Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2021

[007]

I have no issue for staggs at 700k, as long as he stays at centre. use him right, he will be worth it.

 

[Wolfie]

That was the impression I got with the young guys. Aren’t Fifita, Haas, Staggs, Coates etc meant to be close mates?

Haas and Fifita are. Staggs and Turpin are, believe they live together, not sure about Coates tbh.

 

[Wolfie]

I don't see how 700k is that big an issue if you are looking at turning him into a 1 or 6. Regardless, if he stays at centre, he essentially is on elite centre money and he absolutely has the potential to be the best centre in the game if he can fix his defense. You need strike weapons and Staggs very much is one and this kind of wage seems about right.

I dont think we are in a position though to pay any player big money in the hope they can fix issues in their games. You pay people like Manu big money at center because he is the best center out there by a long way. You pay Taumalolo big money because he produces week after week. Staggs isnt at that level and i dont think currently he is worth the elite money.

I've got this feeling we are going to be talking about Staggs and his defence for his whole career. Its going to sound like how people cling on to Milford or Dave Taylor eventually reaching their potential. Staggs is going to always be a top level attacking center who lacks defence imo.

 

[the_next]

I think 700k for Staggs is about right.
The only worry is how he recovers from his injury, but I guess we won’t know until he hits the field.
I wouldn’t mind seeing him at 6 or 1 and if all else fails he can go back to being the most destructive centre in the game.
Fingers crossed he stays.

 

[Waynesaurus]

$700k is a good offer, if he moves to Sydney he'll spend the other 100k others are supposedly offering just to live there.

Sure It's a gamble for the club to go that high, but its not stupid like throwing $1.25m at Fifita.

 

[Sproj]

thats around what Chricton got from the Panthers to re-sign. Assume Bradman Best will be next in line knocking on the Knights door with his financial demands....

For mine, ive not many issues with the bulk of our cap invested in the backline. Its what we have traditionally done...

Should that much go on Staggs...well....

Plus, you do have to take some calculated risks. For anyone reading and about to go off at me on this point, just listen for a minute.

Yes, this club has taken some massive risks with contracts and have got themselves them into a mess but this is totally different. This isn't an overhill player on a downward trajectory. This is not an import centre who we don't need.

This is one of our juniors who is ALREADY a gun in attack and on an UPWARD trajectory. 700k is what you would pay for a weapon and goodness me is he a weapon! Fix his defense and he is the best centre in the game. If he transitions into a fullback or half, even better. Regardless, this is not breaking the bank.

Plus, if the Titans can have two over million dollar players on their books + overpaid players everywhere and STILL have money left over for another key signing, why can't we?

Also, our squad isn't bad, it is just missing some key planks and this still leaves us money to chase someone. If we don't keep him, we need to attract someone else anyway, particularly to give us strike in the backline.

Also, we won't be re-signing Milford, we no longer have to pay Joffa, Bird, Boyd or anyone else next year I believe, so we still should have a lot of money to play with.

We need something like this as well because Staggs is rightly a marquee signing, it could well help to attract other players to the club if they start seeing stability and players wanting to stay. This would be huge for us if he takes it. It is a win-win for the player and club.

 

[HarryAllan7]

If we table a competitive offer we are 'desperate', if we don't and he leaves then we are 'in shambles' as our 'best attacking player walks out the door'... not even worth paying attention to anymore.

$700k / year is elite centre money... Staggs isn't there yet. IMO, the most important attribute of a good centre in today's game is to be elite defensively - Staggs is the opposite.

Peronally, if we're paying him that kind of money I'd rather see him at 6. He has all the skills to succeed there.

I don't think what this team needs is a $700k / year centre who can't defend, we would be better off as a team with an Opacic bargain style signing who is a very stout defender and use the money on spine players otherwise.

 

[Alec]

Need to fix the spine before anything. Even if Staggs moves into the halves, he'd still be a running player, not a creative one that the Broncos need.

 

[Sproj]

I dont think we are in a position though to pay any player big money in the hope they can fix issues in their games. You pay people like Manu big money at center because he is the best center out there by a long way. You pay Taumalolo big money because he produces week after week. Staggs isnt at that level and i dont think currently he is worth the elite money.

I've got this feeling we are going to be talking about Staggs and his defence for his whole career. Its going to sound like how people cling on to Milford or Dave Taylor eventually reaching their potential. Staggs is going to always be a top level attacking center who lacks defence imo.

But that strength of his is better than any other centre in the game and he is still young and has plenty of time to improve. You can work on his defense and you can also mitigate it to an extent by putting good defenders next to him if he stays at centre.

He isn't a finished product and he is already so good, this signing would also help attract other players and possibly other backroom staff if they see we have weapons like him to use.

If we can keep Staggs and Coates, we have at least two backline weapons moving forward. We then recruit a depth centre like Opacic and get the other pieces around the guys we have now. Bring in a good fullback looking for an opportunity like Hynes and an older halfback to guide Dearden's development while also giving Staggs an opportunity at 6.

This is why I would love to bring in SJ. I really feel he (or even Reynolds) can be that glue in the halves we need to nurture Dearden but also take the direction role in the halves while you give Staggs a chance to develop into a running 6.

 

[tommy]

Plus, if the Titans can have two over million dollar players on their books + overpaid players everywhere and STILL have money left over for another key signing, why can't we?

That’s not really how it works.... Don’t get me wrong I won’t be surprised either way what he decides to do he may very well stay, but the fact tits have been a bit smarter with their money over the last few years is no surprise when you look at some of the foolish contracts we handed out. The titans are most likely padded out with a few lower and minimum wage contracts. How many of our players do you reckon are around the 400-600k mark? There would have to be a few, not to mention paying for players who have left too. I still hold a suspicion Boyd is being paid a small amount too.

 

[Sproj]

If we table a competitive offer we are 'desperate', if we don't and he leaves then we are 'in shambles' as our 'best attacking player walks out the door'... not even worth paying attention to anymore.

$700k / year is elite centre money... Staggs isn't there yet. IMO, the most important attribute of a good centre in today's game is to be elite defensively - Staggs is the opposite.

Peronally, if we're paying him that kind of money I'd rather see him at 6. He has all the skills to succeed there.

I don't think what this team needs is a $700k / year centre who can't defend, we would be better off as a team with an Opacic bargain style signing who is a very stout defender and use the money on spine players otherwise.

I don't see why we can't have both, honestly. Bring Opacic in and keep working on Staggs defense while giving him a chance to shine in the back end of this season at 6. If the experiment fails, he returns to centre next year a more complete player.

Remember, we aren't paying Staggs 700k to be an incomplete player. The length of contract means that likely, he won't be worth 700k in the first year but years 2 and 3, maybe he is. Year 4, he is hopefully now really good value for money.

It is absolutely a risk, I acknowledge that and am happy to be torn to shreds if it goes awry, but it isn't a stupid risk like the last Boyd or Gillett contracts were, it is a calculated risk that at worst, gives you an absolute attacking beast in the centres / backrow.

 

[Sproj]

That’s not really how it works.... Don’t get me wrong I won’t be surprised either way what he decides to do he may very well stay, but the fact tits have been a bit smarter with their money over the last few years is no surprise when you look at some of the foolish contracts we handed out. The titans are most likely padded out with a few lower and minimum wage contracts. How many of our players do you reckon are around the 400-600k mark? There would have to be a few, not to mention paying for players who have left too. I still hold a suspicion Boyd is being paid a small amount too.

The Titans haven't been smarter about their spending, that's my point. 1.25 million a year for Fifita is NOT a smart decision. The other recruits sure but this is basically what we are doing with Staggs but much smarter. He becomes our non-spine weapon which every club has / needs and at 700k, it isn't breaking the bank as bad as a Fifita, Taumololo, Jurbo or Holmes are.

 

[Wolfie]

But that strength of his is better than any other centre in the game and he is still young and has plenty of time to improve. You can work on his defense and you can also mitigate it to an extent by putting good defenders next to him if he stays at centre.

He isn't a finished product and he is already so good, this signing would also help attract other players and possibly other backroom staff if they see we have weapons like him to use.

If we can keep Staggs and Coates, we have at least two backline weapons moving forward. We then recruit a depth centre like Opacic and get the other pieces around the guys we have now. Bring in a good fullback looking for an opportunity like Hynes and an older halfback to guide Dearden's development while also giving Staggs an opportunity at 6.

This is why I would love to bring in SJ. I really feel he (or even Reynolds) can be that glue in the halves we need to nurture Dearden but also take the direction role in the halves while you give Staggs a chance to develop into a running 6.

He could develop, no question, but he isnt there now which is why i wouldnt pay him bigger money. If he moves to 6, i'd pay him less tbh, he needs to prove himself there. I think if you pay any player huge money before they deserve it or have earned it that can be risky. I remember a quote from the old England manager Sir Bobby Robson when asked about all these players who were being paid massive money and the problems it caused he said " How do you make a rich man sweat? " Paying them so much before they have earned it could take away some of their hunger to strive for better contracts as well as improve themselves.

I dont think he is the best attacking center in the game. He 's up there , no doubt about it, probably in the top 3 but i'd say defence these days is equally as important. I just think the best plan of action with Kotoni is tell him if his defence improves, so does his contract. If he moves to 6 and becomes top level at 6, then we give him a top level contract. Right now, i dont think in either position his all round game is good enough.

 

[tommy]

The Titans haven't been smarter about their spending, that's my point. 1.25 million a year for Fifita is NOT a smart decision. The other recruits sure but this is basically what we are doing with Staggs but much smarter. He becomes our non-spine weapon which every club has / needs and at 700k, it isn't breaking the bank as bad as a Fifita, Taumololo, Jurbo or Holmes are.

Fair enough it looked like you were having a whinge that “because titans can afford player x we must be able to afford player y” when we have been seriously mismanaged for years. I have no doubt our salary cap is still a mess while the tits most likely have some space in theirs.

 

[Jedhead]

I dont think we are in a position though to pay any player big money in the hope they can fix issues in their games. You pay people like Manu big money at center because he is the best center out there by a long way. You pay Taumalolo big money because he produces week after week. Staggs isnt at that level and i dont think currently he is worth the elite money.

I've got this feeling we are going to be talking about Staggs and his defence for his whole career. Its going to sound like how people cling on to Milford or Dave Taylor eventually reaching their potential. Staggs is going to always be a top level attacking center who lacks defence imo.

I think the only way you fix Staggs defence is make sure the guys either side of him are switched on cookies and the constantly talk him through his decision making. He might get it one day, but in the meantime just get him to follow orders in defence.

 

[Sproj]

He could develop, no question, but he isnt there now which is why i wouldnt pay him bigger money. If he moves to 6, i'd pay him less tbh, he needs to prove himself there. I think if you pay any player huge money before they deserve it or have earned it that can be risky. I remember a quote from the old England manager Sir Bobby Robson when asked about all these players who were being paid massive money and the problems it caused he said " How do you make a rich man sweat? " Paying them so much before they have earned it could take away some of their hunger to strive for better contracts as well as improve themselves.

I dont think he is the best attacking center in the game. He 's up there , no doubt about it, probably in the top 3 but i'd say defence these days is equally as important. I just think the best plan of action with Kotoni is tell him if his defence improves, so does his contract. If he moves to 6 and becomes top level at 6, then we give him a top level contract. Right now, i dont think in either position his all round game is good enough.

I get it and I (for the most part) ordinarily agree. However, as wrong as it is, times have changed unfortunately and so, as a basement club with a pretty poor reputation now, we do to spend a little more than we would like unfortunately.

However, even if Staggs is in the top 3 and not the best attacking centre, the gap between the top 3/4 centres and everyone else is big enough to make this, as I said, a calculated risk. As a risk, it could all go wrong, I freely admit that but it is worth taking.

 

[big k]

Big money if true

So other clubs offer him 800k or more and that's ok, we offer 700k and we are desperate? WTF

 

[Mum-the-meatloaf]

Outside of he is good now with great potential. I think park of the need to re-sign him is to stop the leak of players leaving.

There is optics involved.