News NRL market watch: Bulldogs, Dragons lead chase for Jarome Luai, Addin Fonua-Blake

[Papa Joe]

Next Minute.....

Joey Manu signs 5 year deal to play fullback with the Bulldogs, merry Christmas fans !!!

 

[Moey91]

No next for us, just more pain.

We’ll live

 

[Doggiezbrah]

Not buying the narrative Gus has something up his sleeve. AFB was available and he would have been a good pickup until our juniors were ready. I’m not saying paying whatever it takes but at least make an offer. I would if AFB and his management left a bad impression for us to walk away?

 

[InGusWeTrust]

Next Minute.....

Joey Manu signs 5 year deal to play fullback with the Bulldogs, merry Christmas fans !!!

Who needs forwards anyway?

 

[CrittaMagic69]

We’ll live

I might not

 

[PoundHounds]

I don't even care about Panther losing anymore, I just want us to win some fucking games. I can not believe we pulled out of this. Where is Gus' so called pull? We probably got rejected and Gus has pulled out the "too expensive" card.

Yeah biggest and most important miss to date I reckon....and we've missed a few. Literally the only bloke we currently need to turn things around.

Edit: I mean AFB not too fussed on JL

 

[GoTeamRaRaFunky]

I see Dearden has extended with the cowgirls too…. Slim pickings now

so we get over the signings drama, and support our team for next season.

 

[Bazildog]

Next Minute.....

Joey Manu signs 5 year deal to play fullback with the Bulldogs, merry Christmas fans !!!

I would love Manu, but unless he can play prop or Ciraldo plans on revolutionising the game to be 14 backs and a couple of backrowers….

We need props ffs.

 

[Papa Joe]

The Sharks have a glut of middles... we need Royce Hunt or Oregon Kaufusi..

Royce Hunt is contracted for 2024 & 2025, Oregon Kaufusi is contracted for 2024 with a mutual option for 2025.

The most likely would be Braden Hamlin-Uele who is contracted for 2024 only and IMO the one most likely to move from the Sharks, if not pushed early to make cap space for AFB.

Unless of course they want to shed Finucane who is on big coin next year.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Yeah biggest and most important miss to date I reckon....and we've missed a few. Literally the only bloke we currently need to turn things around.

Edit: I mean AFB not too fussed on JL

We need both but the prop situation at the club is outright ridiculous at this point. We needed props before Gus even walked into the joint yet he still hasn't addressed it. All we've done is hit the bargain bin and/or sign backrowers. Our biggest prop signing under Gus is Sutton and he's an outright plodder.

 

[Menteek]

We need both but the prop situation at the club is outright ridiculous at this point. We needed props before Gus even walked into the joint yet he still hasn't addressed it. All we've done is hit the bargain bin and/or sign backrowers. Our biggest prop signing under Gus is Sutton and he's an outright plodder.

yeah super pissed we missed out afb, ahh well time will tell

 

[Suave]

Gus has been around the game long enough to know when a player is genuinely interested in signing for us or we’re being used as leverage. That’s more than likely why he pulled the pin when he did.
Still a big blow though. I really hope we have a plan b because we can’t afford to push ahead over the next 2 seasons with what we have in the front row.

 

[Nate DAWG]

so we get over the signings drama, and support our team for next season.

Always support the team bro but it will be a long season with no middles. We will get monstered in the middle every game

 

[Whatmate]

pretty jokes we take tracey off their hands and then they land a player we actually need

 

[wendog33]

Hate to say it but I agree.

That 4 year deal is a risk but geez we gotta run it don’t we?

The 4.5 mil I get maybe passing at 4 years but 1mil for a top 4 prop is probably worth it to us?

I dunno what Gus is up to but I hope it’s at worst 2 quality middles like May and uele or Klemmer or something and fast.

It’s hard to call it a L for us as it was reported weeks ago we walked so be it cause Gus smelt a rat and we were being leverage (like dragons ended up being) or he just didn’t like afbs attitude but right now to me it’s a strike for us.

Fitzgibbon ok with AFB attitude. Strange one that report supposedly from Gus....probably rubbish reporting as per usual. Pity we didn't get AFB, but....

"Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon was understandably excited to have bolstered the class and depth of his forward pack from 2025 onwards with the addition of Fonua-Blake.

“Addin is a world class front rower and we are delighted to be adding him to our roster from 2025,” Fitzgibbon said. “Throughout the negotiation process we have been impressed by his attitude, his genuine desire to help make the Sharks successful and to complement and work alongside both those in our leadership group and the young forwards we have coming through our system."

 

[axeman23]

Royce Hunt is contracted for 2024 & 2025, Oregon Kaufusi is contracted for 2024 with a mutual option for 2025.

The most likely would be Braden Hamlin-Uele who is contracted for 2024 only and IMO the one most likely to move from the Sharks, if not pushed early to make cap space for AFB.

Unless of course they want to shed Finucane who is on big coin next year.

BHU and May, lets goooooo!!!

 

[dawso047]

Need props and fast. I don't think Knight will ever be more than a good NSW Cup prop and an average NRL bench middle. Hughes and Patolo have stalled with injury history a major concern, both need break out years or they to will go the way of Thompson and TPJ. Sutton is a back up to the top 17 rhese days, should have signed him when he was younger.

 

[EXPLORER]

I didn't say anything about this before, mainly because I didn't really believe it at tge time to be true,
But last week I ran into Blake Green up here in Newcastle.
And I was having a bit of a chat to him about the bulldogs just in general.

I mentioned during our conversation that I'd love to see us get AFB at the bulldogs.

He immediately said said, and I quote
"He won't go to the bulldogs mate, I'm hearing sharks"

I was shocked.
I questioned him on the sharks, I even said I thought dragons would have been a chance if dogs can't get him.

He doubled down and said he was heading to the Sharks

So this deal must have been done a week or so ago.

I would love to know how we missed out, and why he selected the sharks.

 

[Bulldogs09]

pretty jokes we take tracey off their hands and then they land a player we actually need

I said this in an other thread.

Appears warriors relented on a player swap. Tin foil hat… Gus isn’t stupid and arguably one of the sharpest operators I reckon it was clear afb was going to sharks/wanting too.

We basically got left with the choice of jumping on Tracey before dragons did and we decided it’s a good player to add while sharks got the $ figures and dragons got made to look like cucks.

Sucks cause we need that alpha.

If Gus goes on and gets may and another prop that helps us have two big ***** for the price of afb I’ll call it a win.

If we miss may and say Klemmer pops up or uele or something then we just got confirmation clubs look at us above tigers and dragons but still see us unattractive compared to say sharks (to which I don’t think are anything special as per their record against top teams)

 

[Roger the alien]

Could see this outcome a mile away, the rich get richer.