It is worth keeping in mind that there are 30 contracted players out of which only 13 are guaranteed to play NRL any given week plus 4 with a reasonable chance that they will play. The other 13 are back ups or backs ups to the back ups. Replacing a $115k player (NRL minimum) with another $115k player doesn't save any Cap space. We can't get rid of 2 x $115k players and replace them with 1 x $230k player, because we still need to have 30 players. A lot of the players people keep wanting to get rid of are back ups to the back ups and on minimum or close to minimum contracts, like Crichton, SKatoa, or Roumanos who isn't even a back up to the back up.
To free up Cap space (which is the only thing that is relevant) we need to look at players in positions that command well above the minimum, spine obviously being top of that list, then specialists like prop and centre. Ogden is a prime example, he's a prop and commanding prop money which currently he doesn't deserve. He isn't doing the job as a bench player or even as a back up. Atoni similarly, right now he isn't justifying the Cap space that he consumes, sure he's playing OK'ish occasionally, but he's on far from the minimum so there is a lot (of Cap space) to be gained by moving him on. Conversely Meaney who is a very decent back up for full back or wing. Then there are players who may well be back ups right now, but they may just well be regular NRL players in the not too distant future, Okunbor is an example of that, they are worth keeping on potential, but be prepared to cut them loose when they aren't.
Our issue as I see it right now is we don't have any real gun players, the ones you just give the ball to and know they can create something out of nothing. The inspirations that lift the players around them. We need at least 2 of them, preferably in spine positions. And flicking a back up to the back up on the minimum is not going to help one bit in securing them (because you have to replace them with another back up to the back up on the minimum).
Go Dogs
