The Rumours Thread

[Newcomerfan01]

This makes sense to me.. I often rant about the glut of 2nd rowers coming through that are between 2 to 4 yrs away from needing that 1st grade spot.. at some point we need permanent spots for the Couchmans, or an Egan, or a NickyT or a Watchirs... we will need that carrot to dangle if we want to retain even a couple of them.. and thats not considering a recruit like Luki, or that there aren't 4 other juniors who impress during that time period.

That's why signings like Eisunheth (1yr), RFM (2yrs) are smart.. they will tide us over until the new brigade can prove themselves, but Su'a if its 4yrs.. thats a long time.. I mean just how close is R.Couchman to a starting first grader? I mean we can probably just sign Su'a and trade him at some stage if he's playing well enough..clubs seem to want him... he is one of our best.. he does have injuries though, and suspensions, and 4yrs won't leave him all that hungry either.

Problem is Couchman might take a few years to be a top 2nd rower and then the injuries start to come in play after that few years... body gets surgery and resets - then you get another few good years. Hopefully after his surgeries JS is back to fittest. Played with a shattered shoulder most of last season and still was one of our best.

 

[denis preston]

Having great forwards in the team to build around is the key to a successful club. We ought to follow suit and I mean asap.

Haven’t we been doing that?

 

[possm]

It seems to me that the Saints continue to make the same recruitment mistakes each year. Given that we have a new recruitment manager for 2024 and are still making the same mistakes, I guess someone else at the club has a large say in who we recruit.

Each year, we fail to replace 'like for like or better' and we seem to promote young juniors who are not skilled up for first grade. The narrative always points to the team makeup of two years from now but by the time we get there, and after losing players we thought would be there, we again fall into the trap of burning the upcoming season with a view to the season two years out.

For 2024, we have always needed 1 or 2 top grade props to add to our squad. We still need props and seem to fall into the same trap of putting all hope into believing that the props on our books will step up and fill the void. I doubt this will be the case.

Maly and Pangai Jnr are available. I think we should snap them both up ASAP. May is being chased by the Dogs and Pangai Jr is being chased by the Broncos.

If we cannot be successful in signing either of these two props, I think we should consider moving JDB to prop and bringing in an alternative lock.

F Molo, Lawrie, and JDB together with say Fifitia would still struggle to match it with the best in the business. Flanno has definitely got his work cut out for him in this area.

 

[TheRev]

The same whisper it was said he was happy with 3 years, but if money isnt adjusted (and i dont think the parties are too far apart) he will just go to market this season, try to earn the $$ on the field. was in pretty good form for us before his injuries.

If it was a star player in any other position, I think 4yrs is in our best interests to lock him up.. its just 2nd row that is complicated with the competition coming through.. but end of the day hes our best forward now, fringe of rep footy...whatever happens is all good.. but Flanno definitely is trying to keep options open, i think he wants to be very active in re-moulding the roster every chance he gets.

Money wise now that we missed on our marquees for 2024 (AFB mostly), the leftover cap space has to get frontloaded, You can give Su'a what he wants but pay the majority of it in 2024.

 

[Trifili13]

Possm, we have been replacing 'like for like'. The problem is we have been replacing crap with more crap, just different smell.

 

[Dragon David]

Haven’t we been doing that?

I know that we have recruited several forwards with some maybe of good calibre but I'm wanting say a couple of big, tough hombres that will not take a backward step and are feared. The ones we currently have are not that fearsome in my opinion. We do have many forwards coming through the junior ranks and maybe a couple of them will be the type that I am keen for us to have lining up against the clubs with those bigger Polynesian guys.

 

[Draginzaaar]

It seems to me that the Saints continue to make the same recruitment mistakes each year. Given that we have a new recruitment manager for 2024 and are still making the same mistakes, I guess someone else at the club has a large say in who we recruit.

Each year, we fail to replace 'like for like or better' and we seem to promote young juniors who are not skilled up for first grade. The narrative always points to the team makeup of two years from now but by the time we get there, and after losing players we thought would be there, we again fall into the trap of burning the upcoming season with a view to the season two years out.

For 2024, we have always needed 1 or 2 top grade props to add to our squad. We still need props and seem to fall into the same trap of putting all hope into believing that the props on our books will step up and fill the void. I doubt this will be the case.

Maly and Pangai Jnr are available. I think we should snap them both up ASAP. May is being chased by the Dogs and Pangai Jr is being chased by the Broncos.

If we cannot be successful in signing either of these two props, I think we should consider moving JDB to prop and bringing in an alternative lock.

F Molo, Lawrie, and JDB together with say Fifitia would still struggle to match it with the best in the business. Flanno has definitely got his work cut out for him in this area.

Pangai Jr is at Broncos training. How are we going to sign him?

 

[Illusion]

Pangai Jr is at Broncos training. How are we going to sign him?

We are not .........

 

[slippery5]

AFB was using us as a bargaining tool people in the club were convinced he was coming, even some silly fans believed it. He was never coming and had his mind made up early on.

I think management were the only ones that forgot we oroginally terminated his contract. I dont think AFB forgot !!!!!!

 

[slippery5]

I don't have a great memory at the best of times but I will tell you this. I do remember you, and a few others on here, telling me I was wrong to be so adamant that we sign up Nicho Hynes when Melbourne let him go. It was not really a miss as far as you saw it and other posters had so much hate for the idea. He went on to immediately win a Dally M on a fraction of Hunt's salary. Fast forward two years and we are exactly where we were in squad quality.

It's been a complete failure again in recruitment, ever since Flanagan knew he was joining the Dragons. While I pin that more on the rancidness of our club than Flano, I am not going to buy that we have not missed out on opportunities and 'she'll be right'.

I urge some supporters to learn from history and not just expect better things around the corner. If he is afforded the opportunity Flanagan will clear the house of 70% of our playing ranks, especially if they don't perform like professionals.

I certaiy wasn't one of them because I was constantly on the keyboard telling those who kept saying he was an untried half because he had mainly played fullback at Storm. I watched him play at 7 for the Falcons & I said he was as good as any organising half I had seen even.

 

[slippery5]

The Cowboys are ‘feeling the squeeze’ after shock move. These brutal calls now loom

The Cowboys’ surprise move put rival clubs on alert. It could trigger a $1m feeding frenzy

www.foxsports.com.au

Hopefully our coach has the same "for the good of the club long term captaincy attitude"

 

[Saints supporter]

I think management were the only ones that forgot we oroginally terminated his contract. I dont think AFB forgot !!!!!!

Initially I was disappointed that we missed out out on AFB but when you considering the massive money he would be on, and that he would not arrive until 2025 and then such a long term contract at his age? Also, his track record doesn't scream stability and commitment to his terms of contract. Maybe we dodged a bullet...again.
If he'd arrived in 2024..... would've been just what we needed!

 

[Gardenia]

AFB is the only real miss? That's wrong. I don't care if the coach makes it public or not either, but there have been some excellent talent floated on the market and we've missed out - either not identified or simply can't land them but you pretend otherwise. You couldn't see the value in Hynes and are throwing a blanket over and declaring the same for the likes of Dearden, Capwell, Luai, Tracey, Olam, Xerri, Curran etc.

It's not hindsight. It's foresight.
Some followers of the game have it. Others don't.

You are correct. There has indeed been talent to sign, some of which we have missed out on and some of which I have observed being signed by other clubs. There is still some talent i.e. May, that could be pursued. Others just may become available with the right circumstances. Yes, it's difficult but that's the business they are in, and they need to get it done.

 

[BLM01]

This makes sense to me.. I often rant about the glut of 2nd rowers coming through that are between 2 to 4 yrs away from needing that 1st grade spot.. at some point we need permanent spots for the Couchmans, or an Egan, or a NickyT or a Watchirs... we will need that carrot to dangle if we want to retain even a couple of them.. and thats not considering a recruit like Luki, or that there aren't 4 other juniors who impress during that time period.

That's why signings like Eisunheth (1yr), RFM (2yrs) are smart.. they will tide us over until the new brigade can prove themselves, but Su'a if its 4yrs.. thats a long time.. I mean just how close is R.Couchman to a starting first grader? I mean we can probably just sign Su'a and trade him at some stage if he's playing well enough..clubs seem to want him... he is one of our best.. he does have injuries though, and suspensions, and 4yrs won't leave him all that hungry either.

I like Sua and would be happy to keep him but lets face it whatever the reason he has not set us alight like he promised at Brisbane or Souths. I certainly would not over pay him and happily get those 2 Cowboys backrowers young guns Luki and Fine to replace him.

 

[mightydragon]

I like Sua and would be happy to keep him but lets face it whatever the reason he has not set us alight like he promised at Brisbane or Souths. I certainly would not over pay him and happily get those 2 Cowboys backrowers young guns Luki and Fine to replace him.

Injuries and an imbecile of a coach whose game plans never got him good ball.

 

[BLM01]

Injuries and an imbecile of a coach whose game plans never got him good ball.

Yeh maybe but when he did he was solid but thats all not a big impact. Souths did not try to hard to keep him. As I said he is worth keeping but in recent years he has fallen fair way behind having the same impact of some of the top wide running backrowers even for QLD and is not talked about in the same breath.

 

[justadragon]

Yeh maybe but when he did he was solid but thats all not a big impact. Souths did not try to hard to keep him. As I said he is worth keeping but in recent years he has fallen fair way behind having the same impact of some of the top wide running backrowers even for QLD and is not talked about in the same breath.

I think Flanno is much more of a motivational coach than Hook, I hope we will see this evidence in most of the team. Lets just start off with being awake during the PC's.

 

[Dragon David]

Yeh maybe but when he did he was solid but thats all not a big impact. Souths did not try to hard to keep him. As I said he is worth keeping but in recent years he has fallen fair way behind having the same impact of some of the top wide running backrowers even for QLD and is not talked about in the same breath.

I think it was Bennett who was the coach at the Bunnies when Sua left so maybe in Bennett's vision he could see that him leaving was not going to be a big loss.

He showed some good plays under Hook but was a magnet to being suspended and was a bit of an injury prone player last year. Under Flanno I'm hoping he will be a better balanced player in attack and defence and his fitness and strength will allow him to be playing most games this year.

 

[Slippery Morris]

I like Sua' and he s great to watch when he is on the field but way too many injuries or suspensions for my liking in his short time so far at the club. I hope he does have a season where we see less of that for sure. I would re-sign the guy but not break the bank for him. If he goes on the market I would be interested how much other teams would offer him with his record before throwing a figure at him as I don't think he will get offered big dollars. Bennett got rid of him at Souths so I am keen to see how much he would offer the guy to get him back? This worked a treat with Bird as he balked at re-signing and then spoke to other clubs and they did not really raise his price. If anything it lowered it as I am pretty sure Saints would have offered him more to stay at the time but later found out they did not have to.

 

[since77]

When fit and injury free Sua has easily been our best and most dynamic attacking forward over the last few years. Daylight second. By a mile.
Finally with a proper coach and a smart game plan, keeping him is a no brainer as far as I’m concerned.