Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

If we have lost interest in Olam it maybe for the same reason that Melbourne are happy to let him go rather than anything to do with money.
 
crazycat said:
Honestly I see Luai creating problems for us.
Why:
Because it means we have 3 5/8 in Fainu (ok not ready), Sullivan and Luai.
Sezer, I view as a 5/8 may or may not be okay at being a depth half.

Sullivan and Fainu would be looking at us going "where do we play?". Rightly so, clubs punting people 2 years into a contract is bad. We will be looking to punt people we have signed mere months ago!

Not dissing Luai, he is a quality 5/8. I am dissing our panic buying of halves. Okay Newcastle was running with almost 6 halves (and we couldn't beg one over??), so maybe they do learn from each other... In short were full.

Same could be said for Olam, just not very many if any at all have shown to be keepers in our back line.

AFB would upgrade our forward pack which is already massive. Ok I know we will need to punt Klemmer/Paps/Bateman but imagine AFB combining with those guys or Stefano/etc?

AFB for me. Ofcourse I would prefer Payne Haas, but it's AFB is possible for us.
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I think the halves depth is a good thing and creates competition. In fact, hearing the other day Sullivan wants to be halfback is awesome. If Luai plays a dominant 5/8 role like munster does with Hughes and Sullivan can be the main kicker (obviously they share it) it will be good. Fainu is a few years off. Isaiya Katoa at Dolphins was rushed this year and was average most of the year. Sezer is getting old now and I see him as halves depth for 2025 if he does choose to stay. So that leaves 6 Luai, 7 Sullivan, Fainu/Da Silva 14. It's good planning. The only issue was the risk of signing Sullivan at 500K when he has injuries and been inconsistent in his career thus far
 
Jedi_Tiger said:
Galvin can play centre
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The key word is "Can".
Galvin "can" play center, like Tristan Reiley or Feledy can play center.
None of these players are an experienced NRL player or known for their defense. Neither is Staines, Nofo, Tupou, or anyone I saw in our backline in 2023.

We Can throw in another NRL junior looking at making a "debut" in first grade, loosing 2-3 tries per game. Or we can get an experienced NRL back who can get our team forming a basic defensive line. for different reasons, Fox would really help Tupou become a top winger as he knows the tricks in defense that help a winger defend their line.

Olam, would add some needed beef to our backline and bring a melbourne standard to our squad.

We under rate backs, were letting Olam go for Luai after a halfback hiring spree. We really need to sort our backline.
 
twentyforty said:
Why would we pay $550k (as reported) for a 14?
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I wouldn’t believe any reporting on salaries tbh. He will likely be starting in 2024. Fainu is young and Sezer would be a million to one to finish a whole season. Luai is not signed and given our track record who knows if it gets done. We have heaps of cap room it has to be spent on players available.
 
Im not that fussed on Olam obviously the terms werent that enticing, if the storm really want rid they will return to the table with more favorable terms. Or it could be just as suggested we need more cap space for Luai.
 
I wouldnt be paying Olam more than $300k per year with the Storm paying the rest …if that doesn’t work for the Storm then move on…

He has three years remaining and has already began to decline … he could fall off the cliff fast and certainly will come the last year of his deal …2026…
 
jrtiger said:
head over there then sweetheart if you’re so enthralled by what’s going on out there.

this forum is run by a group of blokes that have loved this club since birth. how dare you come in and try to undermine the community we have. it’s clear you’ve been born with a silver spoon in your mouth. head over to the chookpen or the silvertails forum if you’re so fixated on format or web design.

black and white always in the fight, black and gold never fold.
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“black and white always in the fight, black and gold never fold.”

Do the players know this?
 
Demps said:
Thomas Mikaele joins NQ Cowboys
Good luck to him
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Honestly good luck to him.

That though is a Payten pick. It means he is watching our boys and players who have played with the WT.

Were going to see more raids (either ex or current players).
 
crazycat said:
Honestly good luck to him.

That though is a Payten pick. It means he is watching our boys and players who have played with the WT.

Were going to see more raids (either ex or current players).
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Looking a bit too much into it.
 
Just thinking about what side the halves potentially play on as well and how the different combinations could fit. Sullivan I think plays right. Luai and Fainu play left. Sezer is left footed and I think prefers the left but has played right. Not sure if this factors into Benji’s thinking or if the players could be versatile to make the best combination?
 
balmain boy said:
So there were talks, but we want Storm to take up a large chunk of Olam's horrible contract. Rightfully so. Storm have thus far not obliged.
The only way we take Olam for anything close to his 600k price tag is if storm take Nof on his full contract too. Which they won't.
If storm aren't coming to negotiate then there's nothing to discuss for us. So sure, rather than sit around scratching ourselves we focus our energy elsewhere, on an origin and premiership winner. That sounds professional to me rather than waiting on a above average centre
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Completely agree. Olam is now a $350-400K centre at best. He wasn’t a regular first grader at another NRL club as a centre. It would be bad business for us to pursue him unless Melbourne are picking up at least $200-250k freight, if he is indeed currently on somewhere around $600K.
If we were a chance to get AFB I would do a swap deal with Paps in a heartbeat. He apparently has a compelling reason to be in NZ, we probably wouldn’t need to chip in any salary and, while he is a quality player it is a gap we could fill. We need an alpha front rower more than a hole running second rower.
 
SwervinMervin said:
Completely agree. Olam is now a $350-400K centre at best. He wasn’t a regular first grader at another NRL club as a centre. It would be bad business for us to pursue him unless Melbourne are picking up at least $200-250k freight, if he is indeed currently on somewhere around $600K.
If we were a chance to get AFB I would do a swap deal with Paps in a heartbeat. He apparently has a compelling reason to be in NZ, we probably wouldn’t need to chip in any salary and, while he is a quality player it is a gap we could fill. We need an alpha front rower more than a hole running second rower.
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10000% agree with this
 
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