2022 Knights Recruitment & Retention Thread

Luke Brooks could be ok.
He might play well behind a better forward pack.

As long as Tigers pay half his wage and it's not a long deal.
I'd play Clifford at 7 and give him control.


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Knights eye shock star to replace Pearce; Manly’s big DCE move: Transfer Whispers

Knights eye shock star to replace Pearce; Manly’s big DCE move: Transfer Whispers
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Whatever the decision, it would be nice if it gets sorted before pre-season.
Media speculation wouldn't be good for the team.
Hopefully they get a good offseason in without many injuries.
 
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Brookes looks like a half, appears to have all the tools, but has been garbage for a while now. I’m optimistic, but he appears way too timid. Perhaps he’s just a shell playing for the tigers all these years, he has been part of the problem but man those tigers rosters are really bad
 
krustykraz said:
Clune and Brooks are the same age.
There's a reason Clune has only played 25 games.

Brooks actually gets a decent amount of Try assists and repeat sets.

Brooks isn't ideal but he's better than what's available.
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There is a reason Clune hasn't played at a high level much - it's called a double degree in law and finance.
I think a really strong pre season as first choice half would make a massive difference to a guy who has always played part time footy.

And Brooks seems like a guy who goes OK till he needs to ice a game, and then he goes missing, while the little I've seen of Clune, he steps up when needed.
 
I’d be ok with Brooks if he came at a heavily discounted price. He could well hit a purple patch with a new club and new outlook, especially if he was told Jake runs the show… no pressure then.
I’d also like to see how Crossland goes with a bit of time, I’m not sure why so many people are off him
 
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Is the plan for the 2023 spine not Bailey, KP, Cliff and Brailey?

If that is the plan, I can't see why we would commit decent money to another half. Move KP to 5/8 now and find a FB. If that (KP) doesn't work, move him back and make the best out of Crossland, Clune etc until Hodgson is ready. Spend the money on a strike back rower.
 
If Pearce goes and we buy no one then it’s Brailey at 1, totally unproven, young, inexperienced in NRL, needs time, game time, Ponga at 6 another positional change with no guarantees he will work/fit a 6 needs to tackle at least a bit, Clifford at 7, has been very good at 6, we want him to control game now that Pearce is gone but will that happen with Captain Ponga at 6 probably calling the shots. Is 2022 gone or do Hodgson and Ponga fire and Clifford calls the shots, thank goodness we have Mann able to play 1-6 and 13 and a coach favourite.
Whats that creek without the paddle?
 
Battler said:
Is the plan for the 2023 spine not Bailey, KP, Cliff and Brailey?

If that is the plan, I can't see why we would commit decent money to another half. Move KP to 5/8 now and find a FB. If that (KP) doesn't work, move him back and make the best out of Crossland, Clune etc until Hodgson is ready. Spend the money on a strike back rower.
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I don't think that plan has ever been stated by anyone at the club. It's just either wishful thinking or putting two & two together. We really have no idea if they're thinking about Ponga's positional future at all. The plan may well be Clifford & someone else in the halves. I hope not but until we hear something from the horse's mouth, it's all just speculation.
 
Even if we can’t get a another halfback we are happy with to replace Pearce, I would let him go because he thinks his body is not up to another year of NRL and when we needed him to perform in the playoffs this year, he didn’t. We have the 3 C’s, Clifford, Crossland and Clune and McKenzie Baker. It would be an opportunity for them to step up and as many others on here have stated, we could buy ourselves a good back rower.
 
Yeah many of us have said that with his playing style his decline was likely to be rapid, and boy he looked to be struggling physically out there in the increased intensity of finals. Good on him for having some self-awareness.

Reading between the lines re: the players the Knights have pursued towards the end of the year, I reckon there’s maybe $4-700K unallocated cap space for next year, and Mitch Pearce leaving frees up an extra $6-700K. So the money is definitely there for Brooks.

I don’t see a huge downside tbh. Brooks is an experienced #7 who was talked about by many as a possible Blue only two years ago. He’ll have a point to prove and he’s about to hit what should be his prime. If he comes up and kills it, we’ve got ourselves two very good halves, a very good 9 and an elite fullback, all aged within about three years of each other - teams go decades without having that.

It maybe creates an awkward situation with young Hodgson, but what’s the worst case scenario, we have a year like Penrith just had where we have literally too many good players to fit into our first 17? Oh no. If Hodgson is absolutely braining reserve grade and deserves a shot somewhere, but we don’t want to change a winning formula, you player swap him for another good forward or outside back or something.

If Brooks comes up and disappoints, from all reports the club had a succession plan for when Pearce leaves anyway.

I think he’d actually fit in really well with Brailey, Clifford and Ponga. He’s a strong runner, backs up well, and I think as a passer he has more guile now than Pearce ever had. He’s just not a great game manager, and his kicking is very inconsistent, but we’ve got a guy who’s good at that stuff. I think we’d have a complimentary halves pairing and they’re both guys who like to focus on what they’re good at.
 
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