Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Ok.... you realize it doesn't work by just handing over a transfer fee right? Also, UK backs also struggle to make a transition.


Just look at this list, Jai Field pipped Welsby for the spot. A bloke who couldn't crack a spot at the dragons or eels. God damn Chris McQueen even managed to make this list!!

Underrated? Maybe. But in that case, maybe we should just buy Jai Field as our marque?

I'm tired of the Brooks bashers having no plan B, getting on a hype train, or taking a simple approach of correlating our failures with him. Correlation isn't causation. He's a skilled kid, who most professionals rate.

Thank god Sheens and Benji are in charge and not some of the armchair muppets who trawl this forum.
Bit of an eye opener.. cheers
 
Ok.... you realize it doesn't work by just handing over a transfer fee right? Also, UK backs also struggle to make a transition.


Just look at this list, Jai Field pipped Welsby for the spot. A bloke who couldn't crack a spot at the dragons or eels. God damn Chris McQueen even managed to make this list!!

Underrated? Maybe. But in that case, maybe we should just buy Jai Field as our marque?

I'm tired of the Brooks bashers having no plan B, getting on a hype train, or taking a simple approach of correlating our failures with him. Correlation isn't causation. He's a skilled kid, who most professionals rate.

Thank god Sheens and Benji are in charge and not some of the armchair muppets who trawl this forum.
I watched Lewis Dodd get the job done against Penrith last week. He's the guy to go after. He's still only 21 and already a star
 
Ok.... you realize it doesn't work by just handing over a transfer fee right? Also, UK backs also struggle to make a transition.


Just look at this list, Jai Field pipped Welsby for the spot. A bloke who couldn't crack a spot at the dragons or eels. God damn Chris McQueen even managed to make this list!!

Underrated? Maybe. But in that case, maybe we should just buy Jai Field as our marque?

I'm tired of the Brooks bashers having no plan B, getting on a hype train, or taking a simple approach of correlating our failures with him. Correlation isn't causation. He's a skilled kid, who most professionals rate.

Thank god Sheens and Benji are in charge and not some of the armchair muppets who trawl this forum.
I'm not an "armchair muppet", thankyou. To quote Nathan Brown, UK backs tend to struggle (as opposed to forwards) because there's no real intermediate stage between junior/academy rugby and first team rugby and there are nowhere near as many big units for them to oppose. Poor investment has resulted in many of the SL teams closing down their reserves with only academy players (age 17-19) immediately below. It's not a question of talent. It's just not being developed optimally. I've no idea who signed off on the Oliver Gildart trade because anyone with a brain knew that whilst he's a very skillful player with good speed a) he was never big enough to be a centre in the NRL and b) he was crocked and showing terrible form in the season before he left. Selection for the SL dream team is a joke and not a good barometer for the quality of the competition. Neither is the Man of Steel - an award which no St. Helens player has won despite winning the competition four seasons on the bounce. Jai Field was a very talented (and extremely quick) player who came through along with Matt Dufty. The fact that both flamed out at the Dragons I would argue says more about the problems at that club and the way they were handled. Knowing a good deal about Ian Millward (a former coach of ours) and the way he operates - I'm not surprised their careers hit the skids. Sometimes players need to be taken out of a bad environment for them to blossom. I can't comment about the value of Benji but I certainly can talk - at length - about the litany of blunders Tim Sheens made in his many years in the UK. Quite frankly, some of his signings were lunacy and it took Tony Smith (a far better coach, IMO) a fair amount of time to repair the mess he left at Hull KR.

Yes, there are plenty of former NRL players who have been deemed "on the scrapheap" plying their trade in SL. Several play for St. Helens - the team which recently came over to Penrith and did what far more illustrious (the critics' label - not mine) NRL outfits have failed to do for many years. Moreover, many of those players deemed "not worthy" (Curtis Sironen, Sione Matautia and so forth) had outstanding games - so what's your point? Unlike everyone else - I have no real dog in the fight regarding Brooks. What I will say is that if you still can't make up your mind that a scrum half is "The Guy" by the time he's 28 he's very unlikely to become "The Guy". Tossing him to the side without a better replacement would be the height of stupidity. But there ARE better players than Brooks available. I'm not necessarily thinking of Welsby (who will kill it in any competition) because he's a fullback - but I wouldn't swap Brooks for at least three scrum halves in the British game (Mikey Lewis, Lewis Dodd and George Williams). Williams has already proved he can play at a high level and Dodd held his own against the best scrum half in the world in only his second game back after spending nine months on the sideline with an Achilles rupture.
 
Interesting the Broncos announced the resigning of Jensen & Paix but no mention of Farnworth yet. I imagine the Dolphins will throw massive money at him but I really think we target him hard. 4 or 5 year deal on fair to slightly over coin, can play multiple positions & would have to think we present a better option than the Dolphins. We would have to better the Broncos offer though. Most likely several other clubs interested, maybe Bateman gets him over the line.
 
Say it with me… no excuses for Brooks thia year…

He needs to find more than some new teammates which they have provided for hm… some internal confidence and a voice to communicate/ direct others on the field like other halves will be helpful to this young team,,,

Some leadership qualifies would be great from one highest paid and one of the most experienced players on the team,,,
Yep No excuses for Brooks this year!

Guy has more lives then a cat. Don't care how he proves his worth, he either proves it or moves it.
 
Roosters frantically trying every trick to get Chrichton off the books, including medical retirement on mental health grounds. Poor form IMO.

I think the Roosters are writing off 2023.
You can see it in the team you can see it in what you hear.

Heck they seem to have trained at 10000% and it's really taking a toll on them.

Wait so medical retirement at the roosters:
Boyd C
Keary (I believe this is happening)
Lindsay Collins??? (He has had a stack of concussions).
Jake Friend (or did he just retire?)

who else am I missing?
Dogs/Roosters seem to be managing the cap this way. .. Why could'nt we think of this 4 years ago?
 
Ok.... you realize it doesn't work by just handing over a transfer fee right? Also, UK backs also struggle to make a transition.


Just look at this list, Jai Field pipped Welsby for the spot. A bloke who couldn't crack a spot at the dragons or eels. God damn Chris McQueen even managed to make this list!!

Underrated? Maybe. But in that case, maybe we should just buy Jai Field as our marque?

I'm tired of the Brooks bashers having no plan B, getting on a hype train, or taking a simple approach of correlating our failures with him. Correlation isn't causation. He's a skilled kid, who most professionals rate.

Thank god Sheens and Benji are in charge and not some of the armchair muppets who trawl this forum.
Great post champ!

Literally the best of ESL in 2022 list is a who's who of NRL journeymen/fringe players or veterans past their prime!

1. Jai Field (Hon. mention Tui Lolohea)
2 Bevan French
3. Ricky Leutele (Hon. Samisoni Langi)
4. Tim Lafai (Hon. SKD)
5. Ken Sio
6. (Hon. Mitch Pearce)
7. Brodie Croft (Hon. Josh Drinkwater)
8. (Hon. Agnatius Passi & David "Andrew's crap twin" Fifita)
9. (Hon. Danny Levi)
10. (Hon. Matt Prior & Ligi Sao)
11. no ex-NRL
12. Chris McQueen (Hon. Rhyse Martin)
13. (Hon. Elijah Taylor)

4 ex-Tigers who nobody would care to re-sign!

I wouldn't pay minimum NRL contracts for that back 3 or centre pairing!

The supposed best of ESL is a steaming pile of....
 

I think the Roosters are writing off 2023.
You can see it in the team you can see it in what you hear.

Heck they seem to have trained at 10000% and it's really taking a toll on them.

Wait so medical retirement at the roosters:
Boyd C
Keary (I believe this is happening)
Lindsay Collins??? (He has had a stack of concussions).
Jake Friend (or did he just retire?)

who else am I missing?
Dogs/Roosters seem to be managing the cap this way. .. Why could'nt we think of this 4 years ago?
That is special!!
 
Great post champ!

Literally the best of ESL in 2022 list is a who's who of NRL journeymen/fringe players or veterans past their prime!

1. Jai Field (Hon. mention Tui Lolohea)
2 Bevan French
3. Ricky Leutele (Hon. Samisoni Langi)
4. Tim Lafai (Hon. SKD)
5. Ken Sio
6. (Hon. Mitch Pearce)
7. Brodie Croft (Hon. Josh Drinkwater)
8. (Hon. Agnatius Passi & David "Andrew's crap twin" Fifita)
9. (Hon. Danny Levi)
10. (Hon. Matt Prior & Ligi Sao)
11. no ex-NRL
12. Chris McQueen (Hon. Rhyse Martin)
13. (Hon. Elijah Taylor)

4 ex-Tigers who nobody would care to re-sign!

I wouldn't pay minimum NRL contracts for that back 3 or centre pairing!

The supposed best of ESL is a steaming pile of....
And yet you've hired an ex-SL failure who presided over similar signings or worse and made an even bigger mess than what he started with. You've not thought this through, have you champ?
 
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