OFFICIAL Dane Gagai to finish career at the Broncos

I have no issues with Gagai if its a 1 year deal for 250k. He's still a better player than Shiba, who turned down our 300k offer. This is a short term fix, allowing the young outside backs time to further develop. And if it turns out he played a year too long, he can be 18/19 on the bench as cover.
 
Didn't we try and get him when he left Souffs and he knocked us back to go to the Knights? Not going to lie, it kind of urks me.
 
Madge said

“He’s a veteran across every part of the game,” Maguire said.

“He’s probably playing some of the best footy of his career at the moment.

“It’s still a work in progress, nothing is done at this stage, but if it eventuates, we’d be getting a highly experienced player, a family man, a great human and someone with high standards.

“That’s why he’s stayed at the top of his game for so long and he’s still performing at a very high level.


“What I’m chasing is the culture of what the Broncos are about and he understands that.”

“At Souths, I was involved in bringing him to the club before I left during that transition period,” Maguire said.

“The experience he brings is valuable and we’ve got young players coming through like Niu and Coates who can learn from Dane.

“What he’s doing now at Newcastle is outstanding and he gives a lot back to younger players.

“That’s important for where our club is heading with the youth we have coming through.”

“He’d play anywhere,” Maguire said.

“If it comes about, I’m sure he’d be happy to play wherever he’s needed.

“Dane is a pro. He’s from a different walk of life.”
 
horse GIF
meanwhile training at Redhill in 2027
 
I wish we could bring Ben Ikin back to the club. During his brief time here, it seemed like we began making smarter recruitment decisions. Since he left things have gradually gotten worse.

I’m not sure how much input he actually had, but that’s definitely how it feels.
 
I wish we could bring Ben Ikin back to the club. During his brief time here, it seemed like we began making smarter recruitment decisions. Since he left things have gradually gotten worse.

I’m not sure how much input he actually had, but that’s definitely how it feels.

like?
 
Kurt Capewell, Zac Hosking, Te Maire Martin, Tyson Smoothy, Reece Walsh.

Ikin quits in May 2023, Baker signs in June.

Coincidence? Probably! However it makes for a more interesting story.

I don't know if I'd credit him for Capewell either honestly. Capewell signed in early July 2021, Ikin started only a week or two prior.
 
Don’t blame him for quitting. He had CONEHEAD riding his ass on behalf of Kevvie in the media. Quotes along the line of “Ikin’s job should be to do what Kevvie tells him to do” I am paraphrasing but it was made clear there was only room for one of them. But hey, it was ‘23, in a different timeline CONEHEAD would have been proven right.
 
Kurt Capewell, Zac Hosking, Te Maire Martin, Tyson Smoothy, Reece Walsh.

Kurt Capewell was before Ikin. He was announced exactly 1 week after Ikin arrived, so with the 10 day cooling off period means the deal was signed before he arrived.

you can't really give him credit for Reece Walsh. It wouldn't have mattered who was in charge of recruitment ... he was always coming back to us when he got his release from the Warriors.

and if you give him credit for Hosking and Te Maire, then you also have to give him the blame for losing them since they left while he was head of football here
 
Kurt Capewell was before Ikin. He was announced exactly 1 week after Ikin arrived, so with the 10 day cooling off period means the deal was signed before he arrived.

you can't really give him credit for Reece Walsh. It wouldn't have mattered who was in charge of recruitment ... he was always coming back to us when he got his release from the Warriors.

and if you give him credit for Hosking and Te Maire, then you also have to give him the blame for losing them since they left while he was head of football here
Capewell was still technically under his watch. I agree he didn't have much but I'm sure Donaghy would have broached the subject and asked for his 2 cents. If Ikin felt strongly against it, I'm sure he would have spoken out but he seemed like the type of player Ikin described when he was critical of the Broncos recruitment prior to his 2021 appointment.

If the Broncos weren't as fiscally responsible they may not have had the room to bring Walsh back.

OK you got me. I blame Ben Ikin 100% for trading Te Maire Martin for Reece Walsh. What a horrible piece of business that was! You can't keep them all and when Hosking was here the Broncos had Capewell, Riki, Robati and Piakura on the books. Hosking was after an NRL contract and that was hard to justify when there were no guarantees he'd make the team.

Supposedly Kevie was making decisions without Ikin during the back-end of 2022 and that's what led to Ikin's resignation.
 
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