Widdop is Returning to NRL

[Gareth67]

Read my lips “ I won’t return until the baldy headed one has gone ! “

 

[George Sancti]

Whilst I would prefer Gareth Widdop to Corey Norman, I would hate to see Saints spend $350,000 on another five eighth. This is one position that we already have options.

The money will be needed (hopefully) soon to fill positions which we do not have a surplus of talent to draw on.

 

[possm]

I will do a Possm here. Sign him now Millard, get it done.

Let him play lock, 5/8, whatever. If $300k to $400k true it is a buy from me.

ALSGI take your point but at one year...two tops at 5/8 and Bird in centres so nice...if both stay healthy. Plus Gareth is a good and on some days very good goal kicker as well as a competitor.2018 we lost Gareth and Tariq just as we were making our major finals run. We win the comp if they both stayed healthy.

Do his kids live back down Wollongong way? Newspaper reports seem to not talk much about his wife.

I'm not in favour of signing him at any price. I'd say we have more than enough halves at the moment however, if we got rid of Hunt and Norman and JDB is not available, then there might be a case for signing Widdop at 300k. He was limit by injury at the end of his service here.

Widdop won't listen to Soward and we should be investing our time into Clune, Sullivan and Bird and our money into a couple of top first grade forwards.

If the Club wanted Widdop back, I'm sure Griffin would have signed him right away.

 

[Crush]

I'm not in favour of signing him at any price. I'd say we have more than enough halves at the moment however, if we got rid of Hunt and Norman and JDB is not available, then there might be a case for signing Widdop at 300k. He was limit by injury at the end of his service here.

Widdop won't listen to Soward and we should be investing our time into Clune, Sullivan and Bird and our money into a couple of top first grade forwards.

If the Club wanted Widdop back, I'm sure Griffin would have signed him right away.

Possm.
Are you 100% there is no coming back for Hunt and Norman even under Griffin?
Im not completely sure.
I have bagged both halves as much as the next bloke but maybe just maybe Hunt can turn it around?
Im very doubtful of Norman though and don't like what he brings to the culture.
But you never know.
Best case scenario is these blokes play to their full potential week in week out. We will need them to to be any chance of playing finals.

 

[possm]

Possm.
Are you 100% there is no coming back for Hunt and Norman even under Griffin?
Im not completely sure.
I have bagged both halves as much as the next bloke but maybe just maybe Hunt can turn it around?
Im very doubtful of Norman though and don't like what he brings to the culture.
But you never know.
Best case scenario is these blokes play to their full potential week in week out. We will need them to to be any chance of playing finals.

Going on past history I rather not take the chance. Anyway, we have some bright talent coming through and a great 24 year old Bird who could provide the experience side of the equation if required.

The salary cap saved by ridding ourselves of Hunt and Norman would help to rebalance the team with a few good forwards or any other player that Griffin might want to sign/promote.

In my opinion, Widdop would be more of a blocker than what Norman and Hunt were last season.

 

[BLM01]

Going on past history I rather not take the chance. Anyway, we have some bright talent coming through and a great 24 year old Bird who could provide the experience side of the equation if required.

The salary cap saved by ridding ourselves of Hunt and Norman would help to rebalance the team with a few good forwards or any other player that Griffin might want to sign/promote.

In my opinion, Widdop would be more of a blocker than what Norman and Hunt were last season.

Hunt won’t be going anywhere as much as you wish or want or say for it.
3 more yrs.. 3 odd million. He has got it made.
No need to go anywhere for less.. we can’t afford to pay any of his salary elsewhere either.

Having said that he potentially under Hook can get to that level for us like the beginning of 18 and what I saw if him in 14/15 that he could be nearly value for money. Don’t write him off just yet.
Do what you want with Norman for this year but it won’t surprise he puts in for his next contract.. as many do

 

[Dragonslayer]

It's like a broken record but one more time:
Hunt has another 3yrs on good coin, he's 31 next year. He isn't going anywhere and Hook has some faith in him and has stated as much.
Norman, well we tried to off-load him, not 1 bite. He's 30 next year, on good coin for 2021, even if he plays CC he won't get picked up by another club (especially if he's playing CC). As others have suggested, it wouldn't surprise if he did put-in next season in search of another contract, but in retrospect wouldn't that be a good thing!

 

[Gareth67]

As many have said Hunt will improve under Griffin , he has always been a confidence player and that confidence was taken from him under the previous coach . And there is a very big difference between Griffin and McGregor as far as having your player in the right frame of mind , not to mention actually having a game plan that reaps rewards .

The only thing that I can see that will delay Hunts improvement is if his forward pack is not going forward , the man needs room to work as do all halves .

But as to Norman , I simply do not have the same confidence , his better days were a mere flash in the pan . Should he not be playing up to par after 3 rounds then drop him to the Canterbury Cup and replace him with young Sullivan .

 

[Eatons Hill Dragon]

I'm not in favour of signing him at any price. I'd say we have more than enough halves at the moment however, if we got rid of Hunt and Norman and JDB is not available, then there might be a case for signing Widdop at 300k. He was limit by injury at the end of his service here.

Widdop won't listen to Soward and we should be investing our time into Clune, Sullivan and Bird and our money into a couple of top first grade forwards.

If the Club wanted Widdop back, I'm sure Griffin would have signed him right away.

Hi Possm, I don’t think u can talk about injury for Widdop and then say Bird is an option as Bird has had more injuries past 3.5 years than Widdop.

 

[redv13]

Hi Possm, I don’t think u can talk about injury for Widdop and then say Bird is an option as Bird has had more injuries past 3.5 years than Widdop.

Yep that’s a terrible comparison

 

[possm]

Hi Possm, I don’t think u can talk about injury for Widdop and then say Bird is an option as Bird has had more injuries past 3.5 years than Widdop.

Like it or not, Bird, Norman and Hunt are signed. Thank God we won't sign Widdop as well.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Interesting that Reynolds has been released to take up a position with Hull in the ESL. It wouldnt surprise to see the Tigers sign Widdop as his 'replacement".

 

[SBD82]

Interesting that Reynolds has been released to take up a position with Hull in the ESL. It wouldnt surprise to see the Tigers sign Widdop as his 'replacement".

Were Madge and Widdop in Melbourne together? Feels like that would have been about the same time.

 

[Coffs dragon]

Interesting that Reynolds has been released to take up a position with Hull in the ESL. It wouldnt surprise to see the Tigers sign Widdop as his 'replacement".

Won’t happen as Maguire has stated he wants to shift Adam Doueihi to 5/8 to enable Laurie from the Panthers to play fullback. Some type of trade deal going down between the Tigers & Panthers to secure the young fullback.
Widdop might be left with little option and end up at the Sharks!

 

[Gareth67]

Won’t happen as Maguire has stated he wants to shift Adam Doueihi to 5/8 to enable Laurie from the Panthers to play fullback. Some type of trade deal going down between the Tigers & Panthers to secure the young fullback.
Widdop might be left with little option and end up at the Sharks!

Good lawd , anything but that ! He would be better off at Newtown playing for beer and chips .

 

[Coffs dragon]

Good lawd , anything but that ! He would be better off at Newtown playing for beer and chips .

I agree Gareth & ya reckon he’d be regretting leaving the RedV in the 1st place.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the decision to leave could be very costly.

 

[Gareth67]

I agree Gareth & ya reckon he’d be regretting leaving the RedV in the 1st place.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the decision to leave could be very costly.

Your right Coffs , however you could see the strain that the man was under at the post match press conferences with the maestro .

However seriously , initially the move was to return to home to see family , but unfortunately the pandemic was much worst in England than he had anticipated and a return to Oz was for the good health of his own family was paramount .

I realize that the Dragons are traveling a new direction now , but if they had already secured the services of a couple of more forwards and had that extra $300 k then perhaps it could had been spent on him for a year , honing young Sullivan’s skills .

 

[goldiesaintz]

Won’t happen as Maguire has stated he wants to shift Adam Doueihi to 5/8 to enable Laurie from the Panthers to play fullback. Some type of trade deal going down between the Tigers & Panthers to secure the young fullback.
Widdop might be left with little option and end up at the Sharks!

Coffs D,
Its enough to make him want to retire!

 

[possm]

Coffs D,
Its enough to make him want to retire!

In my opinion he should retire.

 

[Gareth67]

In my opinion he should retire.

How could you suggest such a thing ? Shame on you possum - go wash your mouth out with soap and water !

The man gave the Dragons many years of tradesman-like service ( recall how he jumped out of a hospital bed back in 2015 (?) for the semi against the the Bulldogs and due to his and the rest of the Dragons efforts went within a whisker off winning the match against those suckers ? ? ) .

He would still be great value for any team , if not for his goal-kicking alone .