Round 7: Newcastle Knights vs Sydney Roosters

What is your prediction for this game ??

  • Knights 13+

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Knights 1-12

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Draw

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Roosters 1-12

    Votes: 4 25.0%
  • Roosters 13+

    Votes: 9 56.3%

  • Total voters
    16
  • Poll closed .
If we rush out and spend the cap money we have available this year. What then?

Ok, so the scenario is that there are some reserve graders waiting for their shot at firsts at other clubs held out by better established players. We can approach one or two of these with the following pitch.

Hey, how about you leave your club your at now, and come play for us for the rest of 2017. We can give you a run in firsts almost guaranteed, but only for 2017, come 2018 we are looking to try to sign much better talent than you so you will be out on your backside then. Heres the pen, sign here, just where it says sucker thanks!

Even if we tell them hey, you can play firsts and if by chance you really own that spot, we will extend you. We are still asking a player to leave their club mid season, to come play for a team almost guaranteed to get the spoon and hey, you could enjoy getting the spoon next year also!
 
So whose contracts do we front load? We have nobody of great interest to resign?

Gagai.

Sign him up for 600k per year 4 year deal renegotiating his 2017 contract. Keep him here till the end of 2020. Pay him 600k right now (on top of his existing 2017 contract) and then 400k per season for the next 3.
 
The bottom line is, our 2018 side will get paid something like 1/3rd to 1/2 more than our 2017 side, and if recruiting goes as it should, they will be well worth that much more.
 
You bet a corporate box we won't make the 8 next year. I've always thought your money is safe.

What I don't understand is why you're surprised they are only making slow progress.

And I could be wrong but I reckon if Brown did buy some more average players you would complain about us needing better players.

Also I'm sure they can use any unused cap space to front load contracts freeing up money next year. Not 100% but it seems reasonable to me.

Btw, love your passion

They can 100% front load players from this yr, i said the other day i'd be offering Gagai a new 600k deal for 3yrs and front load 300k of it this yr.

Buying more average players isnt ideal but atm what options do we have.... we need to getsome traction and runs on the board, imo Matt White is better then Starling.
Luke page is average but will take the hit ups flat out.
Terepo is a bit of a loose cannon but we are screaming for a mungral or 2 in the middle.

Those three can have a 2018 deal as well tbh..... paea, Mataora, Starling are all off contract and highly doubt they will be getting new deals

None are world beaters though imo they are viable options for us atm.

Im still banking on Graham for 2018 but that wont help us for the 18 games in 2017 we still need to play.
 
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Hadn't read it but with cap space available this year it makes sense. Not sure the Knights will actually do it though.
 
Hadn't read it but with cap space available this year it makes sense. Not sure the Knights will actually do it though.

Yeah id be front loading Barnett, Lamb, Gagai, mata bros, Sio, Wardle, the twins, most of the others are off contract this yr so will need to show they want to keep there jobs.

There is a limit that ur allowed to front or back load a contract now, not sure on the exact % of it though.
 
Elliot copped plenty of flack last year for being a plodder and rightly so. I give him plenty of credit for working hard to improve to the point where his position in the team is almost not questioned.
 
Elliot isn't the best fullback ever, but he is obviously bigger, faster and fitter than last year and I suspect he would be very good at centre or wing now. I think he's shown enough for us to sign him up for another year at least.
 
Was just wondering what people thought
Ponga isn't looking too sharp defensively
Hope you're enjoying tonight cowboyman
 
Brown left the door open a bit for Mamo.
He said he might come back in the future.
If he can get the errors out of his game over the next two seasons I wouldn't be surprized if we give him another chance.
 
Was just wondering what people thought
Ponga isn't looking too sharp defensively
Hope you're enjoying tonight cowboyman

Oh thats cruel. :)

On Ponga, the cows defence has been horrid, holes everywhere.

Hard to put this on Ponga. Though the last try I think it was where he was wrong footed I thought he could have done better.
 
Elliot copped plenty of flack last year for being a plodder and rightly so. I give him plenty of credit for working hard to improve to the point where his position in the team is almost not questioned.

He wasn't all bad either, he was quality in the air & a good finisher. His carries were just frail as a grandmother. Now that he's put on a couple kilos definitely worth a spot as a back-up player. It guts me that we lost Phythian for the season, he had all the traits to be a successful fullback, his kicking game would have been great to have now too.
 
Was just wondering what people thought
Ponga isn't looking too sharp defensively
Hope you're enjoying tonight cowboyman


Ive stated since we signed him that it will be yrs before we get value out of ponga, yes he can twinkle toe but 50% of his game is miles away from nrl standard.... he aint our knight in shining armor.... ole powers would be seething about now lol
 
The last post was aimed at Hodkinson.

This one is directly aimed at the Saifitis.

I'm calling it now, they don't have it and never will. I'm not buying the they will come good after 1 more off season. The rest of our pack are not meant to be massive metre gaining forwards. These two are.

No doubt these guys look at their stats each week, and each week they are just not there. Where is their intensity in attack? We are getting belted in the forwards each week, where is their pride?

They are young isn't an excuse. Thats an excuse for dropping the ball occasionally when hitting the line, or making some bad decisions in D. Youth is not an excuse in attack. Their role is to get the ball and power in to the line gaining as many metres as they can for the team. Most of the time they hit the line, no leg drive, straight to ground for one of the slowest play the balls I've ever seen.

I get we have to have something to place our hope in, but these boys just are not going to become the forwards we need.

The fact that Daniel looked really good in the first 2 rounds makes me confident he'll come good. Jacob also had his moments to start the year. They are obviously stuffed at the moment. We looked to march up the field with ease in those first rounds, against the Roosters we really struggled to even get into opposition half, while the Roosters played a lot of the game in our half. Our forwards seem to be getting worse each week that goes by. In a few weeks we might be able to call on King, Paea, Mataora, Pauli & the like so maybe we can rest the Saifitis. Starling & Stockwell on the other hand have no excuses.
 
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