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Recruitment and Retention for 2027

SwoopAE said:
Saw a rumour that the Knights might be interested in Flegler somewhere

No idea if accurate or not, but if they lose Best they might have money to throw at him

I still think us losing Flegler, Knowles and Kaufusi plus probably Lemuelu is going to be the key to balancing the cap, keeping everyone else and ideally adding a serviceable middle or two

At the end of the day I feel like if we can keep Herbie, Hammer, Bostock, Plath, Donoghoe and Katoa, the window basically stays open as long as we do that now that we have Cobbo and Naufahu on the wings and Pouniu and Finefuiaki in the second row

Nervous times waiting for November hopefully we keep everyone we want. In the meantime we can enjoy Herbie doing some brutal things to France today (and hopefully Williams gets a half dozen try assists, granted against reserve grade level opposition today)
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Heard an interview with Croker on Williams.

Thr former raiders centre said he was a natural 6. That he played well in canberra, and that he will do better with at 6 with a true 7 next to him.

Filled me with more confidence.
 
mr_c said:
it was one them top 5 target posts doubt he be leaving qld if did leave here
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Yeah ok that makes sense

That said the only club that would make sense is the Broncos - Cowboys won't have the cap for another middle probably or need, Titans have plenty of need but don't have the cap space at least until Bai leaves and have other holes in their roster to fill too

Broncos would easily make the most sense if they want him back and with Haas leaving and Willison not guaranteed to re sign and Riki leaving they may have some room

Good to see Williams and Herbie going well for England so far
 
Cap is going up remember 1m isn't what it used to be back when Ash Taylor got a million etc

They're both so key to the side i'd pay both personally and try to cover it by replacing Flegler and Kaufusi with cheap middles and letting Lemuelu leave as well but we can't end up with a terrible forward pack either and still have to pay Plath, Donoghoe and Katoa next year

I can't see why he'd go to the Dragons unless he really wants to live in that area specifically as despite their 'roster overhaul' they are still nowhere near competing. Hopefully we can make him a decent offer

As long as we don't lose both of them we'll be okay but losing both would be a disaster.
 
yonathonjoung said:
How good was donga for Fiji? Matt will back me up that we knew he could do anything in any position. Pure footy player.
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He will be 5/8 by Round 10 next year. He's just too good to sit on the benches and eventually Woolf's hand will be forced.
 
If he was nrl level half we wouldn't needed george n he woulda been there for when. Kodi left n be infront of Brad don't see ur
 
257Matt said:
He will be 5/8 by Round 10 next year. He's just too good to sit on the benches and eventually Woolf's hand will be forced.
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It'll be interesting to see what he does with Knowles. Surely has to tell him to eat a lot and spend some extra time in the gym because he's trying his hand at prop next season.
 
Red said:
It'll be interesting to see what he does with Knowles. Surely has to tell him to eat a lot and spend some extra time in the gym because he's trying his hand at prop next season.
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and you going achieve what exactly putting him at prop? arif he was going be a prop for woolf he be there by now like kurt in halfs
 
mr_c said:
and you going achieve what exactly putting him at prop? arif he was going be a prop for woolf he be there by now like kurt in halfs
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Achieve Plath or Donoghue starting at lock, so we have impact from the opening whistle, and hopefully not having to drop Knowles.
 
yonathonjoung said:
How good was donga for Fiji? Matt will back me up that we knew he could do anything in any position. Pure footy player.
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Not the hooking postion.

Donga, is a 5/8th naturally. So looks good in that roll for a fiji team, that had its forwards winning the middle battle, and giving him time to see and play eyes up.

He has come on under Woolf, which gives me a lot of hope in Woolf as a developer. you can see Woolf's influence on his game, the inforcer type forward, while Donga brings his natural ball playing.

Make no mistake though. At the time of our criticism, the criticism was warranted.

He was giving points away for fun at the start in the form of unforced errors and penalties. Admittedly, he was and has been developing from a touch/tag background to the full form of the game.

Now your seeing a player that has bought into development and is coming out the other end. I reckon you'll see him go higher as he plays specifically in the 13 and locks down his craft. With is ball playing, which has always been there, that 13 role is great for him.

Those prediction are easy to make and a roll of the dice, and in hindsight its easy to say "yes we were right". But you go back and watch those early games, you wouldnt pick him to start at all, nor in the roles he was being picked in. Not all his fault, as Woolf picked him at 9 on occasions. Was there a player there, yes, would he have suffered the you're being moved on fate, yes, if he kept being turnover prone.

To his credit he seems to have bought in, worked hard on his game, and is a different player to the one that was being hailed the second coming.

Close to the first player picked
 
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Red said:
It'll be interesting to see what he does with Knowles. Surely has to tell him to eat a lot and spend some extra time in the gym because he's trying his hand at prop next season.
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Thats why i thought we got Knowles, to play Prop. Not that I had seen a lot of him, but I was told by someone he was going to play prop.

I agree with you, he needs a little more size. But I like Woolf in development of players, and Knowles is a middle style lock. Has balling playing ability, and for a prop his motor would be seen as good. A bit of size over the off season isn't hard to achieve. At a guess, with Woolf's help, I reckon we will see a better Knowles at Prop. Especially with Plath and Donga behind him in 13.
 
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Red said:
Achieve Plath or Donoghue starting at lock, so we have impact from the opening whistle, and hopefully not having to drop Knowles.
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it won't change anything , as then you wont have the same effect as it happens now , all well and good starting one them but can just as welll go bad as well ( ie slow starts( , he wont be changing anything that is working i would think
 
Red said:
It'll be interesting to see what he does with Knowles. Surely has to tell him to eat a lot and spend some extra time in the gym because he's trying his hand at prop next season.
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Williams and Knowles have now become the noose around the Dolphins neck with the salary cap making the retention of Herbie and Bostock virtually impossible now.

Williams isn't the best no.6 option at Dolphins he and Smith were schooled by Katoa with a dodgy ankle in game 1 and England looked better when Lewis came on to play 5/8 in game 2. Knowles is so far down the order for the best 13 option at Dolphins not to mention young players like Fineanganofo (lock & DH) and Dickson also part of the Top 30 for next year making Knowles even more confusing unless he's part of the prop rotation.
 
257Matt said:
Williams and Knowles have now become the noose around the Dolphins neck with the salary cap making the retention of Herbie and Bostock virtually impossible now.

Williams isn't the best no.6 option at Dolphins he and Smith were schooled by Katoa with a dodgy ankle in game 1 and England looked better when Lewis came on to play 5/8 in game 2. Knowles is so far down the order for the best 13 option at Dolphins not to mention young players like Fineanganofo (lock & DH) and Dickson also part of the Top 30 for next year making Knowles even more confusing unless he's part of the prop rotation.
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I wouldn't write off Williams just yet but yeah, even with Ray Stone moving on, Knowles is at best 3rd best lock at the club. But I doubt even 3rd. Kaufusi is still on the books for next year, Isn't he?
 
257Matt said:
Williams and Knowles have now become the noose around the Dolphins neck with the salary cap making the retention of Herbie and Bostock virtually impossible now.

Williams isn't the best no.6 option at Dolphins he and Smith were schooled by Katoa with a dodgy ankle in game 1 and England looked better when Lewis came on to play 5/8 in game 2. Knowles is so far down the order for the best 13 option at Dolphins not to mention young players like Fineanganofo (lock & DH) and Dickson also part of the Top 30 for next year making Knowles even more confusing unless he's part of the prop rotation.
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only way that those two go are overs and don't think Bostock leaving his bro in law hear by himself if he, wants overs n leave his bro in law here let him. herbie theres no way herbies going to chocks with money walker wants .
as for williams and other players like anderson if woolf has the faith in them they go well as it shown last two years .
as for the young players i am sure they will wait there turn like others in 30( 99% of them know it takes time to cement nrl ful time spo)

you dont like what woolf doing go see your bf gus
 
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mr_c said:
only way that those two go are overs and don't think Bostock leaving his bro in law hear by himself if he, wants overs n leave his bro in law here let him. herbie theres no way herbies going to chocks with money walker wants .
as for williams and other players like anderson if woolf has the faith in them they go well as it shown last two years .
as for the young players i am sure they will wait there turn like others in 30( 99% of them know it takes time to cement nrl ful time spo)

you dont like what woolf doing go see your bf gus
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You don't think Bostock will leave his wittle brafer in law here all by his pwor wittle self?

I don't think what his "adult" brother in law or "adult" sister want even enters into his calculations.
 
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