Rumours and Stuff

[JokerEel]

So with Matto hopefully off the books next year along with Lane and Brown where is the money from the 2026 cap going??

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We went all in on the old men in decline and let go of young bucks on the up. What could go wrong?

Mahoney
Marata
Stone
Papali
Kafusi

The only ones who went better than the ones we kept were Mahoney and Papali’i. And given the shitty clubs they joined, they would have been on massive overs. We would’ve gone worse if we’d kept them.

 

[hindy111]

WTF happened to the forum in the last few hours ?

Merkins have turned on each other.

View attachment 104432

This is soft compared to the politics thread and our attacks

 

[Avenger]

So with Matto hopefully off the books next year along with Lane and Brown where is the money from the 2026 cap going??

Tino and that prop at Penrith that’s off contract. (Lindsay Smith).

 

[hindy111]

The only ones who went better than the ones we kept were Mahoney and Papali’i. And given the shitty clubs they joined, they would have been on massive overs. We would’ve gone worse if we’d kept them.

I disagree.
Lane and Matto are taking up 1.2 million. We are getting zero output from them. Plus there attitudes and laziness rubbing off on our juniors. Got to get that shit out of the club.

Papali'i 550k
Marata 600k
Kafusi left for 350k
Ray Stone I'd guess 250-300k MAX

We could have Kafusi and Stone plus either Marata or Papali'i for that money.

 

[hindy111]

He also said we should've broken the bank to keep Mahoney and Papalii.

Papali'i 550k should of been matched.Thats what he was worth after two strong seasons. His Tigers form sucked but he is starting to slowly warm up at Penrith now.

Mahoney 650k fine. He is a tenacious leader and a big reason we made the grand final and are also rubbish now. Also would of slowed the bulldogs rebuild.

 

[jason taylor]

I disagree.
Lane and Matto are taking up 1.2 million. We are getting zero output from them. Plus there attitudes and laziness rubbing off on our juniors. Got to get that shit out of the club.

Papali'i 550k
Marata 600k
Kafusi left for 350k
Ray Stone I'd guess 250-300k MAX

We could have Kafusi and Stone plus either Marata or Papali'i for that money.

Stone is the one I don’t regret - Dylan Walker is much better. But I agree on the rest, they’d all be making our starting side right now and be a marked improvement on what we have

 

[hindy111]

Based on that and being close to Australian selection in 2022 the guess would be accurate. $600k seems reasonable to me.

I think Twizzles confused. He thought the 1.3mil was the amount for his current deal not previous one.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I disagree.
Lane and Matto are taking up 1.2 million. We are getting zero output from them. Plus there attitudes and laziness rubbing off on our juniors. Got to get that shit out of the club.

Papali'i 550k
Marata 600k
Kafusi left for 350k
Ray Stone I'd guess 250-300k MAX

We could have Kafusi and Stone plus either Marata or Papali'i for that money.

But this was for 2023, to have another shot at the title. Signing them a year too long was the price we paid for keeping the team together after the grand final. A massive injury/suspension toll in 2023 killed our chances followed by losing Moses last year meant we decided to blow it up and rebuild. Again, it's hindsight bias to say we should've started the rebuild in 2022. It's like saying you wish you hadn't put ten grand on the Storm to beat Manly last Saturday.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

But this was for 2023, to have another shot at the title. Signing them a year too long was the price we paid for keeping the team together after the grand final. A massive injury/suspension toll in 2023 killed our chances followed by losing Moses last year meant we decided to blow it up and rebuild. Again, it's hindsight bias to say we should've started the rebuild in 2022. It's like saying you wish you hadn't put ten grand on the Storm to beat Manly last Saturday.

Hindsight @hindy111 had no problems with our forwards recruitment/retention for 2023.....

Top 3 best starting prop combo in comp. Lane & Matterson are origin level and almost as good as any in their position.

The only drop offs if Hodgson stays fit are -

Marata ( Ordinary season) ,Papali'i( Big loss)Kafusi,Stone (Barely played and bog average)

Doorey,Hopgood,Murchie,Moimsea,Greig,Matalele, Ogden ,Rodwell,Bryce to fight for their spots. Any of them could break out or have a good season.

Most likely Taupua for N.Brown which I see as an upgrade.

Russel,Laizou,JA,Yates,Hands a year older. Dunster fit. Along with ASI. Heaps more depth......

Plus I'd expect Peninsi to really settle into grade and D.Brown to keep improving.

He didn't rate Marata and Stone back then, but reckons 3 years later we should have kept them and let the origin level Matterson and Lane go......

anyhow what this really shows, is how f**ken hard it is to manage a salary cap and NRL squad......so many decisions to make, so many variables to consider....everyone has a view after the fact thinking they are correct but it's only 1 or 2 decisions they are considering not the full picture.....

 

[JokerEel]

We need a 5/8...

 

[Parrapat]

But this was for 2023, to have another shot at the title. Signing them a year too long was the price we paid for keeping the team together after the grand final. A massive injury/suspension toll in 2023 killed our chances followed by losing Moses last year meant we decided to blow it up and rebuild. Again, it's hindsight bias to say we should've started the rebuild in 2022. It's like saying you wish you hadn't put ten grand on the Storm to beat Manly last Saturday.

It's pretty clear that Mark O'Neill delivered the squad that BA wanted. BA wanted that team kept together and so MON delivered. After all, that's his job: to deliver the squad, as best and close as possible, within the cap, that the coach wants.

Just as it's clear that Mark O'Neill is delivering Ryles the squad he wants to suit his style.

Just as it's clear that Shane Richardson is letting Benji have his way when it comes to the Tigers cap spend.

Just as it's clear that Frank Ponissi delivers Bellamy the squad that Bellamy desires.

We missed Galvin by a last minute weekend gazumping from a legend at gazumping; the fairy godmother of the Bulldogs, formerly Panthers. It happens. You can't win them all. Life goes on.

If people are determined to blame MON for delivering the squad that BA wanted then they can't be helped since what's driving their hatred is clearly not rational.

In 2024 the board and CEO decided time was up for BA and brought in a new coach to change course and then MON set about his duties in delivering the new coach the squad to fulfill his vision. If people don't want to give the club time, that's on them. The rest of us are on the Eels bus.

​

 

[Parrapat]

Papali'i 550k should of been matched.Thats what he was worth after two strong seasons. His Tigers form sucked but he is starting to slowly warm up at Penrith now.

Mahoney 650k fine. He is a tenacious leader and a big reason we made the grand final and are also rubbish now. Also would of slowed the bulldogs rebuild.

BA didn't want them.

 

[Parrapat]

They got us into the finals four years in a row. Pretty good effort for an Eels team. The last time we managed it was 2002.

This is important to remember.

 

[Parrapat]

It was for the window

BA knew his time was up and he thought he could jag a premiership from 2023-24
So he didn't care what we payed them or what options they got as long as he had them for 2023-24 (it's not BA's money) and it won't be his problem if he got the sack.

If he had won the premiership in his window, no one would care that much about ageing forwards and player options coz ding dong, the 2nd witch was dead.

Alas... that didn't happen

It was the last throw of the dice and he threw everything at it. Now if he listened to Avenger and sold his house and bought bitcoin instead, he could've bought Parra today

100% spot on.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

BA didn't want them.

I’m sure he did (he picked them every week on route to the grand final), but the salary cap comes for teams when they win a lot of games, whether they jag a premiership or not.

 

[Wally21]

Interesting times. I feel extremely flat about our team at the moment. I know that a lot of the young guys will have a year of NRL experience under their belts, but it’s hard to be upbeat about next year, with some obvious massive gaps in our roster like a top class edge forward, 2 decent centres and a 6.
in other news, I heard today that Lincoln Fletcher is signed to a Dev contract for next year, said top 30 but I think it’s Dev. Source: his mum…

 

[JokerEel]

Interesting times. I feel extremely flat about our team at the moment. I know that a lot of the young guys will have a year of NRL experience under their belts, but it’s hard to be upbeat about next year, with some obvious massive gaps in our roster like a top class edge forward, 2 decent centres and a 6.
in other news, I heard today that Lincoln Fletcher is signed to a Dev contract for next year, said top 30 but I think it’s Dev. Source: his mum…

Will be interesting to see Fletchers development.

Has he been injured I haven't seenuch of him lately

 

[Stevie]

Interesting times. I feel extremely flat about our team at the moment. I know that a lot of the young guys will have a year of NRL experience under their belts, but it’s hard to be upbeat about next year, with some obvious massive gaps in our roster like a top class edge forward, 2 decent centres and a 6.
in other news, I heard today that Lincoln Fletcher is signed to a Dev contract for next year, said top 30 but I think it’s Dev. Source: his mum…

I’m with you buddy. I feel more flat about the team than I have in years. Unless we get some outstanding signings which it doesn’t see to be on the radar, then season 2026 is more of the same and possibly worse.

It seems as though every year we are offered the hope of the next year. This guy will have an extra preseason, this guy will be more mature etc. It feels as though our injuries to keg players gets even worse every year. I’m a huge Moses fan but his injuries are making his value Ponga-esque and that will only decline over the coming years.

Tough years ahead without quality cattle.

 

[Twizzle]

Based on that and being close to Australian selection in 2022 the guess would be accurate. $600k seems reasonable to me.

so you are alleging that his PO/MO is much greater that his original contract amount ?

if that were true then I'm sure you could validate that with a source