Recruitment and Retention for 2028

[257Matt]

In 12 months time Donoghoe, Katoa and Plath hit the open market and possibly also looking at finding a successor to JMK.

That’s 4 of the current best 5 players all going to market or needing to be replaced at the same time.

Donga and Plath will be seeking assured starting positions and their contract values have gone up considerably since their last extensions with Plath playing for QLD and Donga on the verge of NSW plus winning a two RLPA awards and of course Fiji. There’s more money to be earned being a starter.

All 3 hit the market knowing what the cap will be as right now it’s guess work and potentially the 20th side coming in either 2029 or latest 2030.

The two hurting the Dolphins cap are Knowles and Williams and neither compare to Donoghoe and Plath.

 

[mr_c]

i

In 12 months time Donoghoe, Katoa and Plath hit the open market and possibly also looking at finding a successor to JMK.

That’s 4 of the current best 5 players all going to market or needing to be replaced at the same time.

Donga and Plath will be seeking assured starting positions and their contract values have gone up considerably since their last extensions with Plath playing for QLD and Donga on the verge of NSW plus winning a two RLPA awards and of course Fiji. There’s more money to be earned being a starter.

All 3 hit the market knowing what the cap will be as right now it’s guess work and potentially the 20th side coming in either 2029 or latest 2030.

The two hurting the Dolphins cap are Knowles and Williams and neither compare to Donoghoe and Plath.

lol hurting lol
ffs , of course they hurting as your never going say anything bad about plath or kurt even if they had bad season

 

[mr_c]

He's renowned for, "not being a talker". That might be a code word for difficult personality. Otherwise he was a perfect candidate for C.

wouldnt read to much into that number good captains have been same

 

[Liverbird with Phins up]

I don't know him personally but I've heard from a few people, "he isn't a talker". If that means anything more than, "He's too quiet to be a captain", it's pure speculation on my part.

TBH, it's a bit depressing but it looks to me we are going to lose Herbie and Bostock.......

I wouldn't know.

I'm not depressed about losing 2 centres. Would prefer to only lose 1, as it gives more time to get another.

However, things change quickly. I heard Newcastle have now entered the race for Bostock with Best looking to move on. Walker was a lock to stay at the Roosters, now he is off, Internet Matt was saying Harrison to the Bulldogs was a lock judging by your replies to him, Surprise surprise, it was internet rubbish and he is staying at the Titans.

Who knows.

The thing I know is, we dont know what they are like day in day out, we dont know whats happening at the club, we dont know who is waiting in the wings. This could all be calculated and not a concern to Woolf and the recruitment team.

As I said, I was told the Bostock went to the club, and they club wished him the best on the money he said he was asking for. Which would suggest they arent too concerned about the Nov1 no talking stuff, and their progression plan at centre.

The club have locked up all the major positions, im pumped. Its just our centres.

From an attacking stand point, I believe the forwards and as a result the Half creates for the centres. Outside, our edges and our half, even Bryan Pouniu looked great in the centres, and he is a 2nd rower (every good young one at that). Id suggest, outside the core of our team lots of fringe players may look better then they are playing in our outside backs. Isaako was fucking horrible before the Dolphins, Bostock, horrible before the Dolphins, Cobbo all at sea before the Dolphins, Herbie he was okay, nothing like he was playing for us. Did they just become good overnight?

Im going to like to see Bostock at the Dragons, it will be very interesting seeing him out wide in a Dean Young side.

That being said, both Herbie and Bostock are great players now. Would have loved to keep them all, but im positive outside Katoa and edges that run great lines like we do, our centres will always look and be pretty good.

 

[Liverbird with Phins up]

Here Herbie - How Negotiations go at the Roosters

 

[midlands hobo]

The two hurting the Dolphins cap are Knowles and Williams and neither compare to Donoghoe and Plath.

Do you drink a slab before you type? How can you in anyway say Williams is hurting the cap before you've actually seen him play?

Knowles hasn't hit expectations so far and i have concerens about Williams but Neither are hurting the cap. Hurting the cap is a player being paid loads to sit in QCup.

 

[Liverbird with Phins up]

Do you drink a slab before you type? How can you in anyway say Williams is hurting the cap before you've actually seen him play?

Knowles hasn't hit expectations so far and i have concerens about Williams but Neither are hurting the cap. Hurting the cap is a player being paid loads to sit in QCup.

Ive made judgements about Williams. But I do want to see him play as you say.

I do remember asking you if you have seen him over there.

I did hear Jared Croker his ex canberra teammate, give him a massive rap as a 6.

So im hopefully cautious.

 

[midlands hobo]

Ive made judgements about Williams. But I do want to see him play as you say.

I do remember asking you if you have seen him over there.

I did hear Jared Croker his ex canberra teammate, give him a massive rap as a 6.

So im hopefully cautious.

I don't pay much attention to SL as my team is Championship, I watch the odd Challenge cup game and most years go to the final and watch the GF (although i've stopped going to it live). However the problem is SL and NRL are very different, there are some different rules the ruck speed is different the weather makes a huge difference plus in SL the spread of team quality is much wider than in the NRL the difference between a good and bad team in the NRL is pretty marginal so most games are pretty tough yes the blowout score make it look bad but alot of them are 6 again inflated. In SL most of the blow outs are because 1 team is utter shit. A stand out guy in SL can sink without trace in the NRL under the higher pressure especially in a decision making role.

I head James Graham talk about the weather, he said that in Aus a kid gets to training and before it starts has the ball in hand passes around does some ball skills to pass the time before the session, after probably has 15 or 30 mins with his mates doing the same to wind down. In the UK the kids are sat in the car with the heater on until the second the session starts and are then straight into the car with the heating on when it finishes. plus the lost sessions and games for frozen pitches. the difference in ball handling through this alone between 8 and 18 is thousands of hours.

 

[Liverbird with Phins up]

He's renowned for, "not being a talker". That might be a code word for difficult personality. Otherwise he was a perfect candidate for C.

Go listen to the Bostock interview I posted.

They ask Bostock about Herbie, and they say to Bostock something like give Herbie a rap. And Bostock says "I wont do that, he will get a big head" or something to that effect.

After posting it again yesterday and trying to find something for Hobo, I heard it again. Your post came to mind, and that part of the interview took on a different meaning.

I think you could be on to something.

 

[Red]

Go listen to the Bostock interview I posted.

They ask Bostock about Herbie, and they say to Bostock something like give Herbie a rap. And Bostock says "I wont do that, he will get a big head" or something to that effect.

After posting it again yesterday and trying to find something for Hobo, I heard it again. Your post came to mind, and that part of the interview took on a different meaning.

I think you could be on to something.

Which thread is it in?

That sounds like just having a joke to me.

 

[Liverbird with Phins up]

Which thread is it in?

That sounds like just having a joke to me.

Yeah. I agree it most likely is a joke. But you have those types of jokes, about someone thats a little that inclined.

Its in the other thread

 

[Red]

Yeah. I agree it most likely is a joke. But you have those types of jokes, about someone thats a little that inclined.

Its in the other thread

This one?

 

[mr_c]

one thing that really got me wondering say if we loose herbie / bostock , thom f


they are some of our big gun cap wise not only does it leave us short of senior backs but leaves us short of senior forwards

which makes me think they aint going let junior step up in place they going want a senior back and senior prop i going be very interested as we dont seem be linked to to many which is they mystery for mine

yes we gain anderson ( not senior yes we se seb step up also not senior )

 

[SwoopAE]

I'm not sure Anderson is even ahead of Nonu in the pecking order, i'd be treating him as a depth signing not a starter unless he earns a spot by 2028, obviously in 2027 we have Herbie and Bostock regardless unless either is released early and there is no reason for us to do that coming off a prelim and being in a win now window

Leota and Jacob Safiti would be the two most obvious 'senior' forwards but at 31 and 30 the issue is they'd be turning 33 and 32 in their first season with us, max two year deal and would be extremely risky they drop off. Titans have tried that method signing Isaac Liu, RCG etc on the wrong side of 30 and look how that worked out

I'd be aiming younger if we're signing marquee middles. Obviously Willison is good but i'm not sure he's the man to deliver us a premiership winning pack

If we were going all in on a win now window Leota would be the guy but i'm worried he'll just be too old in 2028 and also want too much money.

Taumalolo is too old and won't leave

Max King is good but not marquee

Fotuaika is washed

Croker is a serviceable hand but not a marquee forward

Assume Butcher stays in Sydney

Leota and Safiti are both great but would have to be short term and even two years is risky at their ages

Stefano will want more money than he's worth

Willison is good but again I think he'll want more than he's worth, but he's not a terrible option but I also assume he stays put as the Broncos are truly fucked pack wise if they lose him, they will pay him

Paulo sucks now and is old

Josh King is average, not a terrible player, but not someone you pay big money for

J'maine Hopgood showed signs of being elite, I assume he stays in Sydney but he's a Queenslander and if we could get him not for overs he could be decent, although coming off a serious injury is a risk

Next year we have to retain Plath and Donoghoe and Gilbert but i'd have a lot if interest in Vaimauga if the Warriors can't pay him mid tier money. Molo is going great right now but might be too old by then or it'll be one year deals depending on his output this season.

Fish and AFB are off contract but are also wrong side of 30 and Collins too

To be honest there aren't many players on the market this year or next that I really want as far as middles go, we're probably better off developing them and maybe filling in some gaps with guys like Croker and potentially Vaimauga types if we have money to throw at them and just making sure we retain Donoghoe, Plath and Katoa as top priorities

If we were to pay decent money for a forward that doesn't already play for us in the next two seasons I would probably want it to be Willison but he is nowhere near being a 1m a year player at this point, or mid tier money for someone like Hopgood or Vaimauga

 

[Equaliser]

one thing that really got me wondering say if we loose herbie / bostock , thom f


they are some of our big gun cap wise not only does it leave us short of senior backs but leaves us short of senior forwards

which makes me think they aint going let junior step up in place they going want a senior back and senior prop i going be very interested as we dont seem be linked to to many which is they mystery for mine

yes we gain anderson ( not senior yes we se seb step up also not senior )

Maybe Fuller will be fullback and Hammer will play centre if we lose Herbie and Bostock.

 

[SwoopAE]

Honestly the problem is Fuller has the same problem Kini has that he is a defensive liability due to his size and height

In attack he is great

If he was just slightly bigger i'd be all for it

He is just too much of a defensive liability to be the starting fullback in a team that wins the comp. He's one of the best backups in the NRL and there's a case he's an upgrade for a couple clubs over their starter but he is 5'7 at the end of the day and that is an absolute liability especially as the metagame is shifting towards more high kicks late in sets. Look at how badly Kini got destroyed in the air this year and remember Trai is 6kg lighter and 7cm shorter than Kini

He's the best player his size in the NRL but at the end of the day size does matter in defence having to make one on one tackles and contest aerial contests with guys who are 6'3 all day long if a team is targeting you

I agree Hammer is an origin level centre fwiw and while he's a good fullback he does a couple things wrong that keep him out of the top 4 or so, although he's still a top 6ish fullback in the game

Unless we want Brimson though and to move Hammer to centre which i'm sure would piss Hammer off, there's no one off contract

It is worth noting we could try and get Best if we lose Herbie as he's also an elite left centre, but it seems like he's staying in NSW if the rumours are right but who knows. Latrell an option too but he will surely stay in NSW if he leaves, plus he's an injury risk although obviously at his best he's amazing too

Not sure there are any right centres off contract we'd want if we lose Bostock, maybe Campbell Graham

We could take a gamble on Howarth too at left centre if we needed to recruit one

Not sure i'd trust Mariner at centre I see him as more of a winger defensively

It's interesting that three of the four best left centres in the game are all available Nov 1 in Herbie, Latrell and Best since Crichton and Toia and Bostock all play on the right primarily at the moment (fourth of the group of best centres on the left side I assume is McLean)

Latrell would be a very, very risky signing and probably wants more money than he's worth but that would be very fascinating having a left edge of Latrell and Cobbo if we gave Latrell the Herbie money (I don't think we should, but it's interesting, would be the most powerful left edge in the game pure power wise)