Lots of poor to average players...or a couple of guns?

[ElleryHanley]

I keep hearing our recruitment team say "we won't pay overs" etc etc...

But, we actually end up doing so indirectly.

I.e. take the center position.

We have Naden 300 000 or so. AJ 250-300 or so. Gildart was on big money at Wigan and would not have come cheap, so let's say 300 but it is probably more. To'A around 250 to 300.

So, in effect, we have paid out around 1.2 million for the center position.

And what have we got? Not one real top class center. So, we have actually massively overpaid for that position in terms of what we actually have got.

Four poor to average centers....some barely having impact at state cup level. Would it not have been better to get one for 600-700 who is a stud? And the other spot 400-500.

It just seems to me like we have filled our squad up with blokes who would be man 28 or 29 in other club's top 30. We have around 15 players who would barely be man 28 in a decent club's top 30.

Cut all our centers and props today and how many find another NRL starting spot?

And yet all of them were recruited by us.

Surely you just buy class, even if you need to 'overpay' and then back up those spots with kids who are hungry for a career.

Instead, we have bought average... and poor...and their back ups are average... and poor.

And this has bred ZERO competition for spots or hunger. Rather we have you play one week, I play next apathy and no depth.

 

[GarryOwen]

I'm not sure about your numbers, but it's an issue regardless. That's four roster spots taken up, and you've got one league average (Naden) and three NSW cup level plodders. All are signed for next year as well.

The best centre we've had this year has been Garner.

 

[AusTigers]

yeh compare to 2010 / 2011

Chris Lawrence (Australian International)
Blake Ashford ( never let you down)

Backups
Geoff Daniela. much better than our starting centres
Mitch Brown Always solid
Tim Simona ( young up and comer)

 

[ElleryHanley]

I'm not sure about your numbers, but it's an issue regardless. That's four roster spots taken up, and you've got one league average (Naden) and three NSW cup level plodders. All are signed for next year as well.

The best centre we've had this year has been Garner.

Re numbers, very few starting players in the NRL are on less than 250. I am guessing we are actually paying way more for the likes of Gildart and Mamulo.

Your point is even more valid than mine...you are right, that takes up four spots on our depth chart.

2023 centers
Naden: average / but poor D.
AJ: Had a ton of chances.
ToA: Looks average / reggie for most clubs.
Gildart: simply not up to it. Was manhandled in state cup today.

 

[ElleryHanley]

yeh compare to 2010 / 2011

Chris Lawrence (Australian International)
Blake Ashford ( never let you down)

Backups
Geoff Daniela. much better than our starting centres
Mitch Brown Always solid
Tim Simona ( young up and comer)

Great post. That is how you do it...A rep player, a big, mobile partner...

A great role player in Brown who never let anyone down.

Fourth spot = Local kids, hungry for a spot.

Instead we have basically signed four "same same" level players, none of whom are particularly good.

 

[Chicken_Faced_Killa]

We just have a team of average players who can do a role in a team that has a few high quality players. We need game breakers and not run of the mill players we have now. To make things worse we keep buying fringe players rather than established week to week first graders. Some quality coming next year but we still need more

 

[GarryOwen]

Ultimately this is a consequence of not developing anyone of note in house, so we're utterly desperate for any old name that pops up on the market.
It's probably a good thing that whoever authorised multi-year deals for AJ and To'a (i.e. Hartigan and/or Madge) aren't here any more.

 

[liltiger]

yeh compare to 2010 / 2011

Chris Lawrence (Australian International)
Blake Ashford ( never let you down)

Backups
Geoff Daniela. much better than our starting centres
Mitch Brown Always solid
Tim Simona ( young up and comer)

Funny thing is Ur right and I'm pretty sure they were all juniors who rose through our ranks. I might be wrong though my memory isn't 100 percent.

 

[weststigerman]

We've signed another rubbish player from rugby that's going to waste a spot in the roster too.

We have zero top quality players, and I think we're the only one in the comp in this position. JAC, Burton, TPJ all better than our best player.

Newcastle have Ponga, Titans have Tino and Fifita, our best player is probably Hastings.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

People say Madge hasn’t had the money etc but he has paid overs for the current crop.

No way is this team worth 8-9Mil.

He also has stuffed the roster over. In saying we won’t pay overs for the right players will be costly.

13 forwards signed next year. 4 are hookers, 1 player went from NRL to flegg, another from NRL to NSW Cup, another is the worst mtrs v mins played forward in the NRL. Leaves us 3 props and 3 backrowers somewhat ok.

We have 10 backs with 3 halves taking up over $2mil of which we haven’t won a 2nd half all year and 8 out of 14 games (57%) have scored 2 or less tries. Gildart the worst scouted recruit possibly ever.

 

[Cobarcats]

We just have a team of average players who can do a role in a team that has a few high quality players. We need game breakers and not run of the mill players we have now. To make things worse we keep buying fringe players rather than established week to week first graders. Some quality coming next year but we still need more

Basically what your saying is "do not sign anymore possibles or probables but certainties.
Which is in essence are marquee players by definition.
Players who are "the first picked" when selecting the team come Tuesday.
When you really think about it these players don't have to be highly paid marquee players but "the first picked" types players week in week out, every round!

 

[Chicken_Faced_Killa]

Basically what your saying is "do not sign anymore possibles or probables but certainties.
Which is in essence are marquee players by definition.
Players who are "the first picked" when selecting the team come Tuesday.
When you really think about it these players don't have to be highly paid marquee players but "the first picked" types players week in week out, every round!

Yep. Stop signing guys from reserve grade, rugby, England and hoping for a miracle

 

[Cobarcats]

CFK this is going to be an epic month for us, sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for a coach and a recruitment drive.
All I want right now is to sort out this coaching situ!

 

[GarryOwen]

People say Madge hasn’t had the money etc but he has paid overs for the current crop.

No way is this team worth 8-9Mil.

He also has stuffed the roster over. In saying we won’t pay overs for the right players will be costly.

13 forwards signed next year. 4 are hookers, 1 player went from NRL to flegg, another from NRL to NSW Cup, another is the worst mtrs v mins played forward in the NRL. Leaves us 3 props and 3 backrowers somewhat ok.

We have 10 backs with 3 halves taking up over $2mil of which we haven’t won a 2nd half all year and 8 out of 14 games (57%) have scored 2 or less tries. Gildart the worst scouted recruit possibly ever.

Exactly right. I don't think it's sunk in for a lot of us just how little change there'll be between this year and next in terms of roster. The vast majority of these clowns are signed for at least 2023.
It's shocking roster management.

 

[balmain boy]

Yep, all of our starting players should be on double what the backup squaddies get. No point having 4 players of the same calibre. We need stars, and to get them we'll need to overpay, same as the dogs, Knights, cows have done.

 

[ElleryHanley]

Yep, all of our starting players should be on double what the backup squaddies get. No point having 4 players of the same calibre. We need stars, and to get them we'll need to overpay, same as the dogs, Knights, cows have done.

Yes, there is no real gap between our starters and next up.

It is kind of like we have said "we need a center...AJ might become one?....Hey, Gildart will do....let's add ToA as he is available...hey, Naden is available, let's grab him...."

And ended up with four of similar ability / none will ever play Origin etc...who became available, rather than targeting a real topliner and getting him.

 

[Jolls]

Great understanding of the problem here and expect we have the cap space to fix it. We should be able to add a good ball playing forward with a bit of mongrel, a quality fullback and a strike centre. We can build around that for sure

 

[jadtiger]

There are very many valid points in this thread and i agree with the vast majority but it still comes down to poor management at the top of the club.The culture in the club has to change from top to bottom