Official Gus on Twitter

[El Mag-Nick]

To be fair....
We signed Xerri a while ago, well before Avo's contract negotiations started.

It may be a case of Gus and CC wanted both at the club back then and more recent movements have changed the mindset of what kind of players or SC spend we need to allow for.

I'm not particularly happy with letting Avo go. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have signed Crighton. I was even sceptical about resigning Burton. But it's done now and CC and Gus will have to be judged on these decisions in a couple years time.

Yeah man that’s kinda my point, the fact they try to claim retaining locals is the priority but then leave those discussions until much later in the year is part of what has me annoyed. I can see the points others are making about the whole thing, I’m just not going to agree. To me the fact they signed Xerri at the first available opportunity but left retaining other players to well down the track tells me he was the priority, which is what my original comment was getting at, why is he such a priority given the blokes record.

Others have pointed out I could have worded it more diplomatically and that’s fair, but to be honest I didn’t feel like the situation warranted diplomacy, seeing the announcement felt like a kick in the guts. Others will disagree and everyone is entitled to their opinions.

Generally I have liked what Gus has done since he got here, but I’m never going to think racing out to sign a drug cheat as a matter of urgency was warranted

 

[D0GMATIC]

I can’t accuse them of not trying, that’s fair, but I can point out he wasn’t their priority. That’s been my point, maybe I’m not accurately conveying it, and that’s on me. No disrespect to anyone else that takes the opposite view, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but from my point of view it doesn’t wash with what the club tells us to keep people happy at the AGM every year

All good, i respect your difference of opinion. Wouldn't it be neglect of the the club, not to get a player,with equal or better attributes, for less money ?

 

[El Mag-Nick]

All good, i respect your difference of opinion. Wouldn't it be neglect of the the club, not to get a player,with equal or better attributes, for less money ?

You can look at it that way, I see it as being negligent by bringing a player with a history of drug cheating into the club. All pre season all we heard about was the culture and connection we are trying to build, it seems like a risk to introduce a rogue element into that.

People will say I’m too harsh for that view, I’ll say they are too soft for theirs. Either way it’s done now, but I still don’t have to be happy about it, or blindly agree it was the right thing to do because “gus says it is”

 

[Heckler]

Then he will leave for the dolphins in a few years whats the point

Not this boy.

 

[Heckler]

Ethan Quai Ward will get a crack before the end of the year

I agree....looks the goods.

 

[Heckler]

Is it just me or does his name sound like an electric car?

I call him Equaliser.

 

[Bulldogs09]

I think the one thing people forget is just how Fucking good xerri was. I am not saying he didn’t cheat or he’s got a bad rep. Sure he does. Sure he did. He’s been banned for 4 years and that was his punishment. I’d rather that then lodge and scum act or Fucking shit that Inglis, bird, lui etc in beating women.

The one thing I don’t care about is the “he was only good because of gear” fick off with that. He was a great player and that’s not just cause he was on juice.

Let’s also not be delusional saying oh was no rush to sign him. He would of had people lining up to get him. He will be dirt cheap, has huge upside especially if he is as good as he was. He’s still as young as averilo is now!

It’s been years that he hasn’t shown anything like xerri did.

It’s fair to say xerri got to play in a far better team but let’s also not pretend averilo has been poor up until this year and even with his attacking moments in broken field he still has been pretty poor defensively to say the least.

Xerri is no doubt at least half if not a third the wage averilo is next year either.

We have several backs that can play a role.

We are fucked in the forwards especially with Thompson and some other plodders going. We need to get some big tough upgrades there along with a Fucking 7 which would be our first good 1 since noddy ffs!

Which reading what Gus has said makes me think it’s exactly his priority. A quality 7 and some big tough middles cause we fucking are woeful in these positions and I don’t know the answer. I thought hunt was 1. I prayer haas is (though highly doubt it).

We will soon see what Gus has and judge from there.

A backline with critta Jac kiraz and xerri wont be the issue.

 

[D0GMATIC]

You can look at it that way, I see it as being negligent by bringing a player with a history of drug cheating into the club. All pre season all we heard about was the culture and connection we are trying to build, it seems like a risk to introduce a rogue element into that.

People will say I’m too harsh for that view, I’ll say they are too soft for theirs. Either way it’s done now, but I still don’t have to be happy about it, or blindly agree it was the right thing to do because “gus says it is”

Your opinion is harsh, but not unfairly so. I'd agree with you, re that,had Xerri not been so rigorously tested since then. He may have "cheated" the system, but he isn't "cheating" the system. Gus' understanding of the game is second to none. I'm backing his judgement.

 

[El Mag-Nick]

Let’s also not be delusional saying oh was no rush to sign him. He would of had people lining up to get him. He will be dirt cheap, has huge upside especially if he is as good as he was. He’s still as young as averilo is now!
A backline with critta Jac kiraz and xerri wont be the issue.

I don’t get this argument. I’m not saying you are wrong, but if there were clubs lining up to sign him, why is he so cheap? Surely if he was in high demand there would have been someone willing to outbid us if our offer was so cheap. And if there was nobody willing to outbid us, then what was the urgency? It’s not like he can go out and up his value with on field success

 

[belmore_utd]

Ffs stop clogging up the Ghoul thread with piss dribble

 

[Taylforth]

Right, that’s your opinion, I don’t agree, but that isn’t the point, opinions are going to be different . But even if you are correct, you don’t get to stand up at every AGM and preach about how one of the highest priorities the club has is retaining and developing juniors and then go out and sign a bloke serving a drugs ban months before you let a corresponding junior walk away if you don’t want people to point out the fact it’s contradictory.

If retaining juniors is really the priority then they’d be the first people you extend or resign, but they aren’t, because Xerri was seen as the priority last December. That’s my entire point, the club doesn’t get to have it both ways

While I don’t totally agree, u make a fair point. So far we have filled our top 30 backline gaps with Crichton (‘24), Xerri (‘24), JAC, Burton, Hoffman, Oloapu, Reynolds, Burns, Flanagan and Perham - 9 out of 10 are imports.
However otherwise not too bad - 6 out of 10 worth keeping.
In saying that Kiraz, Rajab, Averillo and Alimoti are 4 juniors who have also managed to get a NRL start in our backline this year. Not a bad hit rate. Lost 1 (Averillo).
The glaring gap is HB.
Similar story in the forwards with gaps of 2-3 x decent middles needed to support existing troops. So don’t think Gus/CC are too far off the mark in their plan. Just need to urgently plug remaining gaps for ‘24

 

[TwinTurbo]

I don’t get this argument. I’m not saying you are wrong, but if there were clubs lining up to sign him, why is he so cheap? Surely if he was in high demand there would have been someone willing to outbid us if our offer was so cheap. And if there was nobody willing to outbid us, then what was the urgency? It’s not like he can go out and up his value with on field success

The problem is you don't what you don't know. For example, Gould has been talking to Xerri and providing support to him for some time. He had other offers all around the NRL minimum, most of them 1 + 1 years (Club Option), but he wanted to play for us, which is always a Gould preference.


Always a Bulldog

 

[D0GMATIC]

I don’t get this argument. I’m not saying you are wrong, but if there were clubs lining up to sign him, why is he so cheap? Surely if he was in high demand there would have been someone willing to outbid us if our offer was so cheap. And if there was nobody willing to outbid us, then what was the urgency? It’s not like he can go out and up his value with on field success

You're right.But we made him an offer, he thought he could do better, and did. Good for him getting more money, but good on us for not overpaying him to stay.

 

[D- voice]

The juniors have to hold their end of the bargain up as well. Avo still has a lot of improvement to make defensively and at 600k a season I’m with Gus on this he can do that develop at the fins

Early this season I warned this will happen, can you imagine if we struck more success?

 

[Bulldogs09]

I don’t get this argument. I’m not saying you are wrong, but if there were clubs lining up to sign him, why is he so cheap? Surely if he was in high demand there would have been someone willing to outbid us if our offer was so cheap. And if there was nobody willing to outbid us, then what was the urgency? It’s not like he can go out and up his value with on field success

I think you answered your own question.

The fact he was a “urgency” was to get him ready for the return to field with a direction after years no doubt mentally doing it tough as a young kid who abused steroids.

He has owned it. Tick.

He has said in the interview with him that multiple clubs wanted him but when Gus wanted to meet he prioritised that. Then he said not to bother with other clubs. Gus has sold him a future and a vision. If you haven’t watched that interview go do that. I think he said his manager had all but 1 club wanting to meet…. His words.

If you don’t think clubs would be lining up to sign him I suggest go back to watching his year of a kid where he was in conversation for origin…. That was a 18 year old doing what he did.

Was it unfair he had gear. Sure. Are there others? No doubt. Is he only where he was due to gear? No chance.

I am extremely confident he will get back to some amazing form. I don’t expect it the first year but I am very confident by the end of the first year he will be better than what averilo has done this year for us as at 18 he was light years ahead.

 

[flamebouyant]

Right, that’s your opinion, I don’t agree, but that isn’t the point, opinions are going to be different . But even if you are correct, you don’t get to stand up at every AGM and preach about how one of the highest priorities the club has is retaining and developing juniors and then go out and sign a bloke serving a drugs ban months before you let a corresponding junior walk away if you don’t want people to point out the fact it’s contradictory.

If retaining juniors is really the priority then they’d be the first people you extend or resign, but they aren’t, because Xerri was seen as the priority last December. That’s my entire point, the club doesn’t get to have it both ways

Mate, please, just get over it!

 

[Dogiezz]

You got blocked and are still crying that your opinion doesn't matter, yes?

You will never influence the club, nor will I!

Opinions are like arseholes...

Move the fcuk on!

 

[XPICATE]

Part of the ASADA protocols on his return he will be tested regularly and at random intervals.

Which he was ever since he was teenager, only failed the one test when he was trying to recover from a stubborn slow healing shoulder injury at contract renewal time. Big mistake and he knows it and he won't repeat it.


Always a Bulldog

haha
it was a joke i doubt he’s testing positive for anything soon

 

[chemdog]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1672004578987085825

 

[wendog33]

Following on from tweet above...