Cap Situation

[B-Train]

But with the relaxed squad rules this season, you can now change players within the squad more easily can you not?

Plus if say Brown or someone is released, we get that spot to use.

 

[TwinTurbo]

What are you even talking about?

The point of this thread is what is our cap situation and what positions or players should the club look out for before next season if any?

Please stay on topic. I'm not attacking the club. Stop making it into something it's not.

Still confused, are you suggesting that we should come out and say that we have, say, $300k left in our cap? So the other clubs know that and when we approach one of their players all they need to do is offer, say, $310k to out bid us? Or if we approach a player and offer, say, $250k they know we can go to $300k. Doesn’t seem very smart to me.

Go Dogs

 

[B-Train]

Still confused, are you suggesting that we should come out and say that we have, say, $300k left in our cap? So the other clubs know that and when we approach one of their players all they need to do is offer, say, $310k to out bid us? Or if we approach a player and offer, say, $250k they know we can go to $300k. Doesn’t seem very smart to me.

Go Dogs

Stay confused if you want to, that's clearly not what I'm saying.

 

[TwinTurbo]

But with the relaxed squad rules this season, you can now change players within the squad more easily can you not?

Plus if say Brown or someone is released, we get that spot to use.

My understanding is only from the 3 to 6 Development Players already registered.

Go Dogs

 

[Steve M]

What part of "moving forward" don't you understand?

You're missing the point. I'm saying let's move on and forward.

Hopefully we don't have to be a basketcase club anymore that auctions off our key assets. Hopefully those days are over.

Hopefully now we can talk about players we'll gain instead of key representative players we have to replace. Hopefully the club MOVING FORWARD can reassure some fans that all of this player turnover will be worth it.

Generally in a position such as CEO or Chairman of a football club, you have a duty to address your fanbase and the media every now and then. I apologise for suggesting that they do that.

You must have missed the members forum last month

 

[EB18]

Centre, hooker, half are where we need to recruit. Only players that could possibly fill those roles in the near future are Harper, Wakeham and Cogger...

Add fullback to that list. Huge question mark over Meaney at this stage.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Stay confused if you want to, that's clearly not what I'm saying.

Did you not say “what is our cap position”?

Let me check, yep sure looks like you did........

The point of this thread is what is our cap situation and what positions or players should the club look out for before next season if any?

Go Dogs

 

[B-Train]

Did you not say “what is our cap position”?

Let me check, yep sure looks like you did........


Go Dogs

Yeah, I'm asking other members of the forum what they think our cap situation is and what we should do, not the club.

It doesn't matter though. Whatever I write in any thread, you'll find a way to attack it. I'm through going back and forth with you.

Go Dogs

 

[B-Train]

Add fullback to that list. Huge question mark over Meaney at this stage.

There is. But hopefully he steps up. He showed glimpses when he had some consistent run last season and that experience will hopefully hold him in good stead. He just needs to put it all together and hopefully having an established role helps his confidence.

He seems like he could be a Luke Patten type of player. If he's more Brad Abbey than the General then the club should definitely look at alternatives from within or other clubs.

 

[JUNKYARD DOGS]

I reckon Hooker or Centre option should be our highest priority. One would think we'd have more than enough to sign a top attacking Centre left or an up and coming Hooker. If not any decent options available, the money needs to be thrown in the kitty not wasted just for the hell of it.

 

[Some doggies supporter]

What good centres are on the market though.

 

[speedy2460]

What good centres are on the market though.

Absolutely correct. None available. Hopoate has shown he does not have the skill level to be a good centre.
With the players we have, and the apparent over abundance of back rowers, I still believe CHN should be groomed to slot into the right centre spot.
He will block that passage which Hopoate couldnt do.

 

[B-Train]

Absolutely correct. None available. Hopoate has shown he does not have the skill level to be a good centre.
With the players we have, and the apparent over abundance of back rowers, I still believe CHN should be groomed to slot into the right centre spot.
He will block that passage which Hopoate couldnt do.

I know CHN played there numerous times at Penrith when they had injuries and he certainly has the skills in attack but do you think he's up to it defensively?

He struggled with defense as it is and defending in the centres is a tough task, especially for someone who isn't as used to it.

I wonder if Pay is considering this as an option?

 

[MatstaDogg]

I reckon Hooker or Centre option should be our highest priority. One would think we'd have more than enough to sign a top attacking Centre left or an up and coming Hooker. If not any decent options available, the money needs to be thrown in the kitty not wasted just for the hell of it.

Bank it for later when better options pop up on the horizon. We should just make do with the squad we have now as who knows what boys might step up for us this season.

 

[B-Train]

What good centres are on the market though.

None really. But then again Klemmer wasn't on the market a month ago so things change quickly, especially with the continual coaching change fallout at numerous clubs.

 

[B-Train]

Bank it for later when better options pop up on the horizon. We should just make do with the squad we have now as who knows what boys might step up for us this season.

You might be right. Maybe Harper and CHN will be options at centre to start the season?

But another full season of Lichaa scares the shit out of me.

 

[MatstaDogg]

You might be right. Maybe Harper and CHN will be options at centre to start the season?

But another full season of Lichaa scares the shit out of me.

I agree about Lichaa. The upside is his contract runs out at the end of this season and hopefully he is not re-signed so we only have to put up with him for this season. That's about the only positive I can find about Lichaa.

 

[TwinTurbo]

The problem with hookers as I see it is tied up in this "spine" nonsense. Teams are now supposed to have their best players in the spine, that means their highest paid players. It appears paying them $1.0m to $1.2m a year is now the new norm, added to that they now want 3/4/5 year contracts. Adding it up, hooker, half, 5/8 and fullback and there's half of the salary cap gone. Which in turn doesn't leave enough salary cap space for decent players in the other positions. Especially with the minimum now being $105k each. Over the last decade Melbourne pumped up the "spine" fantasy but that really only worked because they had 4 players of whom 3 were once in generation level. Plus their TPA's were enough to keep them together for a long time, so they also had continuity. Meaning the rest of the team were disposable, relatively low paid, as long as they played their part, especially in defence, then the big 4 would do the rest.

Personally I don't see a hooker, aside from Smith, who is worth anywhere near $1.2m a year. Cook is really only one ACL injury away from loosing his pace, which is his only true weapon. I don't see much else around that I would pay their inflated asking price and most definitely not for the number of years that they are asking.

Something to think about, the Warriors had arguably the best spine in the NRL last year and they didn't do so well. One of the reasons why I'm not in favour of spending half of our cap chasing the mythical "spine".


Go Dogs

 

[Malla]

The problem with hookers as I see it is tied up in this "spine" nonsense. Teams are now supposed to have their best players in the spine, that means their highest paid players. It appears paying them $1.0m to $1.2m a year is now the new norm, added to that they now want 3/4/5 year contracts. Adding it up, hooker, half, 5/8 and fullback and there's half of the salary cap gone. Which in turn doesn't leave enough salary cap space for decent players in the other positions. Especially with the minimum now being $105k each. Over the last decade Melbourne pumped up the "spine" fantasy but that really only worked because they had 4 players of whom 3 were once in generation level. Plus their TPA's were enough to keep them together for a long time, so they also had continuity. Meaning the rest of the team were disposable, relatively low paid, as long as they played their part, especially in defence, then the big 4 would do the rest.

Personally I don't see a hooker, aside from Smith, who is worth anywhere near $1.2m a year. Cook is really only one ACL injury away from loosing his pace, which is his only true weapon. I don't see much else around that I would pay their inflated asking price and most definitely not for the number of years that they are asking.

Something to think about, the Warriors had arguably the best spine in the NRL last year and they didn't do so well. One of the reasons why I'm not in favour of spending half of our cap chasing the mythical "spine".


Go Dogs

Agree with that. I thought the best decision from the club may have been to bring on Woolford and let him develop into a good first grade hooker as we didn't have any other option that was better. Now that he has gone, nothing out there on the market that is of great value, so might as well stick with what we have. Hopefully Marshall King can really improve, he might be the x-factor for us at that spot.

I like the idea of young players coming out of ISP and playing together in first grade ie. JMK and Lewis.

Further to your point, I also agree that having a good spine is a myth. Honestly you just need a group of players that are all on the same page and willing to put in the same each week and you'll make the semis.

 

[Mackdoggies]

I like the idea of young players coming out of ISP and playing together in first grade ie. JMK and Lewis.

Jmk never played a game of ISP for us. He played one trial then made our first grade side all year pretty much.