NRL Player Movements & Rumours

[cento]

Didn’t Bennett only sig a two year deal so this could be it at the end of the year

 

[Big Pete]

Didn’t Bennett only sig a two year deal so this could be it at the end of the year

Originally, but then he was released early so it ended up being a three year contract.

 

[Dexter]

Kudos to the chooks for the way have handled Latrell and his management.
Hopefully other clubs follow suit and reign these managers in.

 

[Kooly87]

Kudos to the chooks for the way have handled Latrell and his management.
Hopefully other clubs follow suit and reign these managers in.

100%.

You've got to give them that, they've come out of the Latrell saga looking a million bucks by comparison.
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Arrow at Prop is fine, but at 800k he'll be the highest paid Prop in the game, and whilst he might be a gun at Lock, his Prop form for Queensland and the Titans previously doesn't put him at the top of the pile amongst Front Rowers, which makes it look strange indeed.

He could go to Lock and play Murray on an edge, but that seems hugely risky given Murray is coming off an incredible season where he became the form Lock in the competition. Whatever wen't wrong for Souths last season aside, one thing that definitely wen't right for them was playing Murray at Lock playing in exactly the role he was.

 

[Marty Deutschmann]

Whether or not there was what they needed available or not doesn’t change they fact that he isn’t what they needed. It is the same as the Jack Bird situation. We desperately needed a halfback yet there were none available so we signed Bird with that cash. Would we had been better to hold onto the cap space and see what happened later in the preseason or even the finally season? IMO yes, Bennett obviously likes his luxury buys though.

Bennett just buys big early without a thought for the future nowadays to try and load up on premierships before he bows out

 

[mitch222]

Whether or not there was what they needed available or not doesn’t change they fact that he isn’t what they needed. It is the same as the Jack Bird situation. We desperately needed a halfback yet there were none available so we signed Bird with that cash. Would we had been better to hold onto the cap space and see what happened later in the preseason or even the finally season? IMO yes, Bennett obviously likes his luxury buys though.

If we held cash we used to sign Bird, the media and fans would have crucified him for having so much cash left over in the cap and not utilising it. He went out and bought one of the best players on the market. We cant really judge his buy of Bird when he never really got going whilst Bennett was at the club. No NRL coach willingly goes into the season with a mill left in the cap. Its just too much money to not have utilised in todays game.

 

[Kooly87]

If we held cash we used to sign Bird, the media and fans would have crucified him for having so much cash left over in the cap and not utilising it. He went out and bought one of the best players on the market. We cant really judge his buy of Bird when he never really got going whilst Bennett was at the club. No NRL coach willingly goes into the season with a mill left in the cap. Its just too much money to not have utilised in todays game.

To be honest though, history is starting to show that it might be wise for clubs to leave space in their cap when they have the opportunity to do so as it allows them to jump on players who come up unexpectedly, as well as allowing them to forward load other contracts so that they have additional space to use later.


I think if it's used strategically, for a lot of clubs it can be a very handy tool to have spare space in their cap at different stages of the year depending on where they are in building for their next Premiership run.

 

[Wolfie]

Whether or not there was what they needed available or not doesn’t change they fact that he isn’t what they needed. It is the same as the Jack Bird situation. We desperately needed a halfback yet there were none available so we signed Bird with that cash. Would we had been better to hold onto the cap space and see what happened later in the preseason or even the finally season? IMO yes, Bennett obviously likes his luxury buys though.

Thats not correct mate. We signed Bird and still were chasing Ash Taylor for about 6 months after we signed Bird. Then Ash got his silly contract and we didnt get a halfback as he was the one we chased. Bird never cost us a 7.

 

[Sproj]

If Bennett lands Arrow and Mitchell this year, the pressure will really be on to make top 2 and the GF. It’ll also be interesting if he can take a team forward after not doing so well after his first year at his last two clubs.

 

[Kooly87]

If Bennett lands Arrow and Mitchell this year, the pressure will really be on to make top 2 and the GF. It’ll also be interesting if he can take a team forward after not doing so well after his first year at his last two clubs.

He's definitely throwing his eggs in the one basket to deliver a Premiership before his current deal expires. Signing Mitchell will give him a pretty good shot though to be fair.

 

[Sproj]

He's definitely throwing his eggs in the one basket to deliver a Premiership before his current deal expires. Signing Mitchell will give him a pretty good shot though to be fair.

Oh it certainly will, I'm saying there will be no excuses if he doesn't (and I don't think he will but could certainly be proven wrong obviously).

 

[Kooly87]

Oh it certainly will, I'm saying there will be no excuses if he doesn't (and I don't think he will but could certainly be proven wrong obviously).

Hmmm, I think if they add Arrow and Mitchell they're definitely a chance. Previously I'd have said their side has gone backwards from last year losing Burgess and GI, but those two are handy replacements and I think by rights you could say they're potentially going into 2020 at least as good, maybe slightly better, than they were in 2019. With the Roosters and Melbourne at this stage looking weaker than last season, that probably makes Souths one of the next best bets, at least on paper.

Not forgetting, they do have an X-factor in Bennett as Coach. He may not be the long term club builder he was in previous years, but I think when he's given access to good cattle in a short window, he can still be very effective at delivering a Premiership.

 

[Sproj]

Hmmm, I think if they add Arrow and Mitchell they're definitely a chance. Previously I'd have said their side has gone backwards from last year losing Burgess and GI, but those two are handy replacements and I think by rights you could say they're potentially going into 2020 at least as good, maybe slightly better, than they were in 2019. With the Roosters and Melbourne at this stage looking weaker than last season, that probably makes Souths one of the next best bets, at least on paper.

Not forgetting, they do have an X-factor in Bennett as Coach. He may not be the long term club builder he was in previous years, but I think when he's given access to good cattle in a short window, he can still be very effective at delivering a Premiership.

Time will definitely tell but it really is likely this year or bust because if they are tying up so much money in Mitchell, Arrow, Walker, Murray and Roberts, they are going to need to do something soon before they have to start shedding the next level talent and fill in with plodders. Bennett is going all or nothing and he has tended to do that with both of his last clubs, but I won't be surprised if, like both those clubs, this one starts going backwards fairly quick too.

 

[broncos4life]

Thats not correct mate. We signed Bird and still were chasing Ash Taylor for about 6 months after we signed Bird. Then Ash got his silly contract and we didnt get a halfback as he was the one we chased. Bird never cost us a 7.

Something doesn’t add up. How could we still have money to pay for someone like Taylor after Bird’s big salary yet then have such trouble with the cap?

 

[Unbreakable]

The story I heard circulating was that we had narrowed our focus to Moses or Bird, and because Bennett was so adamant that Ash would come back to us for a discounted price, he recommended we go all out to sign Bird.

 

[Wolfie]

The story I heard circulating was that we had narrowed our focus to Moses or Bird, and because Bennett was so adamant that Ash would come back to us for a discounted price, he recommended we go all out to sign Bird.

Could possibly something in that. Couldnt have seen us going for Moses and Taylor. Bird was in great form when we signed him, and from what i heard he was supposed to be our ball playing lock. Of course, Injuries wrecked all that.
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Something doesn’t add up. How could we still have money to pay for someone like Taylor after Bird’s big salary yet then have such trouble with the cap?

I'd say we must have messed up with certain contract upgrades.

 

[teampjta]

Signing a player like bird isn’t the issue, signing bird on the figures being reported is. You don’t spend $750-850 on a luxury buy.

These figures are reserved for specialty players. No matter how you look at it, This was bad business.

 

[Battler]

If Bennett lands Arrow and Mitchell this year, the pressure will really be on to make top 2 and the GF. It’ll also be interesting if he can take a team forward after not doing so well after his first year at his last two clubs.

I still have them finishing out of the top 4 even if they have those two on board. The loss of the two good Burgess boys is massive and the second year Bennett syndrome (Bennett ball in full effect as well as his reluctance to upgrade from 1990 training wise) will kick in like it did for us and the knights.