The Mole: Big-money Bulldogs favourite to sign gun Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs

Ewan McGrady

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No to Staggs. One good game - channel 9 talk him up. No thanks. We’ve got JAC and Ox as ins... Burton or Avarillo into backline also. Money better spent elsewhere
 

Kempsey Dog

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So if we sign him, what happens to Alamoti and Schoupp for next year? Schoupp maybe even get's a start this year if Hoppa is underwhelming or gets injured...
That's the big danger and why we shouldn't sign him. Would still need to find a place for Averillo. To much cap space taken up for Staggs and you lose a elite junior in the process
 

bowleggedwog

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No purely on the fact we have 2 good juniors plus 2 young current 1st graders. With reserve grade back its exiting times watching the kids come through..
 

Natboy

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So if we sign him, what happens to Alamoti and Schoupp for next year? Schoupp maybe even get's a start this year if Hoppa is underwhelming or gets injured...
True but what if they don’t make the transition to first grade? We are left looking for scraps other clubs don’t want again
 

flamebouyant

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Hopefully true, and would be great acquisition should we get him around that money.
Those suggesting it’s poor cap management are sitting at home playing fantasy league guessing values of entire squad. We are still several quality players off being remotely Finals contenders and need game winners, which Staggs is.
Those suggesting we have juniors who can take this role are delusional, long way from lower grades to NRL elite. There is no guarantee ‘any’ of the promising juniors will make it
I think people like yourself just don't see what others see. Schoup was very sought after when we signed him, and Alomoti is an absolute beast!! So we have 2 very good centre prospects waiting for a chance. Granted, Alomoti is a few years away, but Schoup is a possibility this year.
So with this in mind, most people would rather see us throw 800k at a hooker, or strike prop.
Its also not about how much money we may have next year, its about allocating adequate money to each area of the team. We can't put it all unto our backline. We literally need to spread the wealth.
No one in their right mind would suggest it wouldn't be great to have Staggs in our team, but we must also consider many other aspects.
 

Bulldogs09

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Exactly what natboy and phalangist said.

If we can land staggs we do
It. Surely.

Worst case if one of the junior centres demand selection it could force cotric back to the wing with addo carr.

Staggs in my opinion is the best centre in the game with Joseph manu.

I’d say best and Crichton are there about too.

While the kids could be amazing, they could fail to make it too!

With Allan Jac staggs and cotric it leaves a spot open for someone to claim. Especially when you consider hoppa Dwz can go and replace them with staggs and still have 400k+ for someone else in the back 5.

same kind of $

Napa out leaves us 650k!! If the hooker promoted kicks on we are in great luck! If he fails there’s enough for a play at b smith especially with Lewis meaney jmk britt etc off the books all on overs

While it’s all speculation and theories if the players we liked would sign for the kind of money reported. The blokes off the books are on what reported I would love to see the following.

Staggs - 800k
B smith - 700k
Piakura - 300k

In 2022

Napa out - 650k
Hoppa out - 500-600k
Meaney out - 300k
Lewis out - 300k
Jmk out - 300k
Britt out - 250k

Upgrade couple kids or promote like this deitz.

Following year Dwz and Stimson gone. There’s the best part of 1 mil for upgrades. That’s if someone like tigers don’t take Dwz on majority of his last years $ which they could well do.

We also then have Jackson getting on who would be on good $ and no doubt close to hanging it up within that time too.

Leaves us a genuine title threat line up with cap space be it for retaining or a decent signing but the basis is there and quality.

Allan
Jac
Cotric
Staggs
Okonbor /perhaps a kid forces cotric to wing
Burton
Flanagan

Thompson
B smith
Hetho
Elliott
Rfm
Jackson

Jake/deitz
Waddell
Renouf
Ogden (if retained)
Piakura
Doorey
Topine

Plenty of options there with the pack to move about especially if jacko retires in a season or 2.

Could easily use rfm at prop with Thompson hetho an Renouf allowing us start piakura/doorey/topine on an edge selection demands and groom one for lock or an edge of Elliott goes to lock etc.

It shows really a talented team with quality depth in the pack. Averilo around so could cut wakeham who no doubt is on a decent wage over minimum for depth too with him and bbo as depth.

It’s important to think when your saying the future cap etc and retaining upgrading etc that it’s also the blokes still on the books who wouldn’t even make the squad on $ coming off.

With Napa and hoppa this year giving us a huge chunk and then Lewis jmk Meaney britt etc a decent chunk between them as none should be in first grade and replaced with depth it easily covers 3 quality signings.

Those 3 to me would be staggs, b smith and piakura.

Then the following year Dwz Stimson give us another mil alone.

That is the way we ensure upgrades are covered and allocated.

Throw in Jackson and we are well and truly prepared for this and finally would be able to compete!
 
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D.O.W.

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Lol just another player manager playing the raise my salary game.

even a blindsquirrel finds a nut sadly moley is way off on this one.
For sure, the fact we have 15 players or so coming off contract this year will only fuel more links to our club being leveraged as “cashed up”
 

Brendan7

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So if we sign him, what happens to Alamoti and Schoupp for next year? Schoupp maybe even get's a start this year if Hoppa is underwhelming or gets injured...
Do you know how many times I hear the words "elite junior"...how many of them actually make it. It's a lot less than you think. Take the bloke we know is at the top level thanks rather than a lottery shoot on a junior, that's all it is with a junior.
 

Bulldog1966

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Always sceptical on the budding stars too but surely one or two work out of those two and say Averillo time will tell its far from a given i agree, we should give Baz some credit though as i would be much more confident of him aiding their ongoing development really well opposed to the other two dills who preceded him.

Don't disagree on the potential signing if the price is right ..but not for 800k and 3? years, I think he is an awesome player too but some keep forgetting he is coming off a reco....that is a query for me and a risk.Gut feel is he won't sign anyways though it won't be all bad news as Piakura WILL.
 

chisdog

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Do you know how many times I hear the words "elite junior"...how many of them actually make it. It's a lot less than you think. Take the bloke we know is at the top level thanks rather than a lottery shoot on a junior, that's all it is with a junior.
Karl Filiga anybody?

$20,000 per minute is not bad pay!

 

Brendan7

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Always sceptical on the budding stars too but surely one or two work out of those two and say Averillo time will tell its far from a given i agree, we should give Baz some credit though as i would be much more confident of him aiding their ongoing development really well opposed to the other two dills who preceded him.

Don't disagree on the potential signing if the price is right ..but not for 800k and 3? years, I think he is an awesome player too but some keep forgetting he is coming off a reco....that is a query for me and a risk.Gut feel is he won't sign anyways though it won't be all bad news as Piakura WILL.
There are different scales of knee's though, talking as someone who has family in this profession. What you actually like to hear with an ACL (and I'm not saying you are jumping for joy or anything as it's still an injury) is that the snap is "clean". From all reports it was (and it's why his anticipated return is a lot sooner), and medicine is a million times better these days. Look 800k is on the high end but if it means paying 800k to get him versus offering 700k and missing I know which option I'm picking.

I'm frankly over people shouting "this junior is the next you know", I just haven't seen any evidence that we have generational juniors yet. This may change with TB as coach though he's always been big on development.
 

Shire Dog

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True but what if they don’t make the transition to first grade? We are left looking for scraps other clubs don’t want again
Sometimes you just need to pull the trigger on these top class players
Nothing against developing from the juniors but if we are serious about winning a premiership in the future and really competing with the heavyweights well money has to be spent.
I trust TB judgment in making those massive calls.
 

bradyk

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you need to buy these top players and then have these young guys trying to break into grade.

they can’t have a walk up start.
You need to buy top/experienced players where you don't have good young guys coming through. The other option is to sign or re-sign stop gap solutions until your young guys are ready. If we sign someone like Staggs we're blocking Schoupp and Alamoti's pathways. It doesn't make much sense to splash 800k (I don't think the club would offer over 650k personally) here, especially when we need a hooker and even a prop beforehand. Maybe in 2023 Cotric will take DWZ's wing position and we'll have another centre spot open. I just think Schoupp especially will be ready next year. I think Staggs is a quality centre with potential to be elite (maybe he already is elite) so I wouldn't be too upset if we signed him I guess.
 

Brendan7

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You need to buy top/experienced players where you don't have good young guys coming through. The other option is to sign or re-sign stop gap solutions until your young guys are ready. If we sign someone like Staggs we're blocking Schoupp and Alamoti's pathways. It doesn't make much sense to splash 800k (I don't think the club would offer over 650k personally) here, especially when we need a hooker and even a prop beforehand. Maybe in 2023 Cotric will take DWZ's wing position and we'll have another centre spot open. I just think Schoupp especially will be ready next year. I think Staggs is a quality centre with potential to be elite (maybe he already is elite) so I wouldn't be too upset if we signed him I guess.
The last position we need is a prop! We still have too many of them and it is the EASIEST position to fill anyway. We actually need another centre. Hooker yes but there aren't any on the market that are decent and no Cook aint coming back regardless of how "out of contract" he is. Why come back to a side that shafts you!
 
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