The Rumours Thread

[JubileeJeffro]

I reckon we have more chance signing Nathan Cleary than Parra signing Lawrie
Their props are better and we are not that lucky
Moses and Gutho will do find help Zac settle
If they did that would be similar to the Poore Ben Kusto, Cam King or Jai Field signings of yesteryear
Steve Edge was Parras last good poaching of ours
Zac untested yet

Maybe I am being overly optimistic..

 

[Dragon David]

I'm not really 100% sure tbh what soft of Mutual Option (MO) it is.. the official definition says both partys need to agree too it... but maybe its not as straight forward as that... there are all sorts of weird clauses in contracts these days... but even if we do need to pay him out or move him on though.. it would be one of the easier ones.. he couldnt be on more than like 120k youd think..

Key: Player options (PO), club options (CO) and mutual options (MO).
PO - The player can decide to exercise additional years in the contract.
CO - The club has the option to extend a player's contract for the additional year/s.
MO - The player and club must come to an agreement to activate extra year/s.

I must say I keep thinking we will just ship xyz player to the UK.. but there must be a limit to who they are willing to take..

"I must say I keep thinking we will just ship xyz player to the UK.. but there must be a limit to who they are willing to take.."

Didn't Shane Richardson recently go over to the UK, more particularly the north western section of England and he met up with the likes of Sam Burgess who is the Head Coach of the Warrington Wolves and possibly several other Super League clubs to see who would take some of the Wests Tigers guys? Maybe also to see who might be available to join the Tigers from other clubs in the Super League? I think he has managed to get John Batemen to play the rest of the year with Warrington with the hope that he does well and Burgess takes him on full-time.

Do we have anyone at the club who could be pro-active and do the same thing? I think our guys are sedentary lazy bastards with no personality and ability to do much with recruitment. I know I'm being facetious when I say that but that is the impression I get when nothing seems to happen. We hear rumours from media sources or somebody on the Forum if they are privy to getting some info from club officials and so on, but ....just be patient. Be patient. Good things come to those that wait.

The UK clubs can't keep taking rejects from Australia willy nilly. There have to be trade offs or something like that to make things more appealing. And not all end up doing much anyway and want to go home to mumsy.

 

[TheRev]

"I must say I keep thinking we will just ship xyz player to the UK.. but there must be a limit to who they are willing to take.."

Didn't Shane Richardson recently go over to the UK, more particularly the north western section of England and he met up with the likes of Sam Burgess who is the Head Coach of the Warrington Wolves and possibly several other Super League clubs to see who would take some of the Wests Tigers guys? Maybe also to see who might be available to join the Tigers from other clubs in the Super League? I think he has managed to get John Batemen to play the rest of the year with Warrington with the hope that he does well and Burgess takes him on full-time.

Do we have anyone at the club who could be pro-active and do the same thing? I think our guys are sedentary lazy bastards with no personality and ability to do much with recruitment. I know I'm being facetious when I say that but that is the impression I get when nothing seems to happen. We hear rumours from media sources or somebody on the Forum if they are privy to getting some info from club officials and so on, but ....just be patient. Be patient. Good things come to those that wait.

The UK clubs can't keep taking rejects from Australia willy nilly. There have to be trade offs or something like that to make things more appealing. And not all end up doing much anyway and want to go home to mumsy.

I think like Bateman and Sullivan.. Ravalawa.. Fifita.. all these guys I could see being a really good addition to a club, if not NRL.. definitely a UK side.. like the young ones might end up guns.. the older ones should really dominate..

Lawrie and Bird though are tricky.. Lawrie in particular.. what are you selling.. he used to be passionate and whole-hearted.. I think he still can be.. but maybe 1st grade is just a grade too hard? Rly want to see him play a cup game.

 

[Dragon David]

I think like Bateman and Sullivan.. Ravalawa.. Fifita.. all these guys I could see being a really good addition to a club, if not NRL.. definitely a UK side.. like the young ones might end up guns.. the older ones should really dominate..

Lawrie and Bird though are tricky.. Lawrie in particular.. what are you selling.. he used to be passionate and whole-hearted.. I think he still can be.. but maybe 1st grade is just a grade too hard? Rly want to see him play a cup game.

Yes, you are right about the guys you mentioned being good additions to UK clubs.

Weird that Bird has played KOE Cup this year and not Lawrie. The last time Lawrie played in "reserves" was on 16 September 2018 by my reckoning (well the reckoning on the internet anyway). It would be very interesting to see how he plays in the KOE Cup. If he doesn't get another run in the NRL side, then by getting him to play in the Cup comp, other clubs will be able to see more of him to check his worthiness or otherwise to sign him. I think he is injured though but I might be wrong??

 

[blacksafake]

I reckon Lawrie will be in the 17 against the storm out of desperation if BMM is out.

 

[denis preston]

Bird, Rava, Russell and Lawrie should hit the uk circuit, as should all get picked up and likely go ok with the slightly slower game over there.
Don’t be surprised to see Lawrie at the Eels with his mate Zac, we would have to chip in some no doubt. Eels are likely to move on a lot of forwards, like RCG, Lane, Matterson, possibly even Paulo so it’s a definite chance. Ryles might like the idea to help settle Zac also..
For halves it Depends on Flanno’s opinion of Brodie Croft, Ilias or Lachie Lam. Unless he gets Talagi or Schuster for 6, Kyle for 7 and Hunt to Townsville to partner Deardon

It’s gone from must keep to must go in the space of three months regarding Hunt.His performance against the top sides have put massive question marks on his kicking & general game management, and all for a million dollars. Surely Lam & Croft can do better?

 

[dungay dragon]

It’s gone from must keep to must go in the space of three months regarding Hunt.His performance against the top sides have put massive question marks on his kicking & general game management, and all for a million dollars. Surely Lam & Croft can do better?

Gets an awful good "ride" in the Media Den ........

 

[sammymills]

Yes Rev,
Very surprised and disappointed about the mutual option for Russell.
Like Lawrie and a few others, just a waste of a roster space if he wants to take up the option, as there won't be any takers for him either.
As per an earlier poster, we really need to be working the phones to get as many of these unwanted players to the English Super League asap.

dont we have billionaire backers. Heres where they need to step in and go just pay Lawrie out. 2 years at 500k or so id say? 1 million for the betterment of our team.

 

[offiah]

It would have to come out of our cap anyway? You can’t get someone else to pay out a player unless maybe we say he’s retiring and it’s on the dodge.

 

[denis preston]

Gets an awful good "ride" in the Media Den ........

Keep saying it DD, the fans are the best barometer of players form. the media just keep the narrative going based on his SOO & early season Try assists without putting his kicking & game management under fair appraisal.

 

[Hound of Dracula]

It would have to come out of our cap anyway? You can’t get someone else to pay out a player unless maybe we say he’s retiring and it’s on the dodge.

I know - How about a debilitating psychological retirement?

"I’ve always wanted to come second but can't”: Dragon star confesses to ED issue affecting his ability to play confidently.​

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

My understanding is that a Mutual Option (MO) doesn’t mean both parties leading into 2025 have to agree on anything

A Mutual option is agreed to at the time of the contract first signed ……with a very clear option for both parties re the last year of the contract where the MO is applied.

ie birdy

He may have an option he can take up for 2025 that is $200k pa if he wanted to and had no other offer in 2025 by any other club.

Equally the dragons may have an option they can take up at say $400k pa if they think Birdy is killing it and the Dragons want him to stay on for 2025.

So a MO is better than nothing for Birdy and also gave him some salary if he busted his ACL for the 3rd and final time ie rehab as well all paid in 2025

It appears birdy took up the $200k pa baseline option for 2025…….which means he stays with the Dragon’s for now but may ask for a release as not wanting to play for $200k pa……..but atleast it is something for now

the $200k pa salary is my guesstimate only

ie not reported and the actual baseline salary for a top30 in 2025 is $135k pa

I just thought to get the deal done on his last contract they have needed to hit $200k pa to sweeten the MO for 2025

 

[sammymills]

It would have to come out of our cap anyway? You can’t get someone else to pay out a player unless maybe we say he’s retiring and it’s on the dodge.

cant you just sack him and give him his money and it comes off the cap? seems a better way to do it.

 

[TheRev]

Yaa we can sack whoever if we are willing to pay their contract out completely.. but if its a 500k per annum contract.. thats a big hit to the cap for 2yrs.. but we would get our Top 30 spot back. Normally u r atleast compensated by the club that picks the player up.

For example.. Souths are paying a small part of Cooks salary next year, but they got most of their money back.

 

[maestro1]

We should be bending over backwards like Simone Biles to get Jonah Pezet. Storm might be receptive to releasing him a year early with his ACL injury. Surely they'll be squeezing players out again.

POS is chasing Pezet for the knights. I think we should make it hard for the knights whilst maybe jagging him. He is an excellent half that is sitting behind Munster and Hughes.
I think Anasta manages him, so we are probably no chance.

 

[TheRev]

POS is chasing Pezet for the knights. I think we should make it hard for the knights whilst maybe jagging him. He is an excellent half that is sitting behind Munster and Hughes.
I think Anasta manages him, so we are probably no chance.

Anasta danced around it a bit on 360 tonight, saying without saying that yes Newcastle were interested, but that he couldnt talk to them until Nov 1.. but obviously the interest would be for 2026.. even though obviously it would not be *wink* *wink*.. god I hate Anasta..

But yes I agree, he seems to truly loathe the Dragons, even when we are winning his heart isnt in the praise.. but he also managed Ilias right.. so there are 2 young halves we probably struggle to sign.

 

[Dragon David]

Anasta danced around it a bit on 360 tonight, saying without saying that yes Newcastle were interested, but that he couldnt talk to them until Nov 1.. but obviously the interest would be for 2026.. even though obviously it would not be *wink* *wink*.. god I hate Anasta..

But yes I agree, he seems to truly loathe the Dragons, even when we are winning his heart isnt in the praise.. but he also managed Ilias right.. so there are 2 young halves we probably struggle to sign.

Just imagine if all the commentators and all of the player managers hated the Dragons. We would have b grade players in our squads. I mean even if we had great juniors and we want to keep them, if their managers hated us then we don't keep them.

This is the stupid thing about bloody Anasta and his hate of the Dragons probably just because we thrashed his Roosters team in the 2010 Grand Final.

Player Managers suck. They can muck your roster up so much. Managers in general just seem to have too much control over players, staff, coaches - crazy.

 

[JubileeJeffro]

POS is chasing Pezet for the knights. I think we should make it hard for the knights whilst maybe jagging him. He is an excellent half that is sitting behind Munster and Hughes.
I think Anasta manages him, so we are probably no chance.

Agreed He has never gotten over losing the 2010 grand final. Too bad so sad

 

[BLM01]

cant you just sack him and give him his money and it comes off the cap? seems a better way to do it.

if you pay out a player it comes off your cap for that year
Play a player in reggies if warranted, they will soon find greener pastures especially with expansions and some will play anywhere in the world and then that can ease your cap

 

[Victoire]

It would have to come out of our cap anyway? You can’t get someone else to pay out a player unless maybe we say he’s retiring and it’s on the dodge.

Yeah, for example get the player to say they're not cut out for rugby league and want to pursue a career in boxing, perhaps. Then you can pay out the player without an impact on the salary cap, only for said player to re-emerge 6 months later at a new club