Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[GNR4LIFE]

Luai leaving makes no sense besides $, but it completely voids all his talk about trying to be Batman and build a legacy when he’s accomplished nothing here (yet)

If you swallow that, that’s on you.

 

[Speed2burn]

I don’t think we’ve lost a magic round game lol

We got flogged against the cowboys one year

I’d know, I sat through us impersonating a footy team .. I think it was 2022

 

[Vicious]

For those who think it doesn’t matter how much we pay to retain players such as Jahream and Jarome, have a look at the Roster Breakdown thread to see how tight our cap space is going to be in 2027 and beyond even with salary cap increases if we retain all the players we ideally want to regain.
We have to ask ourselves the question, as good as our team is going at the moment, have we got an all round team who are genuine title contenders or do we ideally still need to strengthen in a couple of positions ?

 

[EllisFan]

Luai leaving makes no sense besides $, but it completely voids all his talk about trying to be Batman and build a legacy when he’s accomplished nothing here (yet)

I think most people at Leichhardt last Thursday would completely disagree. Not so long ago we were getting pumped by 50 in spoon bowls.

JL along with a few other key acquisitions have been enormous for this club.

 

[Tom Shines]

For those who think it doesn’t matter how much we pay to retain players such as Jahream and Jarome, have a look at the Roster Breakdown thread to see how tight our cap space is going to be in 2027 and beyond even with salary cap increases if we retain all the players we ideally want to regain.
We have to ask ourselves the question, as good as our team is going at the moment, have we got an all round team who are genuine title contenders or do we ideally still need to strengthen in a couple of positions ?

I thought they needed another middle ..but Twal has turned into that player.. they might be good now

 

[Tito Santana]

I think most people at Leichhardt last Thursday would completely disagree. Not so long ago we were getting pumped by 50 in spoon bowls.

JL along with a few other key acquisitions have been enormous for this club.

PNG are a genuine threat. It would be a hard gig living there though. If you’ve done any travelling to a third world country you would know what it’s like, especially having a family. The whole concept of not having the freedom to just go for a run because of security or put out the rubbish just completely goes against the way we live here. Not to mention, getting your kids to school etc. Good luck to them living in a gated community. Been there done that. Like being in the Truman Show.

 

[Vicious]

I thought they needed another middle ..but Twal has turned into that player.. they might be good now

Yes we are good for middles in our top 17, but dependent on whether or not Bunty Afoa is the right player to be our first choice back up middle and whether or not we extend him for 2027, we may need to find a suitable a first choice back up middle for 2027.
Similar story with Charlie Murray, will his form be good enough to be a high priority back up middle on a minimum top 30 wage ?

 

[TYGA]

The squad is solid now and moving forward.
We have a long list that needs to be upgraded and resigned for 2027. Sam Fainu, Latu Fainu, Terell May, Taylan May, Bula, Turuva. We need to strengthen the back up hooker and right centre.

 

[supercoach]

Wait till the realization of PNG hits,
600ml from the Australian government,
For there start up glorybox.

Then the Chiefs will purchase players from us on tax free contracts, Giving them all our top players.
Within 5 years they will win first Grand Final
And they will keep winning every year after that.

THE NRL HAVE IN MY OPINION HAVE SIGNED THE GAME OVER TO PNG,

NO AUSTRALIAN BASED NRL TEAM WILL BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THE CHIEFS TAX FREE OFFER,
THE SALARY CAP WONT REALLY BOTHER THEM COMPAIRED TO US.

I HOPE I AM WRONG.

There might be an initial rush of players cashing in on the dollars, but not many will last up there. It’s a hard life especially in Port Moresby. I guess the long term aim is to fill the majority of the roster with locals, but that will take a decade. I think most players would want get out clauses

 

[wstigers11]

For those who think it doesn’t matter how much we pay to retain players such as Jahream and Jarome, have a look at the Roster Breakdown thread to see how tight our cap space is going to be in 2027 and beyond even with salary cap increases if we retain all the players we ideally want to regain.
We have to ask ourselves the question, as good as our team is going at the moment, have we got an all round team who are genuine title contenders or do we ideally still need to strengthen in a couple of positions ?

Will we be title contenders without Bula? Our squad is very well balanced IMO

 

[Vicious]

The squad is solid now and moving forward.
We have a long list that needs to be upgraded and resigned for 2027. Sam Fainu, Latu Fainu, Terell May, Taylan May, Bula, Turuva. We need to strengthen the back up hooker and right centre.

Have a look at my recent post on the Roster Breakdown thread, we simply will not have enough money within our Salary Cap to retain them all and pay them the money they are looking for.

 

[Tom Shines]

Yes we are good for middles in our top 17, but dependent on whether or not Bunty Afoa is the right player to be our first choice back up middle and whether or not we extend him for 2027, we may need to find a suitable a first choice back up middle for 2027.
Similar story with Charlie Murray, will his form be good enough to be a high priority back up middle on a minimum top 30 wage ?

if Non Top 17 are out biggest issues .. we are going ok 👍

 

[innsaneink]

No one here knows what the cap situation is truly like

 

[wstigers11]

if Non Top 17 are out biggest issues .. we are going ok 👍

The opposite? The dragons lol

 

[Vicious]

Will we be title contenders without Bula? Our squad is very well balanced IMO

That’s the million dollar question.
Without recruiting any other notable players for our top 17, are we already strong enough to win a premiership?
At full strength I am very happy with our starting forwards and bench forwards, but I’m not overly confident we are strong enough to win a premiership within our 1-5.
In a perfect world we would re-sign Bula for a little bit cheaper than the money he is rumoured to be asking for to allow us to recruit a quality right centre, but in saying that there are no quality right centres currently available for 2027, I think Jake Averillo is as close as you can get to that description.

 

[wstigers11]

That’s the million dollar question.
Without recruiting any other notable players for our top 17, are we already strong enough to win a premiership?
At full strength I am very happy with our starting forwards and bench forwards, but I’m not overly confident we are strong enough to win a premiership within our 1-5.
In a perfect world we would re-sign Bula for a little bit cheaper than the money he is rumoured to be asking for to allow us to recruit a quality right centre, but in saying that there are no quality right centres currently available for 2027, I think Jake Averillo is as close as you can get to that description.

You take both Jahream & Luai out of our line up and it looks pretty bleak. Team list this week even might even be scary.

 

[Vicious]

No one here knows what the cap situation is truly like

That is correct, but based on media reports, rumours and guesswork based on what other similar quality of players are reportedly being paid, we will 100% be struggling to keep all our current squad together for 2027 and beyond unless we either get all the ones we want to keep who are off contract at the end of 2026 or 2026 to agree to stay with us for bargain basement contract values, or we cut somebody loose.

 

[EllisFan]

You take both Jahream & Luai out of our line up and it looks pretty bleak. Team list this week even might even be scary.

Good clubs can’t keep em all, look at Penrith.

The key is to identify the nucleus of the side. The chins, Edwards, To’o, Yeo’s and Martin’s.

I’d have Bula in our core group based on his age and consistency.

 

[wstigers11]

Good clubs can’t keep em all, look at Penrith.

The key is to identify the nucleus of the side. The chins, Edwards, To’o, Yeo’s and Martin’s.

I’d have Bula in our core group based on his age and consistency.

Yeah we need to keep at least one.

 

[Tom Shines]

That’s the million dollar question.
Without recruiting any other notable players for our top 17, are we already strong enough to win a premiership?
At full strength I am very happy with our starting forwards and bench forwards, but I’m not overly confident we are strong enough to win a premiership within our 1-5.
In a perfect world we would re-sign Bula for a little bit cheaper than the money he is rumoured to be asking for to allow us to recruit a quality right centre, but in saying that there are no quality right centres currently available for 2027, I think Jake Averillo is as close as you can get to that description.

We don’t live in a perfect world unfortunately.., I don’t think Bula is taking a $600k pay cut so we can sign a quality Center 😂