Recruitment & Retention 2027

[Frank Facer]

I would rather get Lomax and or Dufty back than sign Drinkwater for a mil a season. Dufty would be a short term solution until Burton is ready and for half the price. I would like to see how Lomax goes at fullback and if he wasn't a success, he can always play wing or centre. If we had those 2 in our team next year, I think our backline would look a lot stronger.

1 Dufty
2 Lomax
3 Holmes
4 TBC
5 Sami
6 Atkinson
7 Reed

That would be looking much better to me than this year's backline.

Xerri pronounced Cherry as the TBC

 

[Frank Facer]

Dolphins re-signed Cobbo and now Averillo. They have a few young wingers yet to play first grade but throwing hand grenades under the door. Guys called Pouniu and Nonu. While Naufahu has played a few first grade games. Then there is Jack Bostock himself. If Hammer is fullback, Farnworth and Averillo centres and Cobbo one winger, 3 of those 4 mentioned above might be on the lookout for a nee club is they want to play regular first grade.

Good post. I agree, Naufahu was going excellent for them last year and I saw a clip of a youngster they have who has massive wraps on him, I think it may have been Nonu. Either of them would be great signings for us and I will take your word for it about Pouniu.

 

[TheRev]

Good thing is we have time and with Egan back we have depth ... there is a chance to actually pop Luc in the middle this season and see before making any offers deals - one that could be worth looking at and then we will know ...

I personally think he would make a good middle in that shorter minutes impact and given the minute KK can play there is merit in a short minute impact type. Perfect and cost free chance to suck it and see.

Only way to be sure. Of course the $$ comes into that as well given the role we would use him in.

Definitely would be putting Leilua and/or Sua into the middle rotation.. up to the coach to figure out which.. but given Nick has been injured for yonks anyway.. and Egan still yet to play a game..

1 of them might turn out to be a great impact prop.. but I still dont think either will be here next year.. but even if its just temporary, im keen to see how it works out.

 

[Frank Facer]

I can’t stress enough how different prop and edge backrow are at the elite level. Especially the money he would want and the level of risk that brings for the club to play him there on that level of money

It’s a non starter IMO, just stick with the young middles + Keaon and Kerr in the fold next year

I don't rate Kerr at all. I keep forgetting about him altogether. When he does play, I hardly notice him. Leilua would have to much more effective than Kerr at prop and be able to play way more minutes than Kerr plays.

 

[Frank Facer]

Good thing is we have time and with Egan back we have depth ... there is a chance to actually pop Luc in the middle this season and see before making any offers deals - one that could be worth looking at and then we will know ...

I personally think he would make a good middle in that shorter minutes impact and given the minute KK can play there is merit in a short minute impact type. Perfect and cost free chance to suck it and see.

Only way to be sure. Of course the $$ comes into that as well given the role we would use him in.

Very well put.

 

[Dragons Chris]

So next years team so far:

1. Drinkwater
2. Sami
3. Holmes
4. Suli
5. ????????
6. LKT or Atkinson
7. Reed
8. KK
9. Liddle
10. Couchman
11. Egan
12. Nick T
13. Stewart
14. Gutho
15. LPT
16. Couchman
17. Halangahu
18. Feagai
19. Hutchinson

This team is infinitely better than what we have now. The depth in the young forwards is really good! Maybe letting LPT go wouldn't be the worst thing. In the next 2 years it's likely some of those forwards are going to have to be let go because CST and Dan Meafou will be in the mix as early as next year. CST will probably debut this year.

 

[Morgan]

So next years team so far:

1. Drinkwater
2. Sami
3. Holmes
4. Suli
5. ????????
6. LKT or Atkinson
7. Reed
8. KK
9. Liddle
10. Couchman
11. Egan
12. Nick T
13. Stewart
14. Gutho
15. LPT
16. Couchman
17. Halangahu
18. Feagai
19. Hutchinson

This team is infinitely better than what we have now. The depth in the young forwards is really good! Maybe letting LPT go wouldn't be the worst thing. In the next 2 years it's likely some of those forwards are going to have to be let go because CST and Dan Meafou will be in the mix as early as next year. CST will probably debut this year.

Lot of points in that team but the average age of 1~5 is a worry. Heidke or Buchanan might come into the centres forcing Holmes onto the wing.

 

[GCRV]

I can see Gutho shifting to centre next year, with either Val going to the wing or Suli dropping back to NSW Cup

You think Gutho has the game for a centre? I don't. 5/8 is possible but we have plenty of young specialist 5/8s.

 

[Mug Fan]

I like how as we negotiated the price went down, well done Ando.

Or maybe the media just keep bullshiting because dumb fans continue to lap it up.

 

[TheRev]

hopefully he is locked by saturday, him and KK.. 2 rly good pieces of next years puzzle sorted.. hopefully we get a bit of a feel for what level of 7 we are after also (unless its ONeill).

is a lot going on though atm.. obv would help if we knew the longterm coach, but I dont want to make any hasty decisions there.. need to see 3 or 4 games atleast.. fascinated to see what other changes are supposedly coming during the bye though...

 

[Mug Fan]

I always worry when Mario Tartak is in the mix ...
Right now we are maybe nearing the end of our relationship with Cook/Suli/Leilua and have lost Latu/Sione Finau/Fifita ...
I feel like there is a lot of "if you dont take this you cant have that" with him ... and some of our very very key juniors are tied up with Crown.

Hopefully it is needless worry, but with Crown it is always a circus.

There's a lot of give and take with every management group.
I said before I believed O'Neil was a back pocket signing and I think we will see more of them, we need to be on good terms with Titans, Wasserman and others.

Crown are still heavily invested thru us.

Jake, Setu, David, Cyrus, then juniors Ollie Luka Api etc.

 

[Mug Fan]

hopefully he is locked by saturday, him and KK.. 2 rly good pieces of next years puzzle sorted.. hopefully we get a bit of a feel for what level of 7 we are after also (unless its ONeill)

We are still after a experienced/marquee half.

 

[RufusRex]

There's a lot of give and take with every management group.
I said before I believed O'Neil was a back pocket signing and I think we will see more of them, we need to be on good terms with Titans, Wasserman and others.

Crown are still heavily invested thru us.

Jake, Setu, David, Cyrus, then juniors Ollie Luka Api etc.

Was the flano relationship with wasserman a reason behind our lack of success chasing Leo Thompson?

With ONeill did we get a decent quid pro quo from that manager or is it a bit of paying it forward?

 

[Frank Facer]

We are still after a experienced/marquee half.

Boyd would be the best option available for a half

 

[Frank Facer]

I just read that Penrith can only offer Jenkins sub 400K a year. We should offer him 500K for 3 years. He may take up the offer.

 

[George Sancti]

You think Gutho has the game for a centre? I don't. 5/8 is possible but we have plenty of young specialist 5/8s.

I think Gutho would defend well at centre and he’d create opportunities for his winger. With the centre depth likely to be thin, he may be a reasonable short‑term solution.

 

[GCRV]

I think Gutho would defend well at centre and he’d create opportunities for his winger. With the centre depth likely to be thin, he may be a reasonable short‑term solution.

I think he might struggle badly in defence playing centre.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Yep, he struggled there 6 years ago against cape well in origin when he was still physically capable so f*ck knows why people think he could play there now, add on top he couldn’t beat an egg with his athleticism now

We just have to cop the dead cap hit on him and get him gone next year

He can’t play anywhere apart from fullback and even at fullback he’s a 6/10 on a good day now

 

[RedV01]

Yep, he struggled there 6 years ago against cape well in origin when he was still physically capable so f*ck knows why people think he could play there now, add on top he couldn’t beat an egg with his athleticism now

We just have to cop the dead cap hit on him and get him gone next year

He can’t play anywhere apart from fullback and even at fullback he’s a 6/10 on a good day now

He might go well as a utility coming on to play 20~25 minutes a game at hooker in his final year. He takes a lot of dummy half runs now and usually makes 10 meters or so.

 

[Dragon David]

I can see Gutho shifting to centre next year, with either Val going to the wing or Suli dropping back to NSW Cup

Yep, he struggled there 6 years ago against cape well in origin when he was still physically capable so f*ck knows why people think he could play there now, add on top he couldn’t beat an egg with his athleticism now

We just have to cop the dead cap hit on him and get him gone next year

He can’t play anywhere apart from fullback and even at fullback he’s a 6/10 on a good day now

Yep. Gutho has gone downhill. Doesn't have the acceleration that is needed as a fullback and will struggle with his defence as the centre. Would also struggle as a five eighth as well. He doesn't have the dash that Drinkwater has. Hopefully we do get Drinkwater for our attack to be any good in the future.