The Rumours Thread

[mattw5]

Now that Hughes has renewed his contract with the Storm I think we should go after Jonah Pezet as the renewal has activated his release clause... only issue is his manager and the way SF has treated another of his clients (Ilias)

I think Wishart is more likely

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Why would Sua'ali'i come to the Dragons for $1.5M when he is the sort of player that could command $5m+ from Rugby 360?

Dismiss Rugby 360 if you choose but remember the Saudi's have invested over $5B into LIV golf thus far.
Aramco's profits for the past 2 years were $120B & $106B respectively. The Saudi's via the Royal Family and PIF own 97%. That's some serious dividends that can be thrown towards Rugby 360. They could easily cover a $5B investment if not more.

Imagine these metrics -
Teams: 12
Players per team: 30
Total player: 360
Salary pool 50% of the $5B operating costs = $2.5B
Initial Term: 5 years
That's an average salary of $1.39M per player per year.
Now apply the usual bell curve distribution to salaries and it's clear key players will receive $5M+ per year (some maybe $10M) while 'minimum wage' players will receive $500K per year.
And remember - these amounts are in US Dollars!
And remember - any player that is prepared to move their residency to Saudi Arabia would pay minimal tax.

Now how does this effect the NRL - well you can kiss goodbye any decent player that has played Union. Players like - Cam Murray, Angus Crighton, Payne Haas, Reece Walsh, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Tom Trbojevic, Kayln Ponga, James Tedesco, Loko Pacifica Tonga and Cam Munster just to name a few. Some players would not want to join Rugby 360 but you can be sure their player agents would be steering them in that direction. Easy $$$$ for them.

Where does that leave the NRL as it expands to 18,19 & 20 teams. Any reduction in top class player numbers will dilute the watchability of the game. If spectator and TV ratings reduce it could result in lower media rights going forward which then means lower player salaries which ironically make the Rugby 360 metrics even more compelling. It could even force the NRL to reduce the number of teams?

Hard to argue with the logic of your analysis- except that, at least in this country, Rugby is on the nose and declining in New Zealand as well while the NRL's star is rising. The women's State of Origin outrated last Saturday's 2nd Rugby Test on 9. Liv Golf is one thing- Golf has a massive market in the USA- but Rugby is limited in its appeal worldwide and I'm not sure Rugby 360- if it does get off the ground- will last. Football (Soccer) is where I see the next big revolution with middle eastern oil involved.

 

[RedV11]

I think Wishart is more likely

Wishart won't come the way we showed him the door

 

[slippery5]

It’s the sort of player we need!!
As I said in a previous post winger & forwards NEED to be our main area of concern!

Any half cannot play behind a pack who highest meter eater in the forwards most weeks is Klemmer at 120!!

And that's usually with him lunging at the defence, turning & going backwards, which gives a ridiculously slow play the ball as the defence is resetting, all while he's struggling to gain a few extra inches.

Kyle is the only established goal kicker in our squad. Damien Cook can kick a little, but considering how close our games generally are, we need Kyle so our scoring goes up by 6, not 4.

Glover kicks.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

not that well hey ?

I swear that my mates and I arriving at Oztag and kicking for goal and chatting hit the ball way sweater

have u watch him kick .........rrrrrrr its not pretty and even worse you would imagine under pressure in the NRL

i dont mind flano in our halves letting LKT evolve etc............but geeese Flano under pressure has kicked very well this season post Holmes

Glover is a bit of a heavy foot klunker !

I mean if he was a soccer player and had to hit over half way from goal..........it would be coming in like a piece of lead vs soft on the chest

 

[BIG RIG]

I’m hearing a double swap deal between Canberra and St George

Ricky wants to bring in Sloan and Finau and in exchange we get Chevy Stewart and Trey Mooney who have both been given permission to leave

 

[TheRev]

I’m hearing a double swap deal between Canberra and St George

Ricky wants to bring in Sloan and Finau and in exchange we get Chevy Stewart and Trey Mooney who have both been given permission to leave

I will kiss you if this is correct.

 

[Hound of Dracula]

And then make a play for Jonah Pezet
Hughes re-signing has triggered a get-out clause

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

I will kiss you if this is correct.

i mean that is a 1930s Bogart pash Rev !!!!!!

well !

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

I’m hearing a double swap deal between Canberra and St George

Ricky wants to bring in Sloan and Finau and in exchange we get Chevy Stewart and Trey Mooney who have both been given permission to leave

curious
looses his NRL leading half............butt wants two sub par NRL wingers ?

Ricky !!!!!

 

[Wolfgang90]

Little bit worried about picking up Raiders players who can't crack the team & have been surpassed by other players. Guler was the same & he's been avg at best imo. Is Mooney on the path to being an elite prop or similar to the Couchman or worse? We've got heaps of young middles, it's already a fine balancing act bringing them along into 1st grade.

Fullback is such a key position, how is Chevvy defence? Plenty of flashy stuff but will he be able to do the hard yards?

I'm tempering my expectations if we get these 2 players. I don't think we should jump at just anyone available, especially with our fwd depth.

 

[TheRev]

My info is 2nd hand cause tbh I really only watch Dragons (all the way down like turtles) but Im told Mooney is the prop we really need... 23yrs old.. 106kg and massive motor...

Chevy would literally just be a bonus.. im not too enthused about him but I mean maybe..

I do think we need Sione also, but if he wants to leave then getting something in return is a win.. but tbh even though I love BR's rumours.. this one is very unlikely to be a reality.. a swap let alone a double swap... but we also didnt have a recruitment manager to organise anything before.

 

[BIG RIG]

curious
looses his NRL leading half............butt wants two sub par NRL wingers ?

Ricky !!!!!

I understand why he wants wingers

His current starting wingers are Xavier Savage and his son Jed Stuart who is on a development contract

His only other back up wing options are Albert Hopoate who is off contract and out for the season with a ACL injury , Savelio Tamale who is there usual starting wingers and Chevy Stewart who is more of a FB than winger and 99 percent won’t be there next year

 

[Mojo]

I understand why he wants wingers

His current starting wingers are Xavier Savage and his son Jed Stuart who is on a development contract

His only other back up wing options are Albert Hopoate who is off contract and out for the season with a ACL injury , Savelio Tamale who is there usual starting wingers and Chevy Stewart who is more of a FB than winger and 99 percent won’t be there next year

Maybe Ricky knows something about how to structure defence to cover the flanks and how back lines can be structured to put their wingers away in attack.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

still sub par wouldnt you say top2 team to recruit right now?

or marque new signings ? IF marque.........that WE would should retain if that good and not let go if perceived that good by a top 2 team?

Daniel can you plse help us right now

 

[Dragonslayer]

My info is 2nd hand cause tbh I really only watch Dragons (all the way down like turtles) but Im told Mooney is the prop we really need... 23yrs old.. 106kg and massive motor...

Chevy would literally just be a bonus.. im not too enthused about him but I mean maybe..

I do think we need Sione also, but if he wants to leave then getting something in return is a win.. but tbh even though I love BR's rumours.. this one is very unlikely to be a reality.. a swap let alone a double swap... but we also didnt have a recruitment manager to organise anything before.

Agree 100% with Mooney. He'd be a good addition to our pack, not an Alpha but would replace Cake in a starting 17 squad.

Chevy is quick, not as quick as Sloan, and more suited to fullback, unfortunately, on evidence his defense is questionable at best, but could be seen as development (not suggesting development contract here) opportunity, with specific coaching, to take over from Gutho.

 

[getsmarty]

15 players on the chopping block as big Dragons calls await​

MSN

 

[possm]

Hoping Canberra agree to a release things like this never seem to happen for us but when it comes to us we are too nice & agree to a release.

So we release Temale, and then they release Stewart. Tell me, who gets the better of that exchange?

 

[possm]

I think Wishart is more likely

Let's do a straight swap, Wishart for Ilias.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Little bit worried about picking up Raiders players who can't crack the team & have been surpassed by other players. Guler was the same & he's been avg at best imo. Is Mooney on the path to being an elite prop or similar to the Couchman or worse? We've got heaps of young middles, it's already a fine balancing act bringing them along into 1st grade.

Fullback is such a key position, how is Chevvy defence? Plenty of flashy stuff but will he be able to do the hard yards?

I'm tempering my expectations if we get these 2 players. I don't think we should jump at just anyone available, especially with our fwd depth.

Imo we need to keep one of Finau or Sloan just for speed and long distance try scoring potential. Atkinson may well smarten up our slow halves next year (particularly LKT) but Gutho, Suli, Faigai, Tui, Allan and Rava have lead in the saddle and the last 5 represent our obsession with backline size rather than speed.