OFFICIAL Andrew McCullough has left the building

[Jason Simmons]

Hook does appear mad. Time will tell.

Read his interview with Paul Crawley? It seems like he has a reasonable plan in mind...

I think Hook’s strengths lie in his ability to build from a low base, into a competitive club. Whether he can take that final leap into elite level clubs, I think is the question. He was going fine at the Panthers using that sort of strategy and played a big part in building them to where they are today.

With us, he already had a pretty strong roster and well-developed club, so it didn’t need his work, it needed that elite level coaching to take us to the top.

I think he can help build Saints from that low base, bottom 4 multiple years in a row, etc. Macca, Hunt, Norman etc are there to provide competent NRL experience and capability, while he identifies the new talent etc to take them forward long-term. All 3 are in their 30’s, so have 3-5 years at most left in the game anyway.

He’d probably be good for us right now, viewed in that light...

 

[IceWorks]

Glad to see the Broncos holding firm on this issue. Offering more than 1yr contracts to players over 30 would need to be a rare event in a well run salary cap I suggest.

 

[Broncapz]

Read his interview with Paul Crawley? It seems like he has a reasonable plan in mind...

I think Hook’s strengths lie in his ability to build from a low base, into a competitive club. Whether he can take that final leap into elite level clubs, I think is the question. He was going fine at the Panthers using that sort of strategy and played a big part in building them to where they are today.

With us, he already had a pretty strong roster and well-developed club, so it didn’t need his work, it needed that elite level coaching to take us to the top.

I think he can help build Saints from that low base, bottom 4 multiple years in a row, etc. Macca, Hunt, Norman etc are there to provide competent NRL experience and capability, while he identifies the new talent etc to take them forward long-term. All 3 are in their 30’s, so have 3-5 years at most left in the game anyway.

He’d probably be good for us right now, viewed in that light...

Just what every club wants from a coach...someone who caps out at mediocrity.

 

[BroncsFan]

So fox has us penned in to take another spoon and dragons trio of hunt , Macca and Norman to dominate

They really fucking love Hook don't they

 

[Jason Simmons]

Just what every club wants from a coach...someone who caps out at mediocrity.

Like I said, he had the Panthers running well with that strategy. Many clubs would jump at consistent top 8, verging on top 4 repeatedly...

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Just seen the headline but is Paul Kent seriously doing a puff piece about how this is a great move by the dragons?! Hahahaha

Signing a declining 31 year old who has just come off a serious injury and was already slow for the needs of today's game to a needless 3 year deal, to replace your best player of the last 2 year's........ yep, I'm sure he'd say the same if we made this exact move haha

 

[Smartseal]

and unless we're ready to make play for someone before the season starts I feel like this is going to hurt almost as bad.

Make a play for Granville, I'm sure we'd happily give him up

 

[Sproj]

I’d be happy to take Granville on a heavily subsidised wage as a back up hooker.

 

[pagey]

Make a play for Granville, I'm sure we'd happily give him up

That ship has definitely sailed

 

[McHunt]

Macca says it was him, not them:

“I was fighting with my heart and my head which is quite difficult. They were telling me ‘we don’t want you to go’ so telling them ‘no I have to’ was hard. I spoke with Kev (Walters) and had multiple meetings with him and other people from the Broncos. I had to put the emotion to one side. Kev understood that. When both sides say they want you and it’s up to you to make the call, that’s when it becomes difficult. I was tossing and turning over for a while. It wasn’t like the Broncos wanted me to leave and it wasn’t like I wanted out. It was one of those things that came about."

“The offer being three years and the Broncos being unable to look further down the track, I knew what was best for me and my family. I had some really hard sleepless night. Moments I was unsure about. It was really hard.”

Hard sleepless nights.

“I know Hook (Griffin) well and I know what to expect. We’ve got a relationship where he tells me straight."

“(With Hunt) it’s just an understanding. That comes off the back of knowing each other since we were 11. I know what he is doing or when he wants something. He has a big role and expectations so I want to take pressure off him and get him to play his natural game.”

“It’s more so just getting out there and having a game. I’m going to get things wrong and plays wrong. I rather do that now than in a couple of weeks and get things wrong in games. It’s a good opportunity to play and blow my lungs and legs out and make a few mistakes. Cam has been a really big part of this club and is well liked by the boys and local people. He is going to be a big loss.”

McHunt

 

[BroncsFan]

Macca says it was him, not them:

“I was fighting with my heart and my head which is quite difficult. They were telling me ‘we don’t want you to go’ so telling them ‘no I have to’ was hard. I spoke with Kev (Walters) and had multiple meetings with him and other people from the Broncos. I had to put the emotion to one side. Kev understood that. When both sides say they want you and it’s up to you to make the call, that’s when it becomes difficult. I was tossing and turning over for a while. It wasn’t like the Broncos wanted me to leave and it wasn’t like I wanted out. It was one of those things that came about."

“The offer being three years and the Broncos being unable to look further down the track, I knew what was best for me and my family. I had some really hard sleepless night. Moments I was unsure about. It was really hard.”

View attachment 11379
Sleepless nights.

“I know Hook (Griffin) well and I know what to expect. We’ve got a relationship where he tells me straight."

“(With Hunt) it’s just an understanding. That comes off the back of knowing each other since we were 11. I know what he is doing or when he wants something. He has a big role and expectations so I want to take pressure off him and get him to play his natural game.”

“It’s more so just getting out there and having a game. I’m going to get things wrong and plays wrong. I rather do that now than in a couple of weeks and get things wrong in games. It’s a good opportunity to play and blow my lungs and legs out and make a few mistakes. Cam has been a really big part of this club and is well liked by the boys and local people. He is going to be a big loss.”

McHunt

Much more positive narrative after leaving than what's occurred over the last few years, where it's "they told me I wasnt wanted".

The latter is what can hurt team morale. In Macca's case we sit on the positive side of it where we let him go to secure his future.

Even though that was the case for Kodi, Kahu, Joffa and McGuire (to an extent), the wording used by Macca is more positive than the circumstances around other exits that have occurred recently

 

[Waynesaurus]

After last years injury he needed to lock in another long term contract now or he risked his career ending after this year particularly if he had another bad injury.

We were never going to re-sign him, I'm sure we have our eye on another hooker.

Smart move for him.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Don't feel too sorry for him. He's had 250+ games to prove himself to us, which is more chances than most get, his wife is a babe and he's landed a 3 year deal at 31 after a serious injury. The guy was born under a lucky star.

 

[The Strapper]

Don’t know why he found it so difficult to make a decision.
1yr V 3yr deal looks a no brainer to me regardless of any loyalty felt to us.

 

[Sproj]

Don’t know why he found it so difficult to make a decision.
1yr V 3yr deal looks a no brainer to me regardless of any loyalty felt to us.

Unless the second and third years, monetarily, are not that substantial.

 

[NSW stables]

Don’t know why he found it so difficult to make a decision.
1yr V 3yr deal looks a no brainer to me regardless of any loyalty felt to us.

Isnt that what we want though? The decision being difficult for the player to leave even though another team's offer is much more appealing?

I would much prefer players being invested in the club rather than one who is willing to leave without a second thought even if it were a no brainer

 

[The Strapper]

Isnt that what we want though? The decision being difficult for the player to leave even though another team's offer is much more appealing?

I would much prefer players being invested in the club rather than one who is willing to leave without a second thought even if it were a no brainer

 

[The Strapper]

Oops hit the reply button by accident.
Anyway yes we want players invested in the club but he had already gone to Newcastle and presumably would have stayed there if they made him a reasonable offer so taking the dragons offer shouldn’t have been that hard.