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Recruitment and Retention for 2027

257Matt said:
The Roosters games in the finals shows they will be winding back on the 6 agains and it'll suit clubs like Roosters, Broncos, Storm and Bulldogs to have less 6 agains and more dominance in the defensive ruck and those 4 clubs are the power block of the NRL.
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Why would those 4 benefit more than any other teams?
 
Liverbird with Phins up said:
Rival club ready to move for Bostock

Great article highlighting what i'm talking about in relation to Agents using the media.

So, less then a few days ago, Bostock was quoted in the media saying i'm a Dolphin, should be signed before nov 1.

Then Agent gets on the phone to him and tells him to stop cock blocking the negotiation. Because saying you're going to stay does nothing for the Agent maximizing Bostock's value, more importantly maximizing the Agents Commission (signing bonus etc). Agents get paid on signing, and regular percentage based on salary.

Agent then talks to the media saying the Dragons are in play, an indirect way of saying, no its not done I want to squeeze blood out of a stone.

Its a grubby game, however the NRL are 100% to blame, because their transfer/recruiting window rules are joke/clown like in relation to professional sport. Free transferring of player talent that a club spend money developing is a complete and utter joke in the sporting landscape. And having a player play for one team, while contracted to play for another team less then 12 months later, is even worse. The other thing that is a joke is a salary cap, which is used to spread talent to the have nots, without a draft like system, doesn't spread talent to the have nots, the salary cap is akin to tits on a bull. Challenged by Terry Hill in the dark ages based on restraint of trade, has keep our game/league and system in the times of making fire with sticks and stones, while other codes use a lighter.
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I've thought for a while we will lose one of Hammer, Herbie or Bostock. If this is true, I hope it's Hammer.
 
Red said:
I've thought for a while we will lose one of Hammer, Herbie or Bostock. If this is true, I hope it's Hammer.
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if we can afford them now theres no reason why we caant next year even with upgrades we lost atleast 1.8 mill in money plus more i dont see any of them going


lot of its media beat up if dragons really wamted players they would of got them how many of our guys the been linked to , only way they be going if overs

dont see many other teams wanting to fork out mil fore a fullback / and doubt he be going for less
 
Red said:
I've thought for a while we will lose one of Hammer, Herbie or Bostock. If this is true, I hope it's Hammer.
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I'm glad someone agrees Hammer is the most disposable of the 3 but the one most likely to remain.

It'll take an overs offer for Bostock to leave when Naufahu re-signed the odds of Bostock remaining became more likely. I took forward to their right side combination next year.
 
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I'd argue hammer is the one to keep because he is always building in almost every way. If we can afford to keep him we might end with someone like Teddy who can do everything very well in a couple years. I have high hopes for him to continue building.

As for our middles I can see a world where we let go of lemuelu and pick up a decent prop and let pouniu take over in the backrow. So far pouniu has shown some insane power and impact in the forwards which would lighten the load on the middles. So imagine you start Gilbert and a suitable replacement for flegler up front, then kuli and pouniu in the backrow and you have a devastating pack regardless of who is at lock. Pouniu and kuli alone make any pack scary. I love Connolly but the possibility of an even stronger backrow for less is impossible to ignore long term.
 
257Matt said:
I'm glad someone agrees Hammer is the most disposable of the 3 but the one most likely to remain.

It'll take an overs offer for Bostock to leave when Naufahu re-signed the odds of Bostock remaining became more likely. I took forward to their right side combination next year.
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more chance getting a centre at 800 at overs than a fullback at under no way hammer going anywhere to play centre at unders as i dont see mamy clubs wanting a fullback nor hammer dropping money to play centre for another club and dont think trai be full time fullback pretty sure hes said in past he only play centre at rep level/orgin especially bostock been in nrl lesser amount of time
 
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yonathonjoung said:
I'd argue hammer is the one to keep because he is always building in almost every way. If we can afford to keep him we might end with someone like Teddy who can do everything very well in a couple years. I have high hopes for him to continue building.

As for our middles I can see a world where we let go of lemuelu and pick up a decent prop and let pouniu take over in the backrow. So far pouniu has shown some insane power and impact in the forwards which would lighten the load on the middles. So imagine you start Gilbert and a suitable replacement for flegler up front, then kuli and pouniu in the backrow and you have a devastating pack regardless of who is at lock. Pouniu and kuli alone make any pack scary. I love Connolly but the possibility of an even stronger backrow for less is impossible to ignore long term.
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He had a shocker against the Roosters in the semis. Was having a shocker against the Warriors until the last 10min. I've always thought he is one of the best centres but not among the best fullbacks.
 
yonathonjoung said:
I'd argue hammer is the one to keep because he is always building in almost every way. If we can afford to keep him we might end with someone like Teddy who can do everything very well in a couple years. I have high hopes for him to continue building.

As for our middles I can see a world where we let go of lemuelu and pick up a decent prop and let pouniu take over in the backrow. So far pouniu has shown some insane power and impact in the forwards which would lighten the load on the middles. So imagine you start Gilbert and a suitable replacement for flegler up front, then kuli and pouniu in the backrow and you have a devastating pack regardless of who is at lock. Pouniu and kuli alone make any pack scary. I love Connolly but the possibility of an even stronger backrow for less is impossible to ignore long term.
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Pouniu is at the stage he can't be kept out of the side.

Hammer is good when the game opens up but doesn't do the tough stuff of other fullbacks or players like Herbie and Bostock.

Bostock is a cheaper option than Hammer and I still believe a club needs to come way more than what the Dolphins offer to lure him away.

Sadly I think Herbie is gone.
 
Hammer is a better centre than FB but his abilities still make him probably the 5th or so best FB in the comp and he won't be taking centre money when he can get FB money here or elsewhere, i'd imagine he probably stays, the main threat to me would be if the Cowboys had a ton of money to try and pay him overs to replace Drinkwater but I doubt it. Broncos and Titans both don't need fullbacks, PNG maybe but I still assume they're going to get Brimson for FB after they figure out something with the Titans and i'd imagine the Titans will eventually swallow their pride and pay some freight to move Brimson on since they desperately need the cap space and are wasting him out of position at this point.

One good factor I think re Bostock is with Naufahu his partner on the right edge i'd imagine they're close since Naufahu is dating Bostock's sister so presumably that makes it more likely he'll stay given their family ties, also obviously going to the Dragons is not an appealing prospect at all in terms of competing, yes they've recruited decently (although I personally think Drinkwater and Sami are disasters and Metcalf is obviously a risk with his injury history) they still have a pretty terrible set of outside backs and their ceiling would be barely making the top 8 even if everything goes perfectly whereas the Phins should be in a win now window for at least the next few years as long as we don't lose more than one of Herbie/Hammer/Bostock and I can't imagine the Dragons having the cap space after their signing spree to offer him significant overs when we're presumably going to be offering Bostock his market value (I assume 800k or so)

I do really hope we keep Herbie. Hopefully Mark N sorts out a return with the Roosters ASAP to lessen their cap space a bit and if they can retain Sam Walker that also lessens the room a bit further.

I feel like we should be fine to offer Herbie 1.2m a season or so and if he leaves beyond that so be it I guess we can't pay more than that for a centre, even the best centre in the game.

Re George Williams I hope the fanbase gives him a chance, he'll have seen a ton of negativity from Phins fans and hopefully that gives him something to prove, i'm cautiously optimistic and to some degree I saw Kodi's 2026 as a risk of being an outlier like Shibasaki's 2025 was, in that Kodi has not been consistently anywhere near as good as he was this year, for his sake I can hope he maintains it but I wouldn't be surprised if we see a ton of regression from Kodi next season back to closer to the player he was for most of his career.

If Williams delivers we can absolutely win the premiership in 2027, hopefully he's up for it. People treating him like he's some random super league scrub are wrong, he's a starting England half and their captain.
 
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SwoopAE said:
Hammer is a better centre than FB but his abilities still make him probably the 5th or so best FB in the comp and he won't be taking centre money when he can get FB money here or elsewhere, i'd imagine he probably stays, the main threat to me would be if the Cowboys had a ton of money to try and pay him overs to replace Drinkwater but I doubt it. Broncos and Titans both don't need fullbacks, PNG maybe but I still assume they're going to get Brimson for FB after they figure out something with the Titans and i'd imagine the Titans will eventually swallow their pride and pay some freight to move Brimson on since they desperately need the cap space and are wasting him out of position at this point.

One good factor I think re Bostock is with Naufahu his partner on the right edge i'd imagine they're close since Naufahu is dating Bostock's sister so presumably that makes it more likely he'll stay given their family ties, also obviously going to the Dragons is not an appealing prospect at all in terms of competing, yes they've recruited decently (although I personally think Drinkwater and Sami are disasters and Metcalf is obviously a risk with his injury history) they still have a pretty terrible set of outside backs and their ceiling would be barely making the top 8 even if everything goes perfectly whereas the Phins should be in a win now window for at least the next few years as long as we don't lose more than one of Herbie/Hammer/Bostock and I can't imagine the Dragons having the cap space after their signing spree to offer him significant overs when we're presumably going to be offering Bostock his market value (I assume 800k or so)

I do really hope we keep Herbie. Hopefully Mark N sorts out a return with the Roosters ASAP to lessen their cap space a bit and if they can retain Sam Walker that also lessens the room a bit further.

I feel like we should be fine to offer Herbie 1.2m a season or so and if he leaves beyond that so be it I guess we can't pay more than that for a centre, even the best centre in the game.

Re George Williams I hope the fanbase gives him a chance, he'll have seen a ton of negativity from Phins fans and hopefully that gives him something to prove, i'm cautiously optimistic and to some degree I saw Kodi's 2026 as a risk of being an outlier like Shibasaki's 2025 was, in that Kodi has not been consistently anywhere near as good as he was this year, for his sake I can hope he maintains it but I wouldn't be surprised if we see a ton of regression from Kodi next season back to closer to the player he was for most of his career.

If Williams delivers we can absolutely win the premiership in 2027, hopefully he's up for it. People treating him like he's some random super league scrub are wrong, he's a starting England half and their captain.
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The issue I have with Williams is his age. He might find it hard to readapt to the NRL at his age.

Secondly, he's coming to play 5/8 but at least when he was in the NRL he was a very good 1/2 but still a 1/2, not a 5/8.
 
Red said:
The issue I have with Williams is his age. He might find it hard to readapt to the NRL at his age.

Secondly, he's coming to play 5/8 but at least when he was in the NRL he was a very good 1/2 but still a 1/2, not a 5/8.
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lol yet hes younger than kodi and you still wanted us to keep kodi george has been outstanding at 6 , yes goes missing but wolves team was garbage so what actually is your problem?

it cracks me up, sit there and put knife into every player that has come from another club and coac( and not just you ) yet they go out and prove everyone wrong in last 2 seasons funny that and you guys still wont give them the credit to build the team ( bet new attack coach get negtive stuff about him before he starts too )
 
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Red said:
The issue I have with Williams is his age. He might find it hard to readapt to the NRL at his age.

Secondly, he's coming to play 5/8 but at least when he was in the NRL he was a very good 1/2 but still a 1/2, not a 5/8.
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My issue as well. And he is on good coin.

Knowles was a waste of money in an area we had plenty of cover.

Now we are feeling the bite, and those two errors are coming home to roost.
 
257Matt said:
Pouniu is at the stage he can't be kept out of the side.

Hammer is good when the game opens up but doesn't do the tough stuff of other fullbacks or players like Herbie and Bostock.

Bostock is a cheaper option than Hammer and I still believe a club needs to come way more than what the Dolphins offer to lure him away.

Sadly I think Herbie is gone.
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Pouniu, i think will be more in forwards
 
I assume he's a min wage depth signing but if the coach sees something in him hopefully he has what it takes

Barring any craziness our starting back 5 is pretty locked in for 2027 with Hammer/Naufahu/Bostock/Herbie/Cobbo at full strength but it's good to have depth

Has anyone seen much of him playing?
 
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