News NRL market watch: Cronulla Sharks agree player swap deal with Canterbury Bulldogs for Connor Tracey

[Nasheed]

Nasheed here,
I have a few concerns and questions on this.

1. We swapped a development player for a player that surely wouldn’t come if he wasn’t top 30. So what is the plan here? Who is leaving from the top 30? We need to create room. This couldnt have happened unless that player has been Identified. Are we about to lose JAC ?

2. Why are we getting an outside back when we have already signed outside backs? Even if a player is on the outer as per point 1, we are going to need to ship out a 2nd player in order to get Klemmer or AFB or someone. Who? Why are we signing this guy?

3. We have just bought a fringe first grade 27 yr old and swapped him with a teenage SG ball star. A Lebanese player too!
But hang on!! Isn’t Gus’ whole big spiel and mantra is to be patient so the kids can come through the grades and have a new era of dominance?
Is he talkign shit?
Because he’s just traded out the type of highly rated player he’s been telling us to wait for!?

Nothing about this computes for me at all. And it kinda makes me think Gus is lying about the pathways as he has just sold one out for a cheap instant gratificationbuy at first opportunity.

I’m not being negative or being ‘clown crew adjacent’ this is a serious set of concerns and question I have?

 

[D.O.W.]

Tracey will push Crichton for the 1, his work rate from the back might be more valuable to us imo.

Surely Tracey goes to 1 or maybe the Smokey is for 7 with Burto to centres??

 

[King Gus]

1.Tracey
2.Wilson
3.Crichton
4.Xerri
5.Fox
6.Burton
7.Taaffe/Sexton

I think we need kiraz to run back and make meters Wilson will get manhandled to easy.

 

[D0GMATIC]

Tracey will push Crichton for the 1, his work rate from the back might be more valuable to us imo.

Plus Taafe and Wilson pushing for the 1 jersey too . . . Ciraldo will have fun selecting the team . . .nice for him to have positive selection dilemmas

 

[King Gus]

Nasheed here,
I have a few concerns and questions on this.

1. We swapped a development player for a player that surely wouldn’t come if he wasn’t top 30. So what is the plan here? Who is leaving from the top 30? We need to create room. This couldnt have happened unless that player has been Identified. Are we about to lose JAC ?

2. Why are we getting an outside back when we have already signed outside backs? Even if a player is on the outer as per point 1, we are going to need to ship out a 2nd player in order to get Klemmer or AFB or someone. Who? Why are we signing this guy?

3. We have just bought a fringe first grade 27 yr old and swapped him with a teenage SG ball star. A Lebanese player too!
But hang on!! Isn’t Gus’ whole big spiel and mantra is to be patient so the kids can come through the grades and have a new era of dominance?
Is he talkign shit?
Because he’s just traded out the type of highly rated player he’s been telling us to wait for!?

Nothing about this computes for me at all. And it kinda makes me think Gus is lying about the pathways as he has just sold one out for a cheap instant gratificationbuy at first opportunity.

I’m not being negative or being ‘clown crew adjacent’ this is a serious set of concerns and question I have?

Cody walker made his NRL debut at age 25 so relax the sacks.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

I think we need kiraz to run back and make meters Wilson will get manhandled to easy.

To me Wilson was better than Kiraz at getting out of the back field. He’s a strong kid. His main weakness was poor handling and not being able to put the finishing touches on some plays. I can see why the club re-signed him. He could become a very good winger.

 

[D0GMATIC]

You’d comment even if Gus released a fart

He'd be like a snake . . . Trying to smell it with his tongue

 

[King Gus]

To me Wilson was better than Kiraz at getting out of the back field. He’s a strong kid. His main weakness was poor handling and not being able to put the finishing touches on some plays. I can see why the club re-signed him. He could become a very good winger.

He has more talent than kiraz but kiraz is a metre eater.

 

[D0GMATIC]

To me Wilson was better than Kiraz at getting out of the back field. He’s a strong kid. His main weakness was poor handling and not being able to put the finishing touches on some plays. I can see why the club re-signed him. He could become a very good winger.

I think Wilson would make a decent fb

 

[GoTeamRaRaFunky]

Nasheed here,
I

3. We have just bought a fringe first grade 27 yr old and swapped him with a teenage SG ball star. A Lebanese player too!
But hang on!! Isn’t Gus’ whole big spiel and mantra is to be patient so the kids can come through the grades and have a new era of dominance?
Is he talkign shit?
Because he’s just traded out the type of highly rated player he’s been telling us to wait for!?

maybe we'll get gabreal back in a couple of years. am thinking they would of have had to get the players permission for the swap

 

[InGusWeTrust]

He has more talent than kiraz but kiraz is a metre eater.

Well tbh Kiraz is more of a tackle buster, so in that respect yes he is a strong runner. I was more thinking about staright hitups when returning a 5th tackle kick and Wilson is fairly good at that and will only get better as he gets stronger. Tbh I don’t envy Ciro. He has too many quality players to select for the back 5 now.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Tracey will push Crichton for the 1, his work rate from the back might be more valuable to us imo.

He's already the fullback in my book.

 

[King Gus]

Well tbh Kiraz is more of a tackle buster, so in that respect yes he is a strong runner. I was more thinking about staright hitups when returning a 5th tackle kick and Wilson is fairly good at that and will only get better as he gets stronger. Tbh I don’t envy Ciro. He has too many quality players to select for the back 5 now.

Yeah agree, its good to have that headache.

 

[Kempsey Dog]

As previously posted;

With Crichton at fullback and possibly Xerri as one centre, my guess is Tracey will be fighting for the other centre spot.

I don't mind an attacking line up of;

1 Crichton
2 JAC
3 Xerri
11 Kikau
12 Preston
4 Tracey
5 Kiraz


Always a Bulldog

I wouldn't mind seeing Preston and Tracey play next to each other, nice little combo that opposition would underestimate

 

[Kempsey Dog]

To me Wilson was better than Kiraz at getting out of the back field. He’s a strong kid. His main weakness was poor handling and not being able to put the finishing touches on some plays. I can see why the club re-signed him. He could become a very good winger.

People underestimate Wilson. Kid will be a very good winger imo, probably one of this fittest players at the club too.

 

[Magic Burton]

Nasheed here,
I have a few concerns and questions on this.

1. We swapped a development player for a player that surely wouldn’t come if he wasn’t top 30. So what is the plan here? Who is leaving from the top 30? We need to create room. This couldnt have happened unless that player has been Identified. Are we about to lose JAC ?

2. Why are we getting an outside back when we have already signed outside backs? Even if a player is on the outer as per point 1, we are going to need to ship out a 2nd player in order to get Klemmer or AFB or someone. Who? Why are we signing this guy?

3. We have just bought a fringe first grade 27 yr old and swapped him with a teenage SG ball star. A Lebanese player too!
But hang on!! Isn’t Gus’ whole big spiel and mantra is to be patient so the kids can come through the grades and have a new era of dominance?
Is he talkign shit?
Because he’s just traded out the type of highly rated player he’s been telling us to wait for!?

Nothing about this computes for me at all. And it kinda makes me think Gus is lying about the pathways as he has just sold one out for a cheap instant gratificationbuy at first opportunity.

I’m not being negative or being ‘clown crew adjacent’ this is a serious set of concerns and question I have?

Hi @Nasheed you raised some brilliant points and as usual totally ignored by the usual suspects.

1. Tracey was pursued by more than one NRL club. If he's anything other than Top 30 his deal has been seriously back ended. Didn't Gould attack Hasler recently for this and said it's why the club isn't in a good position in 2023. I know defies logic some have lapped it up. Someone within the Top 30 has to be moved on. We haven't been able to move on RFM and Sutton. The Oloapu situation appears it will go on. I still think Gould should just cut his losses and move him to Dolphins or Titans.

2. The moves to sign Tracey come soon after training has started. Are there doubts about Xerri returning to NRL in 2024? We've already had a club employee talk about Burton to centres.

3. I highlighted some stats that Tracey at 27 has played less NRL games than Averillo at 23. We let Averillo go and sign Tracey for no doubt zero doubt at all for more than what Averillo is on at Dolphins. Gould loves talking about pathways and releasing a kid we signed in January isn't a pathways or development club.

All our signings except for Crichton aren't 1-13 players at their clubs. They were all freely released.

Cronulla have identified the need to bring in a new generation. They've had an aging roster and making the changes to clear the decks for the next generation of talent and possibly make a clear path to have a shot at a big name or two.

 

[Achilles]

Fullback 16
Wing 15
Centre 21
5-8 44
Halfback 5
Bench 15

He has played most of his games at five eight. Has anyone seen him play fullback or Centre? How does he go?

Another Utility. They should call us the Utility Bulldogs

 

[Cappuccino]

Thanks @djdeep4172 always keeping us up to date on the latest and breaking news

 

[D0GMATIC]

He's already the fullback in my book.

Thats what i thought when we'd first signed him, but we've picked up a couple of potential fullbacks and have a couple of decent young fb options coming through, I'm starting to think Critta may stay at centre.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Thats what i thought when we'd first signed him, but we've picked up a couple of potential fullbacks and have a couple of decent young fb options coming through, I'm starting to the Critta may stay at centre.

I've always been told Crichton is playing fullback but signing Tracey and not playing him at fullback just doesn't make sense. Maybe he plays 5/8 with Burton shifting to centre. I just can't imagine we signed Tracey with the intention to start him at centre. He's okay there but that just doesn't make sense with the squad we have.