Comparisons with the Donkeys, OK let's go;
The Donkeys pay OK for centres, Staggs is on $700k and you can bet we aren't paying Xerri anywhere near that, we are a long, long way from "spending big" on him.
I assume when you talk about "2 centres", with Xerri being one, you must mean Crichton who is most likely going to play fullback. That aside, he's the better most consistent centre out of him/Staggs/Farnworth (who is going to the Dolphins for $750k in 2024). If Crichton works out at fullback then he's good value, if he plays centre then he is on about what he deserves when compared to his Donkeys' contemporaries.
Comparing wingers, Cobbo is on $600k or $700k depending on which source we believe, that's more that JAC. The Donkeys actually spent big(ger) on a winger.
Talking about hookers, aren't the Donkeys chasing Hunt to play there for the rest of the season, that's equivalent to a $1.2m hooker, makes Mahoney look great value.
Moving on to props, their only prop on decent money is Haas. Flegler is leaving to go the Dolphins for $750k for 4 years, obviously Walters didn't "spend big" (enough) on him. As for the rest they sure as hell didn't spend big on Marty Taupau or Willison or Baylis-Brow (not resigned for 2024) or Palasia (he's going to the Titans) or Jensen or Te Kura.
As for halfbacks, to "spend big" on one first we have to find one that is worth spending big on, that's not an easy task.
Kevins Way=Middles-Haas, Carrigan, Flegler, Palasia, Jensen, Tapau + Adam Reynolds.
Ladder position -1st.
Gus’s way- Middles, TPJ, Max King(playing injured as we have no other real middles) Chris Patalo, Ryan Sutton (sort of a middle),
Luke Thompson(sort of but not really), Kurtis Morrin (a small goer that would do well if the rest of the pack was Kevins way).
+ a gun centre playing a in his fourth best position.
Ladder position -Hoping like hell that the Dragons don’t win another game.
Gus is supposedly the mastermind behind our roster balance isn’t he? Vaughan and Ava would be handy now…and what the fuck happened with releasing Davey in the middle of the injury crisis?