Why Joey wants to be a Rooster?

[DJ1]

I really cant see us signing Johns. We never sign "old" players anymore, and prefer to sign the younger, less-experienced players and let our coaching staff do the rest. However since we will be losing our number one playmaker in Brad Fittler, i believe the Roosters will be looking to sign a "name" player to replace him. Im sorry but i just can't see the Roosters even slightly interested in Joey, with all due respect to the man himself. He really doesnt seem to have the killer instinct anymore and seems to be on his last legs (no pun intended ;-) ). I also can't see us signing Lote Tuqiri either. You dont replace your chief playmaker with a backliner.

The smart money is on Matt Orford. He's young, gifted, experienced and is a great playmaker. But even if we don't get him, i think switching Wing to 5/8 Finch at half and Webb at hooker will be the go for us next year. Wing has all the right ingredients to become a playmaker IMO, and i'd personally prefer to see him fill the void of Fittler's departure much more than anyone else. Just sign Freddy up as Wing's personal trainer and bobs your uncle !! :lol:

Also it looks like Ryan Cross will be switching to Rugby next year, which will free up an extra 200k. Perhaps we might be getting Tuqiri after all ... who knows, its all just speculation anyway.

Ryan Cross is paid 200K??? WTF :lol: :lol: :lol:

It's quite simple. You need to understand that there are two key ways to look at player valuations.

e.g.

When attempting to justify that the playing squad is within cap limitations a team has Ryan Cross 100K, Fittler 350K and Wing 300K.

When the club is looking to purchase other talent as players move on, this frees up money in the cap. In this case Cross 200K, Fittler 600K, Wing 500K.

It's all quite scientific and a bit too complicated to go into with you all, but it's definitely legitimate.

 

[Kiwi]

I hope anyone that tries to turn this into a Rooster bashing thread gets their posts deleted, and vise versa any Rooster fan trying to turn this into a fight get the same treatment.

This is thier way of letting it be known that Johns is hightailing out of Newcastle

I think this has some merit. Johns knows he is on the outter at the Knights, the Knights know they have to see Johns gone to move on. They cannot afford to lose more young players in order to keep the always injured Johns for the money he will want. Even at 400,000 Johns is over priced for a teams like the Knights, Roosters, Broncos, Eels, Bulldogs, Panthers, Raiders, Storm, who will need that sort of money to keep their current stars and young players. The first 6 on that list I feel wouldn't touch Johns for even 250,000 - 300,000.

Souths would be stupid to make a play for Johns, they already signed and injury prone Mad Dog from the Knights and look where that has got them. Manly don't have the money, Tigers have had to move Marshall to the centres because of to many quality halves. Cowboys might be the go, but I with their young talent, I doubt they'll let that go to sign him. Sharks have kimmorley, who depite not being as good as Johns, is on the field more, alot more.

Johns will go ESL or union, and union don't seem to interested.

I think the Roosters should move Wing to 6 and use Crocker, WEbb or that kid who played against the Broncos at 9.

 

[Southern Rooster]

I will be very annoyed at our/my club if we sign Andrew Johns. Andrew Johns is newcastle and should remain that way or go to England or somewhere else. he is not part of what the Roosters have tried over the last 6-7 years to build. He is not needed by our club to remain competitive and he is not wanted by 90% of the fans of the Roosters I have spoken to. We have Brett Finch who has improved immensely in the last 12 months and is continuing to do so. I like Craig Wing in the 6 and Webb in the 9. We have a Premier League squad running third and two junior teams SG Ball and Flegg that are both leading there respective comps. With Ball having a bye this weekend guaranteed of top spot. Even Harold Matthews has been competitive this year and there are 12 local kids in that side born/raised and graded to Matthews directly from the 4 Eastern Suburbs junior teams we have.

I would rather see our money directed at what we have within our ranks for the last 12 months we have been defending our side saying we don't buy and have a development program in place the envy of a lot of clubs. Now is a chance to prove it.

 

[Kiwi]

I would rather see our money directed at what we have within our ranks for the last 12 months we have been defending our side saying we don't buy and have a development program in place the envy of a lot of clubs. Now is a chance to prove it.

Spot on, it'll be hard for Rooster fans to defend claims of Cheque Book Champions and the like if they just go out and buy a replacement.

It's probably hard for the Roosters to see past the fact that 5 of their 6 best players made their name at other clubs, but I sure hope they do.

 

[Southern Rooster]

I would rather see our money directed at what we have within our ranks for the last 12 months we have been defending our side saying we don't buy and have a development program in place the envy of a lot of clubs. Now is a chance to prove it.

Spot on, it'll be hard for Rooster fans to defend claims of Cheque Book Champions and the like if they just go out and buy a replacement.

It's probably hard for the Roosters to see past the fact that 5 of their 6 best players made their name at other clubs, but I sure hope they do.

I'll agree that 3 of there top 7 made there names at other clubs and 1 his debut at another club. But that's it.

There top 7 would be

Fittler (Agreed he made his name at Penrith)
Wing (Souths agreed)
Minichiello (only ever played for us)
Morley (Salford/Leeds agreed)
Ricketson (only ever played for us)
Crocker (Only ever played for us)
Fitzgibbon (Debut at Saints but was told to look elsewhere and made his name with us)

I think that is a pretty fair assessment.

 

[JJ]

I think fitzgibbon already had a pretty good reputation before he came to the Roosters, but has improved a lot

 

[EdBurton]

I think fitzgibbon already had a pretty good reputation before he came to the Roosters, but has improved a lot

Second that.

 

[Sir Don]

*I edited out this silly comment - Warning, W*

 

[Sir Don]

I will be very annoyed at our/my club if we sign Andrew Johns. Andrew Johns is newcastle and should remain that way or go to England or somewhere else.
Fittler spent 8 years at Penrith didnt bother you then

 

[Kiwi]

I would rather see our money directed at what we have within our ranks for the last 12 months we have been defending our side saying we don't buy and have a development program in place the envy of a lot of clubs. Now is a chance to prove it.

Spot on, it'll be hard for Rooster fans to defend claims of Cheque Book Champions and the like if they just go out and buy a replacement.

It's probably hard for the Roosters to see past the fact that 5 of their 6 best players made their name at other clubs, but I sure hope they do.

I'll agree that 3 of there top 7 made there names at other clubs and 1 his debut at another club. But that's it.

There top 7 would be

Fittler (Agreed he made his name at Penrith)
Wing (Souths agreed)
Minichiello (only ever played for us)
Morley (Salford/Leeds agreed)
Ricketson (only ever played for us)
Crocker (Only ever played for us)
Fitzgibbon (Debut at Saints but was told to look elsewhere and made his name with us)

I think that is a pretty fair assessment.

Actaully the top play makers/key players at the Roosters are

1 - Fittler
2 - Wing
3 - Finch
4 - Morley
5 - Fitzgibbon
6 - Minicheillo
7 - Ricketson

Those are the key players, and 5 of them are from other clubs.

 

[LRC]

If a player like Johns wants to join your club you would have to give it a thought..no matter which team you support.
Finch could easily play 5/8 and continue to learn his trade off 2 of the best 1/2 s the game has seen..
Not to mention the sponorship dollars Johns would bring to a club .


From what I hear Johns has had enough in Newcastle and wants to move...money wont be his motivating factor.(he is already set for life and Im sure he will have any job he wants in the game later).. getting out of the small one team town fish bowl is on his mind.
Im sure he loves Newie and that is where his heart is but like so many people in general life in their mid 20s , it may be time for a change..Whether that means the city,the UK or elsewhere .

Be interesting to see what he does.

 

[DJ1]

It is a shame that the "Business" of Rugby League is in a situation where the icons of a club are forced to move elsewhere.

Johns should be able to stay at the Knights for as long as he gets selected.

 

[LRC]

DJ1...I dont think Johns wants to stay in Newcastle..

 

[DJ1]

That's a shame. It's great for the kids to grow up with a hero who never ends up putting on someone elses colours.

 

[Kid]

That's a shame. It's great for the kids to grow up with a hero who never ends up putting on someone elses colours.

Yeah it sure is. I'm friends with some people that know Johns and they reckon he has been struggling up there for ages, from what they say, he goes to pubs where old drunks hang out just so he can have a beer in peace and not be pestered about footy. It's a shame in all ways really, the kids with their hero, the hero not having any peace to just be himself, and the bloody roosters getting another quality player!! :lol:

 

[parra_princess]

Johns will not play against Newcastle unless, while he is playing for Wigan the Knights win the comp and they play in the WCC.

Newcastle fans and public have made Johns whatever he is today. To put on another jersey in the NRL would be a kick in the guts. Dennis Fitzgerald don't get any farked ideas about offering him a deal either. Or there will be a massive backlash from eels fans... like in 99 V Cowboys @ Parra Stadium when u tried to get us to jump into bed with Balmain.

 

[Special K]

People said Matty would never play against newcastle... You never know these days

 

[greeneyed]

Sorry mate, the Raiders bought exactly 0 players last season.

You mean there were no Eels available for Raiders to sign?

Don't you mean that there were no Eels players effectively released by that club? The Eels effectively shed all the players the Raiders signed and didn't want to keep them. They kept dropping them all to Premier League constantly. They can't whinge now that they are doing well in a better coached team at NRL level, especially when none of them come from Parramatta anyway.

 

[thuganomics]

Johns will stay with the knights, The same thing happend in 2000, everyone thought he would go to England, then he said he loves the club to much. So my belief is that he stays with the knights.

 

[Nuke]

I've said it elsewhere before, but I have a feeling that he'll sign a 2yr contract and finish his career with the Knights. I'm not basing that on anything I've seen or read or anything ... it's just a feeling. I imagine after that, he'll be a kind of tutor ... offering his services to any NRL player who needs / wants tips and help to become a better player. He could make an absolute killing doing that!