Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

BlackWhiteGold said:
I wonder whether the delay in extending Api & Starford and even the Luai situation is partly dependent on how much we can frontload their contracts in '27 (even the rest of this season & next season).

Hear me out ... in Richo's interview on 360 he mentioned we had the cap space to bring in KPP for the rest of this season. So we have $$$ we probably have to allocate to some existing top 30 players now to be cap compliant.

And in the forecasts for 2027/28 & beyond, we have to factor in $$$ upgrades for the likes of Latu, Samuela, Terrell, Jahream particularly.

So if we have the cap space, it makes sense to frontload our key players now ... Jarome, Api as priority and potentially Starford as he's off-contract Nov-1 for '27.

So in conclusion, maybe Richo is close to knowing how much cap we have left for '26 (with TDS leaving or if any other big $$$ signings are being targeted) to then be able to pay Api, Luai & Starford a lot more next year.

As a player, it would be beneficial to be front-loaded wouldn't it! They can put that money into, for example, an investment property which would reap dividends long-term. So let's say, Jarome is front-loaded an additional $300k next season, that's an additional $300k he could put to an investment property and over time will get a greater return (minus the tax hit).
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I was one who regularly defended Starford’s ability when many others doubted him and it has been good to see him show his class on a much more regular basis this season, but to be honest I couldn’t give him an upgraded contract with us.
Yes he’s our most dangerous attacking outside back and one of our only outside backs capable of making regular tackle busts, offloads etc, but for me he’s far too injury prone and I just never see him out in for a full 80mins.
Obviously we have Taylan May and Heamasi Makasini emerging as centres and I like the idea of Luke Laulilli emerging as a centre, but we can’t be certain any of them will be 💯 NRL ready this season, the 2 youngsters might not even be ready for a large portion of next season.
So we probably do need To’a at least for next season based on this scenario, however if he wants an upgrade to above 400k I think that’s starting to push the limits when there are some very good centres currently off contract for 2027.
Ideally someone like Herbie Farnworth could really revolutionise our edge attack and defence, but we would have to pay 1 million, possibly more to get him seriously thinking about joining us, therefore his Dolphins team mate Jake Averillo would be one of be looking at and I have heard whispers he’s looking at a return to Sydney come 2027.
When you speak of our lack of goal kicking options, I recall Averillo being a fairly handy goal kicker also.
 
liltiger said:
I'd imagine the Tigers will tell Isaac and Bula to sign an extension now. If we signed him up for a further 3 years for example pretty sure Moses would get paid for 27 onward as it's a new deal. If we activate it for one year Moses gets nothing and all we will hear about is Bulas contract next year, but knowing Moses will get nothing if we activate our option now, the club should talk a new deal and extension now, as Moses is already looking for interest elsewhere. We have power in this situation. If Moses refuses to discuss an extension now knowing he won't getsee a cent from Bulas final year on his current deal, writings on the wall he's going to try to get Bula out of the joint.
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I'm sure there is a deal to be done - it could even be as simple as us activating the option and then negotiating the outer years. The one thing that is consistent across premiership winng teams over the last two decades is a settled spine.

We have the halves combination - provided Latu remains fit, we have the fuillback and hooker in place. We are short a strike centre and a couple of move the needle forwards (including a lock) but apart from that we are building in the right way.

If Bula and Moses want to play silly bugger in the middle of the rebuild it is time to let Bula go and sign a Top 4 fullback for the next four years so the spine is settled. Api should be the first to hand over and his potential replacement has been earmarked - but that is few years away yet to we have time to identify a marquee hooker if that plan fizzles.
 
liltiger said:
No idea, that's for the club to work out, he isn't worth 900k now. This is what might cause some issues because if his on 900k on our option his dropkick manager is going to be asking 1.1 - 1.2 million a year. He's not an elite fullback. I'm torn cause I want Bula to stay but if Moses asks crazy money, I'd let him go and if I couldn't sign another specialist fullback, I'd send Tito in to do the job. Again it comes down to how much the club thinks he's worth. He's not signing a new deal for less than the 900k.
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I agree with you that his drop kick manager will highly likely be trying to scandal us into paying 1 million plus to retain Bula, if that happens and he’s asking for similar money to the likes of Reece Walsh, Paps, Dylan Edwards, Hammer, etc we would be stark raving mad to pay it,
 
liltiger said:
No idea, that's for the club to work out, he isn't worth 900k now. This is what might cause some issues because if his on 900k on our option his dropkick manager is going to be asking 1.1 - 1.2 million a year. He's not an elite fullback. I'm torn cause I want Bula to stay but if Moses asks crazy money, I'd let him go and if I couldn't sign another specialist fullback, I'd send Tito in to do the job. Again it comes down to how much the club thinks he's worth. He's not signing a new deal for less than the 900k.
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He won’t take much south of $900m per year …if I was his manager I would be advising against it …possibly $850k if they are lucky

I keep telling you folks that there is about to be a big leap in the salary cap when the TV deal is announced later this year
 
Tom Shines said:
He won’t take much south of $900m per year …if I was his manager I would be advising against it …possibly $850k if they are lucky

I keep telling you folks that there is about to be a big leap in the salary cap when the TV deal is announced later this year
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So what because the salary cap is likely to increase, we should just start paying our average players the same as what the successful clubs are paying their superstars?
With that theory you could have been running our salary cap for the past 10 years,
 
Vicious said:
So what because the salary cap is likely to increase, we should just start paying our average players the same as what the successful clubs are paying their superstars?
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It it goes up by 30 percent , you don’t think salaries will increase that much ? There will be players on $2m once the next deal comes…

He is hardly an average player …
 
Tom Shines said:
It it goes up by 30 percent , you don’t think salaries will increase that much ? There will be players on $2m once the next deal comes…

He is hardly an average player …
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Hardly a superstar either.
At 900k he would be getting paid the same as the likes of Dylan Erdwards, James Tedesco, Papenhausen, Hammer and getting almost as much as players such as Reece Walsh.
I can’t believe what I’m reading when we have so many fans who genuinely believe Bula is in that elite class,
 
Vicious said:
He has plenty of size and scope for improvement, but so far at NRL level what has he done that’s any better than other players such as Matamua who have since been blacklisted ?
Matamua could play NRL next week and give us the same stats that we got from Sukkar last week.
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The difference is that Sukkar wants to be there and a part of the team. That means turning up each day working hard and building on the team Culture that Benji and the two captains want! That’s the difference. We have seen what players who don’t want to be there end up doing. I would rather stick it out with the Loyal players to our club!
 
Shoes said:
Interesting! Spent 10 years in Darwin and played Rugby over the summer - wet season in the 80’s. Kick off was either 1.30pm, 3 or 5. It was always better getting the late game. The humidity is up there and the heat is constant but it is actually a really good time to be there. The rain is cooling not cold and the water falls etc are really pumping. Ind you there was also no air conditioning in most of houses, work places etc
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Was there in the early 90's visiting a friend to much for me but had no problem in Egypt on 45- 50 degree days
 
Tiger in boots 🐅 said:
The difference is that Sukkar wants to be there and a part of the team. That means turning up each day working hard and building on the team Culture that Benji and the two captains want! That’s the difference. We have seen what players who don’t want to be there end up doing. I would rather stick it out with the Loyal players to our club!
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I think you will find Matamua trained his backside off and had plenty of desire to be part of our club long term also.
He has always been crucified for lack of impact, young Sukkar is also yet to demonstrate any above average impact at NRL level, yet sone are talking him up ?
Ad I’ve said I’m not saying he won’t make the necessary improvements as he’s still young, but if we are being fair dinkum he’s shown nothing more than Matamua at this stage.
 
colinbh said:
Need a goalkicker? Why? Why would you not keep AD?
He is big, fairly quick, we know that he can play: wing, center, fullback, 5/8, halfback and probably lock.
Plus he is quite a good goalkicker. Problem solved.
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I agree goal kicking is needed, but in every one of those positions you list for him , he would surely be second choice coverage rather than first picked. The team 1-13 / 17 would still be missing a goal kicker. I know Api can kick but Id rather we had an alternate as first kick and Api be back up. I have no issues if Doueihi is offered an extension but it would have to be in the knowledge he would probably be coverage rather than first picked or maybe a 14-17 utility player.
 
Vicious said:
I think you will find Matamua trained his backside off and had plenty of desire to be part of our club long term also.
He has always been crucified for lack of impact, young Sukkar is also yet to demonstrate any above average impact at NRL level, yet sone are talking him up ?
Ad I’ve said I’m not saying he won’t make the necessary improvements as he’s still young, but if we are being fair dinkum he’s shown nothing more than Matamua at this stage.
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Shame that he's proven to be shithouse!

Sukkar has shown twice as much as Matamua - this is just more clown shit!
 
Vicious said:
Hardly a superstar either.
At 900k he would be getting paid the same as the likes of Dylan Erdwards, James Tedesco, Papenhausen, Hammer and getting almost as much as players such as Reece Walsh.
I can’t believe what I’m reading when we have so many fans who genuinely believe Bula is in that elite class,
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Superstar is your word … not mine ..

Superstars get paid $1.4m plus … not $900k..

How much is Brown getting from Newcastle ? I wouldn’t pay him half…

I don’t know if you listened to Richo’s ABC interview… he strongly indicated he is picking up the $900k option for Bula
 
Vicious said:
So what because the salary cap is likely to increase, we should just start paying our average players the same as what the successful clubs are paying their superstars?
With that theory you could have been running our salary cap for the past 10 years,
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Demand drives price and with the entry of new teams and the shortage of quality players in crucial positions, there is only one way contract values will go.
 
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