Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Vicious said:
No.
I believe we are next to no chance of making the top 4 or wining a GF by spending 1.2 million per season on Luai as he’s not worth near that much and it will heavily restrict our ability to retain and recruit other quality players while paying him that much,
If he was willing to come across for 800k per season my stance would be much different.
We have agreed to pay him 1.2 million per season for the sake of recruiting a high profile player, not paying him on his true ability.
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Yes, paying over market value is exactly what the worst team in NRL need to do to sign quality players. Having said that, in today’s market, paying a world class half that much makes absolute sense to me anyway.
Remember, the halves market is very slim and Luai represents the best out there.
Vicious, every signing is going to be a punt. There’s no way around that.
But this risk is very worth it and the 1.2 is certainly not highway robbery, considering the above and Luai’s pedigree. Baulking at the price is being small minded IMO, and the same thinking that has kept us in the doldrums.
Hopefully our cap is managed well and we can still sign more talent while blooding more youth.
 
Large may very well start his career in the centres or elsewhere. He's still 2 years away from grade too. We talk about luai blocking his pathway as being a hindrance to extending him, but so is us remaining as spooners.

If he develops as expected, we're in pole position to work on a plan with him. Maybe it means shifting someone else? There are still too many ifs.

Let's say we turn down luai because of our pathways, only for large to decide he wants union. Then what?

It's a tough one to play, but it's a damn nice problem for us to have!!
 
Vicious said:
No as Balmain Boy explained, generational talent doesn’t regularly fall in your lap.
We last had Tedesco, Moses and Brooks come though and stuffed that up, I don’t want to see it happen again.
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Teddy yes. He was obviously once in a generation talent. Losing him was the biggest disaster ever.
Moses and Brooks are not in that category, but would have been great to see them play more of the careers together here.

I’ll say that in my lifetime, WT, Wests and Balmain have had only a very small handful of generational talents.
Additionally, IMO there is a dearth of this kind of talent in the NRL now anyway. Thus, holding our breath for generational talent has not served us well ( especially for the last ten years) and I don’t believe serves us, or any NRL side moving forward.
If a team is not spending on the market and poaching talent, then they will suffer and run a greater risk of becoming a feeder club themselves. As we have.
It’s a different league and different world nowadays.
We need to do something different and signing Luai would be a great first step.
 
Just for a little context:

STORM have Munster on $1.3M, Harry Grant on $1M, Hughs on $900k, Paps on $800k.

EELS have MM on $1.2M, Gutherson on $950k, Jr Paulo on $950K.

PANTHERS have Nathan Cleary on $1.3M, JFH on $1M and both Edwards and Yeo on $850k each.

RABBITOHS have Latrell Mitchell on $1M, Cam Murry $950k, Wighton, Walker and Graham all around $800K.

BRONCOS have Payne Haas on $1.2M, Adam Reynolds $800k, Pat Carrigan $800k.

TITANS have Tino on $1.2M and Fafita on $1M.

ROOSTERS have Tedesco on $1.1M, plus another 4 on around $800k (at least on the books).

SEA EAGLES have DCE $1.2M, Turbo on $1.1M, Jake on $950k, Olakuatu on $900k, Shuster $800K and Brooks on $750k. This one needs an investigation.

Even WARRIORS have AFB on $1M, Tohu Harris 950k, Niukore and DWZ on $800K.

COWBOYS have JT $950k, Nanai on $900K, Val Holmes on $875k.

Our highest paid player is Klemmer on a reported $850k subsidised by Knights.

We can definitely afford one marquee player on $1M+ without breaking the bank or doing anything other clubs aren't doing. We'd still have better salary cap balance then half the teams listed hear. I mean, the Knights pay Ponga $1.4M. I'd even say a team without one $1M player risks falling behind.
 
patwalker said:
People seem to be forgetting that there are a few more planned rises in the salary cap. $1.2M seems a lot right now but in 5 years time I feel that may be a bargain for a top tier half!
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More than likely though Luai will have a ratchet clause inserted that keeps his income to an equivalent level to any salary cap increase.
 
Vicious said:
No, have the same stance as 15 of the other NRL clubs and only be willing to pay him his true worth which is 800k.
Not pay big overs just for the sake of recruiting somebody with a high profile.
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Penrith offered $850k… they would have offered more but can’t afford to because of Cleary and the other big names.

Dogs offered $1.1m

No one else put in a bid as they can’t afford too, or they are already paying a top half….

His true worth is not $800k… dopey Brooks just got paid $700k…

His true worth is $1m a year in my estimation , but the Tigers won’t get him at that price …and they have decided they want him..
 
@Vicious and @ancient_magpie: the newest Dumb and Dumber of the forum.

Imagine being mad at signing one of the best halves in the competition because you want to gamble on a bunch of teenagers (one of whom is 16, one who couldn’t make a shitty Dragons team and another two who haven’t played a minute of first grade).

We’ve had a clean out at board level, perhaps it’s worth having a clean out within the fanbase
 
patwalker said:
People seem to be forgetting that there are a few more planned rises in the salary cap. $1.2M seems a lot right now but in 5 years time I feel that may be a bargain for a top tier half!
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Plus other players will come off contract in those 5 yrs aswell
 
Vicious said:
No.
I believe we are next to no chance of making the top 4 or wining a GF by spending 1.2 million per season on Luai as he’s not worth near that much and it will heavily restrict our ability to retain and recruit other quality players while paying him that much,
If he was willing to come across for 800k per season my stance would be much different.
We have agreed to pay him 1.2 million per season for the sake of recruiting a high profile player, not paying him on his true ability.
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In the pamfers team he’s worth that coin, unfortunately we are the raining wooden spooners. With that and the fact of shortage of halves we have to pay overs. It would be roughly the same coin if the silky terriers got him as well! That’s life!
 
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ancient_magpie said:
Why bother signing galvin fainu sezer and bud then sign luai as well. By 25 sullivan will be ready for 7 and the others for 6
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Because our halves have been crap for how long now??? And u want two rookie halves to get us out of it??? Competition fir spots is what we need in the halves, not like rookie halves are going to make it. Let them fight it out!
 
If you want your so called generational junior talent to convert into elite NRL players you have to have a couple of top shelve,highly competitive players to show them the way. That’s where Luai will be such an important signing. Penrith did it with Jimmy Maloney when all the kids were coming through.

Iam okay with the price tag, that’s what our mob has to pay being on the bottom of the heap, five years is probably one to many but once again our hands are tied due to a decade of terrible results.
 
Vicious said:
No, have the same stance as 15 of the other NRL clubs and only be willing to pay him his true worth which is 800k.
Not pay big overs just for the sake of recruiting somebody with a high profile.
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His true value is what clubs are willing to pay. No player is ever under or over valued.
 
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lathami said:
In the pamfers team he’s worth that coin, unfortunately we are the raining wooden spooners. With that and the fact of shortage of halves we have to pay overs. It would be roughly the same coin if the silky terriers got him as well! That’s life!
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I agree it's overs (I'd rate his value at around 1 million) but he's definitely worth more outside penrith than inside penrith. He is actually not that involved in penrith's system. Outside penrith, he has played his best footty. For samoa, where he had total freedom and no restriction from Ivan Cleary
 
rugbygoated said:
I agree it's overs (I'd rate his value at around 1 million) but he's definitely worth more outside penrith than inside penrith. He is actually not that involved in penrith's system. Outside penrith, he has played his best footty. For samoa, where he had total freedom and no restriction from Ivan Cleary
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Let’s hope he lives up to expectation as it’s a big burden on our salary cap if he doesn’t:.
 
crazycat said:
Man.... Luai....

Seriously I wish we did this deal without the whole Sezer/Fainu/Sullivan signings.
Yes there is a derth of Halves talent. I don't know who is going to step up, but I suspect we are stuck with Sezer and will punt either Fainu or Sullivan soon.

It's also that test, the "hey would 2023 be very different if we had signed Mitchell Moses"? and if so HOW?

Parra kinda had a ceiling in 2023 of 10th. Luai ain't MM, heck the guy seems far more decent. Yet 2024, with much the same squad as 2023 + Luai... I would be really interested to see how we do.
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Sezer is only signed for 2024
Not here when/if laui arrives
 
tigertragic said:
Sezer is only signed for 2024
Not here when/if laui arrives
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Either way we are messing our salary cap up once again.
Sullivan signed a 4 year deal for reportedly 500k per season.
Latu Fainu signed a 4 year deal for reportedly 400k per season, possibly increasing to 500k for the 3rd & 4th year of the deal.
Once Luai arrives on the big money contract, it means we will have a 400k or 500k per season player either coming off the bench or possibly playing NSW Cup due to the possibility Talyn Da Silva will be our number 14.
It seems a lot of money for someone not to be a regular NRL starting player no matter how well they play.
 
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