Rumours and Whingers and Occasional Optimism XXIX

[Basil Brush]

We have a cheap fullback and hookers to balance off the halves.

Gordon would probably sign on for another year. He said he has 2 good years left in him.

With the hookers, IDG and Peats are interchangeable for mine so whoevver takes the best offer stays.

Kaysa is signed and can be our long term hooker.

and we still have King

Yes but we also have an Australian centre and probably the most dominant winger in the game.

It is going to be a juggling act to keep this squad together, as we have already found out with Junior.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Imho Mbye will be the best of the list you have mentioned. However, i think he is pretty much done deal at the dogs.

I'm not so sure. I agree he will be the best of the lot, and if other clubs see him that way then he might already be receiving offers of $1M+ as well.

If we can keep Corey, that will also be great.

I would love to keep him too. He is my favourite player of the lot, obviously because he's already an Eel, and he adds personality to our dour squad. I think he and Foran are easily good enough to win premierships together.

 

[Basil Brush]

You can't say he is not our dominant half besides $$ wise.

Play wise, they are equal in my mind.

I dont have the stats but he gets probably equal or more ball than Foran.

He does probably 90% of our kicks as well.

Foran is no Thurston or Sterling. He can't carry the team on his own for mine.

I have to disagree re Foran. He may not look as flashy as players like thurston but his leadership and toughness are unbelievable for our side.

If he gets his hammy's sorted, he will be one of our best ever signings if not our best.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

if you are throwing out whatif's then whatif we offered him $850k now and he took it?

Seems like the top end of what he's worth (maybe even overs), meaning there's a chance we won't get much value out of him at that price. It might be worth it just to keep the combinations he's already developed here.

I'm glad it's just a hypothetical for us (unless you're actually Arthur, Boulous or Anderson). The decision on the maximum offer for Norman is massively important to the future of the club. I'm glad I don't have to make it.

 

[Basil Brush]

I'm not so sure. I agree he will be the best of the lot, and if other clubs see him that way then he might already be receiving offers of $1M+ as well.
.

You may be right. He has been close to signing with the dogs for a long time and apparently at the bargain rate of 700k. I know what his agent should be doing.

 

[emjaycee]

Why does everyone want to replace Norman?

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We have a cheap fullback and hookers to balance off the halves.

Gordon would probably sign on for another year. He said he has 2 good years left in him.

With the hookers, IDG and Peats are interchangeable for mine so whoevver takes the best offer stays.

Kaysa is signed and can be our long term hooker.

and we still have King

King is off contract too, though I tend to agree with you, that we will retain De Gois. Last year I thought we wouldn't.

Peats is our best hooker, and I'd love to keep him. I actually think he would be cheaper now than if he had re-signed last year.

 

[Basil Brush]

Why does everyone want to replace Norman?

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

Nobody wants to replace him. We are just working out what he is worth.

 

[Avenger]

Why does everyone want to replace Norman?

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

Would you replace him with Hayne if he became available and wanted to play 6?

 

[emjaycee]

Would you replace him with Hayne if he became available and wanted to play 6?

The if in your question is a big one and I don't know the answer because in my mind, it isn't yet something that I need concern myself with.

Would I regret signing Norman and then finding out afterwards that Hayne was available and I couldn't sign him - maybe. But not as much as NOT signing Norman and Hayne not becoming available.

 

[emjaycee]

Nobody wants to replace him. We are just working out what he is worth.

Well he is worth a shitload more than Benji Marshall.

 

[parra pete]

Why not just enjoy the 2016 season and worry about 2017 when this one is over. I am sure the Club's retention committee has a fair idea of what is going on....

 

[Basil Brush]

Well he is worth a shitload more than Benji Marshall.

I agree, but hypothetically if norman cost us 900k for say 4 years and Benji 450k for 2 years, what would you do.

I know what i would and unfortunately it is not norman.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

You can't say he is not our dominant half besides $$ wise.

Play wise, they are equal in my mind.

I dont have the stats but he gets probably equal or more ball than Foran.

He does probably 90% of our kicks as well.

Foran is no Thurston or Sterling. He can't carry the team on his own for mine.

We certainly don't have a dominant half at the moment, with the two of them sharing the ball fairly equally. Though Foran did set up the only try yesterday.

Here's how they have shared the ball this year. Obviously Norman is our main long kicker, and if we lost him we would need a good kicker to replace him, which is why I like Brooks:

Round two:
Norman had 13 extra touches than Foran (58 to 45), but 12 of those were kicks (15 to 3)

Round three:
Norman had 14 extra touches (58 to 44), but 9 of those were kicks (15 to 6)

Round four:
Norman had 3 extra touches (47 to 44), but made 6 extra kicks (12 to 6)

Anyway, Foran won't have to carry the team on his own. If we lose Norman there are plenty of available halves good enough to control their own side of the field.

 

[emjaycee]

Why not just enjoy the 2016 season and worry about 2017 when this one is over. I am sure the Club's retention committee has a fair idea of what is going on....

 

[Bigfella]

Well he is worth a shitload more than Benji Marshall.

Couldn't agree more

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Yes but we also have an Australian centre and probably the most dominant winger in the game.

It is going to be a juggling act to keep this squad together, as we have already found out with Junior.

I feel like we have too much cap tied up in outside backs. I suppose Takairangi and Gutherson wouldn't be too expensive, and Radradra is probably on unders at the moment. Jennings is probably on unders this year due to being subsidised, but next year we're up for full freight.

 

[emjaycee]

The last 3 grand final playing halves pairings.

Milford & Hunt
Morgan & Thurston
Keary & Reynolds
Reynolds & Hodkinson
Maloney & Pierce
Foran & DCE


Norman & Foran are up there with any of those pairings and we need to keep them together.

 

[Basil Brush]

Why not just enjoy the 2016 season and worry about 2017 when this one is over. I am sure the Club's retention committee has a fair idea of what is going on....

But then what do we talk about between games?

I am pretty sure most eels fans are enjoying this season.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Why not just enjoy the 2016 season and worry about 2017 when this one is over. I am sure the Club's retention committee has a fair idea of what is going on....

Because squad succession is extremely interesting for some of us, and the idea of losing a favoured player doesn't fill us with dread and resentment ("MAKE HIM SPEND THE REST OF THE YEAR IN RESERVE GRADE!!! :crazy:")

It's all part of the game.