2020 hooker (and Fainu disc.)

[Snake]

The way I see it we 100% need a recognised hooker on our books. I mentioned before we have lost Api, Elgey, Hodko and Fainu stood down and they have all been replaced by Eddie who is a young rookie... Say we run with Cust at 9, what happens if he gets injured? We play Croker there?
Then what happens if Chez goes down long term and we've got our only spare half playing hooker??? It makes zero sense to be so short on playmakers! Levi is the obvious choice and Im confident we will not go into the season without a recognised hooker. If we cop a couple injuries We cant rely on rookies day in day out if we want to win a comp. The top 4 is so important as stats show you need to finish top 4 to win the comp so every game every week is so vital to finish top 4 and be in a great position to win the comp.

Don't worry, Des thinks exactly the same. He knows a specialist 9 is paramount.

 

[Kevinward777]

As for Levi, the issue is money. He is on good coin at the Knights and although they want to move him on, they naturally are not interested in paying half his freight. Our salary cap situation means we are limited in how much we can pay for him. Thus, negotiations are on tenterhooks.

We really need him because Fainu will not play next year regardless of the trial because of his shoulder.

But Fainu was upgraded, and we are entitled to his salary being used on another player are we not? Or am I missing something here?

 

[double hoops]

If the knights are happy to pay Levi good coin to play in reserve grade, just smile and wave. Smile and wave.

 

[Will on the hill]

But Fainu was upgraded, and we are entitled to his salary being used on another player are we not? Or am I missing something here?

St merge only got 239k dispensation for Debellins 600k contract and it wasn't confirmed til Aug 2019.

 

[Budgie]

As for Levi, the issue is money. He is on good coin at the Knights and although they want to move him on, they naturally are not interested in paying half his freight. Our salary cap situation means we are limited in how much we can pay for him. Thus, negotiations are on tenterhooks.

We really need him because Fainu will not play next year regardless of the trial because of his shoulder.

Are you saying his shoulder is a 12 month injury?
And, if you are, don’t you think you should keep that quiet (too late) so as not to give them ways around the stand down compensation?

 

[stoodamire]

Unwanted hooker Danny Levi will be paid $150,000 by the Knights to play for Manly this season with his manager given a verbal assurance by the Sea Eagles a contract will finally be ready to sign next week.

Levi, who continues to train with the Knights but was noticeably absent from Wednesday's official team photograph session, has agreed to a one year deal at Manly worth around $225,000 with Newcastle understood to be topping up the remainder of his $375,000 final-year contract.

Of that $150,000 payout, the former Kiwi Test hooker has already earned close to $80,000 in the two and a half months since pre-season training kicked off in November.

It is not clear why the contract saga continues to drag out but Levi's agent Mario Tartak has been told the deal should be finalised early next week.

 

[winnyason]

Unwanted hooker Danny Levi will be paid $150,000 by the Knights to play for Manly this season with his manager given a verbal assurance by the Sea Eagles a contract will finally be ready to sign next week.

Levi, who continues to train with the Knights but was noticeably absent from Wednesday's official team photograph session, has agreed to a one year deal at Manly worth around $225,000 with Newcastle understood to be topping up the remainder of his $375,000 final-year contract.

Of that $150,000 payout, the former Kiwi Test hooker has already earned close to $80,000 in the two and a half months since pre-season training kicked off in November.

It is not clear why the contract saga continues to drag out but Levi's agent Mario Tartak has been told the deal should be finalised early next week.

Pretty cheap deal I hope we getting some cap compensation for this deal with fainu stand down rule.

 

[Technical Coach]

I agree that defence is the aspect he needs to work on most. Api is a much better defender at this stage. Neither have amazing service from the ruck. The one thing about Fainu that gets fans excited is his ability to generate points. Things seem to happen around him. We need a player that can create because our points scoring potential is a concern at times. If teams get a handle on Tom T, we do not have a lot else to work with. We lack a genuine 6 and DCE is rocks and diamonds.

We are gritty and we defend stoutly but points against quality opposition will be our achilles heel.

Totally agree with your points.

Lacking quality distribution from the ruck is going to limit our attacking variety to all the short options(distance wise) from the ruck based around quick play the balls, engaging the markers and hitting the first short lead runner hit ups.

Yes there will still be expansive set plays and second phase play(as Manly has already shown) but that direct expansive play out from the ruck option will give it more potency. That is the beauty of having good distribution like Ballin and Buderus you can play laterally faster and offer more time to the halves.

Sometimes even the best parts of Fainu's game like engaging the markers and offloading is not done in the most direct fast manner, eventually it will be less effective unless he builds a more rounded game.

Walker will be a genuine 6 no problem in that area.

 

[winnyason]

The thing with 9 we have

Totally agree with your points.

Lacking quality distribution from the ruck is going to limit our attacking variety to all the short options(distance wise) from the ruck based around quick play the balls, engaging the markers and hitting the first short lead runner hit ups.

Yes there will still be expansive set plays and second phase play(as Manly has already shown) but that direct expansive play out from the ruck option will give it more potency. That is the beauty of having good distribution like Ballin and Buderus you can play laterally faster and offer more time to the halves.

Sometimes even the best parts of Fainu's game like engaging the markers and offloading is not done in the most direct fast manner, eventually it will be less effective unless he builds a more rounded game.

Walker will be a genuine 6 no problem in that area.

The thing with 9 at our club we have best go forward just about in league with afb and marty along with Jake Glenn Stewart like ball playing.
Api biggest issue always where his hands where too slow we need simply quick passing from 9 imo. Our attack fell away a lot with api on field last season.

 

[MissKate]

Pretty cheap deal I hope we getting some cap compensation for this deal with fainu stand down rule.

What’s the betting that the nrl (with greenturd’s discretionary input) takes the drugcastle contribution into account and we get next to nothing in the fainu compensation.

 

[The better Robbo]

Sen bloody sational!!! Can someone help me out here but I dont think we can use any possible compensation money to sign levi???? We haven't been given compensation yet so I would assume he will properly be on our books which means if/when we do finally get our compensation we could use that to buy another "hooker" Bring on down Eddie or ZDC basically for free!!
Unless Des has been given assurity surrounding our compensation and can actually use it on Levi?
Anyone know???

 

[winnyason]

What’s the betting that the nrl (with greenturd’s discretionary input) takes the drugcastle contribution into account and we get next to nothing in the fainu compensation.

Yeah it's Todd Greenberg so we get 75k compensation. While we pay fainu 400k. Look unless your south's and you get 1 million back for a pre existing shoulder injury to Burgess.

 

[Snake]

Are you saying his shoulder is a 12 month injury?
And, if you are, don’t you think you should keep that quiet (too late) so as not to give them ways around the stand down compensation?

It doesn't work like that. The NRL have already stood him down so if he trips and breaks his leg from that point on, so be it.

As for the injury, there is no absolute time frame. Take Sipley for example; the situation changed and was able to come back earlier. The point that I was making was that we cannot simply sit back and wait for Fainu because there are too many variables that could potential leave us without a hooker from anywhere between 1-10 years, depending on the courts.

We are not stupid enough to throw all our eggs in one basket and hope; hence the Levi signing.

 

[The Wheel]

Will certainly looks like this will be announced #nextweek

 

[Technical Coach]

The thing with 9 we have

The thing with 9 at our club we have best go forward just about in league with afb and marty along with Jake Glenn Stewart like ball playing.
Api biggest issue always where his hands where too slow we need simply quick passing from 9 imo. Our attack fell away a lot with api on field last season.

Jake's "ballplaying" is not even in the "like ball playing" class of Glenn.

The main advantage of keeping Fainu over Api is price, luckily for Manly the current issues with Fainu should reduce his price tag unless the Warriors offer a new home with massive overs.

 

[eaglebuzz]

Jake's "ballplaying" is not even in the "like ball playing" class of Glenn.

The main advantage of keeping Fainu over Api is price, luckily for Manly the current issues with Fainu should reduce his price tag unless the Warriors offer a new home with massive overs.

The main advantage of keeping Fainu over Api is that Fainu is younger and better. Just a shame he is mixed up with a bad crowd.

 

[winnyason]

Jake's "ballplaying" is not even in the "like ball playing" class of Glenn.

The main advantage of keeping Fainu over Api is price, luckily for Manly the current issues with Fainu should reduce his price tag unless the Warriors offer a new home with massive overs.

Yeah okay more than price. Api was not helping at all poor passing too slow.

 

[winnyason]

Jake's "ballplaying" is not even in the "like ball playing" class of Glenn.

The main advantage of keeping Fainu over Api is price, luckily for Manly the current issues with Fainu should reduce his price tag unless the Warriors offer a new home with massive overs.

Look get your a coach of some type but don't need a lecture on why Glenn a better ball player or cannot see hype around fainu.
I make my own judgement I played game for well over 20 years in country nsw I pretty sure I can pick something out rather than a power point on reason why. Thanks for your insight but I differ.
Keep supporting the eagles.

 

[ALinda]

Unwanted hooker Danny Levi will be paid $150,000 by the Knights to play for Manly this season with his manager given a verbal assurance by the Sea Eagles a contract will finally be ready to sign next week.

Levi, who continues to train with the Knights but was noticeably absent from Wednesday's official team photograph session, has agreed to a one year deal at Manly worth around $225,000 with Newcastle understood to be topping up the remainder of his $375,000 final-year contract.

Of that $150,000 payout, the former Kiwi Test hooker has already earned close to $80,000 in the two and a half months since pre-season training kicked off in November.

It is not clear why the contract saga continues to drag out but Levi's agent Mario Tartak has been told the deal should be finalised early next week.

Thanks @stoodamire - you've given us some optimism

 

[eaglebuzz]

Look get your a coach of some type but don't need a lecture on why Glenn a better ball player or cannot see hype around fainu.
I make my own judgement I played game for well over 20 years in country nsw I pretty sure I can pick something out rather than a power point on reason why. Thanks for your insight but I differ.
Keep supporting the eagles.

I'm not at all convinced he's a coach, not a paid one anyway.