2025 Recruitment And Retention

I’m really sad Leo’s leaving but even I’m a bit shocked reading opposition forums about how keen everyone is to get him even for 850-900k. People talking like he’s a AFB level talent. Not sure how this narrative formed. Media spin or drought of talent?
 
I thought Dom Young started the season well for the Chooks but ended pretty ordinary. There seemed to be a lot of sideways running, and I could have fallen over the line for half the tries Sam Walker served up to him on a platter.

Nothing against Pezet but he's still unproven and as far as I'm concerned hasn't got the bottle for the challenge. Fancy passing on $2.5m and putting your NRL career on hold for 1 or potentially 2 years and in the hands of another player with his career decisions? And this coming off an ACL. They're all just one ugly tackle away from unemployment but he's willing to waste more time being the best kid in the reggies??..it beggars belief and a hard pass for mine.... The Knights dodged a bullet there if that's his logic.

I like Leo, I think he has a lot of potential but did he crack 100m a game last season? I don't know that he did. Unless they get him to Fish or Tapine status he's getting well over.
 
Replacing Leo:

Josiah Pahulu at the Titans would have been my first choice, but apparently the Dogs already got him.

Oregon Kaufusi (25) at Cronulla is on a reported $400K per season, roughly. Not elite, but a proven starter, very consistent, rarely injured, and likely not yet in his prime. There’s a bit of a salary crunch at Cronulla now so there’s a decent chance you could get him for around what he’s on now.

Josh King’s (29) salary with the Storm is worth around $350K per season, allegedly. I think he’s actually worth more than that now, but he’s got that stink of being a guy who used to suck on him so he’ll probably never be expensive.

With Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliott off contract & some uncertainty about both of their futures, I wouldn’t hate it if the Knights picked up both King and Kaufusi. I have high hopes for guys like Hopwood and Su’a, but you need experience to support those guys, sitting on your hands and saying “we’ll be fine, these kids are going to be great” is a recipe for disaster.

We’d then have a middle rotation of J Saf, Kaufusi, King, Hopwood signed for 2026, with some but not all of Brodie, Croker, Su’a, Tyrone Thompson, Elliott and Hetherington potentially added to that.
 
Good Times said:
POS has his work cut out for him. Bit different to recruiting for the Phins where players had the allure of playing under mastercoach Bennett. Here we have AOB. A decent but not great coach to this point. How he sells a vision for this club for marquee players will be interesting.
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We'd be relying on KP, and Knights legends for a large part of the appeal, I am sure sitting down for Dinner with a table of Parr, Obi, Pong, Joey and Bedsy would be a pretty good sell.
 
I think he's done his time and rehabilitated himself. He was also good for Manly last season. Only squeezed out due to the salary cap.

I'm not all in on the guy. I just think the Knights are going to have to be creative (as well as get very good at development and scouting) to get around this problem of keeping/attracting star players to the club.
 
Lodge isn't even good. That's the part that always gets me. On top of him being a bit of a cancer who wears out his welcome quickly at clubs.

I understand why people can hold their nose re: Addin-Fonua Blake's past, but Lodge is just a slug out there. Absolute turnstile.

Just remembered that Lodge is P.O.S's son in law so I wouldn't rule out that it happens, but I'll be pretty filthy. Especially if we punt Leo to get him - yes, it sucks Leo is leaving, but this doesn't change the fact that he's a rep calibre prop who'll play for us during the last season of his career where he's still on a cheap contract. Let's just enjoy that while it lasts.

There is no reason at all to move Leo early unless someone makes it worth our while.
 
Grandpa Joe - Prev Lord said:
He did what he did, Leo will be odds on to go in 2025 early, do we won't some of our kids getting beaten up a year early and get broken AKA Dan?

I'd be comfortable with Lodge on a $600k deal for 2 years, he could be the stick for the other guys to jump over to get into firsts and as Seano said his been a cleanskin for years.
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I really don't think Leo will go early. I don't think we are that club any more, it's generally for clubs trying to sort out their cap. It gives us a year to sort out a replacement.
 
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