Recruitment And Retention Discussion

KriKri said:
Sydney Morning Herald reporting that Josiah Pahulu was offered up by the Storm for Lomax. Given he hasn't played a game for the Storm, and they're looking to offload him already he really can't have impressed in his time there. Looks like we may have dodged a bullet.
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They did the same thing with Howarth, must be an attitude thing
 
Yeah they've been trying to punt Howarth for ages weirdly. I don't feel like I've ever seen anything from him on the field which makes me think "doesn't care, doesn't try". He does make errors and bad reads and all that but he's honestly still quite early in his career. He rolls up his sleeves in yardage and all that from what I've seen.

I've always found it interesting that Craig absolutely will bend the rules re: weekend warriors/guys who don't take care of themselves specifically for Cameron Munster but that's it.

I wonder if there's more to it with Pahulu, he had concussion issues at the Titans.
 
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The Mole is reporting on Facebook that we've signed a young halfback from Sunshine Coast Falcons - Koby Brown
 
Trying to sign Jesse Colquhoun indicates that POS thinks we need another forward, but I reckon it will continue to be guys in that Jesse/Trey mold. Young, first grade experience, but not an apex predator for the team they’re already at. But with the capacity to grow into a key man at their new team. Hungry. Keep an eye out for guys like that becoming available. $500Kish rather than the $8-900K Barney is getting offered. POS will be in then.
 
The Wahs are also asking for every club’s best young player in exchange for Barney. They asked Brisbane for Antonio Verhoeven who’s probably a better prospect than Kingston Seve. I’d imagine they asked us for Seve or Cody. It’s a non starter in either case.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
The Wahs are also asking for every club’s best young player in exchange for Barney. They asked Brisbane for Antonio Verhoeven who’s probably a better prospect than Kingston Seve. I’d imagine they asked us for Seve or Cody. It’s a non starter in either case.
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They can have: Brodie Jones, Tom Cant, James Schiller, Wil Sullivan, and Peter Hola 😂
 
As many have stated, and as we know POS is still chasing we are in desperate need of an NRL standard middle. With Wil Sullivan having head knock issues and medical retirement looming large, is there an up and coming NRL middle that has NRL experience that can help with our depth issue...
 
Junior said:
As many have stated, and as we know POS is still chasing we are in desperate need of an NRL standard middle. With Wil Sullivan having head knock issues and medical retirement looming large, is there an up and coming NRL middle that has NRL experience that can help with our depth issue...
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My stance on it, as an idiot who doesn’t have that much imagination:

- We have three key players off contract: Friz, Greg, Dane.
- If Friz was keen to go around again I would actually look to prioritise him, of the three. He’s the ultimate professional and I don’t see any signs that he’s about to lose his ability to give you 30/40 good bench minutes. Would see if $350K would get another year out of him.
- I’d also be keen to give Dane another year if he wants to keep playing, again if he’ll do so for a pretty cheap salary, and on the understanding where he plays depends on the other guys who come through.
- Greg I feel like is going to become expensive and I’m a believer in, you have to get good at replacing outside backs internally to be a good club. So I’d actually sadly let him go unless a great deal could be struck.

Then with Greg’s salary that’s where I’d be trying to swing a deal for a less expensive experienced middle like a Braden Uele (not him specifically, someone who plays a role like that). Hopefully by the end of 2027 our young guys are ready to take on bigger roles and Friz can ride off into the sunset and go be a professional body sculptor or something.

If Friz did want to retire though that’s where things kind of get tricky and it changes my thinking a lot, I’m maybe in this case just kind of saying stuff it and looking for a middle who could potentially be very impactful. Ata Mariota for like $550K per season, so about what Mooney’s on, would be the dream signing but not sure how realistic, he’d probably cost more. Then out of the three guys listed above I’d hope to keep one out of Dane and Greg but I don’t know if it would be possible.
 
Tuku Hau Tapuha (Shark)
He is 24 so still can improve, big body at 6’5 and around 114kg (take that with a pinch of salt as it’s from wiki) granted he has less than 20 nrl games so you aren’t getting experience but if Frizz stays that helps. He would add power off the bench more than Croker or Jones, could get him for cheapish as well.

Francis Molo (Dolphins)
If you want experience here he is, a hard running prop with solid defence last year he was averaging 120 metres a game at a 94% tackle efficiency, some have a problem with him for what I believe to be… let’s leave it at that, but the fact is he is exactly that mold of experience whilst still providing something of the bench.

Jaimin Jolliffe (Titans)
Has slightly over 100 nrl games at the age of 29, he averaged 99 metres a game last year and like Molo has the experience to be able to help the young guys coming in whilst still being able to come into the side on the bench he also has over 94% tackle efficiency

Ata Moriota (Raiders)
Probably everyone’s favourite, has over 60 nrl games of experience and can slot right into the bench and even take over from JSAF in the near future as a starter, has that aggressive line bending mixed in with solid defence. Next to impossible to get him so whilst it’s the favourite I personally believe it’s a pipe dream.

Fanafou Seve (Cowboys)
If we are looking for young but could almost debut this year than I like the look of Seve, tall at around 6’6 and heavy as well, mobile but strong, really stood out in the u19s blues two years ago, having him and Hopwood in the future could be great an currently only signed a one year deal with the cows.

All these one are either off contract, reported off contract for 2026, and can talk to clubs

(Some might already have signed new or other contracts I didn’t do a lot of hard in depth searches as I don’t have the time)
 
Good areas KPG.

Jolliffe is an interesting one, wonder if his relationship with Holbrook is good. I think he's coming off a torn ACL but maybe that would make him cheap. But yeah definitely that sort of deeply boring & unfashionable guy who's really just adding depth and then can start for you sometimes if there are injuries without your season being derailed, that would be very handy.
 
I think, at least statistically, Jolliffe is one of the more underrated players in the comp. I thought Titans had locked him up with another deal but it may have just been conjecture at the time which his agent has buried now that he's injured. Would be keen to see him at the Knights.

Looking at the other players off contract, it looks to be a bit slim pickings. Siua Wong, Charlie Guymer, Billy Burns maybe?
Daily telegraph reporting that we could get Oregon Kafusi, simply because he's been named off the bench this week...
All in all, none of these names seem as exciting or as a better fit as the ones above.

In my opinion we probably need more of a bigger body metre eater than a hardworking toiler. Saulo, Croker etc seem to fit that bill.
 
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