Justin Olam #281

Look for me it's this ..... Olam is better than anything we have .......but that's not giving Olam a pat on the back ......our outside backs are crap
But is it worth three years of Olam .....
I'm tempted to pass on Olam and wait till something better shows up
Melbourne don't give up on players that still have a future .....there is a damn good reason they want Olam gone .....and it won't be a good thing for us
 
I think Melbourne are just looking to balance their salary cap. They need forwards. Olam is reportedly on $600k for another 3 years.
They have Nick Meaney to slot in, Marion Seve, Young Tonumaipea and Reimis Smith who they must think can all do the job and give them salary cap relief vs $600k for Olam. Since Olam hasn’t been in absolute Dally M centre form the last 12 months they musn’t think he is worth $600k to them.
H Grant, Munster, J Hughes and Paps would collectively be on $3.5M-$4M
They don’t have much margin to play with in the cap.
Olam will be a walk up start for a Tiger’s centre position and if Storm are also reportedly subsidising the deal to some degree then happy bloody days and go Benji !!!

FYI salary cap also increased 22% from 2022 to 2023.
$600k is the equivalent of $492K from yesteryear, to put it in a bit of context.
 
GCfan said:
Yeah I kinda agree with this. Maybe we’ve been burnt and hence the pessimism but history hasn’t been kind to us in these types of signings. I do agree with an earlier poster that it’s a position of need so perhaps a bet we need to make
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Some late bloomers have really helped clubs.

Kennedy helped Manly a lot.
SKD was pretty old when he was at Roosters from memory.
Dane Gagai at Knights.
Rapana at the sharks as well.

Look, I get it. He is a 30 year old center and at 30 years you wonder how he performs this year and how he will perform 3 years down the track.

I have high confidence in him. Papua Niu Guinea blokes are made from leather. Seriously tough people. Particularly from where he is from. Yes I here he got knocked hard, he will get confidence and knock back.

We have very little experience in our back line. Were talking Naden as our most experienced back, combined with Toa/Staines with a season at Newcastle/Penrith. People talk halves, but crossing the line as well as defending in position count massively with experience.

Glad to have Olam on board. Looking forward to 2024 now.
 
crazycat said:
Some late bloomers have really helped clubs.

Kennedy helped Manly a lot.
SKD was pretty old when he was at Roosters from memory.
Dane Gagai at Knights.
Rapana at the sharks as well.

Look, I get it. He is a 30 year old center and at 30 years you wonder how he performs this year and how he will perform 3 years down the track.

I have high confidence in him. Papua Niu Guinea blokes are made from leather. Seriously tough people. Particularly from where he is from. Yes I here he got knocked hard, he will get confidence and knock back.

We have very little experience in our back line. Were talking Naden as our most experienced back, combined with Toa/Staines with a season at Newcastle/Penrith. People talk halves, but crossing the line as well as defending in position count massively with experience.

Glad to have Olam on board. Looking forward to 2024 now.
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Rapana at Skarks???

1704460784044.png

Kennedy was not a "late bloomer" - he debuted for NSW Origin in 1999 while still at the Raiders and then for Australia in 2000 when he moved to Newcastle.

Had a remarkably consistent career - never playing in a losing club team (under 50% season wins) for three clubs over 11 seasons!

He was great for Manly in his final two seasons - and helped bring the winning culture that culminated in their GFs in the late 2000s - so your point stands except the "late bloomer" description.

Gagai is also not in that category - with two quality stints at the Knights after leaving Brisbane - and an equally high quality period at Souths sandwiched between the Newy contracts.

And SKD debuted at the Roosters as a 19 year old in 2007 - and also debuted for NZ that year - so a bit of memory fade there too champ!
 
Toilet training said:
Tino Fa'asuamaleaui was a storm player they let him go
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Yep!

And they deemed Kaufusi and the Bromwich brothers surplus - while Loeiro, King etc were found to be so far out of their depth in the 2023 Finals.

Banked on Welch and NAS to do the spade work - but Welch while talented can get folded and intimidated by defences hunting as a pack.

Bellamy is far from infallible!
 
philgood said:
Neither are centres. Whats the obsession with playing them at centre? Has everyone on the forum turned into Tim Sheens?
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Large currently plays centre in union, so I guess there’s a start! And plays well there. Galvin is way to skinny to play in halves and probably ti tall. He would currently get owned in the forwards and be trampled in the halves. So him coming in as a centre gives him time to grow in size and grow into first grade without getting burnt out, plus we have no centres!!
 
happy_tiger said:
Look for me it's this ..... Olam is better than anything we have .......but that's not giving Olam a pat on the back ......our outside backs are crap
But is it worth three years of Olam .....
I'm tempted to pass on Olam and wait till something better shows up
Melbourne don't give up on players that still have a future .....there is a damn good reason they want Olam gone .....and it won't be a good thing for us
Click to expand...
What's this "something better" shows up?

Your pretty much talking, Bradman Best, Joey Manu, Crichton or a Bronco/Penrith Junior we don't quite know about yet. Were not signing any of them.

Where is your top form experienced Center? One that can train our backline, impart experience?

Every Gun player in the comp is being pushed by their agents to go to FULLBACK or 5/8. the agent wants them on 7 figures or high 6.

There is no one else!
 
crazycat said:
What's this "something better" shows up?

Your pretty much talking, Bradman Best, Joey Manu, Crichton or a Bronco/Penrith Junior we don't quite know about yet. Were not signing any of them.

Where is your top form experienced Center? One that can train our backline, impart experience?

Every Gun player in the comp is being pushed by their agents to go to FULLBACK or 5/8. the agent wants them on 7 figures or high 6.

There is no one else!
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There is no one else … now …

That could change next month … or it might not … it’s a risk if you sign him and a risk if you dont … his form was waning last year … it’s not a given to say that will reverse …

Olam comes with a negative … a three year commitment for a player who might have peaked already
 
Tom Shines said:
There is no one else … now …

That could change next month … or it might not … it’s a risk if you sign him and a risk if you dont … his form was waning last year … it’s not a given to say that will reverse …

Olam comes with a negative … a three year commitment for a player who might have peaked already
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That’s the game you play with recruitment.
We’ve just announced a 5yr deal for reportedly $6miliion for a bloke with a busted shoulder.
Risk/reward…it’s a double edged sword.
 
Tucker said:
That’s the game you play with recruitment.
We’ve just announced a 5yr deal for reportedly $6miliion for a bloke with a busted shoulder.
Risk/reward…it’s a double edged sword.
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Yeah… but busted shoulders tend to heal… ..

You can’t wind back the clock on someone’s age
 
GarethEllis94 said:
I think Melbourne are just looking to balance their salary cap. They need forwards. Olam is reportedly on $600k for another 3 years.
They have Nick Meaney to slot in, Marion Seve, Young Tonumaipea and Reimis Smith who they must think can all do the job and give them salary cap relief vs $600k for Olam. Since Olam hasn’t been in absolute Dally M centre form the last 12 months they musn’t think he is worth $600k to them.
H Grant, Munster, J Hughes and Paps would collectively be on $3.5M-$4M
They don’t have much margin to play with in the cap.
Olam will be a walk up start for a Tiger’s centre position and if Storm are also reportedly subsidising the deal to some degree then happy bloody days and go Benji !!!

FYI salary cap also increased 22% from 2022 to 2023.
$600k is the equivalent of $492K from yesteryear, to put it in a bit of context.
Click to expand...

If it is viewed a Blore/Olam trade then they actually get little cash to spend.

* Blore salary a year earlier than planned + 25/26 salary
* Pay a portion Olam contract for the 3yrs

Even if you remove Blore out of it for 25/26 (you can’t for 24 as he wasn’t budgeted for) they only get between 400-800k max to spread on other players across the 2yrs.

It’s something but won’t get them a superstar.
 
lathami said:
Large currently plays centre in union, so I guess there’s a start! And plays well there. Galvin is way to skinny to play in halves and probably ti tall. He would currently get owned in the forwards and be trampled in the halves. So him coming in as a centre gives him time to grow in size and grow into first grade without getting burnt out, plus we have no centres!!
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Large appears to be a brilliant ball runner, with brilliant balance and brilliant speed.
This being his big strength it is silly to burden players with this type of rare ability by making them worry about too much playmaking as a 5/8, you want them running the ball as much as possible.
Fullback will be his best spot, but if Bula cements the one jersey, than centre has to be a realistic option.
We have to lock him down and keep him away from Rugby Union first.
 
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