NRL Player Movements & Rumours

[Browny]

Ah the Titans, the one place that thinks it can polish a turd

 

[Morkel]

The Gold Coast IS a polished turd.

Yep. The most expensive parts are fill-covered swamp.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

James Gavet has been granted a release and is off to the Knights apparently.

 

[Foordy]

James Gavet has been granted a release and is off to the Knights apparently.

I think they may have hired the Roosters accountant :P

 

[Morkel]

I think they may have hired the Roosters accountant :P

It is getting a bit crazy.

Yes, you can look at their roster and go "it's not full of big names like the Roosters", but plenty of recruits only went there for big money, and others were retained on stupid money.

Ese'ese was lured by big money from us (we wanted to keep him and he wanted to stay).
Ponga is on a massive deal, and even though he may turn out to be worth it, it's a lot of money for effectively a rookie.
Pearce went to the Knights as they were the highest bidder, $1 mill a year.
Moga didn't want to leave but we weren't able or willing to match the offer.
Mata'utia (x3), all 3 were signed by the Dogs apparently on huge deals, deliberately, so the Knights would have to match the offers in order to lure them back before the end of the cooling off period. Chanel and Pat have been release, but the Knights would still be paying for them.
Guerra might not be top tier, but he was a current Qld player and would have had other offers for sure.
Ramien didn't want to leave the sharks, lured by money.
Even Buhrer, Glasby, SKD etc, they may have been released for various reasons but all have played for their state (Buhrer & Glasby) or country (SKD).

The names aren't big, but their price tags are. When you consider that they pay Moga what we pay Roberts, they pay Pearce what we pay Milford, there's no way they can be competitive with that kind or recruitment strategy.

 

[Unbreakable]

None of the guys they lost for 2019 would've been on big money either, and they just re-signed Fitzgibbon until 2021 who would've been one of the most in demand young edge back rowers in the comp.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if they turn in to the new Eels, where they're constantly in strife for rorting the cap but are still finishing bottom 4 every season.

Their full strength team is "decent", but I don't see them as a top 8 side.

1. Ponga
2. Kenny-Dowall
3. Moga
4. Ramien
5. Lee
6. Watson / Lino
7. Pearce
8. Ese'ese
9. Levi
10. Glasby
11. Matu'utia (c)
12. Fitzgibbon
13. Guerra

14. Buhrer
15. Gavet
16. Barnett
17. Saifiti

Meh

 

[Foordy]

It is getting a bit crazy.

Yes, you can look at their roster and go "it's not full of big names like the Roosters", but plenty of recruits only went there for big money, and others were retained on stupid money.

Ese'ese was lured by big money from us (we wanted to keep him and he wanted to stay).
Ponga is on a massive deal, and even though he may turn out to be worth it, it's a lot of money for effectively a rookie.
Pearce went to the Knights as they were the highest bidder, $1 mill a year.
Moga didn't want to leave but we weren't able or willing to match the offer.
Mata'utia (x3), all 3 were signed by the Dogs apparently on huge deals, deliberately, so the Knights would have to match the offers in order to lure them back before the end of the cooling off period. Chanel and Pat have been release, but the Knights would still be paying for them.
Guerra might not be top tier, but he was a current Qld player and would have had other offers for sure.
Ramien didn't want to leave the sharks, lured by money.
Even Buhrer, Glasby, SKD etc, they may have been released for various reasons but all have played for their state (Buhrer & Glasby) or country (SKD).

The names aren't big, but their price tags are. When you consider that they pay Moga what we pay Roberts, they pay Pearce what we pay Milford, there's no way they can be competitive with that kind or recruitment strategy.

add that Klemmer is reportedly seeking a release to sign with them on big money

 

[Old Mate]

It’s getting a little ridiculous, they’re up there with the roosters in regards to poaching at the moment.

 

[Nashy]

I can smell an NRL fairy tale coming out of the Hunter...

 

[Harry Sack]

I can smell an NRL fairy tale coming out of the Hunter...

Have placed a couple of $$ on them in one way or another over the last couple of years. Might go with "to make the 8" this year

 

[Super Freak]

Cameron Murray and Campbell Graham re-signed until the end of the 2021 season.

 

[Big Pete]

Nice pick up for the Bunnies - I wouldn't be surprised if either of them played Origin by 2020.

On Newcastle, they were supposedly $2.2 Million under the cap at the start of the off-season. Looking at their roster, I honestly wouldn't be surprised. Sure 15/25 players are all imports but outside of Pearce & Ponga how many would be on serious contracts? Even the Ponga deal worked out for the Knights. Supposedly it's an incentive based deal and while he would have activated some of his clauses, even then he'd be on at most $900,000. Which was a huge risk for a player that had only played two games of NRL and both times he was out of position.

 

[Foordy]

Nice pick up for the Bunnies - I wouldn't be surprised if either of them played Origin by 2020.

On Newcastle, they were supposedly $2.2 Million under the cap at the start of the off-season. Looking at their roster, I honestly wouldn't be surprised. Sure 15/25 players are all imports but outside of Pearce & Ponga how many would be on serious contracts? Even the Ponga deal worked out for the Knights. Supposedly it's an incentive based deal and while he would have activated some of his clauses, even then he'd be on at most $900,000. Which was a huge risk for a player that had only played two games of NRL and both times he was out of position.

are they even permitted to be that far under the salary cap? 2.2 million under would mean they are only spending around 70% of the salary cap

 

[Big Pete]

I haven't heard of anything in regards to a minimum cap. I'd imagine if you offered every player minimum wage it would be $3.15 Million of a $9.6 Million cap.

I'm not saying it doesn't exist, I just can't see anything online about it.

Regardless there's still time to fill those five vacant spots.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

I haven't heard of anything in regards to a minimum cap. I'd imagine if you offered every player minimum wage it would be $3.15 Million of a $9.6 Million cap.

I'm not saying it doesn't exist, I just can't see anything online about it.

Regardless there's still time to fill those five vacant spots.

This was Rothfield in November last year

“In the new collective bargaining agreement, clubs must spend 95 per cent of their cap. It’s a $9.4 million cap, so they have to spend a minimum $8.9 million,” Rothfield told NRL 360.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...h/news-story/d9c56dd6262e5269ea9218472986bfe2

 

[Big Pete]

Thanks for finding that, ivanhungryjak.

I can't seem to find anything to verify Buzz's claim.

 

[BroncsNBundy]

This was Rothfield in November last year


How would this work in cases where teams have lost a percentage of the cap for breaches?
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...h/news-story/d9c56dd6262e5269ea9218472986bfe2

 

[Cult]

Apparently Corey Allan really isn’t happy that Bennett is heading to Souths