2023 Recruitment & Retention Thread

We started reasonably well with our signings for next season, by getting Elliot and Hetherington and then we signed Gamble but since then nothing.

Assuming we keep Klemmer for next year, we now have 4 spaces available in our top 30 for next year. We are carrying Mann, Crossland and Johns in our squad and we need Clune and Fitzgibbon come good or we will be carrying 5 players who are not up to first grade standard.

We just have to hope for late signings.
 
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Lefty said:
We started reasonably well with our signings for next season, by getting Elliot and Hetherington and then we signed Gamble but since then nothing.

Assuming we keep Klemmer for next year, we now have 4 spaces available in our top 30 for next year. We are carrying Mann, Crossland and Johns in our squad and we need Clune and Fitzgibbon come good or we will be carrying 5 players who are not up to first grade standard.

We just have to hope for late signings.
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All those players you named are good squad players... We pick up a decent 7 and either a 1 or 6 (with 2 spots still to fill) and we're looking competitive.
 
frankLauda said:
Not to sure about this. None of the players ever know the game plan and look lost in both defence and attack. He took a fairly good roster and it's been slowly getting worse in his time at the knights. Players and coaching staff leaving. The Mitchell Peacse ****-up. Anyway we will know for sure mid next year weather he is a good coach or not.
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If we don't recruit a quality 7 and fill the other vacant roster spots with some quality we'll see more of the same next year... I don't care who the coach is, we'll be just as poor!
 
My prediction for Round 1:

1. Hodgson
6. Ponga
7. Brooks

Why do I get the feeling we'd thrown all our eggs in the Garrick basket? AOB is probably thinking that if we fail to sign a fullback he'll just put Mann or Hodgson back there for 23'. I don't think we see Ponga play fullback again.
 
Has anyone watch Hodgson closely in NSW cup? The few games he had? Is he FG standard? I feel like he could be like Tex Hoy. He was finally starting to find his feet in FG. With Hodgson we could be in for more if the same. He is not big is he?
 
From what see saw of him in reserve grade he looks like he could do a job in firsts, despite his age and size, his fundamentals are pretty strong. He could go alright while we wait for a long term solution. But he's also made of glass so not sure how well it'll work for the club
 
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Hodgson scored 0 tries, 0 line breaks and 0 try assists in his 5 games of reserve grade and 1 game of Flegg.
What he did do was average 150 metres run in about 20 runs per game and easily topped the tackle breaks. He was also surprisingly good at getting away offloads.
For a little guy he is very strong and very hard to tackle.
He has a Robbie O vibe about him - little guy who is always looking for work and battles well above his weight in tackles.
It's a bit of a worry that he's never threatened to score in any game yet though.
 
Billy said:
Hodgson scored 0 tries, 0 line breaks and 0 try assists in his 5 games of reserve grade and 1 game of Flegg.
What he did do was average 150 metres run in about 20 runs per game and easily topped the tackle breaks. He was also surprisingly good at getting away offloads.
For a little guy he is very strong and very hard to tackle.
He has a Robbie O vibe about him - little guy who is always looking for work and battles well above his weight in tackles.
It's a bit of a worry that he's never threatened to score in any game yet though.
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It's a worry that he has only played 6 games in 2 years.
He was the player the English supporters raved about and not Young.
I wouldn't mind a fullback that is safe and runs hard.
But it's a lot to expect from him after little game time.

What were his injuries?
Were they just freak one offs or are they things that will keep recurring?
 
We just can’t go into the season with Hodgson as our only backup fullback. The bloke needs to get some game time in reserves to get his body right. Thrusting him into first grade and ruining him is such a Newcastle thing.
 
krustykraz said:
What were his injuries?
Were they just freak one offs or are they things that will keep recurring?
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He arrived with a knee injury.
He did a fair bit of training before they decided to send him for surgery to repair it.
He missed half a season with that.
He broke a bone in his elbow and that took a very long time to heal and he broke it again after 1 game of Flegg and 33 minutes of reserve grade.
 
Oliver said:
We just can’t go into the season with Hodgson as our only backup fullback. The bloke needs to get some game time in reserves to get his body right. Thrusting him into first grade and ruining him is such a Newcastle thing.
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I agree 100%
It's just not looking like we will have anything else.
We were light on in the halves and fullback this year. And now have let Hoy and Cliff go with no confirmed replacements.
it is difficult supporting the Knights.

I guess Obi's excuse this year will be that he had Garrick signed untill the last minute.
 
jordan pereira Is in town likely just visiting clune/friends but interesting time to visit seeing as November 1 is two days from now, probably coincidental but just a thought.
 
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Davie Armstrong is the same age as Hodgson.
In his first 2 game of reserve grade he scored 2 tries, 1 try assist and 3 line breaks.
In fact, he scored a scorching try nearly the first time he touched the ball.
we never have heard what his injury is.

Davie Armstrong burns a defender to score in his reserve grade debut.
 
Krambach said:
Just watched eng vs Greece. Few thoughts are:
- we should be getting young and KPP practicing AFL style jump/catch and kicking bombs right all day.
- english recruits have been good so far. Wouldn't be surprised to see hodgeson make 1 his own next year if we don't sign Garrick.
- in the days of 'floating bombs' etc from the likes of Cleary, Burton, etc I reckon our long kicking game will be a weakness with brooks/ponga/Brailey.
- I reckon aob is ok. Probably not the best coach in the nrl but not the worst either.
- harder to justify pongas 1.1 million price tag at 5/8. Your luai and walkers of the world arnt on 1.1 mil. Out right side attack should be ok with brooks KPP gagai young. Ponga used to look awesome going left. Would be great to have a backrower in the kikau mold to get those plays going again.
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agreed we need to be getting Young catching bombs all off season, he looks horrible under bombs and drops alot.

I disagree with it being hard to justify Ponga at 5/8 for 1.1 million. I think we over paid for him, but we will get the best out of him at 5/8 as he currently plays like a 5/8.

Please don't let Fitz anywhere near the first grade side again. He is lazy, has poor handling and is slow
 
Billy said:
Hodgson scored 0 tries, 0 line breaks and 0 try assists in his 5 games of reserve grade and 1 game of Flegg.
What he did do was average 150 metres run in about 20 runs per game and easily topped the tackle breaks. He was also surprisingly good at getting away offloads.
For a little guy he is very strong and very hard to tackle.
He has a Robbie O vibe about him - little guy who is always looking for work and battles well above his weight in tackles.
It's a bit of a worry that he's never threatened to score in any game yet though.
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so would you say he's a bit like Edwards then?

Also the no threatening to score, would that be more to do with the poor side he was playing in, rather than him?
 
alexwilliams said:
Well, there goes that idea it seems..

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...g/news-story/0810140e3e6ba46d319fbd6c1afc7371

"Manly have landed a significant signing coup before the November 1 open market begins by locking in point scoring wizard Reuben Garrick to a long-term deal.
The Sunday Telegraph has learnt that Garrick has agreed to stay at Manly for the next five seasons with the 25-year-old committing to a four-year extension."
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Does anyone honestly think we will sign decent players?

We know the clubs a mess you think the players don't gossip?

Klemmer wants out, can't make the finals with a decent forward pack and KP...

Not exactly a paradise for league players
 
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