Recruitment and retention 2022

[Not Paul Kent]

Sorry I’m sure there is an existing thread on this but couldn’t find it.

A few thoughts on recruitment and retention for 2022.

I’m now convinced that the team structure should revert back to how it was in 2008-2012

A five eighth playing the left edge. Schuster playing as a second five eighth on the right as Glen Stewart used to and DCE linking, controlling the middle and utilising his strong running game.

How do we piece together a squad that can do this while also considering how to cover for Turbo going down injured?

The answer is Nicho Hynes!! The hard decision would need to be made to move Foran on and give Nicho the starting 5/8 role. In the event of injury to Turbo, he can slot in at the back and move Schuster to five eight.

Hynes needs to be our number one signing priority, it just makes sense. He’s a manly junior and I always thought he was underrated coming through the grades before super coach Baz decided he couldn’t play and moved him on.

Dylan Napa also won’t be retained by SuperCoach Baz and I think a forward with state of origin and premiership experience would add good balance to our squad and have plenty to teach our young pack.

The hooker conundrum depends on the outcome of the Fainu case but if he isn’t exonerated a high quality hooker is the next piece of the puzzle. Josh Hodgson is unhappy in Canberra and I’d definitely be making enquires. We have Croker and Lawton as more than reliable back ups.

Reuben should be retained, he is playing great footy and is a great person off the field who adds to club culture.

left centre is still to be answered, Walker will have to prove himself for a reduced deal.

if we pull off these signings we will be very hard to beat for the next few years!

thoughts?

 

[jbb/james]

get another fullback who can play elsewhere

 

[Disco]

Hynes is hugely in demand, meaning he will cost too much.

Napa......a huge no for me, I'd would play him ahead of Paseka, Taupau, Aloiai, Keppi or even Toff, he has lost it.

Hooker I agree we need to go to market if Fainu is convicted

 

[The better Robbo]

I don't think we need Hynes or Napa. Napa is way past it! Hynes would cost way too much! Better off putting Schuster to 5/8 and target another quality backrower to partner Olakau-atu and Davey. Really the only 2 positions we need to look at is a backup fullback and a hooker (depending on what happens with Fainu)
Id be releasing Funa, Foran, Gosiewski, Boyle and Walker and buying the best quality back up fullback money can buy and a gun backrower.
And if Fainu isn't cleared then buy the next best hooker our money can buy.

Retian the rest of the squad!

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Recruitment and retention is a critical factor for the future of any club. We need to get it right otherwise poor decisions become a poison chalice and you need look no further than Brisbane and the Tigers as examples. I am very happy that the last 8 weeks has highlighted the quality and the value of our younger stars who have risen to the challenge. Their retention should be our number one priority. The retention of players late in their careers of quality like Sirro and Walker will be difficult and unlikely to facilitate retention of our young stars. Lets see how the second half of the season pans out because I can't see us making any mid season signings.

 

[The Who]

thoughts?

It claims you joined Silvertails on January 1, 1970. My thoughts are that this is the first proven example of reincarnation . . .

 

[Dion Johnson]

The CTW retention is one where we have options.

Garrick
Funa
Walker
Taufua
Parker

All off contract this season.

Tuipulotu signed long term and Koula, Suli and Harper off contract next season.

Will be interesting to see who the club have told to look elsewhere for next season.

 

[47MVEagle]

What about Adam Douehi as back up fullback/5/8th & centre?

He can kick goals too.

Not sure of his contract situation or pricing but just an idea (I recently added him to my supercoach team haha).

 

[master blaster]

Hynes is hugely in demand, meaning he will cost too much.

Napa......a huge no for me, I'd would play him ahead of Paseka, Taupau, Aloiai, Keppi or even Toff, he has lost it.

Hooker I agree we need to go to market if Fainu is convicted

Thats why we got Lawton for isnt it Disco, as back up hooker, this kid is good

 

[40 years an eagle]

I am very happy with our recruitment and retention since Des came. You can whinge about not having a real 9 or Tom backup BUT we don't know what limitations they have been dealing with, moneywise.

I'm confident next year will be sorted out.

 

[madmax]

Manly has re-signed Toff until end of 2023!!!!!! Great news. Retention team is doing well…..Schuster, Paseka, Olakau’atu & now Toff signed.

 

[maxta]

Retention is key and Priority - it's a formidable squad for many years to come, plus some guns are close to competing with the big boys.....If any addition, would look at "The Cheese" if Fainu is not cleared, very competitive which suits our system and has much utility value....may need to let a decent player go, but it would be 1 of the decent players who has not been involved in the recent resurgence....

 

[Kevinward777]

Brilliant news! Very smart recruitment by signing all these guys when they have. We are building right quick and locking in our boys before clubs like the Bulldogs come calling with an inflated cheque book.

Well done Des and staff!

Congratulations Toff!

 

[Stewbojevic]

The CTW retention is one where we have options.

Garrick
Funa
Walker
Taufua
Parker

All off contract this season.

Tuipulotu signed long term and Koula, Suli and Harper off contract next season.

Will be interesting to see who the club have told to look elsewhere for next season.

I’d move Suli and Taufua on... keep the others and find a backup FB for the top 30

 

[Mataiforever]

Hynes is hugely in demand, meaning he will cost too much.

Napa......a huge no for me, I'd would play him ahead of Paseka, Taupau, Aloiai, Keppi or even Toff, he has lost it.

Hooker I agree we need to go to market if Fainu is convicted

Supposedly broncos offered 330k which is huge value... 500k would be the max

The problem is that this would potentially turn Schuster off - if he never properly got the position he wanted and left we’d be a shambles again

 

[Mataiforever]

What about Adam Douehi as back up fullback/5/8th & centre?

He can kick goals too.

Not sure of his contract situation or pricing but just an idea (I recently added him to my supercoach team haha).

He’s quality and would be a great centre

Schuster left 6
Douehi centre right

 

[40 years an eagle]

I’d move Suli and Taufua on... keep the others and find a backup FB for the top 30

Horhay is off-contract anyways and I imagine he will be offered an in-house role next year.

 

[Rocky]

I’d move Suli and Taufua on... keep the others and find a backup FB for the top 30

Suli contracted until end of next year so cant move him on unless someone else silly enough to pay his contract price...i doubt we would pay freight on him to go.

 

[Rocky]

He’s quality and would be a great centre

Schuster left 6
Douehi centre right

I rate Douehi as well...not sure his contract situation though

 

[AlxFromNthNarra]

Hynes is being pumped up and chased hard, will be paying overs to get him. And if we have Schuster we have a better 5/8th anyway - so we are paying overs for a player who is really a backup fullback for the 'maybe' of Turbo going down. Doesn't have much upside for Nicho, he may as well stay at the Storm.

Lawton is our play for a backup 9, and the fact he has been named as 2nd row shows he has more utility than someone like Levi. Cheese won't be coming to Manly, and nor should he be - other clubs will pump his price above what we should be spending unless Fainu is absolutely gone long-term.

Napa - kidding right? Nurture youth over signing a has-been like him.

Not keen on Hodgson either, he's just looking to mooch out his career and feels like he's lost his appetite recently. Think Croker/Cust are both hungrier, even if Hodgson is more skillful/experienced.

I know we are impatient for a perm 9, and scared of Turbo being injury-prone and going down and the rudder being snapped off our dinghy, but we also need to think of signings from the player's perspective - they won't bring what we are looking for if they think they are being signed up as a fill-in for Turbo being hurt/in origin, or a stop-gap to be discarded once Fainu returns. We are going to have to accept the calibre of player that (a) we will attract to that type of role and (b) that it is logical from a Salary Cap perspective

Levi might have been desperate enough for a start to also prove himself to new prospective buyers (see Broncs), seeing the Knights had him way down the pecking order - Lawton could be considered in a similar light, returning from injury and grateful to be on the big stage.

Cheese/Hynes definitely have no such considerations, and will not be happy playing 2nd fiddle - why would they be? They are both top of their game being hailed as borderline superstars far and wide. We don't need those egos turning into festering sores in a side where they don't feel they are getting the spotlight they deserve - even if they do have other qualities we want.

I would focus on developing our junior ranks, nurturing them into home-grown champions that are loyal to the club, and getting the type of players with the right temperament and improvement quotient to develop them - that is the DNA of our former success. We are not the Rooters buying multiple players to plug holes because of a lack of any talent coming through junior ranks.