Here's the thing about 2024

Bulldog Brower

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What's the progress of some of the younger players we signed from other clubs and thought might make it, eg. Judda Turahui, Mavoni Tuifua, Phillip Makatoa, Josh Stuckey (although a bit older)? Unfortunately, due to other commitments, I haven't been able to watch reggies or juniors this year and haven't seen them play. Will any of them be pushing for fg in 2024?

Also, thoughts on Kurtis Morrin - what is his ceiling? Is he our future lock?
 

habs

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Gus has come out and said that we only have a few players contracted in 2024. Now, I'm a big fan of Gus and have absolute faith that he will steer our club back on track. But I've got some issues with that comment.

1. It's essentially a subtle message to those whose contracts expire at the end of next season that the club is counting down the days until they can be sent packing;
2. It could possibly state to the market that our club will have another 'war-chest' of cash and that we are more than likely going to be able to afford paying overs for recruits;
3. It suggests that 2024 is potentially also a write off as there will be a whole swathe of new players who will need 1-2 seasons to form combinations and gel as a team.



******For those TL;DR - I'm worried about the message our club has basically put out in the last few days that we will essentially be buying a brand new team and hoping to be competitive in 2024/2025******




The following players are contracted for 2024:

* Addo Carr (wing/fullback)
* Burton (if he takes his player's option and remains) (5/8 or centre)
* Kikau (2RF)
* Max King (2RF)
* Kiraz (centre)
* Mahoney (hooker)
* TPJ (2RF)
* Schoupp (centre)

Of the current squad, unless there is a massive improvement, I'd personally only want to offer a contract extension to the following:

* Topine (2RF)
* Patolo (FRF)
* Hetherington (FRF)
* Biondi Odo (halfback/hooker)
* Casey (wing/fullback)

The 2024 team currently looks like this (unless I've missed something obvious)

1. Declan Casey + 0
2. Josh Addo Carr + 0
3. Aaron Schoupp + 0
4. Jacob Kiraz + 0
5. vacant
6. Matt Burton + 0
7. Bailey Biondi Odo + 0
8. Jack Hetherington + 0
9. Reed Mahoney + 0
10. Chris Patolo + 0
11. Tevita Pangai Junior + 0
12. Viliame Kikau + Jackson Topine
13. Max King + 0
__________
14. vacant
15. vacant
16. vacant
17. vacant

To summarise:

- According to Gus, we will have around $6.5m - $7m to spend on another 17-22 players
- We will need a top-tier halfback ($1.2m max)... Halves off contract end of 2023 that I would shortlist are: Munster, Drinkwater, Dylan Brown, Ben Hunt, Sam Walker, Hastings
- We will need a top-tier fullback ($1.1m max)... Fullbacks off contract end of 2023 that I would shortlist are: Niu, Cobbo, Nikoll-Klokstad, Savage, Will Kennedy, Drinkwater, Tabuai-Fidow, Latrell Mitchell, Daine Laurie
- We will need wing and coverage x2 ($900K max)... Wingers off contract end of 2023 that I would shortlist are: Tupou, Staines, Penisini, Sean Russell, Maika Sivo, Murray Taulagi, Tuala, Dom Young, Garrick, Marzhew, Katoa, Mulitalo, Savage
We will need FRF/2RF coverage x5 ($2m max)... FRF/2RF off contract end of 2023 that I would shortlist are: Flegler, Tapine, Talakai, McIntyre, Josh King, Bunty Afoa, Brodie Jones, Leo Thompson, Condon, Nanai, Liam Martin, Sorensen, Tago, Blore

That leaves around $700K - $1.3m - $1.8m to spend on a further 8-13 players, provided the above can stay on budget.


Which players would you be targeting and what would you suggest the Bulldogs pay per year?

Do you think we should be looking more closely at those in our lower grades for development across the next 18 months?

Given our development programs won't start generating quality NRL players for at least another 3-5 years, do you think it's worthwhile announcing to the world that we will be buying two-thirds of a team for 2024 and expecting to play finals footy in 2024/2025?
Good summary. I agree that the message was everyone is on notice if you are not contracted beyond next year you should think about packing your bags and going.

I thought Gould’s message was really for 2024 they are seriously looking at recruiting the balance of the spine (1+7). They will then use a mix of juniors that have had 2-3 years of elite development, existing players under contract and some veterans to plug the gaps. The backrow, hooker and 6 are of reasonable standard. Shoppy and Kiraz round out the centres. It didn’t seem to me that he would actively seek to recruit a whole new roster.
 

xanderalexander

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James Graham speaks a lot of sense (mostly) and on Triple M on Thursday night made the following point, which is worth consideration:

If a club comes out and says that they won't be competitive until 2024, doesn't that then tell the captain and the playing group that there is no expectation on them in 2023? How does a coach or captain rev up his team if the club is already resigned to the fact that they won't be playing finals footy?
 

vegny

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Am i the only one here that feels the goal post keep on getting moved back? A couple of years ago we were confident that wed be competitive by 2022. At the start of the year we were sure 2023 would be the year we are back with kikau and mahoney signings. Now 2024?
 

bradyk

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James Graham speaks a lot of sense (mostly) and on Triple M on Thursday night made the following point, which is worth consideration:

If a club comes out and says that they won't be competitive until 2024, doesn't that then tell the captain and the playing group that there is no expectation on them in 2023? How does a coach or captain rev up his team if the club is already resigned to the fact that they won't be playing finals footy?
were the words exactly "won't be competitive" and what does that really mean, competitive in regards to winning the comp? competitive in regards to making the top 8? etc.
 

xanderalexander

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Am i the only one here that feels the goal post keep on getting moved back? A couple of years ago we were confident that wed be competitive by 2022. At the start of the year we were sure 2023 would be the year we are back with kikau and mahoney signings. Now 2024?
Well yes, the goalposts keep moving, but that's because those taking the kicks keep fucking it up.

This is now Gus' club. He has a deep connectivity to it and while he's one of the worst commentators on the airwaves, I'm more prepared to trust a rebuild/future-proofing plan under him than anyone who's attempted it in the past few years.

Three big hurdles that Gus has shown in the past he can handle:

1. Development and pathways;
2. Trimming the fat and orchestrating smart buys;
3. Deflecting adversity and focusing on the positives
 

xanderalexander

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were the words exactly "won't be competitive" and what does that really mean, competitive in regards to winning the comp? competitive in regards to making the top 8? etc.
I think Gus was essentially saying that we won't be playing finals footy next year because 2024 is the year things will start to move up, partly due to the fact that we only have a few of the current mob contracted in 2024.
 

Jabba

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I hope the duds get cut and fuck off to other teams.

Let's get serious, we will have only 5 or 6 good FG'ers that deserve to be a Bulldog.
Agree. Looks like we have been jumping up and down on the one spot for 5 years
 

Papa Joe

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Here's The Thing About 2024.

IT'S THE "4" YEAR OF THE DECADE, MEANING THE BULLDOGS SHOULD MAKE THE GRAND FINAL.

Ever since my year of birth in 1974, Our mighty club has made the Grand Final on every "4" year of the decade.

Further more, they have had a history of winning it every second decade on the "4" year.

1974 - Lost V's Roosters
1984 - Won V's Eels
1994 - Lost V's Raiders
2004 - Won V's Roosters
2014 - Lost V's Souths
2024 - WE WIN V's Whoever

Therefore, we got nothing to worry about....... Premiership in 2 years.
 

The DoggFather

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Here's The Thing About 2024.

IT'S THE "4" YEAR OF THE DECADE, MEANING THE BULLDOGS SHOULD MAKE THE GRAND FINAL.

Ever since my year of birth in 1974, Our mighty club has made the Grand Final on every "4" year of the decade.

Further more, they have had a history of winning it every second decade on the "4" year.

1974 - Lost V's Roosters
1984 - Won V's Eels
1994 - Lost V's Raiders
2004 - Won V's Roosters
2014 - Lost V's Souths
2024 - WE WIN V's Whoever

Therefore, we got nothing to worry about....... Premiership in 2 years.
I hate 2034 already and hopefully I'll be alive in 2044 lol
 

Ant2611

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I've looked at Kyle's numbers while at the Roosters. Plenty of goal kicking points but not too much else to speak of. Teddy and Keary way ahead on try assists, line break assists etc.
And thats why he was punted. A bit of an imposter really. Showing up now.
 

BondiBulldog

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As much I’m a fan of Gus I still think letting Luke Lewis go at Penrith didn’t make sense. I reckon he’s one of the most under rated players ever and no way Sharks win the comp without him. So Gus certainly is not right 100% of the time.
 

GoTheDoggies

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James Graham speaks a lot of sense (mostly) and on Triple M on Thursday night made the following point, which is worth consideration:

If a club comes out and says that they won't be competitive until 2024, doesn't that then tell the captain and the playing group that there is no expectation on them in 2023? How does a coach or captain rev up his team if the club is already resigned to the fact that they won't be playing finals footy?
Yea but hang on how often does a team go from Parra/Newcastle levels of bad (which is us) to a top 4 team?

Lets face it if you don't make the top 4 you are making up the numbers. There have been a few exceptions with some strong finals runs from outside the 4 but it is rare. You have to have the roster full of rep stars or future rep stars to be in with a chance.
 

GoTheDoggies

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As much I’m a fan of Gus I still think letting Luke Lewis go at Penrith didn’t make sense. I reckon he’s one of the most under rated players ever and no way Sharks win the comp without him. So Gus certainly is not right 100% of the time.
Players like Lewis & Heighington weren't performing well, they got rejuvenated at the Sharks. IMO Ennis hit career best form in the year they won, he played better than I'd ever see him play with us.
 

xanderalexander

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Yea but hang on how often does a team go from Parra/Newcastle levels of bad (which is us) to a top 4 team?

Lets face it if you don't make the top 4 you are making up the numbers. There have been a few exceptions with some strong finals runs from outside the 4 but it is rare. You have to have the roster full of rep stars or future rep stars to be in with a chance.
That is quite literally the worst possible attitude to have if you are an athlete or sporting organisation.

The French Open tennis tournament has just started. There are 128 players in round one. Should 120 of them not even bother having a crack?
 

The Faz

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Cashed-up Canterbury Bulldogs’ salary cap freedom comes with a catch
Phil Gould’s salary cap war chest will have the rest of the NRL on high alert, but it should come with an ominous warning for the Bulldogs, BRENT READ writes.

The whisper doing the rounds a few weeks ago was that Canterbury head of football Phil Gould was sniffing around Melbourne star Cameron Munster as he eyed off a big-name signing for 2024.

He wasn’t the only high-profile star apparently on Gould’s hit list. There was another rumour that he was interested in Brisbane superstar Payne Haas when it surfaced that he may want out of the Broncos.

There were even suggestions Gould met Haas’s manager last week at Belmore. Not for the first time either. Just Gus doing what he does best – wheeling, dealing and spinning the rumour mill.

The Bulldogs have become a treasure trove for gossip and innuendo in recent weeks. The whispers and speculation may yet prove wide of the mark but they point to a club with money to spend and a desire to spend it.

View attachment 50945
The Cameron Munster to Canterbury rumour gained traction recently. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

The Bulldogs will be armed and dangerous on November 1. They could have more than $6 million sitting in their war chest, a figure could inflate further once the salary cap is finalised.

Gould cashed to the hilt will have the rest of the NRL on high alert. A word of warning though. The Bulldogs need to tread carefully. They don’t need glitz and glamour right now.

When the Oakland Raiders signed a player a few years ago to massive deal he vowed to be a “good force” in the city. Then, on his first day of training, he arrived in a hot-air balloon. Needless to say, it didn’t work out.

That’s not what the Bulldogs need. They don’t need egos. They don’t need to fritter away money on big names who erode the club’s culture. They did that with one player recently and word is that they would now be happy to let him go.

They need players who have quality combined with a work ethic that seeps through the club and its playing group. It was interesting to watch as the worlds of Gould and Brisbane coach Kevin Walters collided on Thursday night after the Broncos win over Newcastle.

Gould in his role as a commentator with the Nine Network spoke to Walters after the game and congratulated him on the job he had done in Brisbane. It wasn’t that long ago that the Broncos were at rock bottom, having sacked their coach Anthony Seibold after a period of defeat that mutated into anger and frustration.

The Broncos are quickly becoming a template for how to turn your club around. Invest your money wisely in the positions that matter, recruit leaders who can show others how to win, and find the right coach rather than the best coach.

Walters isn’t mentioned in the same breath as Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy. Likely never will be. But he loves the Broncos and his passion is infectious. He has reinvigorated the club.

It helps that he has invested the club’s spare cash wisely, spending money on footballers like Adam Reynolds and Kurt Capewell, blokes who know how to win and more importantly, know how to lead.

They set a standard on the training track and others have followed. Even when Reynolds is absent, as he was last night, others have stepped into the breach.

The message is loud and clear for the Bulldogs. Get your recruitment right and things can change quickly. It begs the question who the Bulldogs should pursue.

By 2024, when they have room to manoeuvre, Josh Jackson’s contract will have come to an end and he is likely to have slipped into retirement.

A roll call of potential signings includes the likes of Munster and while he is clearly top quality, he has a past and Sydney may not be the best place for him.

They could do worse than look at Mitchell Moses as he heads to market on November 1. If Matt Burton is to test the market and potentially depart, they will need a quality half. Moses is just that.

View attachment 50948
The Bulldogs were rumoured to be interested in Payne Haas (left), as Brisbane have been rewarded for signing Kurt Capewell (right). Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Victor Radley would be the ideal replacement for Josh Jackson at lock. He is a ferocious competitor who loves to win. Prising him from the Roosters will be difficult, but no harm in asking.

They need a fullback so perhaps it is worth taking a chance on Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow or Daine Laurie at the right price. The important thing is that they get it right.

The Bulldogs know better than most that getting it wrong can lead to prolonged pain. That’s the last thing their supporters need.
I agree completely. I would be targeting Mitch Moses.
 
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