Hit List - Bullemor and Thompson or Utoikamanu

[Eagles4Life]

Sipley continues to improve but he's not quite there yet and Davey hasn't even been tried as an NRL prop and he'll be coming back from an ACL. Also not yet convinced that Saddler will make the grade, and the other 2 young guys are likely to need a few years development.
Letting Marty go now makes no sense to me.
We wouldn't get anyone better or cheaper. [edit - anyone as good as Marty would cost at least as much]
Plus he has the advantage of being invested in Manly after all he's done here. Which is a significant factor. Its all very well to sign some hired gun but will they fit in etc etc. (Good luck to Dogs with Vaughn for example but I imagine he's mainly focussed on getting his retirement in order and looking forward to more bbqs)

Taupau staying on with us to fulfil his contract is my preferred option as well. Keeping our pack as is, with the possible addition of Bullemore, would clearly be the best result for us. Even without Bullemore we have a good pack as we are. My understanding is that we may have to move Marty on to manage our salary cap. I personally hope we can manage our salary cap without losing him.

 

[KNUCKLES]

Jakey also spends time at prop along with Siro now.

Thompson on $400 for 2 years would be a steal.

I would love one more edge forward for our depth. Moley and Shuey will be our starting second rowers for a lot of years to come. With Jack and Siro potentially moving on. A mobile, line running back rower to boost our stocks would be good. Lachlan Fitzgibbon seems on the outer at the knights and is off contract. I’d love Tyrone Peachey as well, the guy can play anywhere.

Along with resigning Walker and Funa. Of all of the off contract players I’d look at mainly adding depth.

Caleb Aitkens
Braidon Burns
Joey Lussick
Matt Ikavalu

Luke Garner would be my pick of mobile backrowers out there

 

[Cliffymagic]

Thompson would be nice. But the stupid dogs overpaid him to start with. Now he is outs most clubs price range unless he actually wants to win a grand final and take less money

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

My understanding is that we may have to move Marty on to manage our salary cap

Oh. Well my understanding is that I don't have any understanding of the mystery of the ole salary cap machinations.
I'd rather we renegotiate a longer deal with him on lower dollars rather than pay another club to take him. If possible ???

 

[The Who]

Oh. Well my understanding is that I don't have any understanding of the mystery of the ole salary cap machinations.
I'd rather we renegotiate a longer deal with him on lower dollars rather than pay another club to take him. If possible ???

Yes. I too am confused about a club "moving on" a player. How can they do this if the player is under contract and doesn't want to move? I could only imagine Marty agreeing to move if it was to a strong club, such as a current top four club, in the knowledge that he'll have plenty of good support players and the hope that he may have a better chance of a premiership. He's not going to move to, say, North Queensland even for more money nor sunshine.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I think that's right. All of the swap deals and moving players early etc etc etc all depend on both parties agreeing. A club can dig their heels in on a contract, like Penrith did this year with Burton, or a player can refuse to retire or be moved on (although certain unofficial inducements no doubt help in those sort of decisions).

 

[double hoops]

Still say we need an old hard head in next year. Marty has been great in 2021.

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

If we lose Taupau we still have a pretty good prop rotation. Paseka, Aloiai, Sipley, Keppie, Davey are all current squad players who are playing prop or can play prop. Then we have Fainu, Saddler, Tu'itavake all coming through. It's likely that Fainu and Saddler both come into the thirty for 2022.

I think there is a reasonable chance that we pick up Bullemore, but obviously it's far from a done deal. That gives us eight props in the main squad and one in the development squad. Nine in total.

Yes we do lose a lot of experience if Marty leaves. Obviously Utoikamanu would be a fantastic pickup but it's highly unlikely that the Tigers will be happy to let him go. I also don't think we need Thompson, Klemmer or Woods. I would really prefer that we work with what we have (plus Bullemore if we do that deal), and the props we have coming through.

Davey is a backrower I think

 

[Eagles4Life]

Davey is a backrower I think

Yes @Brisbane Tragic Davey is predominantly a backrower, who like Siro and Jake, can also play prop.

 

[ShakeySeaEagle]

Still say we need an old hard head in next year. Marty has been great in 2021.

I think Marty has turned into the ‘ultimate professional’ these days as well. With his game prep and wanting to create an awesome image (brand) for himself. I think he isn’t just great for the younger guys on the field but just as importantly off it. I think a lot of the young forwards in particular the younger Polynesian players would look up to Marty.

 

[Eagle 1]

Taupau staying on with us to fulfil his contract is my preferred option as well. Keeping our pack as is, with the possible addition of Bullemore, would clearly be the best result for us. Even without Bullemore we have a good pack as we are. My understanding is that we may have to move Marty on to manage our salary cap. I personally hope we can manage our salary cap without losing him.

Got a feeling the days of offering non marque players 800k a season are coming to an end. With so many young up and coming players coming through these days, it's hard for clubs to take a gamble on a players form and fitness and not sitting on the side lines injured when coming to the back end of their careers.

 

[lulubelle]

We need Marty. He is the strength of our pack. Takes it to the line. Lose him and we lose the core of our forwards but also his positive mentality and leadership. Needs to be our senior forward leader and mentor for the next two years.

 

[Mataiforever]

Aloiaio
Keppie
Sipley
Utoikamanu
Bullemor
Would get the job done nicely I think.

Paseka needed

 

[Mataiforever]

We need Marty. He is the strength of our pack. Takes it to the line. Lose him and we lose the core of our forwards but also his positive mentality and leadership. Needs to be our senior forward leader and mentor for the next two years.

jake is our forward leader

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

We need Marty. He is the strength of our pack. Takes it to the line. Lose him and we lose the core of our forwards but also his positive mentality and leadership. Needs to be our senior forward leader and mentor for the next two years.

Yep he does a great job - I gather he is the big dog amongst the Polynesian boys

 

[robbiea]

Paseka needed

Ohh sheeeet , definitely.How did I miss that monster

 

[AlxFromNthNarra]

Klemmer? He'll be suspended again after this week's match for the umpteenth time. Besides, I don't think he's played well for at least two seasons. He's as one-dimensional as Sharon Woods.
If we haven't got better, younger and cheaper props coming through our juniors I'd be very surprised.

I'm no fan of bringing in Woods to be sure, but Klemmer has it all over Woods this year - aside from being 3 years younger as well.

• Durable - has played consistently over 20-games a season for 7-years
• 97.5% tackle efficiency over about 550 tackles made in 2021
• 165 avg running metres per game in 2021
• Huge post-contact metres in 2021
• Can play big minutes (done 60-70+ as a prop a few times in 2021)
• While his offloads are down this year, he has shown he has those in him (Marty's are down this year too)
• He's 27 - I forget too, given his achievements as a young prop, that he is really entering his peak years for a prop

I have to respectfully disagree with the statement that he hasn't played well for at least 2 seasons, as he has not been bad at all this year - quite the contrary. It's just a pity he plies his trade at a crap club compared to ours.

He can't have played 20+ games a season for 8 straight years (he is on 19 for 2021 with a few to go) whilst being suspended.

Woods coming here for a 'retirement contract' can bugger right off. We tried that with Nate Myles, Willie Mason and it didn't pay off. Woods strikes me as that type. Conversely, we tried that with Ben Kennedy and it started something magic. Would Klemmer be more Nate/Willie or Big Ben? Hard to call, but from what I have seen of Klemmer I think he is a lot more tenacious than past-it Willie and has more ticker and desire than I'm-only-decent-at-origin-niggle Nate. Also Klem is only 27, he surely has a fair few seasons left in him.

Do we have better options coming through the juniors? Maybe - its just the last couple of years with Covid, I haven't had that much to go on, whereas Klemmer puts in at the highest level consistently.

If we lost Marty, Klemmer would somewhat fill that void in the pack on paper. If we can keep Marty that would be my preference, but Klem would have a bit more gas left in his tank I imagine based on Age. At the right price, Klem would be a shrewd addition to a strong team. I bet you the Storm would take him.

 

[maxta]

I reckon the Pommy Thompson in the right place such as Manly, would be very good....not sure on looking too hard outside the Manly backyard though, as at full strength already have an inposing pack...also keep an eye out as mentioned earlier on young pup Fainu, who is a powerful youngster with a big motor....I reckon by 2023 there will be 3 x Fainu's in the Maroon and White Top 17...

 

[Jerry1]

Having kept my eye out on the weekend for Bullemor I was a bit underwhelmed with what I saw compared to the huge raps he was getting on here. Maybe I missed something..

 

[eagleron]

T

Thompson is signed with the Dogs for two further seasons at anything from $775,000 to $850,000 (conflicting reports). He is not going to accept anything less for those two years. He may not care who pays it (Dogs/Eagles split), but in 2023 he will cost one club a lot more than he is worth. Manly isn't silly enough to pay this for him, especially as he gets suspended so frequently.

He dogs have said Thompson is going nowhere