NRL Player Movements & Rumours

[Big Pete]

That seems to be the case.

As far as I'm aware, your top 30 highest paid players come under the cap no matter the age, so U/16s and U/17s are only paid a set amount. They could be signed to 3-4 year deals and guaranteed NRL positions later on, which is the deal Ponga was offered when he was 15.

 

[Unbreakable]

Graham heading back to England with immediate effect, not surprised.

 

[theshed]

Graham heading back to England with immediate effect, not surprised.

would’ve been nice to have Graham on an Issac Luke type deal for the rest of the season. im sure it wasn’t feasible

 

[Kooly87]

RTS excelled in a shit Warriors side. I guess that's what makes a real star, you can still play well even if your coach and/or squad is pretty shit. I'd love to have him at the Broncos too.

That applies to basically all the elite million dollars players. Well, all except Milford it would appear.

Wrong role, wrong position, asked to do too many things he doesn't like doing, wrong Halves partner, team around him isn't good enough etc, etc.

 

[Kooly87]

would’ve been nice to have Graham on an Issac Luke type deal for the rest of the season. im sure it wasn’t feasible

Two reasons:

A) Graham's salary still has to be honoured, and its a LOT bigger than Luke's, so we likely literally didn't have the cap space.
B) As great as he would have been from a cultural perspective, he just plays the wrong position for Brisbane unfortunately. At full strength he would be absolutely flat out winning even just that last middle spot on the bench, and for his mandated salary we just can't justify that on field contribution.

 

[theshed]

That applies to basically all the elite million dollars players. Well, all except Milford it would appear.

Wrong role, wrong position, asked to do too many things he doesn't like doing, wrong Halves partner, team around him isn't good enough etc, etc.

Doesn’t apply to Hunt, Ash Taylor, Shaun Johnson, or Keira’s Foran. Milf is in good company when it comes to undeserved million dollar contracts.
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Two reasons:

A) Graham's salary still has to be honoured, and its a LOT bigger than Luke's, so we likely literally didn't have the cap space.
B) As great as he would have been from a cultural perspective, he just plays the wrong position for Brisbane unfortunately. At full strength he would be absolutely flat out winning even just that last middle spot on the bench, and for his mandated salary we just can't justify that on field contribution.

Yeah definitely. It was never going to be an option but in a dream world he would’ve been good for culture.

 

[Kooly87]

Doesn’t apply to Hunt, Ash Taylor, Shaun Johnson, or Keira’s Foran. Milf is in good company when it comes to undeserved million dollar contracts.
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Yep, precisely, that's exactly the company Milford belongs in.

 

[Sproj]

And is sad that Milf is in that company really. Foran though is worth the money when he isn't injured.

Imagine having one of these guys instead of Milf though - RTS, Pearce, DCE, Smith, Munster, Keary, Hodgson, Tedesco, Ponga, Moses, even Walker (though I hate to admit it). This side would be so much better with any of them instead of Milf.

Conversely, the three current players out of the Broncs system (more or less) that are on one million are Milf, Hunt and Taylor. Yikes!

 

[Kooly87]

And is sad that Milf is in that company really. Foran though is worth the money when he isn't injured.

Imagine having one of these guys instead of Milf though - RTS, Pearce, DCE, Smith, Munster, Keary, Hodgson, Tedesco, Ponga, Moses, even Walker (though I hate to admit it). This side would be so much better with any of them instead of Milf.

Conversely, the three current players out of the Broncs system (more or less) that are on one million are Milf, Hunt and Taylor. Yikes!

You're forgetting a couple there too: Cook and Tom Turbo (though you could absolutely scratch Walker - gross)

That's not even considering the elite Forwards like Taumalolo & Murray etc.

Most tragically of all though, in a sliding doors moment we could probably use Ben Hunt on a million dollars playing Dummy Half for us right now more than we need Milford on the same coin in a less useful position.

 

[Sproj]

Hunt could be a gun 9 if he actually wanted to play there and dedicate himself to it.

 

[Kooly87]

Hunt could be a gun 9 if he actually wanted to play there and dedicate himself to it.

He's a pretty good one right now. The Dragons are positively made if they don't utilise him there going forward.

It's sad because we all laughed at them when they overpaid for him as a Halfback, but now the game is all about Fullbacks and Dummy Halves and suddenly the million bucks for an Origin level Dummy Half doesn't look so ridiculous.

 

[Sproj]

He's a pretty good one right now. The Dragons are positively made if they don't utilise him there going forward.

It's sad because we all laughed at them when they overpaid for him as a Halfback, but now the game is all about Fullbacks and Dummy Halves and suddenly the million bucks for an Origin level Dummy Half doesn't look so ridiculous.

The problem though is that he still doesn't want to play there even though it is by FAR and away his best position. He is a really good 6, a horrible 7 but an absolute gun 9.

 

[Kooly87]

The problem though is that he still doesn't want to play there even though it is by FAR and away his best position. He is a really good 6, a horrible 7 but an absolute gun 9.

I'd stop short of calling him an 'absolute gun 9' but he's certainly pretty dangerous there and is one of the few guys who could possibly go to another level in that role and become an elite Dummy Half.

 

[Sproj]

I'd stop short of calling him an 'absolute gun 9' but he's certainly pretty dangerous there and is one of the few guys who could possibly go to another level in that role and become an elite Dummy Half.

No fair point but consider how many top shelf 9's there are in the game:

1. Smith
2. Hodgson
3. Cook

4. Friend
5. Mahoney
6. Hunt

And that is without being a specialist in the position. Of course, Grant looks like he will be the next big thing along with Mahoney but yeah, there aren't that many great 9's around aside of the big three.

 

[Kooly87]

You’re missing McInnes there.

Edit: plus Api Koroisau.

I think they're a level below that second tier, mostly because they're a little one dimensional in their strengths.

McCinnes is perhaps the best defender in the comp, but his attack is only mid range at best. He doesn't even really play Dummy Half for a lot of the game and hasn't done so for a while now.

Api's attack is really strong, but he's really not the defensive rock that a lot of elite Dummy Halves are. He's also less consistently great than the other guys on this list.

 

[Super Freak]

James Graham on his way back to Super League.

Dragons will release him provided they can secure a replacement. Media reporting Dragons will have $1 million to spend.

 

[Sproj]

Of course the media would say that. There is no way Graham is on a million a season, not even close.

 

[BroncsFan]

James Graham on his way back to Super League.

Dragons will release him provided they can secure a replacement. Media reporting Dragons will have $1 million to spend.

Of course the media would say that. There is no way Graham is on a million a season, not even close.

I just quickly skimmed the article but I think they are referring to Graham + Frizzel = $1m