2013 Rumoured and confirmed signings.

[Hamster Huey]

Keating didn't have a bad year. Your halfback doesn't always have to be chief playmaker and overpaid superstar. He just needs to do his job.

But one of your halves should probably be. Reynolds looks a good fit for 5/8, but if the Dogs continue with Keating then they will need to hope Barba can continue his freakish plays to provide the options they don't have through the '7'.

I'm not bagging Keating, as his role fit for what was working around him this year. But at some point there is going to be questions asked of a side and if your halves are solid at best, then it all very quickly falls apart.

---

I wonder if there is more to his injuries?

That's probably the most likely situation driving it. May have been a factor when Manly considered whether to throw more coin at him, or not.

 

[Stevo]

Yeah my point was not every team needs a superstar halfback as long as you have others that can fill the void. Keating is probably down there at the bottom end of NRL halfbacks but as long as he does his job someone else can be the superstar ----> Barba, Reynolds......Trex lol

 

[Peter C]

Yeah my point was not every team needs a superstar halfback as long as you have others that can fill the void. Keating is probably down there at the bottom end of NRL halfbacks but as long as he does his job someone else can be the superstar ----> Barba, Reynolds......Trex lol

Reynolds superstar ????, T-Rex, good player but lazy and prone to errors, Barba, had a fabulous year, a lot of presssure on him next year to repeat it,and Melbourne sorted him out.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Des looked at what he had in the halves, realised they weren't superstars, so worked out a very, very good game plan that meant it wasn't as issue for them at all to operate with a couple of solid NRL level players. Good coaching

 

[jbb/james]

Des looked at what he had in the halves, realised they weren't superstars, so worked out a very, very good game plan that meant it wasn't as issue for them at all to operate with a couple of solid NRL level players. Good coaching

Agree, he did very well with what he had.Adapted very well in a short time.The players obviously trusted him and went with it which would have been tough as they dropped a fair few games early from memory. Im sure he knows he needs better though

 

[MadMarcus]

Josh Reynolds going to Parra on big money.

I believe the correct term to use when discussing what Parra pay players is "stupid" money.

Hindmarsh must be annoyed he carefully invested so much cash into the Parra leagues pokies only for them to p!ss it up against the wall on players like Sandow...

 

[the mauler]

Josh Reynolds going to Parra on big money.

I believe the correct term to use when discussing what Parra pay players is "stupid" money.

Hindmarsh must be annoyed he carefully invested so much cash into the Parra leagues pokies only for them to p!ss it up against the wall on players like Sandow...

Don't worry Sandow is re- investing the money into Parra leagues pokies as well. Maybe thats why Parra signed him on mega bucks cauz they knew they'd get most of it back.

 

[Stevo]

Yeah my point was not every team needs a superstar halfback as long as you have others that can fill the void. Keating is probably down there at the bottom end of NRL halfbacks but as long as he does his job someone else can be the superstar ----> Barba, Reynolds......Trex lol

Reynolds superstar ????, T-Rex, good player but lazy and prone to errors, Barba, had a fabulous year, a lot of presssure on him next year to repeat it,and Melbourne sorted him out.

Read it again. note the lol

 

[DYEagle]

To be fair I thought we did try and keep him

True enough, but the club never thought to add a kitchen sink into the offer. Bulldogs (Moore/Greenberg) saw him worth the big offer, unlike Des at the time who didn't want to match it.

I still think it strange the Bulldogs see more potential in Keating than in Hodkinson. Maybe they want to spend elsewhere in their squad than the bit more Hodkinson would probably demand over Keating?

Not sure that Des ever really rated Hodkinson...

When Manly were negotiating to re-sign Hodkinson, they were also negotiating with DCE. DCE was the priority however, Hodkinson was used as a reason to sign DCE cheaply claiming DCE was only the backup halfback. DCE hadn't played any NRL at this point but Des saw his potential.

Once DCE was secured, Hodkinson was let go and DCE was elevated to NRL halfback at a bargain basement price. The rest is history and we all saw the media hype used to upgrade DCE contract earlier in the year.

 

[driftout]

Josh enjoys his Mad Monday banter with big Sam too much to leave the Dogs for Parramatta or Penrith. His manager is just trying to get more commission. Speaking of the Dogs , so far only Wright and Goodwin (who were both on peanuts) have gone despite talk of cutting a host of big name players to accommodate T Rex , Inu and Perrett (the latter 2 apparently exempt from the salary cap this year ) . They even re-signed Keating, Halatau and Mitch Brown .

---

Glen Fisiiahi looks a sensational prospect for the Warriors ...he's wasting his time under Matt Elliott. He'd be a great fullback/winger to have as back-up if he got fed up with Elliott and decided to leave.

 

[ERNIE FOR NO7]

To be fair I thought we did try and keep him

True enough, but the club never thought to add a kitchen sink into the offer. Bulldogs (Moore/Greenberg) saw him worth the big offer, unlike Des at the time who didn't want to match it.

I still think it strange the Bulldogs see more potential in Keating than in Hodkinson. Maybe they want to spend elsewhere in their squad than the bit more Hodkinson would probably demand over Keating?

Not sure that Des ever really rated Hodkinson...

When Manly were negotiating to re-sign Hodkinson, they were also negotiating with DCE. DCE was the priority however, Hodkinson was used as a reason to sign DCE cheaply claiming DCE was only the backup halfback. DCE hadn't played any NRL at this point but Des saw his potential.

Once DCE was secured, Hodkinson was let go and DCE was elevated to NRL halfback at a bargain basement price. The rest is history and we all saw the media hype used to upgrade DCE contract earlier in the year.

That is not correct.

Hodkinson was offered a good contract. Dogs outbid us. DCE was not rated by Des at the time and was leaving the club at the end of the year but stayed when he heard Hodkinson was leaving.

 

[niccipops]

That is not correct.

Hodkinson was offered a good contract. Dogs outbid us. DCE was not rated by Des at the time and was leaving the club at the end of the year but stayed when he heard Hodkinson was leaving.

Awesome. We got the goods.

 

[Peter C]

Yeah my point was not every team needs a superstar halfback as long as you have others that can fill the void. Keating is probably down there at the bottom end of NRL halfbacks but as long as he does his job someone else can be the superstar ----> Barba, Reynolds......Trex lol

Reynolds superstar ????, T-Rex, good player but lazy and prone to errors, Barba, had a fabulous year, a lot of presssure on him next year to repeat it,and Melbourne sorted him out.

Read it again. note the lol

I copy that, Stevo

 

[tookey]

To be fair I thought we did try and keep him

True enough, but the club never thought to add a kitchen sink into the offer. Bulldogs (Moore/Greenberg) saw him worth the big offer, unlike Des at the time who didn't want to match it.

I still think it strange the Bulldogs see more potential in Keating than in Hodkinson. Maybe they want to spend elsewhere in their squad than the bit more Hodkinson would probably demand over Keating?

Not sure that Des ever really rated Hodkinson...

When Manly were negotiating to re-sign Hodkinson, they were also negotiating with DCE. DCE was the priority however, Hodkinson was used as a reason to sign DCE cheaply claiming DCE was only the backup halfback. DCE hadn't played any NRL at this point but Des saw his potential.

Once DCE was secured, Hodkinson was let go and DCE was elevated to NRL halfback at a bargain basement price. The rest is history and we all saw the media hype used to upgrade DCE contract earlier in the year.

That is not correct.

Hodkinson was offered a good contract. Dogs outbid us. DCE was not rated by Des at the time and was leaving the club at the end of the year but stayed when he heard Hodkinson was leaving.

I think that DCE had either signed or was about to sign with the dogs before they bought Hodkinson and then he stayed

 

[The Eagle]

To be fair I thought we did try and keep him

True enough, but the club never thought to add a kitchen sink into the offer. Bulldogs (Moore/Greenberg) saw him worth the big offer, unlike Des at the time who didn't want to match it.

I still think it strange the Bulldogs see more potential in Keating than in Hodkinson. Maybe they want to spend elsewhere in their squad than the bit more Hodkinson would probably demand over Keating?

Not sure that Des ever really rated Hodkinson...

When Manly were negotiating to re-sign Hodkinson, they were also negotiating with DCE. DCE was the priority however, Hodkinson was used as a reason to sign DCE cheaply claiming DCE was only the backup halfback. DCE hadn't played any NRL at this point but Des saw his potential.

Once DCE was secured, Hodkinson was let go and DCE was elevated to NRL halfback at a bargain basement price. The rest is history and we all saw the media hype used to upgrade DCE contract earlier in the year.

That is not correct.

Hodkinson was offered a good contract. Dogs outbid us. DCE was not rated by Des at the time and was leaving the club at the end of the year but stayed when he heard Hodkinson was leaving.

I think that DCE had either signed or was about to sign with the dogs before they bought Hodkinson and then he stayed

It was in a magazine

 

[Rambo1987]

Des was never concerned about losing Hodkinson and he said straight after he signed that Manly had depth in our juniors to cover the loss... And we did.

I bet Des will still go for DCE after his current contract at Manly expires - and that why I dont like him.

 

[Frank]

Des was never concerned about losing Hodkinson and he said straight after he signed that Manly had depth in our juniors to cover the loss... And we did.

I bet Des will still go for DCE after his current contract at Manly expires - and that why I dont like him.

I hate Des as much as the next bloke - even more. But you'll end up hating a lot of others with that attitude as I'm sure every club would like to sign him when he comes off contract.

 

[Berkeley_Eagle]

Thurston to be a Panther in 2014
Via Rumour box on 2GB

 

[bones]

Thurston to be a Panther in 2014
Via Rumour box on 2GB

A big cat?

 

[Bradza]

Thurston to be a Panther in 2014
Via Rumour box on 2GB

A big cat?

In that case maybe Soward is headed there too!