Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Telltails]

Grahan is a similar player to Matterson in my opinion. Only a lot older and a lot more injured.

Keep the barge pole handy.

Lol… Says it all

Injury free graham is one of the best players in nrl

Heard yesterday Graham is staying and being named captain of the Sharks when he returns.

No surprise. Seems well entrenched in the Sharks system.

 

[colmcd]

Lol… Says it all

Injury free graham is one of the best players in nrl

Heard yesterday Graham is staying and being named captain of the Sharks when he returns.

No surprise. Seems well entrenched in the Sharks system.

The mistake was not signing the other Graham, James. He would have made a huge impact on our pack last year instead of St George.
Wade, I can't typecast that player. But I can see him not being beefy enough for our front row and not making the impact he does at the sharks with our team. I can see his kind of role being similar to Lawrence/Mck/Mcqueen (if he will ever be fit again).

 

[Spud_Murphy]

Lol… Says it all

Injury free graham is one of the best players in nrl

Heard yesterday Graham is staying and being named captain of the Sharks when he returns.

No surprise. Seems well entrenched in the Sharks system.

Definitely, I think he was just waiting to see what was happening with coach Flanagan. Now both Flanagans are staying, so will Graham.

That's it for us I'm afraid kiddies. We will just have to work with what we have and hope there is marked improvement in the games of players such as Packer, Mats, Brooks, Nofo, Fonua, Eiso, Aloiai, Benji, McQueen etc and hopefully a new star unearthed among the likes of Momorovski, Mikaele, Garner or Musgrove. Also a total injury free year for Reynolds and Lawrence would help, though since they are getting older that's probably expecting too much.

 

[Balmainian]

Happy with the player signings so far… but...let's be honest.....
I know we aren't Melb or Rosters but I think we would all be lying to ourselves if we can't admit that without signing a gun centre **and** proper forward it's another failed off-season / foray into the player market.

Most distressing is that there are already posts that precede this one, from our fans, that they are satisfied with our 2019 team and how we should probably start thinking about 2020.....
ummm, FYI it's practically the same team! the team that missed the 8...AGAIN!

We were apparently all "cashed up" and it was largely acknowledged that **the 2018 off-season was/is absolutely the window where we need to sign established guns into centre and forward. Particularly forward.**
We have added no origin or rep players to our roster, nor have we even signed any established first-graders, so please, do not cite the lame old reason of the "salary cap" - I do not buy it. That's an excuse for sour-grape-suckers who (1) are never privvy to actual accounts and (2) who veil their inferiority complex behind the excuse of the salary cap. Sorry - that's how I feel.
From where I sit it seems we picked up a few fringe first-graders to fill these positions (though they may come good...I do have hope for Momo). But this is just not good enough. I know the off-season isn't over, but we cannot be complacent. We need to demand better. We need quality!

We need to appreciate that:
(1) our forward pack has lacked punch for years and this excuse has inevitably followed most of our losses - and rightly so.
(2) the Brooks thread has largely been dominated by his groupies slamming his critics, but what we all can agree on is that he hasn't had a proper pack to play behind - and this may very well turn him into a world-beater.

As it stands right now, we haven't made significant improvements to our pack, so I don't see how either of the above trends will change. Thus, I fail to grasp how can any of us realistically expect it to be anything but another year of what if's.

Look, I love our players and have a natural bias as to how awesome they are, but I am trying to be objective, so unless Madge is an absolute genius I just can't see us doing much better in 2019, with largely the same cattle.

Please don't call me a pessimist, I am just calling for some perspective.

We need to learn from the mistakes of the past. Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Cronulla did things differently and reaped rewards by becoming a perennial threat. So did Souths.
It's bloody well our turn. Come on Madge!!! Come on fans! Let's NOT settle for anything less than the absolute best we can get!

Please don't shoot down those like me who only want a crazy amazing team and refuse to settle.

gee its good to see that some one else can see are, short comings in recruitment. yes we got 3 players that may be good, but there along way from rep players. most on here need to get there heads out of the sand and see it for what it really is, another failed roster. and if most think it will be better in 2020, just harp back to what we have been dished up over the last 5-10 tens years.

For all your complaining, you don’t offer many solutions.

Seriously,
We have Matterson and Musgrove, Adding to a injury free Packer and Rochow.
Lawrence,Garner,Huth,Twal,Aloiai and Mataulino.
That’s a pretty good pack in my book.
In the first 5 rounds last year before packer and Rochow got injured our pack really stood up.
Dropping Sue and Grant and picking up Matterson and Musgrove is a huge upgrade.

 

[colmcd]

Rumour on LU forum saying Luke Burgess to wt to work under Madge.

He’s retired

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12204/11510830/luke-burgess-retires-after-helping-salford-secure-super-league-status

Coaching staff

We need a change in culture. Madge will know what to expect out of Luke and I would be happy if any Bunnies want to reunite.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Solid doesn't win us titles, but it will get us going in the right direction.

Seriously, we have not made the finals for seven seasons. We are poison to elite players who want success wherever they go. We need to start competing in the finals regularly and show cause as to why we'd be an attractive proposition for high quality players in the NRL.

There's only one other way to achieve that, and that involves investing large chunks of our cap to attract one or two players who will be nothing without half decent players filling out the team around them, and causes serious dramas with cap management to retain anyone we bring through the system who will likely go elsewhere to taste success due to repeated failure (read: Moses, Woods, Tedesco.)

 

[Snake]

I am so glad Graham is staying at the Sharks I just never understand the love for these types .. yes a good player that is is injury prone and his best days are behind him .
In all seriousness if this club wants to climb the ladder of success better options of player recruitment has to be applied …Younger...stronger and hungry !if not the Graham type signing just keeps keeps the mediocrity wheels turning.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I would not be taking Graham as he is not a centre.

 

[TheDaBoss]

Cook has signed with rabbits on a 5 year deal

 

[Snake]

Cook has signed with rabbits on a 5 year deal

Good on Souths Cook is in my one trick pony team !

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Good, hopefully it forces Jennings out. Could use a bloke like him. Scored 24 tries in 34 games for Souths. Still would like an out and out centre too though.

 

[Geo]

Damn we thought we had him

 

[TheDaBoss]

Damn we thought we had him

"we" :wink: :sunglasses:

 

[TheDaBoss]

UK Super League giants St Helens have hosed down talk of Golden Boot winner Tommy Makinson moving to the NRL after the England winger was spotted at Newcastle.
Makinson made it clear he wanted to break into the NRL after he was a shock winner of the Golden Boot award ahead of James Tedesco, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Elliott Whitehead last month.

 

[happy_tiger]

Happy with the player signings so far… but...let's be honest.....
I know we aren't Melb or Rosters but I think we would all be lying to ourselves if we can't admit that without signing a gun centre **and** proper forward it's another failed off-season / foray into the player market.

Most distressing is that there are already posts that precede this one, from our fans, that they are satisfied with our 2019 team and how we should probably start thinking about 2020.....
ummm, FYI it's practically the same team! the team that missed the 8...AGAIN!

We were apparently all "cashed up" and it was largely acknowledged that **the 2018 off-season was/is absolutely the window where we need to sign established guns into centre and forward. Particularly forward.**
We have added no origin or rep players to our roster, nor have we even signed any established first-graders, so please, do not cite the lame old reason of the "salary cap" - I do not buy it. That's an excuse for sour-grape-suckers who (1) are never privvy to actual accounts and (2) who veil their inferiority complex behind the excuse of the salary cap. Sorry - that's how I feel.
From where I sit it seems we picked up a few fringe first-graders to fill these positions (though they may come good...I do have hope for Momo). But this is just not good enough. I know the off-season isn't over, but we cannot be complacent. We need to demand better. We need quality!

We need to appreciate that:
(1) our forward pack has lacked punch for years and this excuse has inevitably followed most of our losses - and rightly so.
(2) the Brooks thread has largely been dominated by his groupies slamming his critics, but what we all can agree on is that he hasn't had a proper pack to play behind - and this may very well turn him into a world-beater.

As it stands right now, we haven't made significant improvements to our pack, so I don't see how either of the above trends will change. Thus, I fail to grasp how can any of us realistically expect it to be anything but another year of what if's.

Look, I love our players and have a natural bias as to how awesome they are, but I am trying to be objective, so unless Madge is an absolute genius I just can't see us doing much better in 2019, with largely the same cattle.

Please don't call me a pessimist, I am just calling for some perspective.

We need to learn from the mistakes of the past. Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Cronulla did things differently and reaped rewards by becoming a perennial threat. So did Souths.
It's bloody well our turn. Come on Madge!!! Come on fans! Let's NOT settle for anything less than the absolute best we can get!

Please don't shoot down those like me who only want a crazy amazing team and refuse to settle.

gee its good to see that some one else can see are, short comings in recruitment. yes we got 3 players that may be good, but there along way from rep players. most on here need to get there heads out of the sand and see it for what it really is, another failed roster. and if most think it will be better in 2020, just harp back to what we have been dished up over the last 5-10 tens years.

For all your complaining, you don’t offer many solutions.

Simple, Buy a quality player :smiley:

I can see us ambushing a few teams early then falling off the pace when our pack hits the wall, much the same as this year, hope not though

I think we have a bit better depth in the forwards on 2018 , if all the backs stay fit …......... 😛ray:

 

[happy_tiger]

Damn we thought we had him

Who …..Cammy Smith ??

 

[TheDaBoss]

St George Illawarra have reportedly expressed interest in one of Parramatta’s star halves.

and taupau has been linked with Canterbury, Parramatta and the Sydney Roosters in recent months.

 

[WT2K]

St George Illawarra have reportedly expressed interest in one of Parramatta’s star halves.

and taupau has been linked with Canterbury, Parramatta and the Sydney Roosters in recent months.

Marty staying at manly. He's happy with Des as coach (apparently)

 

[bigsiro]

I think we have a bit better depth in the forwards on 2018 , if all the backs stay fit …......... 😛ray:

Agree. We recruited for depth.
:unamused:

Pray hard, happy.

 

[Russell]

Cook has signed with rabbits on a 5 year deal

Good on Souths Cook is in my one trick pony team !

X2