Jayden "Bud" Sullivan #278

[Bigscreentv]

This could be a great signing. He definitely has the most up side of any other options that were suggested for the Tigers. He’s an instinctive runner off the ball and has a good kicking game. He’s also a winner.

If he stays on the field he could be one of the best halves in the NRL.

 

[Bigscreentv]

To add to this, he’s better than Hunt. They could have been a great team if Hunt was willing to play hooker.

 

[GCfan]

To add to this, he’s better than Hunt. They could have been a great team if Hunt was willing to play hooker.

Think I’d rather a shit player like Hunt.

 

[Curaeus]

Still has to prove himself in first grade.

very true

 

[balmain boy]

Mate, please put down the crack pipe… brooks has achieved NOTHING in 11 years that Sullivan isn’t capable of… wtf are you talking bout?

Mate, please put down the crack pipe… brooks has achieved NOTHING in 11 years that Sullivan isn’t capable of… wtf are you talking bout?

Lay off dope mate.

If you can't see that Brooks has posted 200 games and scored many tries, got heaps of try assists and kicked done game winning field goals then you're a lost cause.

I don't miss the fact we don't have Brooks, he's not the answer for us, but to try and say a kid with a couple of dozen games and Zero accomplishments has or will achieve what Brooks has is laughable

 

[Harvey]

What position will he play next year?

Will it be him & Sezer in the halves?

I already have a nickname for the combo, question is which of them will be bog, to leave the other as average

 

[Krammy]

So the spine may well be...
1 Bula
6 Latu
7 Sullivan
9 Koriasou

Hopefully Benji can get these guys synched

First of all how good is it that we have actually signed all of these players. No more hypotheticals. All of them have potential to be attacking weapons. Now for a really good centre. Naden and Kepoa are just missing something IMO, but OK as back ups. I'd like to see someone like Olam in the side. He might also sort out our defensive woes in the backs, as shown when some of his tackles bend opponents in half.

 

[razor7]

Kepoa is not even back up standard. Naden can play but just doesn’t seem committed to me. Lots of injuries haven’t helped

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Kepaoa could play second row but that would deny a top 30 position for an up and comer. Fa'agutu looks so well rounded in terms of his skill that he must come into the 30.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

Kepoa is not even back up standard. Naden can play but just doesn’t seem committed to me. Lots of injuries haven’t helped

Naden is a reggie quality back just like Toa.
They can have maybe 4 good games a year then suck the rest of it & maybe even costing us games. They just aren’t consistent for week to week footy at NRL level.

Kepoa sure has been moved around this hear but he just isn’t a back. It’s either forwards or nothing for him.

 

[balmain boy]

Naden is a reggie quality back just like Toa.
They can have maybe 4 good games a year then suck the rest of it & maybe even costing us games. They just aren’t consistent for week to week footy at NRL level.

Kepoa sure has been moved around this hear but he just isn’t a back. It’s either forwards or nothing for him.

So who in our football department was so amazed by the skill of naden, to'a and kepaoa to re-sign them last year for another couple of years each? Such a poor judge of quality cannot be tolerated in our football department. Given the changes i can't remember if these were hartigan, sheens, mcdonnell. But either way it's not good enough, and it's costing us dearly. Again.

 

[twentyforty]

So who in our football department was so amazed by the skill of naden, to'a and kepaoa to re-sign them last year for another couple of years each? Such a poor judge of quality cannot be tolerated in our football department. Given the changes i can't remember if these were hartigan, sheens, mcdonnell. But either way it's not good enough, and it's costing us dearly. Again.

Do we know who is actually on the player selection & retention committee? I remember Hagipantelis mentioned a handful of positions, including a couple of board members?

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Do we know who is actually on the player selection & retention committee? I remember Hagipantelis mentioned a handful of positions, including a couple of board members?

From what I have gathered from interviews, it includes Sheens, Benji, Fulton, Pascoe, Danny Stapleton (Board), Chief Finance Officer. Not sure if any more.

It should be Sheens, Benji, Fulton & CFO (from a cap perspective), that's it. Then CEO & Board can ratify.

 

[weststigers]

What a load of absolute crap

If we pay the price they suggest it's only a bit less than Brooks. Who has achieved far far more than Sullivan, and for whom we all agreed is overpaid at manly.

Brooks is on $1 million a season or thereabouts. How is $550k a season “only a bit less than Brooks”?

 

[earl]

Brooks is on $1 million a season or thereabouts. How is $550k a season “only a bit less than Brooks”?

I assume he is talking about Brooks contract for next season. He is right and we clearly should have retained Brooks on those dollars if Brooks wanted to stay. Personally I don't think he did but I have no inside information.

 

[weststigers]

Lay off dope mate.

If you can't see that Brooks has posted 200 games and scored many tries, got heaps of try assists and kicked done game winning field goals then you're a lost cause.

I don't miss the fact we don't have Brooks, he's not the answer for us, but to try and say a kid with a couple of dozen games and Zero accomplishments has or will achieve what Brooks has is laughable

His salary is commensurate with his experience and potential. Like it or not, halves are in such high demand, the salaries are high.

Take a young prop like Stefano. You might pay him $300k - $350k a season. They are rotated during the game and might play 30-50 minutes. A half needs to control the team and has more responsibility than a young prop plus the scrutiny that comes with the position. Add to that the limited talent pool and you have a situation where halves command a premium.

There is no experienced half in the NRL willing to take $500k a season. Sullivan is a discount compared with other NRL halves because of his lack of experience.

The salary is about right mate.

 

[balmain boy]

Brooks is on $1 million a season or thereabouts. How is $550k a season “only a bit less than Brooks”?

Brooks is on 700k next season, the season for which we are comparing the salaries of players....

 

[balmain boy]

His salary is commensurate with his experience and potential. Like it or not, halves are in such high demand, the salaries are high.

Take a young prop like Stefano. You might pay him $300k - $350k a season. They are rotated during the game and might play 30-50 minutes. A half needs to control the team and has more responsibility than a young prop plus the scrutiny that comes with the position. Add to that the limited talent pool and you have a situation where halves command a premium.

There is no experienced half in the NRL willing to take $500k a season. Sullivan is a discount compared with other NRL halves because of his lack of experience.

The salary is about right mate.

Lol, it's not. You're delusional.

He's currently at a wakeham/madden level.

12 matches this season for 1 try assist, and a couple of tries (against us!)
His stats and impact this season is far poorer than those of Wakeham, who we can't wait to get rid of. But because he's faster, and played well as a halfback when he was 18 that makes him a star? No. Is he better than Trindall? Taafe? Ilias? Madden, Laurie etc.
The answer is no. Yet you think he should be paid more than all these players. Significantly more in some cases.

 

[Wildcat777]

Brooks is on $1 million a season or thereabouts. How is $550k a season “only a bit less than Brooks”?

Lol if we are talking about thereabouts, let’s just round it up to $5m. Then it’s still only a bit less.

 

[weststigers]

I assume he is talking about Brooks contract for next season. He is right and we clearly should have retained Brooks on those dollars if Brooks wanted to stay. Personally I don't think he did but I have no inside information.

Brooks would not have stayed for the same dollars as what Manly is paying. It’s a false economy.

He’s not happy with the salary for Sullivan, but what offer would have been acceptable? We were staring down the barrel of having no halves at all for next year. I think we were able to balance buying a player that could help us get out of this hole where we can’t score points and paying a reasonable salary given the lack of halves available.

We have Fainu and Sullivan for about $1 million a season. Doueihi is on $650k and if we get Sezer, he may cost us up to $500k.

$2 million for 4 first grade standard halves isn’t a bad result. The cap is in good shape.

Personally, I think Doueihi is the odd one out here. He’s on $650k and hasn’t been a clear standout in any position. For an extra $200k-$300k, we can buy Origin quality. Plenty of money for an upgrade within our top 4 halves.