Wing in Parramatta's sights

[ParraAds]

Ben Roberts has always been a very skillful player.

He has just had some errors in his game that are often the result of trying too hard and perhaps not being a natural organiser.

But yes...quite a talent, would welcome him on board with open arms.

 

[lingard]

kk, morts, mk and kingston have all been doing well for us. I think we should show them some faith.

I don`t really think we should sign any more this year. I think that`s enough for now. I always thought we only needed two forwards, a half/five-eight and maybe a centre. Well we`ve now got the two forwards. They`ll be a good foundation and will mentor our younger forwards well. (As well as keep our older ones honest). I`m happy with our halves for the rest of this year. Centre is interesting. If Inu hits his straps, we are laughing. If not, maybe we could do with one.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Very happy in Italy from what i have heard and next to no chance of coming back to the NRL.

Just as well - because his last couple of years in the NRL he was DREADFUL!!

 

[lingard]

Matt Orford would be asking for far to much coin, plus he has the tendency to go missing in big games.

And how old is he? He`s not very versatile either. He was great at the Storm, and then he took AGES to fit into the Manly style. I wouldn`t want him at all.

 

[Hellsy]

OK. Someone needs to explain this to me.

A few weeks/months ago we heard in here that DA took information to the new board about how far stretched we are with the salary cap.
How is it now that we are able to sign Justin, Shane and are talking about Wing???

Yes I know that there are going to be some players not re-signed to contracts that expire at end 09, but these are NOT big money players compared to the 2 we have signed and the 1 we are talking about here now

 

[lingard]

Maybe I came off as tad too aggressive...If so, I apologise.

Look, we clearly have differing opinions. I, for one, would not have him at fullback over Hayne. If I was a NSW selector I would seriously consider putting Hayne at fullback for game II simply because he's far more dangerous and electric. And we won't lose anything in terms of defence - if anything, Hayne has shown over the years to have great positional awareness on the field.

Kurt Gidley is a fine player, but more so as a utility or in the halves. He has a good running game, true, and good vision. But I think he's far more suited to 5/8 than fullback, particularly at Origin level. He just doesn't have that 'X factor' to break a game wide open at Origin level like a Hayne, Hunt, Slater or Stewart do in my opinion.

Hence my opinion that he is a very good player, but not a 'great' one, and that he is not that good a fullback.

Clearly some people disagree and that's fine - I don't mean to cause offence (I know some Knights fans may read this and be outraged).

I think you`re wrong about Gidley, eelementary. I suppose it depends on a persons translation of the word 'great', though. Warren Ryan (who I think is a very astute judge) thinks Gidley is (I`m not sure if he`s used the word great) but he continually gives him huge wraps. I think I agree with the idea if putting him at five-eight and moving Hayne to fullback, though. I think that would work well. The thing about Gidley is that he hasn`t really proven (to me) that he can excel at origin level, a;though I really thought he had a sensational game there in Origin 1 (despite his several mistakes near the end of the game). They were not characteristic of him.

 

[lingard]

But taking the scenario I alluded to earlier, where everyone was fit and in-form, would he have a spot in the team?

I'd assume most people would be glad to have Stewart back at fullback, correct? So then what with Gidley?

I'd have him in the team, sure - but at 5/8. Maybe lock. But I think there are better options for fullback out there, in my view. Hayne being one of them.

With a fit Stewart, Gidley would have been on the bench. But he would have been in the team. I can see where you`re coming from, though.
By the way, people might laugh at me, but I don`t reckon Brett Stewart has really stamped himself as an Origin player. At club level he is superb. At Origin level? On the other hand, Hayne has shown that he`s not over-awed at all. In fact he seems to thrive in that high=pressure atmosphere. I think he is NSW`s best fullback. I`d put him there. I`d have Gidley at five-eight (or on the bench).

 

[mickdo]

OK. Someone needs to explain this to me.

A few weeks/months ago we heard in here that DA took information to the new board about how far stretched we are with the salary cap.
How is it now that we are able to sign Justin, Shane and are talking about Wing???

Yes I know that there are going to be some players not re-signed to contracts that expire at end 09, but these are NOT big money players compared to the 2 we have signed and the 1 we are talking about here now

Finch wasn't on big money?

 

[Hellsy]

DA's meeting was after Finch left I thought. And he was only 1 person, we have signed 2 and are talking about a 3rd

 

[The Colonel]

DA's meeting was after Finch left I thought. And he was only 1 person, we have signed 2 and are talking about a 3rd

The general consensus seems to be that we will release some players who are still contracted to best fit these players into the team however this has seemingly been dismissed by management.

At the end of the day Hellsy I think we need to sit and wait until we find out what is happening at the end of the season before we will trluy know how the lineup will stand.

 

[Hellsy]

See it's not the lineup that bothers me, it is how we said we couldn't afford anyone, but now we can

 

[mickdo]

DA's meeting was after Finch left I thought. And he was only 1 person, we have signed 2 and are talking about a 3rd

I thought it was before. Regardless, Finch would cover Poore's signing, and Shackleton would probably be a replacement for Lowrie. That just leaves the 1 'big' signing (which I am yet to be convinced we are actually after) that could be made up of letting a combination of a few other off-contract players go, like Cordoba and TT.

 

[Hellsy]

I still think we exaggerated our financial position a bit

 

[_mUSASHI_]

See it's not the lineup that bothers me, it is how we said we couldn't afford anyone, but now we can

We are releasing/not re-signing 7 players from this years roster, plus new sponsors who will act as 3rd party sponsors=new signings. Finch and Cayless's salary alone would be around 700-750 grand.

And we are extremely close to signing Wing. I would play him at 9 if we get him, good halves backup as well.

2010 Team.

1-Hayne
2-Inu
3-Unsigned Centre
4-Reddy
5-Grothe
6-Mortimer
7-KK
8-Poore
9-Wing
10-Fui
11-Hindy
12-Shackleton
13-Mateo

14-Matt K
15-Joe G
16-Mannah
17-Latimore/Junior P

Good times ahead.

 

[Stagger eel]

We are releasing/not re-signing 7 players from this years roster, plus new sponsors who will act as 3r party sponsors=new signings. Finch and Cayless's salary alone would be around 700-750 grand.

And we are extremely close to signing Wing. I would play him at 9 if we get him, good halves backup as well.

2010 Team.

1-Hayne
2-Inu
3-Unsigned Centre
4-Reddy
5-Grothe
6-Mortimer
7-KK
8-Poore
9-Wing
10-Fui
11-Hindy
12-Shackleton
13-Mateo

14-Matt K
15-Joe G
16-Mannah
17-Latimore/Junior P

Good times ahead.

god news mate, but what do you make of Souths's stance atm with Wing??

 

[mickdo]

it is how we said we couldn't afford anyone, but now we can

Perhaps DA wanted to make it absolutely clear to the new board that we needed to let several off-contract people go in order to make new signings, just to make sure that they didn't have any particular qualms about dumping particular players.

We all know how these things get reported anyway. The papers are more like Chinese whispers these days.

 

[mickdo]

I still think we exaggerated our financial position a bit

See my post above regarding Chinese whispers ;-)

 

[Hellsy]

And what on-contract players are we releasing? Because the stories I have heard are only regarding ones that are off-contract

 

[Stagger eel]

well the only player that Musashi believes we're releaseing who is under contract is Caylo...

now lets assume that's correct.

Caylo
Lowrie
Wright (Brod)
Cordoba
Etu
Kingston
Robson

are all players off contract (except Caylo)

Paulo
Horo
Latimore

are also off contract.

 

[Hellsy]

First Ive heard of a Caylo release....