Recruitment And Retention Discussion

Cory Paix off contract, and apparently only on $300k...
I reckon he'd make more sense for us than Billy. As much as Billy has by now proven himself to be a real player of value, rather than the nepo baby bum he was perceived as, there is heavy heavy overlap in skill set between him & Phoenix. They are both hooker/lock/halves utilities whose best trait is their defence. Cory, while a bit inconsistent, is far more of a genuine #9. I have to assume at this stage the club just thinks Matt Arthur needs more time, and Cory is a better stopgap option for the role Matt is being groomed for than someone like Walters would be.
 
I reckon he'd make more sense for us than Billy. As much as Billy has by now proven himself to be a real player of value, rather than the nepo baby bum he was perceived as, there is heavy heavy overlap in skill set between him & Phoenix. They are both hooker/lock/halves utilities whose best trait is their defence. Cory, while a bit inconsistent, is far more of a genuine #9. I have to assume at this stage the club just thinks Matt Arthur needs more time, and Cory is a better stopgap option for the role Matt is being groomed for than someone like Walters would be.
If Paix is on $300k and we offered him the same, then we are paying him less than we are paying Matt Arthur who was reported to be on $350k per year. Still thinking he has been an emotionally invested signing with AOBs influence. Paix is a genuine 9 sure but how much longer should we be expecting Arthur to "keep developing" if we signed him with the intention to play him? Hes coming up to his second full year at cup and playing longer minutes there than our 9s in NRL and still not seeing the gun hooker?
My other concern is how many Top 30 spaces are still left available to take anyone on? (Forgive my ignorance on that one!)
We had Phoenix with the outlook of Matt as the 14 but now we entertained DaSilva, Mahoney and put Phoenix to Lock - Then we move Phoenix back to 9 last week. Pull the trigger AOB - get Arthur up there and see what hes like week in week out, If Brailey not at the club next year then drop him back to a 14 in cup for the remainder of the season and develop who we think is next in line.
 
If Paix is on $300k and we offered him the same, then we are paying him less than we are paying Matt Arthur who was reported to be on $350k per year. Still thinking he has been an emotionally invested signing with AOBs influence. Paix is a genuine 9 sure but how much longer should we be expecting Arthur to "keep developing" if we signed him with the intention to play him? Hes coming up to his second full year at cup and playing longer minutes there than our 9s in NRL and still not seeing the gun hooker?
My other concern is how many Top 30 spaces are still left available to take anyone on? (Forgive my ignorance on that one!)
We had Phoenix with the outlook of Matt as the 14 but now we entertained DaSilva, Mahoney and put Phoenix to Lock - Then we move Phoenix back to 9 last week. Pull the trigger AOB - get Arthur up there and see what hes like week in week out, If Brailey not at the club next year then drop him back to a 14 in cup for the remainder of the season and develop who we think is next in line.
I'd just urge a bit of patience re: Arthur. He's still only 20. Api Koroisau, who'd be my physical stature/playing style comp for Arthur, was 21 when he was the backup hooker to Isaac Luke at Souths. Ended up playing in a grand final a month before his 22nd birthday, and if you watch that game back he's subbed off with Keary moving to 9 and Sutton to 6, which points to him still being a developing player. Then he got signed with Penrith for his age 22 season in 2015 and ended up getting dropped and replaced with a mixture of Peter Wallace and James Segeyaro from memory, and got an early release to go to Manly.

He's a little guy with a cerebral/subtle play style, these guys need a lot of time. Blayke Brailey who in my head is still very young only got a full time starting gig when he was 21, and for like his first 3 seasons at least Sharks fans were REALLY unhappy with him. Jeremy Marshall-King was regarded as **** till he was about 26 lol. Wayde Egan too only really came good in his mid 20's. Now these would be regarded as three of the better hookers at manipulating the ruck & getting their teams rolling.
 
That (because there's evidence for it), I believe. And if that's POS's long-term plan, and I'm sure Parr is in on this, then there's no point pulling the pin early on AOB.
 
I’ve heard from someone close to the club that pos is only bringing in guys on one year deals to fill the top 30 and is going to go hard November 1 to get guys for 27. He will move guys out of the top 30 to bring the 27 guys in early.

He has about 3m to spend on 27
Certainly what it seems like.

Once both Pahulu and Latu said no his next signings have been Crouch and Saulo, who'd both cost very little. I think there's a pretty good chance a fair bit of Ponga and Brown salary will be front-loaded into 2026 to clear extra space from 2027.

Only trouble is there's another team coming in with a totally clear cap to compete with us for every signing.
 
I’ve heard from someone close to the club that pos is only bringing in guys on one year deals to fill the top 30 and is going to go hard November 1 to get guys for 27. He will move guys out of the top 30 to bring the 27 guys in early.

He has about 3m to spend on 27
That’s when two new clubs come in, going to be very hard to compete in the market by then
 
I’ve heard from someone close to the club that pos is only bringing in guys on one year deals to fill the top 30 and is going to go hard November 1 to get guys for 27. He will move guys out of the top 30 to bring the 27 guys in early.

He has about 3m to spend on 27

I heard something similar but that is only if Ponga requests to leave a year early, then we would have a decent amount of salary cap space to work with for 2027.
 
I don't believe that at all.
If it's not a $1m it's dam close. Sullivan's deal @ $280,000 per season similar experience (but 2 years older) to Finau Latu who was offered $450,000 and knocked it back. It's a disgrace and surely damages the culture if POS and Parr expect an absolute club legend like Gags to accept the same $280,000 salary. Don't be fooled they all know pretty much what each other earns....
 
Sounds made up to suit a narrative. Don't believe that POS is passing on outbidding Gus for Leo or the Tigers for KPP and no one for Hastings while paying well overs for blokes who haven't made FG and are projects for 27 or beyond.
It most certainly will suit a narrative, particularly if Annan, Sullivan and Arthur aren't up to FG? Jury is still out.... The club chasing TDS was interesting...
 
The figures quoted for Annan, Sullivan & Arthur are not officially posted anywhere; they're made.

We didn't sign Latu, although according to Weilder, he knocked back $1.2 to stay at the Dragons to go to the Dogs.

So $450k would be about market price.

Gags is reportedly asking $400k for next season, and club legend or not, the club is well within its rights to play hardball given he won't likely be a part of a future Premiership.

Reported by Barry Toohey that the Knights made enquiries about TDS, but he was never leaving Sydney, where he still lives at home. Successful clubs need more than one hooker.
 
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