into my paradigm.
You’re a master at subtle shit stirring, no matter the topic. Just one question—why do you do it? I'm serious mate, I'm trying to understand you.
