The Mole: Big-money Bulldogs favourite to sign gun Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs

[Cujo]

Cheers @The Faz

There was an article today about the top 50 players in the NRL.
Souths have 8 (4 spine players)
Roosters 8 (2 spine)
Panthers 7 (3 spine)
Storm 10 (4 spine)
Raiders 4 (2 spine)
Bulldogs ZERO

Some on here act like we're raiding their personal piggy bank and don't want to spend decent money on "anyone" (including spine players like Brandon Smith, Adam Reynolds, Latrell Mitchell etc) and they seem to believe we're going to magically become a top 4 side on the cheap by promoting some of our juniors like Schoupp etc when they probably haven't even watched these young blokes play a full game. They must seriously believe our recruiters of junior players are the best in the business, better than all other 15 recruitment teams. I seriously doubt we have the best juniors though when you look at teams like the Roosters. Others complain we shouldn't spend decent money chasing players because we'll have to upgrade our young halves when they start playing well - like it's a GIVEN and like we're never going to shed players in future.

If we want to be a "definite" (not maybe) top 4 team any time soon we need to get rid of the dead wood and replace them with proven quality players as in stars not guys like Stimson and Britt who can't even make our 17 - What a f..king waste of money that was when we could have paid a little more and had a great hooker the last few years and in future.

If we can get a gamebreaker or 3 we're lucky if we can get them. If we can't afford to buy 2 - 3 established superstars even better than Cotric something is seriously wrong when you look at us on paper compared to the rosters of the teams above.

Unless we can jag B.Smith I think we need to settle for Deitz and sign the best "attacking" back to replace Hopa and the best attacking forward to replace Napa. Some on here whinge about needing another prop but like who'se available before 2023 ? (besides Aaron Woods so basically no-one)

We should definitely have the cap to buy Staggs and Ryan Matterson for 2022 and push up RFM to middles if really needed then target James Fisher-Harris for 2023. I'm quietly confident though that Thompson, Hetherington, Atoni and Ogden will more than hold their own this year and in future.

Unless we're buying someone like Adam Reynolds (and the usual suspects would bag that idea too) then we have our halves and fullback settled for the next few years and possibly our hooker too. Why not spend the money we saved on our spine to strengthen our weakest links in other areas ? Half of the top 50 players aren't in the spine but are still gamebreakers. We need as many genuine gamebreakers as we can get no matter what position they play.

Thanks, very interesting post.
Amazing to think between Souths, rorters & storm they have over 50% of the 50, add in panthers & it's nearly 2/3 of the top 50 accounted for.
No wonder these 4 are so consistently strong every year....

 

[Headmix]

Thats what I would suggest. Hardly overs for a regular first gradercapable of playing a couple of positions.

Meaney at 300k is a steal

 

[Headmix]

Meaney is a better winger and fullback than hoppa atm...what’s hoppa on atm? I’m sure we’d be better off keeping Meaney and pocket 200k for the difference on ditching hoppa

 

[Bulldogsteve]

we are not getting staggs, he has already said he wants to stay in brisbane

 

[a dogs life]

I'd be trying to offload dallin, not resign hoppa and make staggs happen... He is a competitor, I call him a footballer... Plays tough. Probably barba was the last time we had someone that was exciting to watch and had the potential to make something happen any time he had the ball no matter where he was on the field..... A game winner

If everything goes to plan Averillo will need a spot next year and if he plays the full season at no.6 this year, don’t think you’d stick him in the no.14 indefinitely after that. It’s be a waste and he’d rightly ask for a release.

 

[Pity Fool]

How the F@@K would the mole know anything about this, the bloke cant predict if the sun rises and sets ffs!

 

[Brendan07]

Your completely guessing.

He was signed when he was out top half, wouldn’t be on pocket change. I’d much rather bugger him and Napa off and sign Staggs. Least Staggs has shown he can win games and in a position we need

 

[chisdog]

Cheers @The Faz

There was an article today about the top 50 players in the NRL.
Souths have 8 (4 spine players)
Roosters 8 (2 spine)
Panthers 7 (3 spine)
Storm 10 (4 spine)
Raiders 4 (2 spine)
Bulldogs ZERO

Some on here act like we're raiding their personal piggy bank and don't want to spend decent money on "anyone" (including spine players like Brandon Smith, Adam Reynolds, Latrell Mitchell etc) and they seem to believe we're going to magically become a top 4 side on the cheap by promoting some of our juniors like Schoupp etc when they probably haven't even watched these young blokes play a full game. They must seriously believe our recruiters of junior players are the best in the business, better than all other 15 recruitment teams. I seriously doubt we have the best juniors though when you look at teams like the Roosters. Others complain we shouldn't spend decent money chasing players because we'll have to upgrade our young halves when they start playing well - like it's a GIVEN and like we're never going to shed players in future.

If we want to be a "definite" (not maybe) top 4 team any time soon we need to get rid of the dead wood and replace them with proven quality players as in stars not guys like Stimson and Britt who can't even make our 17 - What a f..king waste of money that was when we could have paid a little more and had a great hooker the last few years and in future.

If we can get a gamebreaker or 3 we're lucky if we can get them. If we can't afford to buy 2 - 3 established superstars even better than Cotric something is seriously wrong when you look at us on paper compared to the rosters of the teams above.

Unless we can jag B.Smith I think we need to settle for Deitz and sign the best "attacking" back to replace Hopa and the best attacking forward to replace Napa. Some on here whinge about needing another prop but like who'se available before 2023 ? (besides Aaron Woods so basically no-one)

We should definitely have the cap to buy Staggs and Ryan Matterson for 2022 and push up RFM to middles if really needed then target James Fisher-Harris for 2023. I'm quietly confident though that Thompson, Hetherington, Atoni and Ogden will more than hold their own this year and in future.

Unless we're buying someone like Adam Reynolds (and the usual suspects would bag that idea too) then we have our halves and fullback settled for the next few years and possibly our hooker too. Why not spend the money we saved on our spine to strengthen our weakest links in other areas ? Half of the top 50 players aren't in the spine but are still gamebreakers. We need as many genuine gamebreakers as we can get no matter what position they play.

Firstly, the opinion on who is in the top 50 would differ considerably depending on the judge. However let's say they got it right. Doesn't this prove that the salary cap is not working?

 

[TwinTurbo]

Thanks, very interesting post.
Amazing to think between Souths, rorters & storm they have over 50% of the 50, add in panthers & it's nearly 2/3 of the top 50 accounted for.
No wonder these 4 are so consistently strong every year....

It‘s a self fulfilling prophecy, the players in the teams that win more often are more likely to be rated higher than better players in teams that don’t win as often. The players in the teams that win more often are more likely to be picked for rep teams, which further improves their rating.

Go Dogs

 

[flamebouyant]

Meaney at 300k is a steal

I think so too.

 

[flamebouyant]

He was signed when he was out top half, wouldn’t be on pocket change. I’d much rather bugger him and Napa off and sign Staggs. Least Staggs has shown he can win games and in a position we need

It was also at a time when we were under massive cap pressure. So i dont think he is on 500k. I also dont think movingnon a prop and a half and signing a centre makes sense either.

 

[bradtalo]

Firstly, the opinion on who is in the top 50 would differ considerably depending on the judge. However let's say they got it right. Doesn't this prove that the salary cap is not working?

Yes that's what the article was highlighting actually - failure of the salary cap - but it also shows the top teams pay more of their cap on several top players then have young up and comers to fill the rest. Teams like us tend to do it the other way around by paying overs to a bunch of average players including those who can't even crack our starting 17 (ie: Britt, Stimson, Lewis, Wakeham, recently Holland and Montoya) Some call it depth or experience but if you have decent juniors they are usually good enough to fill holes and come cheaper. I'd rather pay $600K for a great player to play first grade and affect results rather than waste 600K on 2 average players to play reserve grade (and have no bearing on results in first grade) most of the time.

 

[DogsOfWar1704]

Cotric is top 50 imo. Jac aswell so we will have atleast 2 next year. Anyway how many of them panthers were top 50 before last year? Everything can change just like that. We make top 4 this year guarantee theyd put flanno, allan, elliot and whoever else into that top 50.

 

[Bulldogs09]

Cotric is top 50 imo. Jac aswell so we will have atleast 2 next year. Anyway how many of them panthers were top 50 before last year? Everything can change just like that. We make top 4 this year guarantee theyd put flanno, allan, elliot and whoever else into that top 50.

I highly doubt 500k is even close to top 50.

Keep in mind clubs have guys like hunt Dce Norman Pearce moses Morgan Holmes etc on stupid contracts. Not counting guys like Munster Ponga cook taumallolo tedesco wighton rts Fifita latrell etc

You then have a ton that would be on the 600-800k from papali Pangai lodge walker Reynolds Gutho Andrew Fifita Taupau afb....

This is without even going into roosters or raiders or panthers much either....

There’s over half of 50 without even trying lol

I think cotric would be flirting with it along
With Jackson

 

[DogsOfWar1704]

I highly doubt 500k is even close to top 50.

Keep in mind clubs have guys like hunt Dce Norman Pearce moses Morgan Holmes etc on stupid contracts. Not counting guys like Munster Ponga cook taumallolo tedesco wighton rts Fifita latrell etc

You then have a ton that would be on the 600-800k from papali Pangai lodge walker Reynolds Gutho Andrew Fifita Taupau afb....

This is without even going into roosters or raiders or panthers much either....

There’s over half of 50 without even trying lol

I think cotric would be flirting with it along
With Jackson

I must of mis read it. I thought it said top 50 players? Not top 50 highest paid?

 

[2ndphase]

I highly doubt 500k is even close to top 50.

Keep in mind clubs have guys like hunt Dce Norman Pearce moses Morgan Holmes etc on stupid contracts. Not counting guys like Munster Ponga cook taumallolo tedesco wighton rts Fifita latrell etc

You then have a ton that would be on the 600-800k from papali Pangai lodge walker Reynolds Gutho Andrew Fifita Taupau afb....

This is without even going into roosters or raiders or panthers much either....

There’s over half of 50 without even trying lol

I think cotric would be flirting with it along
With Jackson

Its the top 50 best players!
Plus Cotric is on $600k rumoured

 

[Brendan7]

The great Bullfrog was quoted as saying "when you think you have enough props, go and buy another one". We don't have enough "quality" in the front row right now. Of course that is unless Atoni and Ogden deliver on their potential.

I defer to what Bennett says and you don't pay more than 300k for a prop. They just make metres that's it.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Yes that's what the article was highlighting actually - failure of the salary cap - but it also shows the top teams pay more of their cap on several top players then have young up and comers to fill the rest. Teams like us tend to do it the other way around by paying overs to a bunch of average players including those who can't even crack our starting 17 (ie: Britt, Stimson, Lewis, Wakeham, recently Holland and Montoya) Some call it depth or experience but if you have decent juniors they are usually good enough to fill holes and come cheaper. I'd rather pay $600K for a great player to play first grade and affect results rather than waste 600K on 2 average players to play reserve grade (and have no bearing on results in first grade) most of the time.

I know it's obvious but there are 30 players on the roster and quite plainly not all 30 can be in the 17 at any one time (simple maths I know). Of course it's to be hoped that a large % of the 13 that miss out will get at some time the call up. That can be based on them forcing their way into the 17 by demanding that they be picked based on form, effort, training, dedication, aptitude and sometimes just by staying out of trouble on and off the field. Within that 13 there plainly has to be back ups that only get the chance when the player's that they are backing up gets injured, suspended or are on rep duties. For the important and/or vulnerable positions there may also be back ups to the back ups in the 13.

Some of those backs ups may graduate to the 17, but they have to earn it, which is were we are heading, players actually competing for positions. Which keeps the 17 on their toes and enthuses the 13 pushing them. With a Cap at $9.6m and 30 players, that's an average of $320k, obviously those in the 17 consistently we should expect to be on more than the average, whilst those not in the 17 we should expect to be on less than the average. Of course it's not a hard and fast rule, but it's an indicator of where the Cap is spent.

Incessant singling out players that are obviously back ups to the backs ups on way less than the average achieves nothing.

Go Dogs

 

[finchie]

We will not pay $800k
We are on the verge of extending Elemoti's contract !!!

He’s going to go from 50k to 150k
Not much of a dent first up

 

[finchie]

Meaney is believed to be on around 300k.

That’s 200k too much IMO