Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Just weird stuff about the GM role.
That must be due to the aggressive recruitment Lee was going on about, which we rather stupidly assumed was for the playing roster.

I'm sure the applications for the GM position have been unprecedented, easily outstripping the 16 or 17 applications for the head coaching position.
 
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I can understand people having reservations about Benji & Farah as coaches because I have them myself but knocking them as players is crazy lol. They're the only two stars who brought any form of success to this club & were both considered best in the world in their positions at one point.
Agreed, it's insane how many people are belittling their contributions towards the club. Both were extremely loyal and gave us their best years. There were years where if either player was out, we couldn't win a match.
 
What do you think about Cheika/O'Neill as GM?
O'Neill is a big no for me... sacked from the club previously for sexual harassment & getting tired of just hiring the old 05 boys. Cheika I think could actually do a job, a lot of the Lebanese boys credit his work in the short amount of time they had together but his expertise is in Union not League which is my only concern.
 
It's not one post, its everything you've posted for months is absurdly cynical and critical of the club

I'm not talking about BP's post here but just in
general, I find it sad that it's come to this and
I understand why to a certain degree but man.
I could think of 101 different ways to divide my
time if I was so convinced that we as a club are
hopeless and things won't get better anytime
soon. It's honestly borderline pathological lol
 
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On their day....
Some perspective is required!!

We all appreciate winning a comp, But 1 victory doesn't give you a free ride for life.
I don't get what's so hard to understand here....

Name one other player - With the status and abilities of Benji Marshall or Robbie Farah
That didn't take their team to the top half of the competition for the most part of their career?
There is none.
They should have been able to almost do it on their own, Let alone with both of them...
And some of the other guys that we had in that time.

As close as you'd get is DCE
- Who's also played in some ordinary sides,
Yet he can drag them to the finals every few years.

- Even the Titans, Dogs and Knights have made the Finals in the last decade with a team full of Nuffies

They accepted mediocrity then, They'll certainly accepted it now
You talk about perspective well then maybe put into perspective that Benji had recurring shoulder problems from 2006-2008 & 2009 was the first time he had played over 20 games since 05. And then what do you know we went on to make the finals in 2010 & 2011 with a fully fit & firing Benji Marshall. The club was then clouded by turmoil which you could say had a hand in us not making the finals in the following years... it's your biggest excuse for Luke Brooks so I don't see why it can't be applied to Benji.
 
O'Neill is a big no for me... sacked from the club previously for sexual harassment & getting tired of just hiring the old 05 boys. Cheika I think could actually do a job, a lot of the Lebanese boys credit his work in the short amount of time they had together but his expertise is in Union not League which is my only concern.

Agree regarding O'Neil. The flop can stay at Parra.
Cheik is one of the best man managers in sports
administration, but I share the same reservations
about his lack of rugby league background. I
wouldn't be against it at this point in time though
 
Benji didn’t have anything to do with the majority of the contracts that appear to be stalling our progression for next season.
Most of them were rushed decisions to lock in any player who showed any glimpse of talent in fear of losing them to other clubs.
The younger ones are open to improvement, but the ones approaching or passed their mid twenties and not having shown any improvement over the past couple of seasons are the concerning ones that would ideally be moved on if possible.
 
You said you'd been hearing about these kids for years and given that they're mostly 15, 16 and 17 that would imply you've been actively seeking out info on these kids since they were 13-14...
Nope. Just reading the forum. And it’s not just this crop, we always seem to have them coming through every 2 or 3 years. Yet we’re still flailing.
 
Nope. Just reading the forum. And it’s not just this crop, we always seem to have them coming through every 2 or 3 years. Yet we’re still flailing.

Do you think we've had 3 guys like Fainu, Galvin and Sullivan very often in the past ? Guys like Kit L ?

I hear you but I don't think we've had halves like Fainu and Galvin coming into the top team in the past. These guys are the cream. Probably Teddy, Brooks, Moses, Fifita and Woods were that highly rated.
 
Back on signings & the player market, here are some snippets from today's DT about the off contract market:

WT: The club has held talks about retaining Staines and would like to do so at the right price. Staines and Seyfarth, who has held talks with the Bulldogs, were not part of the players who were farewelled by the club last Tuesday night. Seyfarth is expected to remain.

Sharks: Outside back Hiroti has re-signed for one more year after stepping up brilliantly in his only NRL game this year against the Rabbitohs.

Rabbits: Hawkins and Kalo Kalo, who is on the comeback trail from a leg injury, will also be offered lower-tier contracts to stay.

Manly: Tuaimalo Vaega and Bullemor have re-signed with the club. Lodge will be given a contract despite his injury while the club is hopeful Parker will remain. Weekes has 12 months left on his deal but has been given permission to negotiate with rivals and has been linked to Canberra.

Warriors: Sironen has enjoyed the best season of his career with 22 appearances and proving a crucial cog for the Warriors' finals surge. He is weighing-up interest from the UK with the Warriors yet to close the door on keeping the backrower.

Dragons: The likes of Moga, Fuimano and Lui-Toso won’t be offered new deals.

Knights: Hymel Hunt will not receive a new deal.

Bulldogs: Thompson faces an uncertain future while Braidon Burns won’t be retained.

Eels: Blake and Loizou won’t be at the club next year. Blake is looking for a shot in the Super League. The club has not taken up the option on Ofahiki Ogden for next season.

Roosters: Allan will not be at the club next year.

Full story - https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...4/news-story/f8d4663546edf2810b01924284ae90e9
 
Nope. Just reading the forum. And it’s not just this crop, we always seem to have them coming through every 2 or 3 years. Yet we’re still flailing.
That last crop of our Balmain or Western Suburbs junior rep sides that either won the comp or went deep into the finals produced the likes of Tedesco, Moses and Brooks amongst quite a few other long term NRL players.
Funnily enough, the junior rep system is generally where the stars of the future progress from.
The current hyped up crop coming through the system have have already produced just as impressive team results and some of them even more impressive junior rep individual honours than the likes of Tedesco/Moses/Woods/Brooks/Nofoaluma so it gives us a pretty decent reason to be optimistic.
 
Based on this latest info:

Dean Hawkins, could it be Souths v Tigers for a T&T contract?
Bayley Sironen, I'm sure we'd be in talks.
Moga, H Hunt or B Burns, NSW Cup contract for depth & experience?
Corey Allen, centre & backup fullback option?
Ofahiki Ogden, NSW Cup contract for prop depth & experience?

Not much in the off-contact market for top 30 deals, only possibly Sironen.

So we'll be doing our best to secure an on-contract outside back me thinks - one who can be a leader for our outside backs & only chew up 2 seasons to allow progress of our youngsters in '26. Dane Gagai, Reimis Smith & Paul Momirovoski are the ones that to me seem the most gettable.
 
Back on signings & the player market, here are some snippets from today's DT about the off contract market:

WT: The club has held talks about retaining Staines and would like to do so at the right price. Staines and Seyfarth, who has held talks with the Bulldogs, were not part of the players who were farewelled by the club last Tuesday night. Seyfarth is expected to remain.

Sharks: Outside back Hiroti has re-signed for one more year after stepping up brilliantly in his only NRL game this year against the Rabbitohs.

Rabbits: Hawkins and Kalo Kalo, who is on the comeback trail from a leg injury, will also be offered lower-tier contracts to stay.

Manly: Tuaimalo Vaega and Bullemor have re-signed with the club. Lodge will be given a contract despite his injury while the club is hopeful Parker will remain. Weekes has 12 months left on his deal but has been given permission to negotiate with rivals and has been linked to Canberra.

Warriors: Sironen has enjoyed the best season of his career with 22 appearances and proving a crucial cog for the Warriors' finals surge. He is weighing-up interest from the UK with the Warriors yet to close the door on keeping the backrower.

Dragons: The likes of Moga, Fuimano and Lui-Toso won’t be offered new deals.

Knights: Hymel Hunt will not receive a new deal.

Bulldogs: Thompson faces an uncertain future while Braidon Burns won’t be retained.

Eels: Blake and Loizou won’t be at the club next year. Blake is looking for a shot in the Super League. The club has not taken up the option on Ofahiki Ogden for next season.

Roosters: Allan will not be at the club next year.

Full story - https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...4/news-story/f8d4663546edf2810b01924284ae90e9
Not much to get excited about there.
One player that I think has wasted his potential is Ofahiki Ogden, watched him play a couple times when he was playing consistently for the dogs.
He can be a damaging front rower & very hard to contain when he gets going, but obviously it hasn't gone the right way for him
 
Not much to get excited about there.
One player that I think has wasted his potential is Ofahiki Ogden, watched him play a couple times when he was playing consistently for the dogs.
He can be a damaging front rower & very hard to contain when he gets going, but obviously it hasn't gone the right way for him
Atasi James?
 
Not much to get excited about there.
One player that I think has wasted his potential is Ofahiki Ogden, watched him play a couple times when he was playing consistently for the dogs.
He can be a damaging front rower & very hard to contain when he gets going, but obviously it hasn't gone the right way for him
If he's got the right character, his experience would be good on a NSW Cup contract for us (providing depth & leadership in the middle).
 

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