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Recruitment and Retention for 2028

Herbie is over a 1m a season player even though he's a centre atm his market value is probably 1.1-1.2 range depending on good vs bad club

Bostock's market value is probably the 800k-1m range at a good or bad club, I think i'd be happy to keep him on 850 or at 1m+ okay with letting him go as much as it hurts so it seems like our offer is in the right range there. Maybe at 900k might still want to keep him. He is still a top 6-7ish centre in the game at the moment and can also play wing at rep level which adds value.

You can't pay more than 1.1-1.2 for Herbie just due to his position as amazing as he is even with the cap going up but we should be offering his market value and not trying to pay unders especially if we lose Bostock because having that Herbie/Cobbo left edge long term means that we will have at least the equal most dangerous left edge in the comp for years if Katoa and the rest of our guys can feed them good ball

November 1 is here, saw my first Cleary to Roosters speculation article today, will be interesting to see a) who PNG sign to play halfback, Cleary or Walker vs not Cleary or Walker is likely the difference whether they play finals in their first season if they can sign some even okay forwards and who is going to get sombreroed, anyone other than Herbie makes me happy reducing their cap space
 
A lot of discussion about the current off contract players hitting the market or just being re-signed the reality is only Herbie is in the current Top 5 and most valuable players at the club. The big problem for Dolphins lies in 12 months time when 4 of their current 5 best and most valuable players hit the market.

Katoa, Plath and Donoghoe are set for massive pay days whether at Dolphins or elsewhere. Both Plath and Donoghoe will be seeking clarity on their playing roles in the club as history shows us with any elite player they won't accept bench or impact status and the good money is being a starting play. All 3 are currently underpaid compared to their market worth this changes in 12 months time.

Marshall-King will be 33 after the 2028 season and has had a few injuries in his career some of them self inflicted so we don't know if the injuries will impact him playing beyond 33 like Ray Stone had to pull up stumps at 29. I'm a massive JMK supporter been before his joined Dolphins and love watching him play but will he still be on top of his game to push beyond 2028 or does the club free up cash to make a play in the dummy half market? The club has John Fineanganofo, Jordan Plath and Amare Wynyard in the system and there's also Harrison Graham who has excelled since going to Newcastle but Redcliffe is closer to both Wynnum and Ballina than Newcastle.

Those 4 players are in the irreplaceable category at Dolphins and just too valuable to the club even if some aren't fully appreciated by fans and if JMK is to be replaced they need to nail down the right replacement whether from within or bringing back H.

Keep Hammer even if I think his best spot is centre, Donoghoe, Katoa, Plath & get the dummy half right post JMK that's your 5 most important positions covered not just for today but long-term.
 
SwoopAE said:
Herbie is over a 1m a season player even though he's a centre atm his market value is probably 1.1-1.2 range depending on good vs bad club

Bostock's market value is probably the 800k-1m range at a good or bad club, I think i'd be happy to keep him on 850 or at 1m+ okay with letting him go as much as it hurts so it seems like our offer is in the right range there. Maybe at 900k might still want to keep him. He is still a top 6-7ish centre in the game at the moment and can also play wing at rep level which adds value.

You can't pay more than 1.1-1.2 for Herbie just due to his position as amazing as he is even with the cap going up but we should be offering his market value and not trying to pay unders especially if we lose Bostock because having that Herbie/Cobbo left edge long term means that we will have at least the equal most dangerous left edge in the comp for years if Katoa and the rest of our guys can feed them good ball

November 1 is here, saw my first Cleary to Roosters speculation article today, will be interesting to see a) who PNG sign to play halfback, Cleary or Walker vs not Cleary or Walker is likely the difference whether they play finals in their first season if they can sign some even okay forwards and who is going to get sombreroed, anyone other than Herbie makes me happy reducing their cap space
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Cleary is a massive upgrade for them.

Not only play wise. Leadership wise its big. Walker yelling at Marky Mark. Was cringe. And bigheaded.
 
I like how Politis does business. Maybe this was calculated.

He wouldn't pull a contract without knowing where eh was going to next. He would have know what his options were.
 
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SwoopAE said:
Herbie is over a 1m a season player even though he's a centre atm his market value is probably 1.1-1.2 range depending on good vs bad club

Bostock's market value is probably the 800k-1m range at a good or bad club, I think i'd be happy to keep him on 850 or at 1m+ okay with letting him go as much as it hurts so it seems like our offer is in the right range there. Maybe at 900k might still want to keep him. He is still a top 6-7ish centre in the game at the moment and can also play wing at rep level which adds value.

You can't pay more than 1.1-1.2 for Herbie just due to his position as amazing as he is even with the cap going up but we should be offering his market value and not trying to pay unders especially if we lose Bostock because having that Herbie/Cobbo left edge long term means that we will have at least the equal most dangerous left edge in the comp for years if Katoa and the rest of our guys can feed them good ball

November 1 is here, saw my first Cleary to Roosters speculation article today, will be interesting to see a) who PNG sign to play halfback, Cleary or Walker vs not Cleary or Walker is likely the difference whether they play finals in their first season if they can sign some even okay forwards and who is going to get sombreroed, anyone other than Herbie makes me happy reducing their cap space
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The think the combined on both is too much at the position.

If you sign Herbie, and have a rookie come in on a low base. Im cool with that.

I think Katoa's kicking game and general play is part of the reason Bostock has improved. Can we see that improvement in a high potential youngster. I see no reason why not, on the outside of what we have in the squad.

Its kind of why im easy with not fucking our cap balance at centre, the lowest paid skill position on NRL teams.

Only reason id be willing to pay one to stay, is stability.
 
Liverbird with Phins up said:
Telegraph now saying 900 to a mil for Bostock. And we a ramping to keep Herbie. Which is along the lines of what I heard about needing 1mil to sign, with the Dolphins saying all the best and staying at 850.

Im all for letting Bostock go at that price. If we keep Herbie

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Herbie is the best centre in the competition. Bostock is one of the best wingers. Not even close to Herbie as a centre.
 
Yeah Bostock is maybe the 7th best centre in the comp, but due to our squad's needs can play competently there

For the record

After scoring his second World Cup hat-trick in Saturday's 66-6 win over Cook Islands, the former St George Illawarra junior said "it is not set in stone" that he would leave the Dolphins in 2028.

"There have been so many stories all week, but it is definitely not 100 per cent set in stone coming to Sydney," he said.

"So I am not sure where that has come from. I have spoken to the Dolphins a couple of weeks ago and said I did want to see my options and what I could do.

"It is definitely not set in stone that I am leaving the Dolphins. It is just a matter of going through the processes."

aapnews.aap.com.au

'Not set in stone': Bostock's Dolphins future in limbo

Dolphins and Australia star Jack Bostock says he is yet to decide where he will be in 2028 as the outside back becomes a free agent with clubs circling.
aapnews.aap.com.au aapnews.aap.com.au

Obv seems likely he will but not guaranteed, hopefully we can keep them both

If you want to see what having horrendous centres does to a team watch the Titans defence from when Konrad Hurrell arrived to around when Jojo transitioned from the wing

Having two bad centres at the same time is just absolutely ruinous to a team's defence, it's pretty key we keep at least one elite centre imo and obviously two is a luxury if we can

Obviously if we lose either of them it makes retaining the other slightly easier cap wise as well
 
FWIW, the Podcast- Inside Ball with Dobbo, has been the only pod I have heard that says Herbie is a very good chance of staying.
 
Looks like the first off season domino is going to fall, Brimson to Chiefs for 700k a season with the Titans making up the difference not official but seems to be agreed on

Works pretty well for all parties probably, Brimson gets to play FB and make more money and play for a likely better team, Titans get 700k in cap space back and don't have two fullbacks on the roster on starter money and PNG likely have a completed 1-7 with Brimson/AJ/Manu/Lomax/To'o/Luai once they sign a halfback and while they're all on the wrong side of 25, none should be washed yet, that's actually an origin level back line a few years ago

If they get Cleary or Walker and some ok forwards they should play finals in their first season, if not probably not though will depend if they can land a decent halfback

I wonder if the Chiefs could be interested in Flegler although nobody's going to be paying him anything close to 900k
 
SwoopAE said:
Looks like the first off season domino is going to fall, Brimson to Chiefs for 700k a season with the Titans making up the difference not official but seems to be agreed on

Works pretty well for all parties probably, Brimson gets to play FB and make more money and play for a likely better team, Titans get 700k in cap space back and don't have two fullbacks on the roster on starter money and PNG likely have a completed 1-7 with Brimson/AJ/Manu/Lomax/To'o/Luai once they sign a halfback and while they're all on the wrong side of 25, none should be washed yet, that's actually an origin level back line a few years ago

If they get Cleary or Walker and some ok forwards they should play finals in their first season, if not probably not though will depend if they can land a decent halfback

I wonder if the Chiefs could be interested in Flegler although nobody's going to be paying him anything close to 900k
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Its not if they get cleary or walker. Its more which they get.

If they get Cleary. They snooker the Roosters.

If the get Walker. They open Cleary up for the Roosters
 
They definitely have a good shot at Walker now, but if Walker ends up somewhere else I still think Cleary is a fav to stay and now Harrison has re signed at the Titans

Harrison re signing came almost instantly after Walker became available, my gut instinct is the Chiefs wanted Cleary/Walker/Harrison in that exact order as their starting 7, didn't expect the first two to come but now i'm guessing Walker committed verbally which led to Harrison staying at the Titans but who knows

Unless Walker can somehow get to the Broncos or Souths cap wise it feels like PNG is most likely, but he still needs somewhere to play in 2027 too

There is a ton happening in free agency but Cleary and Walker are the biggest pieces and if the Roosters don't get either they're basically out of contending for the time being but with a huge war chest

I actually feel like it might be best for our chances of keeping Herbie if we do get the Cleary to the Roosters bombshell as unlikely as it is

One of the Panthers/Roosters/Chiefs is going to be pretty screwed at halfback here there is no one else available who is decent for 2028 short of developing your own talent

Munster is available I guess but he's a 6 not a 7 and same with Burton, beyond that it's fringe first graders or prospects with injury issues (Woods)
 
Its definitely going to be an interesting few weeks, especially once the world cup is over.

Herbies world cup will be over after tonight. So I reckon we hear what he is doing sooner then others.
 
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Readingtheplay/Gerard Condon who I follow on twitter and often has decent mail posted Herbie is not leaving today in response to a comment saying he was going to the Roosters

I chat to him occasionally asking if it's an opinion or info

Hope he's right

Edit: he replied to me with

As I understand he’s always been committed, has been for months, the rest has just been media beat up rubbish with zero substance

Going to be very excited if he's right and he re-signs after the WC sometime soon and devastated if not. Come on Herbie, sign a long term extension!
 
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SwoopAE said:
Readingtheplay/Gerard Condon who I follow on twitter and often has decent mail posted Herbie is not leaving today in response to a comment saying he was going to the Roosters

I chat to him occasionally asking if it's an opinion or info

Hope he's right

Edit: he replied to me with

As I understand he’s always been committed, has been for months, the rest has just been media beat up rubbish with zero substance

Going to be very excited if he's right and he re-signs after the WC sometime soon and devastated if not. Come on Herbie, sign a long term extension!
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Alot of it is media beat up, and agents drumming up noise.

I say dont worry when there is nothing to worry about
 
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