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The Luke O'Donnell thread

Johns Magic

Referee
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21,654
given the stark difference in performance from NSW last night to the previous 2 matches... i really hope we don't end up with White. he's been a big part of NSW's problem.

i'd still take LOD, though. he's a bloody hard bastard.


I've been an anti-White campaigner(some call me Mandela) since I heard we were looking at him. Would be a big mistake IMO, in that we would probably offer him the same amount that Penrith got Civoniceva for. He is not the type of prop you give good money to.

But as I've been told "WELL DO YOU SEE ANYONE BETTER ON THE MARKET????".

And yes, LOD I would cheer if we signed.
 

perverse

Referee
Messages
26,428
I've been an anti-White campaigner(some call me Mandela) since I heard we were looking at him. Would be a big mistake IMO, in that we would probably offer him the same amount that Penrith got Civoniceva for. He is not the type of prop you give good money to.

But as I've been told "WELL DO YOU SEE ANYONE BETTER ON THE MARKET????".

And yes, LOD I would cheer if we signed.
i'm just that desperate for a decent prop i would have settled with White before i had seen the difference in NSW last night. really hammered home the point of how ordinary White really is...

i don't really know who we can buy anymore. the dogs got stuck into Tolman very early and we missed the boat there, i don't think we made a play at Merrin - although i don't think he was going anywhere regardless - the Dogs snapped up Tandy as a mid-season transfer, and he's doing pretty well for the Dogs - another missed opportunity, i've heard that Tronc has re-signed up north... it's almost looking like we're just going to have to wait until 2011 to fix the props up now. Ryles, Snowy and Grant are all off contract at the end of next year.

who are the current best NYC props? i'm not seeing much left available at NRL level. we just desperately need a metre eater who is up to this level. Ailomai may get there by 2012... but what in the mean time?

i really am getting this sense of dread that White will be our big answer to the problem.
 
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Joker's Wild

Coach
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17,894
There are exactly 0 quality props on the open market from what I can see

Best we bring some fellas through from within ( ie Edwards) rather than waste good dough on the likes of White
 

Serc

First Grade
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6,902
Not a fan of White at all, but he isn't *terrible*...of course if he leaves the Storm, whichever club it is that snaps him up will be paying big bikkies. Just hope it isn't us.

I don't think we'll have any juniors coming through just yet either, another year or two for them (and perhaps another off season for Edwards to really step up to the plate)

Which makes our prop list for next season look like this (assuming that Cross is gone which is very likely by the sounds):

Tolar, Tui, Fa'aoso, Edwards...and thats it. Though given how many backrowers we have, you can't see Taufua playing anything other than prop from now on.

Which makes me think that we will offer Simmo a Doogs-style deal, where he gets on the park as much as he can, and he earns his dough based on that...and plays prop...and makes perverse happy because he gets to see his plan come to fruition :) woo! This is of course assuming that his knee op works out fine, which it seems to have been so far fingers crossed.
 

Serc

First Grade
Messages
6,902
Oh sh*t hahahaha

I already failed once in leaving out the likelihood of Taufua playing front row...and I forgot our star signing as well! :lol:

Sorry Antonio :p

Ok so lets try that again:

Tolar, Tui, Fa'aoso, Edwards, Kaufusi, and (imo) at least one of Taufua and Simmo.
 

Burwood

Bench
Messages
4,896
What exactly did last night's game show us about White? NSW made eight changes to the side from game II. Our new props in Snowden, King and Mannah struggled to crack 50m each. Seems a bit of a long bow to single White out as the reason behind the team's form in the first two games of the series.
 

perverse

Referee
Messages
26,428
sadly the time has passed for Simmo to prop. 2 or 3 years ago it could have worked... but his body well and truly won't cope with life in the middle now. not even for half a season, i don't think.

yeah, i would say Mark T can look forward to a permanent spot in the front row. once again though, he's no workhorse.
 

perverse

Referee
Messages
26,428
every single forward on the park last night showed more startch and ticker in defence than Brett White has ever displayed. period. our defence above all else made us competitive last night... and i can't remember too many poor quality hitups either, in spite of there being relatively few of them from the front row. when you've got Gallen and Bird playing the way they did, you apparently don't even need it anyway.

Brett White is just soft. he gets stuff all metres per hitup... and doesn't really do many hitups anyway. we had a bunch of hard bastards out there for NSW last night and it showed. White is soft as fresh dog sh*t. acts like a big hard man, but he's a sheep in wolves clothing. he's just not worth anywhere near the money he would be asking. unless we pay like 150-200k for him, it's a terrible, terrible signing.
 

Serc

First Grade
Messages
6,902
Yeah fair enough...I'm just speculating myself so could be completely wrong. I just think the club will see that (if Simmo is interested) they could have one of the best defenders in the competition for peanuts.
 

Joker's Wild

Coach
Messages
17,894
Perhaps we need to look at the Qld/NSW cup for some older, harder props who arnt getting a chance elsewhere and will be on reasonably low coin

Good prospects in the Qld I can think of are:
Mark Leafa (Norths) - Getting on a bit but he is great form and a monster
Jack Afamasaga (Wynnum-Manly) - Runs hard but needs a bigger work rate
Chris Farrell (Redcliffe) - Great defender and would benefit from some serious training

And of course everyone knows that big Timmy Natuch is running around for Wynnum-Manly too.

Anyone keep an eye on the NSW cup?
 
Messages
3,813
Once players state preferred clubs other than your own then you move on. Otherwise you often get a paycheque player. Gaz was man enough to say he was a Saints junior and that is why he had his heart set on the Dragons. It wasn't that he wasn't tempted by the opportunity to play with the knights, just that the whole reason for his return was he approached the Dragons some months ago. Costigan had other options but chose us and stated why. He will give us his all I have no doubt. If we aren't O'Donnell's preference after we put forth our case, then we let it be.
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
Once players state preferred clubs other than your own then you move on. Otherwise you often get a paycheque player. Gaz was man enough to say he was a Saints junior and that is why he had his heart set on the Dragons. It wasn't that he wasn't tempted by the opportunity to play with the knights, just that the whole reason for his return was he approached the Dragons some months ago. Costigan had other options but chose us and stated why. He will give us his all I have no doubt. If we aren't O'Donnell's preference after we put forth our case, then we let it be.

Well from quotes of his it sounds like he would like to come here if he left the Cowboys.
 
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16,034
f**k that would be awesome having him and Costigan, sometimes all it takes one big hit to spark up a forward pack in a match and we'd get atleast half a dozen with those two lunatics in the same team!
 

Joker's Wild

Coach
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17,894
how has Timmy been going since he left?

TBH I havnt seen much of him (he may have gotten injured) but he made a good fist of the 1 or 2 FG shots we gave him.

We could do far worse (some would say we already have signing Kafusi) given our lack of depth.

The fact that he couldnt crack the Broncos squad given their recent prop woes isnt a good sign though
 

roopy

Referee
Messages
27,980
We have supposedly signed Warren Schillings from the Qld cup and he may be playing for the Centurions tomorrow.
Warren is a big, aggressive guy who played in our 2006 and 2007 Flegg sides. He came up through Wests juniors with Mullo, Patto, Walsh, Seu Seu and Inglis, and i think he played some reserve grade for us as well.
He was in the Newcastle rep side in 2008 I think, and went to the Qld cup with Jacob Ling last year.
He played a few trials with the Titans.
 

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