Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

I know they are not just like a contract expiring because I have drafted them.

if they were exactly like an expiring contract, there would literally be no need for them.

but it’s pointless telling you this, because you will continue to maintain the fiction to try and “win” your little internet argument and educate the “dumb bogan” parra fans.

The risk is that the club might be stuck with a player they don't want or is at least overpaid compared to the value of the option year/s (e.g Haze Dunster). That's the difference. Nothing to do with planning paralysis. If POs are only offered to players they know they will want to keep, the only risk is that the player will suffer a crippling or career ending injury and refuse to retire.

You sooks are just pissy we can't tell Dylan Brown to f**k off while he explores his options, as if the club would want to. But Moses explored his options right up until round 11 2023, and we still waited, despite no PO. It didn't matter because we wanted him to stay, just like we want Drown to stay now. He either activates his option or he leaves. Without the option he would have a contract offer from us instead, which he would either take or leave. Round ten is a fair deadline for a key player. Moses took longer than that in 2023 and there was no PO forcing us to wait.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

That’s not entirely true. If you want to move on from a player when they have an expiring contract you’re free to do so. If they have a player option then you can potentially get cockblocked if you want to sign another player until you know what they’re going to do.

Of course, that's why we only gave them to players who are known quantities and trusted members of the group. Players we knew we would want to keep. Someone like Lomax, a great player but an unknown cultural fit, is a poor candidate for a player option. Moses, Drown, Penisini and Matterson were all re-signings after spending years at the club. The anticipation was that we would want them all to stay, at a price we agreed to in the option clause.

 

[Stevie]

“It’s been a great vibe. A lot of the coaches are ex-players, so it feels like they know how we’re travelling.”

Both Lomax and Penisini loving the environment and coaching.
Can’t wait to see how the vibes translate in the field.

Did anyone else think BA would cringe at him saying ex players get it hahaha.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If the coach has no input, why has there been so much change under Ryles??

Because we just won seven games. In 2018 we won six games and there was also plenty of change, despite keeping the same coach.

I recently posted the list of players who never played NRL again after 2018. There was about eight of them.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It's really that simple

Why haven't we signed anyone for 2026? Maybe a huge amount of cap is in limbo????

Because we are focused on re-signing merkins for 2026:

Addo-Carr (club option)
Brown (player option)
Cartwright
Dunster
Greig
Lane (mutual option)
Lussick
Mataele
Matterson (player option)
Ofahengaue
Wenisini (player option)
Tuivati

We surely want to keep at least some of these, plus we want to decide whether to activate JAC's option. That's a fair bit of cap space, and we already have 18 merkins signed. If JAC, Drown, Lane, Matterson, Ofahengaue and Wenisini re-sign, that makes 24, including most of the top 17. We would just need a hooker and maybe another edge forward.

 

[ALX25]

LeBron Tuala was still in u/19's last year and look how he's turned out. There's much more to being a footballer than just being big.

Back in QLD with the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

 

[Pazza]

Look at all those options....

 

[Rocket man]

BA didn't want more intelligent people to tell him what to do.

He had control freak and trust issues hence why he kept his mate Murph for a decade.

The other thing was the communication between the football operations and the front office was at a more distant level then what it is now.

Brad kept his cliche hidden away at Kellyville and there was a disconnect between both sides.

MON was the go the between but even he and BA clashed.

Chammas wrote about it also think in 2022 before we made the GF the disconnect between front office and football operations.

Now how much more has the club opened up to its members and fans with different events in the past 6 months then what we got in 11 years.

That's come from Ryles focus on connecting with the community, fanbase and making sure the players are more aware of what they are representing.

Ryles mentioned the other night that we are all connected by the badge of the Eels. Whether we're players, staff, supporters or the board/administrators.
He's big on culture and past.
That's what he's instilling in the players and staff

 

[Incorrect]

Don't swallow the media's bullshit.

Yours doesn't taste any different...

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The difference is I don't benefit from destabilising the club. They do.

 

[senior]

Browns gotta learn a bit from penis

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Could mean he's on overs, but it could also mean he considers it a fair price in the current market.

 

[Someone2]

Come home Reed

if we can get him straight away we a huge chance to win the comp

 

[Stevie]

Come home Reed

if we can get him straight away we a huge chance to win the comp

I hope you’re not driving tonight.

 

[ALX25]

Come home Reed

The strangest rumour going around.

 

[King-Gutho94]

Come home Reed

if we can get him straight away we a huge chance to win the comp

Stuff him he was flicked from the dogs at a young age and he fell for Gus spell to return to the joint that didnt want him.

He can rot wherever he goes

 

[hindy111]

If landed him for 450k and Dogs chip in I am all for it

 

[Twizzle]

After the year Penisini had last year and he's reportedly on $400K, no wonder he jumped on the PO, he wont get that anywhere else on current form.

 

[King-Gutho94]

After the year Penisini had last year and he's reportedly on $400K, no wonder he jumped on the PO, he wont get that anywhere else on current form.

I heard he dropped the pen when he signed the new contract.

 

[hineyrulz]

Come home Reed

if we can get him straight away we a huge chance to win the comp

The Tigers don't need Mahoney Ryhno they have Api.