Rumours and Stuff

[Glenneel]

Looked at NRL signings tracker and according to them we only have 22 signed for next year. With Pezet that makes 23 plus 6 dev players. Of note the following are not signed for 2026:
Kelma Tuilagi
Richard Peninisi
Shaun Russell.
If these are signed that'll make 26 so apparently 4 spots open giving us flexibility and we must have a fairly big war chest available also.

 

[Stagger eel]

Looked at NRL signings tracker and according to them we only have 22 signed for next year. With Pezet that makes 23 plus 6 dev players. Of note the following are not signed for 2026:
Kelma Tuilagi
Richard Peninisi
Shaun Russell.
If these are signed that'll make 26 so apparently 4 spots open giving us flexibility and we must have a fairly big war chest available also.

ignore tracker!

we officially have 26 signed up unofficially 27 with Pezet.

 

[Grigor]

Looked at NRL signings tracker and according to them we only have 22 signed for next year. With Pezet that makes 23 plus 6 dev players. Of note the following are not signed for 2026:
Kelma Tuilagi
Richard Peninisi
Shaun Russell.
If these are signed that'll make 26 so apparently 4 spots open giving us flexibility and we must have a fairly big war chest available also.

We have 27 signed with Pezet

 

[Stagger eel]

We have 27 signed with Pezet

FFS!

 

[RealdEel]

ignore tracker!

we officially have 26 signed up unofficially 27 with Pezet.

Pou Tracker > NRL tracker

 

[Grigor]

FFS!

What's wrong?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

the first thing that comes to mind is, why is Bellyache releasing him ?

Needs the cap space for other stuff?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We don't even know if he's an improvement on Footy Dean.

Yes we do. Pezet has been signed by the Broncos while Hawkins might be going to the UK.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Doesn't it count against the cap if you just release someone?

It does if there’s a payout. The only reason there’s not a payout is if the player breaches the contract or agrees not to take a payout (i.e. if there’s a better offer elsewhere or the club found some other way to compensate him that the NRL might not know about).

 

[Poupou Escobar]

yes...

unless of course another club continues to carry the freight in the next deal or the player just walks away without a pay out...or of course he breaks the terms and conditions of his deal and is released for disciplinary reasons.

ffs

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Im sure hes not a fan, just like matt cameron.



When did i ever say we're the only ones that use them? From memory melbourne, the tigers, titans use them. We're the one organisation that really ran with it and had multiple POs in the one offseason which ive always felt was poorly thought out.

The POs helped retain players but i feel like thats got to do with the lack of ability of the club.to sell a vision to the players.



We got beach and jim quoted as saying we arent using them moving forward. Maybe having 2 mil tied up in POs as of nov 1 2024 might have somthing to do with the lack of signings??

We made heaps of signings.

 

[Tiger5150]

Not entirely true. The cap covers the 30 highest remunerated players with some separate rules for everything outside that. If that player agrees to a contract variation (and NRL ratifies it - otherwise to them the original contract stands - again some nuance if that player still plays for you) and that variation means they are no longer in your highest 30 paid, no longer paid or no longer a player, then the payments also MAY no longer fall under the NRL top 30 salary cap rules, but they can (should but not always - see Sam Burgess) come scrutiny

Not sure what you are implying here. THere is also a much smaller cap for lower tier players (NSW & Qld Cup) and there is no way they are stuffing that sort of a salary there.

It still boils down to the same thing, NAS isnt walking away from $1.6M

 

[85 Baby]

Not sure what you are implying here. THere is also a much smaller cap for lower tier players (NSW & Qld Cup) and there is no way they are stuffing that sort of a salary there.

It still boils down to the same thing, NAS isnt walking away from $1.6M

I was stating, not implying, that just because a player departs midcontract doesn’t mean the remainder of their contract comes under the salary cap, even if another NRL club doesn’t sign him and the original club continues to pay him.
Of course generally the more money that is at play, the less likely that variation can be agreed between club, player & NRL.

 

[Stevie]

Nas absolutely needs a change. It looks like he is walking on eggshells and Melbourne are over him.

Hes an absolute grub, thug, and general merkin.

But, if he comes to Parra though. He’ll be our grub, thug and absolute merkin.

Used in the right way, Nas can be an absolute game changer.

 

[hineyrulz]

He just needs to reign in the stupid shit he doesn't and would be decent for 2 seasons.

You may as well tell him not to breathe.

 

[T-Boon]

I am going to start a new thread within the Eels forum about how we could make 9s great (I only just read that there is a thing called NRL Las Vegas 9s). It will be a few suggestions for rule changes and such. Is this an off-season topic anyone is interested in? I do realize I am an utter lunatic.

 

[RealdEel]

You may as well tell him not to breathe.

That may work as well

 

[Matty Bhoy]

If it’s been posted on here, I’ve missed it… Doorey has apparently knocked back an offer and will test his worth on the open market.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/sport-confidential-anthony-seibold-ready-to-welcome-kieran-foran-to-sea-eagles-coaching-family/news-story/1105a44cc384dc6fd0bb7937827ac0fe?amp&nk=70f427782cbb35405b158fea2451dd4e-1761278642

 

[Avenger]

If it’s been posted on here, I’ve missed it… Doorey has apparently knocked back an offer and will test his worth on the open market.

If he leaves can he take his treadmill with him?

 

[lingard]

This is a great point, and a huge advantage that is usually overlooked. In the Dolphins doco series from a few years ago, Peter O'Sullivan said the biggest risk in the game was paying players too much and for too long (and this is a bloke who ended up signing all those old Storm forwards). He said you can recover quickly from losing a player, or missing out on a signing, but once a dude is on your books, it can hurt you for years.

This should prevent clubs throwing stupid money at players based on potential, or with some injury risk. But the clubs that are able to induce players to f**k off with minimal payout (on the cap) aren't subject to this risk to the same extent as other clubs. Suddenly they can spray big contracts around and only keep the ones who show value. Other clubs need to be more cautious with their contract offers.

I hope we are becoming one of those clubs. We've managed to get rid of Offahengaui; Gutherson; Hands; and a few others. If we can get rid of Mattherson, I'll be convinced.