Recruitment

[Budgie]

I know it's a weird year but I just feel like it's been forever since we could even go the the supermarket looking for a player.
Sure we had a couple of years of salary cap penalty and we do have lots of money tied up in DCE and Tommy T but surely we can shop occasionally!
I get so miserable every time I read that such and such a player is coming onto the market because I know we never buy anyone of any decent standard. OK, it's not the seventies and eighties anymore when we really were the silvertails but sheesh!

I think Marty was the last marquee signing we had and Mitchell Pearce was the last one that was even talked about.

Our depth is crap and what's the point of taking it slowly with the development of the youngsters when they'll just be swooped on by the likes of the Roosters, Broncos, Souths etc by the time they're up to scratch.

Will this ever end?

 

[40 years an eagle]

Maybe with the money from Thommo and 5 or so other players moved on we can shop for a REAL 7.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

Maybe with the money from Thommo and 5 or so other players moved on we can shop for a REAL 7.

Who is this real 7 we can go for? Im serious who can we go for and afford? And who is off contract

 

[johnperi01]

Have to agree with you. Was thinking how we released Gutherson after making such a big deal about signing the Turbos and him as star juniors.
When you look at Will Hopoate, JWH, Kieran Foran, Ramien, these are elite players we lost in their prime.
We keep going for the bargain basement player, yet when we have a bunch of good juniors coming through we are reluctant to pick them. Unfortunately we have put all our eggs into the DCE and Turbos basket, which comes back to bite us every time Tom gets injured.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

Ok fellow Eagles fans what the positions we need to improve in??

5/8 - players off contract
Foran Green Hastings Maloney

2nd row.. money freed up from Joel.T but who is available?? Bateman. Not happening

Wing.. rapana cotric saab alex Johnson all off contract..

I think the best move is to get a 5/8 or half.. im not sure who we can afford. I like foran as the best option but who knows if he will hold up this season and if he even wants back in.. for 450k on a 2 year deal it might be the best years of his life. I dont see des getting a young kid to play next to dce

 

[Bearfax]

I suspect the money being saved from these guys moving on is to cover the costs of retaining some of the outstanding juniors we have. Players like Funa, Schuster, Albert Hopa, Metcalfe, Cust, Fainu jnr, Ben Trbojevic etc are not going to hang around for chaff. Manly has to cut back somewhere to entice them to stay.

 

[ellakasmar]

Wouldn’t mind Adam Elliott to replace Thommo

 

[40 years an eagle]

I suspect the money being saved from these guys moving on is to cover the costs of retaining some of the outstanding juniors we have. Players like Funa, Schuster, Albert Hopa, Metcalfe, Cust, Fainu jnr, Ben Trbojevic etc are not going to hang around for chaff. Manly has to cut back somewhere to entice them to stay.

I'm pretty sure Schuster, and Tri-turbo have been taken care of already. Metcalfe may be one to go...or is possibly seen as a 7 in the future...who knows. Cust has the rest of this season to prove he warrants re-signing, let alone an upgrade. There will be money to spend.

 

[susan]

Wouldn’t mind Adam Elliott to replace Thommo

Love to see him in a good pack like ours.

 

[susan]

I suspect the money being saved from these guys moving on is to cover the costs of retaining some of the outstanding juniors we have. Players like Funa, Schuster, Albert Hopa, Metcalfe, Cust, Fainu jnr, Ben Trbojevic etc are not going to hang around for chaff. Manly has to cut back somewhere to entice them to stay.

I hope we don’t pay big overs to keep Ben if the situation arises just to please Jake and Tom. Not sold on him as yet . Fainu jnr , Albert, Josh way ahead.

 

[Will on the hill]

Who is this real 7 we can go for? Im serious who can we go for and afford? And who is off contract

Burton? Panthers have their organising half and he is surplus to their needs.

 

[The better Robbo]

Let go Levi, Elliott, and Thommo. Buy Burton and Saab. Neither would cost an arm and leg and are ready made 1st graders. We don't need forwards, not sure why people are saying buy a forward??? It's clear as day playmakers and outside backs are our weakness. Buying Burton allows walker back to centre and buy Saab and all of a sudden our outside backs look strong with the addition of Saab and Walker at centre.
Get Fainu back on top of the addition of Burton and all of a sudden our halves and hooker looks strong.
Backline
Turbo
Saab
Walker
Suli
Garrick
Burton
Chez
Depth
Taufua, Parker, Hoppa, Funa, Harper

Halves/ Utility depth
Schuster
Croker
Cust
Metcalfe

The forwards are fine, we have guys like Boyle, Sipley, Saddler, T rex, Waddell, Olokoatu not listed, There is absolutely nothing wrong with our forward depth.

We need a genuine half to allow Walker back to centre and another strike winger.
Get Fainu back and the rest of the squad is fine.

 

[Tomay]

Just need a gun hooker.

 

[Dion Johnson]

Burton? Panthers have their organising half and he is surplus to their needs.

Burton is contracted until the end of 2021, Tyrone May on the other hand is off contract, he would have been the first choice 5/8 had it not been for poor personal decisions..

 

[40 years an eagle]

Burton is contracted until the end of 2021,

Maybe he would prefer to play FG with us instead.
Contracts mean next to nothing these days.

 

[KNUCKLES]

A relevant topic, Harawira Naera will be allowed to return to the NRL this season, alot of clubs are standing by for his signature

 

[Will on the hill]

Burton is contracted until the end of 2021, Tyrone May on the other hand is off contract, he would have been the first choice 5/8 had it not been for poor personal decisions..

If only we could see the future, we could've swapped him for Api.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

The kid who missed 5 field goal attempts? His 2nd game was pretty good... i dunno if we need a kid to partner dce. If he can run the show them bring him or even dearden the broncs kid

 

[Dion Johnson]

Maybe he would prefer to play FG with us instead.
Contracts mean next to nothing these days.

Yes oh so true.. The panthers have really benefited this season from giving those young blokes a run in 2019, really impressed with Stephen Crichton.

 

[Disco]

Before you look outside you need to look at the current squad. The below are listed off contract (as per Zero Tackle)

Cade Cust, Brendan Elliot, Albert Hopoate, Danny Levi, Luke Metcalf, Sam Smith, Corey Waddell, Tony Williams

At this stage you would think hoppa is a must keep pending his knees and morman mission status. Beyond that all are probably play for their future here.

You then need to factor the Fainu situation but lets assume is is staying.

Thompson is gone already and Harper is signed.

Id assume Harper takes Smiths spot.

I think Saab is a great Elliott replacement

Id then look at Connor Watson. He can provide spark off the bench at hooker or lock and can cover the halves at fullback.
He replaces one of Levi, Cust and Metcalf. The best performing one stays and the third spot remains open for a youngster

Asiata or maybe Hipgrave for backrow as Thommos squad spot

Keep Waddell, T Williams spot to S Fainu