Grandpa Joe - Prev Lord
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Amazing how 1 player will potentially result in millions worth of talent moving on.
Yeh pretty sure he was just trying really hard to be released.. He knows what we're offering and isn't happy with what the Sharks are giving him.
With how poorly Maloney ended the season (post Origin), I'd lean towards giving Carney a look on a much more moderate deal than agreeing to pay Maloney $1M.
I'm a big Maloney fan, but he ended the year playing so bad that it soured me on him. He was already ill disciplined and a poor defender, but he ended the year on a whole new low. He was targeted in defence and was a legitimate weakness out there leaking tries and line breaks. He was his usual penalty prone self and his kicking game and attack really dropped off. The way he ended the year, I wouldn't pay him anywhere close to $1M. You don't pay that for a player who's a liability defensively and extremely ill disciplined. Maybe it's the whole contract dispute and him being unhappy there, or maybe there really is something to the NSW Blues camp killing players (see Fifita). Either way, I'd rather be in on the Moylan sweepstakes or give Carney a look. Would be a lifeline contract for a smidge of the price and he'd have something to prove.
Not that I particularly think we need a half. Lamb should be a shoe in for the 7 jersey next year and by all reports, Watson has all but been handed the 6 jersey. IF we could land another quality half, I'd look to pair them with Lamb and have Watson starting hooker with Levi off the bench. You almost have to start Watson with him agreeing to jump ship next season and if not at five-eighth, it would have to be hooker with Ponga manning the 1 jersey. Watson and Levi at hooker would be a nice rotation, but one if not both those guys would probably be unhappy with only playing half a game (give or take). Watson would be spewing IMO, so likely not worth the headache unless the player is too good to turn away. Definitely Cronk, maybe Moylan – both of whom have next to no chance of coming to Newcastle anyway.
Can anyone imagine Carney once he retires from Footy with nothing to do........ Bloke will be Ben Cousins like.
Yeh pretty sure he was just trying really hard to be released.. He knows what we're offering and isn't happy with what the Sharks are giving him.
Now if you ask me whether Maloney is worth more than $600K , given his experience and influence on a game ( positive or Negative ) I say yes , with stipulations and KPIs attached eg; less missed tackles , less penalties , more line breaks , more try assists , more repeat sets from kicks.
Now that seems like a better business decision, based on Performance - Win, Win.
Or if Lamb is killing it NSW Cup he could push Watson to fullback and Ponga to the wing or Watson to the bench.
Just food for thought. Ponga and Watson will definitely start in the 1 and 6, no guarantees they stay there if their form isn't up to snuff.I am giving you the Patrick bateman look from your profile pic reading this.
For mine if that scenario played out, Maloney 6 and Watson 7. Lamb would get reasonable NRL time as a backup and would learn a lot from Maloney.
Barge arse, I think you miss the point - if you have a successful key player why would you offer someone more $ to play the same position, doesn't really instill faith in your current roster.To the poster above who scoffed at Sharks offering Cronk $1M but not budging on Maloney's contract, I don't blame them. Cronk's easily worth $1M with everything he brings to the table. He makes everyone around him better. One of his greatest traits is his professionalism too, something Maloney should come under fire for if I'm to believe the posters who think he threw in the towel because of a contract dispute. I think he may have been unhappy, but I don't think that's remotely the case. Either way, with all of this contract speculation, it's a poor look for him. For the record, I love Maloney and thought he was arguably the best five-eighth at the beginning of the season, but with his form slump post Origin which stretched through to the finals, he doesn't deserve anywhere close to $1M
Barge arse, I think you miss the point - if you have a successful key player why would you offer someone more $ to play the same position, doesn't really instill faith in your current roster.
If you have CAP money to throw around priority would normally be to shore up existing positions.
Professionalism does not necessarily equate to a bonus if the rest of the Roster doesn't buy in , stick with what works. The environment that Cooper comes from he has been apart of developing for a decade, will he be an instant success in a new environment and culture?
If you think for a minute that a footballers commitment or performances aren't subconsieciously effected during contract negotiations you don't know many footballers.