The off contract thread 2025

[Eelogical]

Removed Mahoney:

Alvaro (26)
Davey (28)
French (23)
Gower (34)
Gutherson (25)
Hoffman (31)
Kaufusi (20) (although his contract length was never announced)
Mennings (31)
Leleisiuao (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Ma'u (31)
Mannah (31)
Moeroa (24)
Moses (25)
Niukore (23)
Pritchard (25)
Stone (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Takairangi (30)

On top of that, all these junior merkins are possibly off contract as well, though it's less likely for the 19 year olds:

Brown (19) (Almost certainly contracted for 2020)
Dunster (20)
Faingaa (21)
Parry (20)
Schneider (19)
Futoikamanu (20)
Sutoikamanu (19)

Just give the tree a good shake and see how many nuts fall to the ground.

 

[Gazzamatta]

To have a lot of players off contract? That’s what happens when the merkins underperform in their penultimate contract year.

I guess so Poo but it also dosent say much about our forward planning. Is it a coincidence or planning that so many plus the Coach are playing for their future and who allowed this situation to eventuate? Hard to find many positives with our current situation. I personally think players will be more distracted than motivated by what happens next year.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Just give the tree a good shake and see how many nuts fall to the ground.

I predict 7.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I guess so Poo but it also dosent say much about our forward planning. Is it a coincidence or planning that so many plus the Coach are playing for their future and who allowed this situation to eventuate? Hard to find many positives with our current situation. I personally think players will be more distracted than motivated by what happens next year.

I’d say in general ‘playing for a contract’ is more of a distraction than a motivator.

As for having so many merkins off contract at once, that’s how the rebuild cycle goes for Sydney clubs. Lucky for us we have some very talented youngsters to bring into the squad this time around.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Removed Drown:

Alvaro (26)
Davey (28)
French (23)
Gower (34)
Gutherson (25)
Hoffman (31)
Kaufusi (20) (although his contract length was never announced)
Mennings (31)
Leleisiuao (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Ma'u (31)
Mannah (31)
Moeroa (24)
Moses (25)
Niukore (23)
Pritchard (25)
Stone (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Takairangi (30)

On top of that, all these junior merkins are possibly off contract as well, though it's less likely for the 19 year olds:

Dunster (20)
Faingaa (21)
Parry (20)
Schneider (19)
Futoikamanu (20)
Sutoikamanu (19)

 

[Poupou Escobar]

McIlwrick is already free to talk to other clubs ffs:

Alvaro (26)
Davey (28)
French (23)
Gower (34)
Gutherson (25)
Hoffman (31)
Kaufusi (20) (although his contract length was never announced)
Mennings (31)
Leleisiuao (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Ma'u (31)
Mannah (31)
McIlwrick (28)
Moeroa (24)
Moses (25)
Niukore (23)
Pritchard (25)
Stone (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Takairangi (30)

On top of that, all these junior merkins are possibly off contract as well, though it's less likely for the 19 year olds:

Dunster (20)
Faingaa (21)
Parry (20)
Schneider (19)
Futoikamanu (20)
Sutoikamanu (19)

 

[Gronk]

McIlwrick is already free to talk to other clubs ffs:

Alvaro (26)
Davey (28)
French (23)
Gower (34)
Gutherson (25)
Hoffman (31)
Kaufusi (20) (although his contract length was never announced)
Mennings (31)
Leleisiuao (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Ma'u (31)
Mannah (31)
McIlwrick (28)
Moeroa (24)
Moses (25)
Niukore (23)
Pritchard (25)
Stone (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Takairangi (30)

On top of that, all these junior merkins are possibly off contract as well, though it's less likely for the 19 year olds:

Dunster (20)
Faingaa (21)
Parry (20)
Schneider (19)
Futoikamanu (20)
Sutoikamanu (19)

Well so far I think that

Alvaro
Gutho
Oregan
Mennings
Tepai
Moses
Niukore

Have all earned contracts.

 

[84 Baby]

Well so far I think that

Alvaro
Gutho
Oregan
Mennings
Tepai
Moses
Niukore

Have all earned contracts.

Gutho, Moses and Decore yes. The others not so much

 

[Dibs]

Well so far I think that

Alvaro
Gutho
Oregan
Mennings
Tepai
Moses
Niukore

Have all earned contracts.

They have all earned offers at least

 

[Gary Gutful]

Baaaaa.

 

[Happy MEel]

Does anyone know if Tep is injured? Has only been getting about 40mins a game and hasn’t really been running with any impact.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Does anyone know if Tep is injured? Has only been getting about 40mins a game and hasn’t really been running with any impact.

Obviously he has been last few weeks. However with our edge forwards playing 80 mins and 4 middle forwards on the bench along with Paulo playing big mins there really isn’t the need to play him longer I suspect (but also probably trying to manage his injury)

Anyhow last night be made 5 hit ups for 60 m averaging 12m a run which is pretty good (he actually made 73 m from 6 runs but I took out the kick return).

Additionally he made 3 tackle breaks the best of all our forwards.

 

[Happy MEel]

Obviously he has been last few weeks. However with our edge forwards playing 80 mins and 4 middle forwards on the bench along with Paulo playing big mins there really isn’t the need to play him longer I suspect (but also probably trying to manage his injury)

Anyhow last night be made 5 hit ups for 60 m averaging 12m a run which is pretty good (he actually made 73 m from 6 runs but I took out the kick return).

Additionally he made 3 tackle breaks the best of all our forwards.

Fair points. I hadn’t seen his stats and was just going off watching him at the ground.

However, if this is what we can expect from him moving forward, in light of his reduced minutes, I hope our contract negotiations are commensurate with his reduced output.

I actually don’t think Tep is a ‘must sign’ and we can find plenty of average NRL players that can produce similar. However, at the right price he will continue to do a job.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Fair points. I hadn’t seen his stats and was just going off watching him at the ground.

However, if this is what we can expect from him moving forward, in light of his reduced minutes, I hope our contract negotiations are commensurate with his reduced output.

I actually don’t think Tep is a ‘must sign’ and we can find plenty of average NRL players that can produce similar. However, at the right price he will continue to do a job.

Yeah the stats surprised me, as he did seem fairly quiet.

I like him as a player and hope to keep but yeah we don’t want to offer him stupid money, however his ability to handle middle / edge defensively is a massive plus for him.

Gives us options on the bench as you really need someone to cover edge in case of injuries and with Moeroa we aren’t restricted to carrying a solely edge player (more important now we our edges playing 80 mins)

Not many players can do that (edge / middle) and with Manu/Gower getting close to the end of their careers we don’t have any one else in the squad that can do that.

 

[Happy MEel]

Yeah the stats surprised me, as he did seem fairly quiet.

I like him as a player and hope to keep but yeah we don’t want to offer him stupid money, however his ability to handle middle / edge defensively is a massive plus for him.

Gives us options on the bench as you really need someone to cover edge in case of injuries and with Moeroa we aren’t restricted to carrying a solely edge player (more important now we our edges playing 80 mins)

Not many players can do that (edge / middle) and with Manu/Gower getting close to the end of their careers we don’t have any one else in the squad that can do that.

Yep, good points. I’d argue Lane could play in the middle or the edge and I reckon Mau has another 2-3 years in him, which would be the length of an extension for tep anyway. Don’t get me wrong though, Tep is still a first grader but I reckon his value, at least for us, should be placed around the $250-$300k mark.

 

[hindy111]

I don't want to build it up too much, but this thread promises to be an absolute ball tearer.

f**k I think I tore my balls off after the first 4 posts.

 

[hindy111]

Well so far I think that

Alvaro
Gutho
Oregan
Mennings
Tepai
Moses
Niukore

Have all earned contracts.

Whats Tepai done? Id sign him but his form hasnt been anything super . Mannahs form has been very good. Busting tackles like when he was 23. That was the Tim that made origin.

 

[hindy111]

Yep, good points. I’d argue Lane could play in the middle or the edge and I reckon Mau has another 2-3 years in him, which would be the length of an extension for tep anyway. Don’t get me wrong though, Tep is still a first grader but I reckon his value, at least for us, should be placed around the $250-$300k mark.

Stone would do an ok job. I would love to see him in first grade. He has great energy and runs hard. Bit small but built strong. Not Victor Radley small. He would be around 100kgs.Certainly more then the 95kgs listed.

 

[Happy MEel]

Stone would do an ok job. I would love to see him in first grade. He has great energy and runs hard. Bit small but built strong. Not Victor Radley small. He would be around 100kgs.Certainly more then the 95kgs listed.

Not sure he has the lateral movement to play on the edge, but that’s an assumption rather than an observation.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Gutherson off the market leaves only these 20-odd merkins:

Alvaro (26)
Davey (28)
French (23)
Gower (34)
Hoffman (31)
Kaufusi (20) (although his contract length was never announced)
Mennings (31)
Leleisiuao (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Ma'u (31)
Mannah (31)
McIlwrick (28)
Moeroa (24)
Moses (25)
Niukore (23)
Pritchard (25)
Stone (22) (although his contract length was never announced)
Takairangi (30)

On top of that, all these junior merkins are possibly off contract as well, though it's less likely for the 19 year olds:

Dunster (20)
Faingaa (21)
Parry (20)
Schneider (19)
Futoikamanu (20)
Sutoikamanu (19)