Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[supercoach]

A club like the Chooks only ever have to top up their roster and that’s why they remain strong. They replace quality with quality and they buy the very best of the young kids. They cut out a lot of the risk in recruitment. Also they tend to move players on once they have hit their use by date.

People are excited about our pathways system, but it has to be noted most clubs are doing exactly the same thing, and of course if you are lucky and strike gold with a couple of kids, you face a uphill battle to keep the Chooks at bay.

As others have said the first thing we have to do is starting winning more than we lose and that will not happen in 22. Although I do think we are at least pointing the club in the right direction.

 

[Ultimate Warrior]

I'm the odd one out I suspect. I'm glad Brandon Smith isn't coming the WT. I think he is terribly overated and wouldn't work at our club. People getting the fun hectic cheese thing mixed up with his playing ability. A few times this year when they were under the pump looking for someone to call the shots like Cameron Smith, he disappeared and went one out.

Not to say his ability isn't better than what we have, just the whole package, the ego, the off field wanker etc. I think we are better without him and I think the Roosters will regret their decision.

I think there is close to zero chance you are correct on this.

Time will tell, and its only my opinion, and Im wrong 50% of the time anyway:blush:

I don’t like him because of the drugs and drinking which he rages about. I can see this ending in a lot of off field drama and quite personally, I hope so for the Roosters!

 

[Muffstar]

Not hard to tell that Brandon Smith is just a footballer. Once he opens his mouth it removes all doubts.

 

[Ultimate Warrior]

Has anyone seen evidence of Oliver Gildart at training yet .. ??


I swear I saw him in Darlinghurst the other day. Oh wait, that was a junkie.

No idea what you are implying??

He is saying cos he is skinny and has tattoos he looks like a junkie.
Yes he does look slight but that’s a pretty dumb, insensitive and disrespectful comment imo

Sorry. He doesn’t look like a junkie.

He looks like a druggo

Cue the mods and no freedom of speech on this forum.

I’ll have to start to think of a new alias

 

[Balmainian]

Not hard to tell that Brandon Smith is just a footballer. Once he opens his mouth it removes all doubts.

What else is he supposed to be?

 

[LUPO]

Not hard to tell that Brandon Smith is just a footballer. Once he opens his mouth it removes all doubts.

It's funny, Robbo has stated many times in the past that when going after a player to sign they look at the whole package, not only being a good footballer but he needs to be a good person that will fit into what the club is about. So taking drugs, ratting on your current club by divulging the drinking culture at the Storm..etc. Yeah right Robbo!!!

 

[jadtiger]

Not hard to tell that Brandon Smith is just a footballer. Once he opens his mouth it removes all doubts.

It's funny, Robbo has stated many times in the past that when going after a player to sign they look at the whole package, not only being a good footballer but he needs to be a good person that will fit into what the club is about. So taking drugs, ratting on your current club by divulging the drinking culture at the Storm..etc. Yeah right Robbo!!!

It is also quite possible that Robbo has been overruled by the NRL heavyweight who basically "owns" the club.When it comes down to it Robbo is only the hired help

 

[oldprop]

Has anyone seen evidence of Oliver Gildart at training yet .. ??


I swear I saw him in Darlinghurst the other day. Oh wait, that was a junkie.

No idea what you are implying??

He is saying cos he is skinny and has tattoos he looks like a junkie.
Yes he does look slight but that’s a pretty dumb, insensitive and disrespectful comment imo

Sorry. He doesn’t look like a junkie.

He looks like a druggo

Cue the mods and no freedom of speech on this forum.

I’ll have to start to think of a new alias

These comments are out of order. You’re talking about a professional player with our club. He has my support. You don’t. You’re probably a south’s supporter.

 

[tigerbenji]

Here is my Xmas presents, Lucy in swap for Luki, we sign Lomax & it solves a lot of problems, if enough money left we get Thompson from the Dogs. I have been a good boy all year & that's what I want for Xmas. Lol.

 

[Elderslie_Tiger]

Why’s everyone complaining?

They lost friend and cordner this year… they’re under the cap..

You mean SOMBRERO 🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[Demps]

Why’s everyone complaining?

They lost friend and cordner this year… they’re under the cap..

You mean SOMBRERO ????

You live in Elderslie ?

@JC99 lives down the road.

 

[tigerman 0]

Has anyone seen evidence of Oliver Gildart at training yet .. ??


I swear I saw him in Darlinghurst the other day. Oh wait, that was a junkie.

No idea what you are implying??

He is saying cos he is skinny and has tattoos he looks like a junkie.
Yes he does look slight but that’s a pretty dumb, insensitive and disrespectful comment imo

Sorry. He doesn’t look like a junkie.

He looks like a druggo

Cue the mods and no freedom of speech on this forum.

I’ll have to start to think of a new alias

So when do you turn 14?

 

[Elderslie_Tiger]

Why’s everyone complaining?

They lost friend and cordner this year… they’re under the cap..

You mean SOMBRERO ????

You live in Elderslie ?

@JC99 lives down the road.

Yes not far from KIRKHAM OVAL

 

[2041]

Has anyone seen evidence of Oliver Gildart at training yet .. ??


I swear I saw him in Darlinghurst the other day. Oh wait, that was a junkie.

No idea what you are implying??

He is saying cos he is skinny and has tattoos he looks like a junkie.
Yes he does look slight but that’s a pretty dumb, insensitive and disrespectful comment imo

Sorry. He doesn’t look like a junkie.

He looks like a druggo

Cue the mods and no freedom of speech on this forum.

I’ll have to start to think of a new alias

I don't normally call people out on here but please stop being such a pathetic cry baby whiner. You don't have "freedom of speech" to use someone else's platform to commit libel, nor have you ever had. God this sort of nonsense is frustrating. Sad little men demanding their "rights" to be defamatory. Makes me sick.

 

[Demps]

Has anyone seen evidence of Oliver Gildart at training yet .. ??


I swear I saw him in Darlinghurst the other day. Oh wait, that was a junkie.

No idea what you are implying??

He is saying cos he is skinny and has tattoos he looks like a junkie.
Yes he does look slight but that’s a pretty dumb, insensitive and disrespectful comment imo

Sorry. He doesn’t look like a junkie.

He looks like a druggo

Cue the mods and no freedom of speech on this forum.

I’ll have to start to think of a new alias

So when do you turn 14?

It's been said by many people.
Don't take it so personal.

If it's not druggo jokes it'd be anorexic jokes.
That's a serious condition !
Yes, but he's skinny.

Anyway, by all reports for a skinny lad he is super strong.
Looks like Curtis Scott and is definitely a player to watch.
He's impressed a few people that are in the know so from those reports alone, he's making my round 1 predicted team.

 

[balmain boy]

What a joke follow the roooters recruitment model , we don’t have enough brown paper bags to be able to follow that model. U can bet ur last dollar what ever smith signs for which will be unders , when he retires there will be a nice envelope from uncle nic waiting for him


As he said in his interview he will be set up for life -

Long term payments and a trust fund set up to pay him well into his senior years I suspect. No other club can compete against that

If the Roosters are simply advising him how to invest good money to help him after football that's fine. All clubs should be doing this.
If they, or anyone else, is topping up his bank accounts then it's breaking the cap, and the NRL needs to find a way to enforce the rules and punish them

 

[dazza65]

What a joke follow the roooters recruitment model , we don’t have enough brown paper bags to be able to follow that model. U can bet ur last dollar what ever smith signs for which will be unders , when he retires there will be a nice envelope from uncle nic waiting for him


As he said in his interview he will be set up for life -

Long term payments and a trust fund set up to pay him well into his senior years I suspect. No other club can compete against that

If the Roosters are simply advising him how to invest good money to help him after football that's fine. All clubs should be doing this.
If they, or anyone else, is topping up his bank accounts then it's breaking the cap, and the NRL needs to find a way to enforce the rules and punish them

Its the latter.

A few years back I knew a guy who was working at Macquarie Bank and for people in the know they knew of quite a few trust style funds and similar instruments that had been set up by Roarter board members (not just Uncle Nick but Bouris and Gyngell) but were in unrelated trust names. I have as well so I have a bit of experience understanding how these can be set up and how they can be used to "hide" who the true beneficiaries are.

IMHO opinion, **if** (and there is no proof that this is what these guys are doing as there are a million reason why successful business people like Politis, Bouris and Gyngell would be dealing in trusts) but again **if** this is what some clubs are doing, it is absolutely against the cap rules and are a blatant example of cheating. Proving it is an entirely different matter and could only be unraveled with the assistance of the ATO.

 

[PabloX]

Reed Mahoney's manager has had a shocker. He should've definitely waited for Brandon Smith to make a decision

 

[Bones]

Why’s everyone complaining?

They lost friend and cordner this year… they’re under the cap..

Yeah, when you consider those losses you'd like to think that they're under the cap. And then you look at the rest of their squad being littered with Origin players and internationals and you start to realise there is no way in hell that they're under the cap. Sure, they lost a few key players but that doesn't account for the fact that nearly every single player in their starting 13 is a rep level player. Can't believe there are people actually trying to vouch for the Roosters being under the cap just because they lost a few players.

Exactly. It’s laughable.

Its never about who they lose its about who they have got. They never lose players to stay under the cap they lose players that they no longer want or retire, and replace them with equally good ones or better.

Lose Pearce gain Cronk. Lose RTS gain Tedesco. Lose Friend gain Cheese. It's like a constant upgrade system but never seems to cost them any extra money.

In a decade or so the Roosters spine will be Jesus, Zeus, Hercules and Superman, and all 4 will claim they are playing for the chance of a premiership and the Roosters professionalism.

Would a draft stop this sort of thing?

Probably, but it has no legs in our sport. Also it's all short-term...you only have to look at the NBA to see that the draft does distribute talent, but soon enough money talks and the big-name players are drawn to whichever franchise is spending the big bucks at that time.

What I don't understand, is why people think a draft has no legs in the nrl?

I love the NBA, and the draft does distribute talent. That's why we see other teams make the play-offs.

Yes, you do get some big name players changing teams, but that's generally at the end of their career when they're chasing championships. But that doesn't always work out, last season was an example.

**it will kill off grassroots football. our high school and tertiary systems aren't strong enough to support the pathways of the sport. football clubs won't see the point in funding junior footy if they're just developing players for poorly run clubs to snap their players up. a draft just won't work in the NRL.**

think of how good it is to see blokes like Doueihi & Stefano come home because they're our junior products. how good is it to see Alex Seyfarth coming through the grades to now becoming a regular starter in firsts who is a local boy. Justin Matamua and Brandon Tumeth are both examples of players that are going to have long careers with us, and we're about to see them come through in the coming years, starting with being in the Emerging Blues squad. a draft kills all of that. that's why I think it has no place in the NRL.

Isn’t that what’s happening already?

 

[jrtiger]

Why’s everyone complaining?

They lost friend and cordner this year… they’re under the cap..

Yeah, when you consider those losses you'd like to think that they're under the cap. And then you look at the rest of their squad being littered with Origin players and internationals and you start to realise there is no way in hell that they're under the cap. Sure, they lost a few key players but that doesn't account for the fact that nearly every single player in their starting 13 is a rep level player. Can't believe there are people actually trying to vouch for the Roosters being under the cap just because they lost a few players.

Exactly. It’s laughable.

Its never about who they lose its about who they have got. They never lose players to stay under the cap they lose players that they no longer want or retire, and replace them with equally good ones or better.

Lose Pearce gain Cronk. Lose RTS gain Tedesco. Lose Friend gain Cheese. It's like a constant upgrade system but never seems to cost them any extra money.

In a decade or so the Roosters spine will be Jesus, Zeus, Hercules and Superman, and all 4 will claim they are playing for the chance of a premiership and the Roosters professionalism.

Would a draft stop this sort of thing?

Probably, but it has no legs in our sport. Also it's all short-term...you only have to look at the NBA to see that the draft does distribute talent, but soon enough money talks and the big-name players are drawn to whichever franchise is spending the big bucks at that time.

What I don't understand, is why people think a draft has no legs in the nrl?

I love the NBA, and the draft does distribute talent. That's why we see other teams make the play-offs.

Yes, you do get some big name players changing teams, but that's generally at the end of their career when they're chasing championships. But that doesn't always work out, last season was an example.

**it will kill off grassroots football. our high school and tertiary systems aren't strong enough to support the pathways of the sport. football clubs won't see the point in funding junior footy if they're just developing players for poorly run clubs to snap their players up. a draft just won't work in the NRL.**

think of how good it is to see blokes like Doueihi & Stefano come home because they're our junior products. how good is it to see Alex Seyfarth coming through the grades to now becoming a regular starter in firsts who is a local boy. Justin Matamua and Brandon Tumeth are both examples of players that are going to have long careers with us, and we're about to see them come through in the coming years, starting with being in the Emerging Blues squad. a draft kills all of that. that's why I think it has no place in the NRL.

Isn’t that what’s happening already?

I'd have to disagree. we've invested heavily into our pathways these past few years and we're going to reap the benefits in the next couple of years. Penrith's system needs no introduction. Newcastle are in the process of doing something similar with Garth Brennan heading up their pathways department. the Illawarra region has continued to bear fruit for St George. Manly have invested heavily within the north-west which has seen them unearth the likes of Schuster, Sipley & Olakau'atu. Frank Ponnissi is on record saying Melbourne want to improve grassroots footy in Victoria. a draft puts the brakes on all of that.