Who should we sign for 2009?

[eel01s]

Hey, that rhymes!

Current situation:

Finch is top priority (according to reports).
Riddell may go to Super League in UK.
Tim Smith gone.
Wagon, Robinson off contract.
Not much room under salary cap (anyone know roughly how much?) due to upgraded contracts for Inu and Hayne, and long term deals for Cayless and Hindmarsh.
Plenty of talented youngsters coming through - but will they deliver?

So, what positions should be targetted for 2009? Who should the Eels be chasing after?

IMO, we need to strengthen the following positions: prop, second row, and halfback (and possibly wing).

There is a list of off contract players for next year floating around, but as we all know, contracts are worthless nowadays. Of those that are definitely available, I think we should target Ben Hannant, Chris Heighington and Matthew Head. For mine the forwards speak for themselves, although we really need a hard man like Carl Webb or Mick Crocker, but I don't think they would give us much value. We need someone in that mold though.

As for Brett Finch, he tries hard, puts in 110%, and does the 1% plays, but he is not the halfback we need to threaten the comp. For me Head is a better (and probably cheaper) option, but he does have a terrible injury history. But on his day, he is a terrific half.

Can you imagine a side like this for 2009:

Burt
Hayne
Inu
Smith
Grothe
K. Keating
Head
Cayless
M. Keating
Hannant
Hindmarsh
Heighington
Mateo

Res:
Cordoba
Moi Moi
Huaraki
Paulo
T. Mannah
T. williams
B. Oake
etc.

 

[Gronk]

I read somewhere that Shillington from the Rorters was likely to leave because of cap pressure. He goes good.

 

[Agent Mulder]

I read somewhere that Shillington from the Rorters was likely to leave because of cap pressure. He goes good.

Yeah i like him also.

 

[The Colonel]

Shillington, Heighington, Bryan Norrie, Chad Robinson and Brett Finch.

 

[spiderdan]

As for Brett Finch, he tries hard, puts in 110%, and does the 1% plays, but he is not the halfback we need to threaten the comp. For me Head is a better (and probably cheaper) option, but he does have a terrible injury history. But on his day, he is a terrific half.

matthew head may be a better player and a cheaper option but he is also very injury prone. i wouldn't sign a half that's had so many major injuries at this stage of their career.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

Take Jeremy Smith back please

 

[Twizzle]

but we got no money

 

[The Colonel]

Take Jeremy Smith back please

Throw in Eddy Pettybourne and its a deal.

 

[eel01s]

but we got no money

That is true (except for Tim Smith's contract), but look at what other clubs like Cronulla are doing - trying to offload players they don't want anymore. Maybe our management should be a little more ruthless and get rid of some deadwood?

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

Throw in Eddy Pettybourne and its a deal.

I'm sure our admin would just let him go should he receive an offer from elsewhere. They let Bobongie go to the Dragons and he was showing a heap of promise. Probably one of the top 5 players in the reserves comp last year. Souths are focusing on signing 35 year old has beens at the minute so Pettybourne probably won't rate a contract for another 10 - 15 years. We'll let him go to you guys and then buy him back in 2020 and herald it as one of our best signings ever!

 

[The Engineers Room]

We should have offloaded Wagon already.

 

[Pazza]

I read somewhere that Shillington from the Rorters was likely to leave because of cap pressure. He goes good.

He would be very handy and not too expensive. He is big, strong, young, moves well, looks like a player definitely on the way up much like our own Josh Cordoba!

 

[HevyDevy]

Head would be great, but I wouldn't mind a Crocker or Webb - someone to intimidate.

 

[Pazza]

i'd have minimal signings but focus more on youth development

1.Burt
2.Grothe
3.Smith
4.Inu
5.Hanye (future Fullback)
6.Keating
7.Finch
8.Cayless
9.Keating
10.Shllington
11.Hindmarsh
12.Robinson
13.Mateo

14.?????
15.Moi moi
16.Cordoba
17.Baumann/T Robinson
18.Baumann/T Robinson
19.Mannah

 

[Pazza]

Head would be great, but I wouldn't mind a Crocker or Webb - someone to intimidate.

the thing is we can intimidate and hit hard in defense, when we want to. Seems like this side needs the passion and the fire they had at the end of last season when they pushed and punished melbourne at the end of last season.

 

[HevyDevy]

That's a lot of young guys to throw in at one time. A few losses to come if we do that - then again, that's nothing different to now I suppose.

 

[Pazza]

Guys like KK, Mannah, Baumann and Robinson should all get plenty of time in NSW cup this year. If they are too good for NYC, move them up! All of them will be a year older and a full off season training full time with the first grade squad should get them physically up to where they need to be to play first grade in 2009.

 

[the_eel]

I like the look of Shillington. Head i think is a little too injury prone or maybe Hannant if he comes at a good price but my preference would still be for Shillington.

There's no secret we need a half however maybe KK can kick on at 6 and form a decent combination with Finch at 7. Hodkinson will still be at least 2 years away so it looks as if it will be all the eggs in the one basket with finch.

 

[Stagger eel]

first and foremost we need to re-sign Finch.

secondly, give Riddell a few weeks to sort himself out, if he can't stitch up a deal by mid May, then ask him to committ the last year of his contract with us.

thirdly, given that both Wags and Robo are off contract we need to either tie up Robo or sign a fiery backrower with a bit in attack... Costigan, Learoy-Lars or Heighnington should be the sort of bloke we're looking for.

then, depending on what Riddell does, we need to look at getting a top centre or outside back with a bit of aggresion and a willingness to pull their sleaves up and have a go, Ben Harris, Adrian Purtel or Colin Best may do the trick.

Ben Harris would be right on my rador given that the guy and easily slot in the backrow in a pinch.

just 2 signings to get this dead heart pumping again...

 

[Pazza]

Finch is a decent half, as long as the forwards fire and give him plenty of space then we should be right.