NRL Player Movements & Rumours

[Unbreakable]

Cowboys are gonna be good next year imo, they've made some very astute signings.

1. Holmes
2. O'Neill
3. Opacic
4. Marsters
5. Feldt
6. Drinkwater
7. Morgan
8. McLean
9. Robson
10. McGuire
11. Cooper
12. Hess
13. Taumalolo

14. Asiata
15. Wright
16. Molo
17. Hola / Cotter / Jensen / Dunn

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Cowboys are gonna be good next year imo, they've made some very astute signings.

1. Holmes
2. O'Neill
3. Opacic
4. Marsters
5. Feldt
6. Drinkwater
7. Morgan
8. McLean
9. Robson
10. McGuire
11. Cooper
12. Hess
13. Taumalolo

14. Asiata
15. Wright
16. Molo
17. Hola / Cotter / Jensen / Dunn

Looking at that squad, I think we will be trading ladder positions with them fairly often next year.

 

[Smartseal]

Cowboys are gonna be good next year imo, they've made some very astute signings.

1. Holmes
2. O'Neill
3. Opacic
4. Marsters
5. Feldt
6. Drinkwater
7. Morgan
8. McLean
9. Robson
10. McGuire
11. Cooper
12. Hess
13. Taumalolo

14. Asiata
15. Wright
16. Molo
17. Hola / Cotter / Jensen / Dunn

Don't forget Latrell Mitchell to come [emoji6]

 

[Super Freak]

We've done an excellent job nullifying Taumalolo over the last few years. Get up in his face and hold him upright in the tackle. And, as above, wear him out by running at him and making him move laterally. He is very easily tired.

This is why I'm starting to think the Cowboys made a mistake paying so much for him for so long.

You get up in his face and you take him out of the game completely. He'll still make good metres but his runs won't be anywhere near as effective. He doesn't have any other tricks up his sleeve. He doesn't have an offload like Parker or is good with the ball like Trbojevic and as you mentioned, it's easy to tire him out.

Cowboys are paying $1 million a year for him right? I would say he's worth $800k tops until he can develop in other areas of his game.

 

[Big Pete]

1. Holmes
2. O'Neill
3. Opacic
4. Marsters
5. Feldt
6. Drinkwater
7. Morgan
8. McLean
9. Robson
10. McGuire
11. Cooper
12. Hess
13. Taumalolo

14. Asiata
15. Wright
16. Molo
17. Hola / Cotter / Jensen / Dunn

They're still a change or two away from being serious contenders, but the Holmes signing certainly puts them on track. A lot of it will come down to their creative players and how Drinkwater and Robson handle their new roles. Robson was impressive coming through the grades but in limited opportunities he's yet to really shine. I thought Drinkwater was on the verge of becoming a disappointment before he found his way as a fullback. I'm not convinced he's the answer at 6 but then again he's never had the opportunity at this level or at the club.

Green's structures rely heavily on a dominant forward pack and while McLean, McGuire and Taumalolo can win most contests, the rotation is fairly mediocre. Molo had a career year, but he's going to have to take his game to another level to keep the Cows on top. When the Cowboys were at their best, it's because they were able to replace the likes of Scott and Tamou with Bolton and Hannant. With all due respect, the only player who holds a candle to the starters is McGuire.

They're certainly in the hunt, but think you'd be going out on a limb either way.

 

[Fozz]

Don't forget Latrell Mitchell to come [emoji6]

Once they got Holmes, Latrell was expendable. Otherwise that would be 5 players on $1m each, that's excellent salary cap management.

Their roster will look pretty similar to how it is now over the next decade, some honest toilers to complement their big stars and maybe a fringe origin player or two. Journeymen players will find a home up there.

Meanwhile the Broncos have apparently have 2 on $1m each and we're the biggest salary cap rorters around.

 

[Fernando]

Holmes isn't a million dollar player.

 

[Wolfie]

They're still a change or two away from being serious contenders, but the Holmes signing certainly puts them on track. A lot of it will come down to their creative players and how Drinkwater and Robson handle their new roles. Robson was impressive coming through the grades but in limited opportunities he's yet to really shine. I thought Drinkwater was on the verge of becoming a disappointment before he found his way as a fullback. I'm not convinced he's the answer at 6 but then again he's never had the opportunity at this level or at the club.

Green's structures rely heavily on a dominant forward pack and while McLean, McGuire and Taumalolo can win most contests, the rotation is fairly mediocre. Molo had a career year, but he's going to have to take his game to another level to keep the Cows on top. When the Cowboys were at their best, it's because they were able to replace the likes of Scott and Tamou with Bolton and Hannant. With all due respect, the only player who holds a candle to the starters is McGuire.

They're certainly in the hunt, but think you'd be going out on a limb either way.

Gilbert imo is going to be an absolute star for them, but he might need a year or so to get up to speed in the NRL ( providing Green actually gives him a decent run ). For my money, he was the standout player in ISC this year. Molo seems in a good place, and i think if they keep it simple for him and dont change his role from a bench forward, he will have another big year. They seem to have some pretty good potential in their forwards really with Hola, Simkins and Greig as well. Issue they will have is they are all a year or 2 away from being NRL level imo.

 

[Battler]

They're still a change or two away from being serious contenders, but the Holmes signing certainly puts them on track. A lot of it will come down to their creative players and how Drinkwater and Robson handle their new roles. Robson was impressive coming through the grades but in limited opportunities he's yet to really shine. I thought Drinkwater was on the verge of becoming a disappointment before he found his way as a fullback. I'm not convinced he's the answer at 6 but then again he's never had the opportunity at this level or at the club.

Green's structures rely heavily on a dominant forward pack and while McLean, McGuire and Taumalolo can win most contests, the rotation is fairly mediocre. Molo had a career year, but he's going to have to take his game to another level to keep the Cows on top. When the Cowboys were at their best, it's because they were able to replace the likes of Scott and Tamou with Bolton and Hannant. With all due respect, the only player who holds a candle to the starters is McGuire.

They're certainly in the hunt, but think you'd be going out on a limb either way.

They need a proper half. A signing like Townsend would be perfect for them. However, they have to be out of cash with the amount of big money contracts they have on deck.

 

[Big Pete]

Gilbert imo is going to be an absolute star for them, but he might need a year or so to get up to speed in the NRL ( providing Green actually gives him a decent run ). For my money, he was the standout player in ISC this year. Molo seems in a good place, and i think if they keep it simple for him and dont change his role from a bench forward, he will have another big year. They seem to have some pretty good potential in their forwards really with Hola, Simkins and Greig as well. Issue they will have is they are all a year or 2 away from being NRL level imo.

I was going to mention Gilbert but I came to the same conclusion - he's probably a year off from being a real difference maker. Molo finished the year well, but overall I wasn't that impressed with his year. He proved to be a solid bench option but he didn't stand out to me like some other forwards did at other clubs.

They need a proper half. A signing like Townsend would be perfect for them. However, they have to be out of cash with the amount of big money contracts they have on deck.

I actually think they're well served in the halves. The issue is for whatever reason, they refuse to play Morgan as a five eighth where he played his best footy and let Clifford handle the organisation. In such a disappointing season, I thought Clifford produced some of their brightest moments, especially in that win against the premiers and thought it was insulting that they had Asiata play halfback over him.

I don't think it would be a good fit for either the Cowboys or Townsend. Townsend isn't the most reliable or creative halves going. If you're going to sign him, it's with the idea that the rest of the team is covered and you just need a 7. Or you've got a relatively young club and you just need an older head around to help mentor the younger players. The Cowboys either need an out and out superstar to help win them a premiership right now or they need a long term investment. So say a Keiran Foran on a cut price deal or (dare I say) Ash Taylor.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

Holmes will struggle warns NFL pioneer
9:55PM November 24, 2019
Colin Scotts never believed Valentine Holmes would make it in the NFL
The first Australian to crack American football has issued a blunt warning to departing New York Jets player Val Holmes — don’t come back to rugby league expecting to be a champion.
And Colin Scotts, an former defensive tackle with the St Louis Cardinals and Houston Oilers, said Holmes was “never going to make” the NFL because he simply wasn’t “big enough, fast enough or strong enough”.
The Cowboys confirmed on Sunday that Holmes had signed a six-year deal running through to the 2025 season. North Queensland director of football Peter Parr described it as a “wonderful signing for our club.”
Holmes is expected to speak to the media in Townsville on Monday morning.
The Sydney-born Scotts knows the physical demands of training with an NFL squad and questioned whether Holmes could now recapture the blistering form that made him a star for the Cronulla Sharks, Queensland and Australia.
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“He shouldn’t come back here and think he will be a superstar,” Scotts said. “The game in one year can evolve very quickly. Val wouldn’t want to rest on his laurels and I’m sure he won’t.
“However, there hasn’t been an athlete that has come back and excelled. Players who move away lose momentum or drive. It’s a risk. I thought Jarryd (Hayne) would have come back faster, stronger and be a superstar, but he didn’t. He went the other way. It was as if the NRL had taken off without him. It was amazing.
“You lose the rhythm of the game. You lose confidence, it’s a weird thing. It will be a massive challenge for Valentine but let’s hope he can do it because we’ve all missed him and he’s great for rugby league. He’s an X-factor who puts bums on seats.
“I don’t want to be negative but the trouble is when players leave and then return they never seem to play better than when they left. That’s a fact. They never live up to expectations that they had before they left.”
Scotts praised Holmes’s courage for trying another sport but revealed a deep doubt over whether the former Sharks fullback was ever going to succeed in the US.
And Scotts said other NRL players chasing an NFL dream should be careful.
“It’s been a rude awakening. He honestly believed he could do it and he had a serious crack. But, in my mind, he was never going to make it,” Scotts said.
“Mate, he was never going to be big enough, fast enough or strong enough. There are a million athletes of his ability who have been playing the game and been bred on it.
“I was asked from day one and never thought he could make it. He had to pay his dues — it was a little insulting to people like me — play in the Australian gridiron league or put some years in at college, put some hard yards in.
“The reality is if rugby league guys think they can go over there without any pre-training and walk into the NFL … reality, boys. You have to pay your respects and learn your trade.
“You go over there and have to learn a Chinese language upside down. Physically you are running into a brick wall 100 times a day wearing a helmet.
“Your brain is going to be rattled like never before. It’s not fair for a 23-year-old to think he can run into the most explosive, competitive game in the world.
“I’m proud Valentine had a crack and chased his dream but rugby league guys have to come to the reality that you have less than 0.1 per cent chance of making it and you can get seriously hurt.
“I don’t think he was ever going to be able to understand the game that quickly. It’s too complicated a game in that position.
“You have to question why these players are quitting. It’s not a good look.
“They have been given spots on practice squads, which is still an honour. Hayne and Holmes have both quit.
“The question is will it stop the dream of Australian footballers wanting to go over and having a crack?
“It’s also very tempting to come back to $1m contracts in rugby league when they’re only on $150,000 on America.”

NoCookies | The Australian

www.theaustralian.com.au

 

[Kooly87]

Don’t forget the Kahu money

You probably said it in jest, but realistically they do have the Kahu money now and that must have been up to 400k because that's what we are now paying him. If you take that money and whatever Granville is on, you're starting to get close to what Latrell might be looking for.

$800k in Townsville goes a lot further than it does in Sydney. Who knows, the lifestyle might really suit him and he definitely strikes me as the kind of player who will always play his best when he's in an environment he enjoys.

 

[Wolfie]

You probably said it in jest, but realistically they do have the Kahu money now and that must have been up to 400k because that's what we are now paying him. If you take that money and whatever Granville is on, you're starting to get close to what Latrell might be looking for.

$800k in Townsville goes a lot further than it does in Sydney. Who knows, the lifestyle might really suit him and he definitely strikes me as the kind of player who will always play his best when he's in an environment he enjoys.

I actually can't see him there if he isn't fullback

 

[Kooly87]

I actually can't see him there if he isn't fullback

Yeah I would have said the same but the fact he's still up there and seems to have a bit of a relationship with a few of the players has definitely in my opinion thrown a bit more weight to it.

The Tigers appear to be his only option left. They're hardly a glamour club and if he goes there it will most likely come down to how much they can pay him and how badly he wants to play Fullback. It's still a tough club to succeed at and there will be a mountain of pressure on him to carry that side. The Teddy v Latrell battle for those two opposing clubs would be marketing gold for the NRL though.

The way I see it though, he could take 800k to go to Townsville and be in an environment that he appears to enjoy, they would become a definite Premiership threat, and he would get about the same bang for his buck as a million dollar deal in Sydney, and that's being conservative.

If money and Fullback are everything I think he'll be a Tiger, but if lifestyle and environment are part of his thinking, and I believe they should be for a guy like Latrell who thrives on being in a positive environment, then the Cowboys must be some chance.

 

[mitch222]

Over the moon with Holmes coming back because its gonna put a rocket up Oates' ass for origin. He wont be displacing Gagai anytime soon and Holmes will basically walk back into the side which leaves Oates origin free in which he normally performs better when he doesn't have to play origin for the whole year

 

[Kooly87]

Over the moon with Holmes coming back because its gonna put a rocket up Oates' ass for origin. He wont be displacing Gagai anytime soon and Holmes will basically walk back into the side which leaves Oates origin free in which he normally performs better when he doesn't have to play origin for the whole year

Queensland desperately needed an injection into their backline stock. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that Val picks up exactly where he left off.

 

[Foordy]

the Titans have reportedly entered the race for Mitchell ... if Mitchell signs with them, i would be making a play for Brimson to play fullback for us

 

[Kooly87]

the Titans have reportedly entered the race for Mitchell ... if Mitchell signs with them, i would be making a play for Brimson to play fullback for us

They're an interesting prospect because they're a basket case like the Tigers but they also offer a better lifestyle and cost of living for the money he'd earn.

Surely they'd have to release someone to fit him in though?