The Rumours Thread

[Old Timer]

If Easts are circling Dugan, then that could be good news for us. Easts are favourites to sign Tedesco. If Easts sign Dugan, then I doubt that they would sign Tedesco too. Easts already have Fergo, Mitchell and young Manu who looked very promising yesterday. I heard/read that Easts are going to let Fergo go, but I don't know how credible that info is.

We have not signed Dugan. Millward has said that he wants to sign Dugan as a centre. I am still hoping that we can sign Tedesco. If Easts were taken out of the race for Tedesco's signature, that would only leave Canterbury, West and us in the race. Teddy has said that he wants to play for a team that can win the comp. I think with the addition of Hunt and Teddy to our current squad,(minus Dugan) we would really be a genuine premiership contender. As i previously said in another thread, Tedesco would add a totally new dimension to our attack.

Tedesco would add a totally new dimension to our defence that is for sure.
Time for people to get their heads out of the sand and look at Tedesco in the real light of day his defence is abysmal.

 

[SGMax]

I can't believe the acceptance of this broken system.
Aren't all fans entitled to have hope for a premiership or at least a winning team?
Why is the system designed to favour the wealthier clubs and why are we all not outraged about the unfairness of this system that allows the cap to be meaningless if you can pay with TPA's.

How can Brisbane keep attracting top line players when they have a roster full of rep players?
How can Parramatta, caught cheating the cap last year and struggling to get under, suddenly have spare cap space to offer Moses a mid year contract?

I have stated before that the game needs an independant panel to asses a cap value for every player based on their history, position, rep honours, age etc.
The value is recorded against the cap regardless of the actual payment.
If a player wants to play for less to be with Bennet or Arthur (as if) then they can but they will still be having the same effect on the cap.

The wealthier clubs can pay overs to get first choice up to a point but sooner or later, their cap space will fill up.
This will ensure that all teams have a realistic chance of attracting top line players rather than the donkeys and Chooks ambushing negotiations at the last minute as happened with Roberts, Keary, and Bird.

The success and growth of the NRL needs competition and talent accros all the teams.
This system ensures that the talent is spread across the competition and that the players actual salaries need never be released. This should then also enable the expansion of the comp to Perth and Brisbane.

Its insane how blatantly fake some teams have become at justifying their player acquisitions.
If the Dragons get hijacked of their playing talent before they have even tasted any success while the Cowboys were able to keep the same roster over the last few years, I will consider giving away this game as it is playing the fans as fools.

Apologies for the rant, but TPA's seem to have become such a big part of all contract decisions and they should be controlled or excluded from the process.

 

[possm]

I'm still of the opinion that salary caps, player's salaries and TPAs should be published on a public register. No more guesswork and a lot less cheating.

It would be a big improvement if player managers worked with the NRL to arrange TPAs.

 

[hazzbeen]

I can't believe the acceptance of this broken system.
Aren't all fans entitled to have hope for a premiership or at least a winning team?
Why is the system designed to favour the wealthier clubs and why are we all not outraged about the unfairness of this system that allows the cap to be meaningless if you can pay with TPA's.

How can Brisbane keep attracting top line players when they have a roster full of rep players?
How can Parramatta, caught cheating the cap last year and struggling to get under, suddenly have spare cap space to offer Moses a mid year contract?

I have stated before that the game needs an independant panel to asses a cap value for every player based on their history, position, rep honours, age etc.
The value is recorded against the cap regardless of the actual payment.
If a player wants to play for less to be with Bennet or Arthur (as if) then they can but they will still be having the same effect on the cap.

The wealthier clubs can pay overs to get first choice up to a point but sooner or later, their cap space will fill up.
This will ensure that all teams have a realistic chance of attracting top line players rather than the donkeys and Chooks ambushing negotiations at the last minute as happened with Roberts, Keary, and Bird.

The success and growth of the NRL needs competition and talent accros all the teams.
This system ensures that the talent is spread across the competition and that the players actual salaries need never be released. This should then also enable the expansion of the comp to Perth and Brisbane.

Its insane how blatantly fake some teams have become at justifying their player acquisitions.
If the Dragons get hijacked of their playing talent before they have even tasted any success while the Cowboys were able to keep the same roster over the last few years, I will consider giving away this game as it is playing the fans as fools.

Apologies for the rant, but TPA's seem to have become such a big part of all contract decisions and they should be controlled or excluded from the process.

Max I agree with you but our management have been left behind with how the system works , whether its right or wrong the way the other teams operate . The system is allowing the teams you mention to bend the rules to suit them . If we dont get smarter we wont be able to compete .

 

[dragonssamy61]

The big thing going in the Storms favour is Mrs Widdop is a Melbourne girl and her family all live there as well.
Happy wife = Happy life
She may have the deciding vote along with Gareth's 10% agent.

I see what your saying but they are well intrenched in wollongong.
There child is at school I think so that may work in our favor.

 

[dragonssamy61]

Max I agree with you but our management have been left behind with how the system works , whether its right or wrong the way the other teams operate . The system is allowing the teams you mention to bend the rules to suit them . If we dont get smarter we wont be able to compete .

Hazz agree.
If we hang on to widdop duges and packer.
I would say they are learning.

 

[ALSGI]

I can't believe the acceptance of this broken system.
Aren't all fans entitled to have hope for a premiership or at least a winning team?
Why is the system designed to favour the wealthier clubs and why are we all not outraged about the unfairness of this system that allows the cap to be meaningless if you can pay with TPA's.

How can Brisbane keep attracting top line players when they have a roster full of rep players?
How can Parramatta, caught cheating the cap last year and struggling to get under, suddenly have spare cap space to offer Moses a mid year contract?

I have stated before that the game needs an independant panel to asses a cap value for every player based on their history, position, rep honours, age etc.
The value is recorded against the cap regardless of the actual payment.
If a player wants to play for less to be with Bennet or Arthur (as if) then they can but they will still be having the same effect on the cap.

The wealthier clubs can pay overs to get first choice up to a point but sooner or later, their cap space will fill up.
This will ensure that all teams have a realistic chance of attracting top line players rather than the donkeys and Chooks ambushing negotiations at the last minute as happened with Roberts, Keary, and Bird.

The success and growth of the NRL needs competition and talent accros all the teams.
This system ensures that the talent is spread across the competition and that the players actual salaries need never be released. This should then also enable the expansion of the comp to Perth and Brisbane.

Its insane how blatantly fake some teams have become at justifying their player acquisitions.
If the Dragons get hijacked of their playing talent before they have even tasted any success while the Cowboys were able to keep the same roster over the last few years, I will consider giving away this game as it is playing the fans as fools.

Apologies for the rant, but TPA's seem to have become such a big part of all contract decisions and they should be controlled or excluded from the process.

Good rant, well said, deserves a separate thread.
Agree with all points made.
Our good friend possm talks about TPA's being the answer and agree with him about most of his posts. But how do we attract sponsors while Broncos majority of games are on Friday night which attracts all the $$$$, never mind the other benefits.
The NRL is f**ked up and needs a shake up by an independant body that have no links to gambling, media or the government - in otherwords it aint gonna hapen.

 

[Red V for life]

Well, the folks on NRL 360 have basically said we are no chance of keeping Widdop...he will be at the Storm next year.

 

[Gareth67]

Once the game was sold off to television (similar to a stuffed turkey with all the trimmings) with it went the control , the actual scheduling of the matches .
The media only wants , what they consider , to be the best product available to broadcast . And that is as you gentlemen have said , the top teams , the money clubs .

The big difference is that when our club was one of the money clubs , in that by gone era of yesteryear , there was always an opportunity , for the lesser lights of the competition to grow and be as successful as we ourselves were .

But in today's climate , we have shady characters whom go by the name of a player agents and some club officials , who carry big brown paper bags , it is a different story . More so with the TPA's whose true value is anyone's guess . If they are continued to be used without any transparency and regulation , the TPA's will ensure that the gap between the rich and the poor clubs will only widen .

The NRL can no longer sit on its hind quarters and watch this occur . They need to regulate the TPA system and just as importantly , wrest control of the match scheduling from the media . This shall once again give all teams a fair and equal chance to share in the television revenue and by so doing allowing the cash strapped clubs to have a slice of the ' pie ' also .

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Once again tonight, NRL 360 have indicated very strongly that both Dugan and Widdop will be at different clubs in 2018.

Why?

1. the Dragons have "thrown the bank" at Ben Hunt.

2. the club worked under the assumption that the salary cap will rise significantly next year - given that it most likely won't means the Dragons have already spent their 'cap' already by getting Hunt (that was the heavy insinuation anyway).

3. the bottom line is that the club can't afford to retain them.

If true, this would represent yet another example of gross incompetence from Ian Millward and Peter Doust.

Going from a position of strength to one of uncertainty would be (in my opinion) inexcusable.

Dragons fans', prepare yourself for more years of despair.

 

[BrissyRedV]

The eggs should be thrown into one basket and accept we will lose one of either Dugan or Widdop and throw all the money at just one of them. We could afford to blood a youngster in a spine position and still be a premiership threat but to blood 2 at once would make it a struggle.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

The eggs should be thrown into one basket and accept we will lose one of either Dugan or Widdop and throw all the money at just one of them. We could afford to blood a youngster in a spine position and still be a premiership threat but to blood 2 at once would make it a struggle.

The problem is that the 'horse' has already bolted.

 

[BrissyRedV]

The problem is that the 'horse' has already bolted.

Neither are gone or signed yet. A startled horse can still be rounded up.

 

[Crush]

Once again tonight, NRL 360 have indicated very strongly that both Dugan and Widdop will be at different clubs in 2018.

Why?

1. the Dragons have "thrown the bank" at Ben Hunt.

2. the club worked under the assumption that the salary cap will rise significantly next year - given that it most likely won't means the Dragons have already spent their 'cap' already by getting Hunt (that was the heavy insinuation anyway).

3. the bottom line is that the club can't afford to retain them.

If true, this would represent yet another example of gross incompetence from Ian Millward and Peter Doust.

Going from a position of strength to one of uncertainty would be (in my opinion) inexcusable.

Dragons fans', prepare yourself for more years of despair.

Geez a bit dramatic. "Dragons fans prepare yourself for more years of despair"
Hunt is better than Widdop.
Dugan would be a loss but hardly a crippling loss.
If we lost Vaughan, Frizell, JDB, McInnes I would be bracing myself for despair......

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Comparing Hunt to Widdop is the old "apples versus oranges" debate; it doesn't make sense to do so.

Hunt is a genuine halfback.
Widdop is a bona fide five-eighth.

 

[ALSGI]

Bullshit.

I happen to know that Nighty has agreed to a 10 year deal with Roosters and Duges will move to the Wing on a 5 year deal with JDB at Hooker, Lafai and Mann to prop, Packer to Centre and Vaughan to Canberra on a 10 year deal as 5/8.

FFS people, chill, you're all freakin me out. Just wait till it's announced and don't buy into the bullshit.

 

[SaintElroy]

This is the hysteria the agents want our club to be in.

 

[Crush]

Comparing Hunt to Widdop is the old "apples versus oranges" debate; it doesn't make sense to do so.

Hunt is a genuine halfback.
Widdop is a bona fide five-eighth.

Still, similar in that both play in the halves. Both control the play.
Its more like comparing grapefruits and oranges

 

[dragon64]

Well I think widdop will re sign in due course , and Dugan will sign or leave. If he leaves it will be a bummer but not as bad a loss as widdop because we have a few options for covering duges as shown over the last couple of weeks in mann, nighty or field

 

[Crush]

Well I think widdop will re sign in due course , and Dugan will sign or leave. If he leaves it will be a bummer but not as bad a loss as widdop because we have a few options for covering duges as shown over the last couple of weeks in mann, nighty or field

I still think Hunt/Field could be the way to go. Experience with youth.
As long as our forwards are dominating young field could be that zippy ball runner with Hunt controlling the play.
Sure Hunt/Widdop may be a better option short term but if Field is going to be the star we expect then a few years down the track that could be a potent halves pairing?