Keppie told to leave, replaced by Tigers Alex Twal

[Nordburg]

Josh Curran is being shopped around

 

[XV-1]

@XV-1 I like Twal but he sure ain't worth $525K and don't blame them for not accepting the $100K freight discount

Agree. But letting Samuela Fainu go probably will come back and bite us.

 

[Under the Sticks]

Agree. But letting Samuela Fainu go probably will come back and bite us.

agree that one didn't make much sense but we know it had "Fulton" written all over it.

Gee the Tigpies pay overs don't they? Stuck at the bottom I understand why. We aren't too flash in that department thinking of Schuster and Olay which boith had a Tigpies influence I'm guessing!

 

[rj90]

Not getting Twal isn't a bad thing in my eyes..

 

[MW66]

For me I was quite keen on Twal however I think this was due to the fact that we were actually signing someone! $525k is way too much so can't fault the outcome.

 

[Rocky]

I'm just shocked that a fringe first grader at the Wooden Spoon Club gets 525k these days. I know the salary cap is increasing but wow.

This made me think about the overall salaries. The NRL is very socialist in their distribution given the best player in the league gets a bit over a million and Alex Twal gets half of that.

Compare that to American sports and it is way different. In the NBA for instance, the best players are now getting 50m plus a year and a lot of the players are on minimum salary of about 2m or 3m. The "middle class" is shrinking by the year.

I know we aren't necessarily comparing apples with apples, but as I mentioned I do find it interesting that the best players only get about double the "average salary of an average first grader" in the game.

 

[Ben]

For me I was quite keen on Twal however I think this was due to the fact that we were actually signing someone! $525k is way too much so can't fault the outcome.

$300k a defiant yes but at $525k no way. We need this kind of roll player at a basement price.
Hopefully moving Keppie on will free up some more money and give us some cap space to sign an above average forward.

 

[Ryan]

Thin on the ground in the forwards:

INJURED PLAYERS RETURNING
Matt Lodge - coming back at some time from long term injury - who knows when
Josh Aloiai - Hasn't played since July (9-10 months between games) - dislocated shoulder
Taniela Paseka - Ruptured medial ligament July (9-10 months between games)

OUT OF FORM PLAYERS
Josh Schuster - finished the year in NSW Cup, and needs a a re-alignment

RELEASED PLAYERS

Aaron Woods - retired
Sean Keppie - souths
Zac Fulton
Samuela Fainu - tigers
Kelma Tuilagi - parra
Karl Lawton
Morgan Boyle
Ben Condon

NORMAL PLAYERS - HEALTHY - FULL OFF-SEASON

Jake Trbojevic - should lose some k/g's and move to prop now (like his rep footy)
Ethan Bullemor - Looking great towards the end of the season
Toff Sipley - Looking great towards the end of the season

FRINGE PLAYERS

Ben Trbojevic - should be shooting for first grade
Dean Matterson - should be a depth player

NEW PLAYERS

Aitasi James - Tigers

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Jake should be playing prop now
• Given point one, who plays lock
• Still have a 7, playing 9 (6-7 years now)

MY BEST FORWARD ROTATION
08. Matt Lodge *if available
09. Lachlan Croker
10. Taniela Paseka
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12. Josh Schuster
13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Gordon Chan Kum Tong
15. Josh Aloiai
16. Ethan Bullemor
17. Ben Trbojevic

Note, Aloiai to start, and Sipley on the bench if Lodge unavailable. As I said, looks very thin.

 

[Highflier]

E

Thin on the ground in the forwards:

INJURED PLAYERS RETURNING
Matt Lodge - coming back at some time from long term injury - who knows when
Josh Aloiai - Hasn't played since July (9-10 months between games) - dislocated shoulder
Taniela Paseka - Ruptured medial ligament July (9-10 months between games)

OUT OF FORM PLAYERS
Josh Schuster - finished the year in NSW Cup, and needs a a re-alignment

RELEASED PLAYERS


NORMAL PLAYERS - HEALTHY - FULL OFF-SEASON


FRINGE PLAYERS


NEW PLAYERS


POINTS OF INTEREST

• Jake should be playing prop now
• Given point one, who plays lock
• Still have a 7, playing 9 (6-7 years now)

MY BEST FORWARD ROTATION
08. Matt Lodge *if available
09. Lachlan Croker
10. Taniela Paseka
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12. Josh Schuster
13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Gordon Chan Kum Tong
15. Josh Aloiai
16. Ethan Bullemor
17. Ben Trbojevic

Note, Aloiai to start, and Sipley on the bench if Lodge unavailable. As I said, looks very thin.

Especially thin if lodge and or paseka go down

 

[The Wheel]

https://www.facebook.com/100064696060453/posts/pfbid0aqrJgZXZk2bRTyDTt87KecJgtnZft36MsjHnYoEX6mHfkMXFvvnfijB9fBZjQYGWl

 

[MW66]

Wow. Let him explore other options then realise he is a cult figure and probably better than half their other forwards and extend him.

 

[Ryan]

Also, this may be a Fulton masterclass in manipulating the situation so Manly both lose Keppie AND don't get Twal, leaving us short again.

 

[kurrieagle]

Also, this may be a Fulton masterclass in manipulating the situation so Manly both lose Keppie AND don't get Twal, leaving us short again.

All good, we just resign Morgan Boyle lol

 

[John Nicholson]

All good, we just resign Morgan Boyle lol

And Woods and why not Nate Myles while you are at it?

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Hoping something better is on the horizon.

 

[Disco]

Wow. Let him explore other options then realise he is a cult figure and probably better than half their other forwards and extend him.

I reckon it may be that they didnt like him on 525k

So perhaps it was a...drop back to 450k in 2024 and we'll resign you for a forther two on 400k

Pure speculation though

 

[Disco]

Plenty of horse trading to happen before next year.

No panic stations yet

 

[Ryan]

Plenty of horse trading to happen before next year.

No panic stations yet

We need something in the forwards, or our collective recruitment has let us collectively down.

 

[lsz]

We need something in the forwards, or our collective recruitment has let us collectively down.

This is why I questioned Brooks

Not that he is not a good player but is he who we need when we are lacking quality forwards / depth

 

[Ryan]

This is why I questioned Brooks

Not that he is not a good player but is he who we need when we are lacking quality forwards / depth

Spot on mate. I mean, we also already have Arthur (who improved out of sight), Schuster who has a lot of improvement in him, Croker who was an international junior half who could play there.

Our forwards are awful as a core. I'm not sure how we bridge the huge gap in quality there between us and the NRL's heavy weights, while losing many, and acquiring / attaining none.