2026 Recruitment And Retention

And? Who cares where players come from if they're good.

The knights can't sign rep players so when they develop some it's a big issue if they want to up and leave at the first opportunity.


Lol. a) he wasn't playing halfback cogger was and b) having a 5/8 being asked to do nothing but tackle isn't a recipe for success.

Them not being our juniors was exactly my point... we brought them to Newcastle.

The Knights have signed more rep players than they've lost in recent years.
 
Them not being our juniors was exactly my point... we brought them to Newcastle.

The Knights have signed more rep players than they've lost in recent years.
If knights continue what they are doing in past - I’d say year and a half with establishing their junior base to have currently, on our books top 30 wise a huge majority of local juniors. Some who will definitely make debuts this year. Development players who become top 30 in next two years and train and Trialist who are ONLY local juniors and have been given 12months full time contacts by the club so they don’t have to work and train, they can just focus on being football players.

That’s quite impressive. Adam Blair has only just started this week so this is only the beginning of what will be built long term. We won’t need to sign international players.

We’ll already have them!
 
If knights continue what they are doing in past - I’d say year and a half with establishing their junior base to have currently, on our books top 30 wise a huge majority of local juniors. Some who will definitely make debuts this year. Development players who become top 30 in next two years and train and Trialist who are ONLY local juniors and have been given 12months full time contacts by the club so they don’t have to work and train, they can just focus on being football players.

That’s quite impressive. Adam Blair has only just started this week so this is only the beginning of what will be built long term. We won’t need to sign international players.

We’ll already have them!
Half of that makes sense... I agree, we must be a club that develops our own rep players, and we're doing a reasonable job there.

If we were really serious though we'd do what Gus did at the Panthers and is now doing at the Bulldogs.
 
Half of that makes sense... I agree, we must be a club that develops our own rep players, and we're doing a reasonable job there.

If we were really serious though we'd do what Gus did at the Panthers and is now doing at the Bulldogs.
What’s that? Pay overs for Panther players??

Mostly kidding but we have some great moves currently, can’t copy people because you’ll always remain behind the eight ball. Think knights have always known what they should be doing. Just never had the financial backing to do it l, now they have the money and the facilities to brings kids up, including the living facilities.

Im probably more keen on what they are doing as I’ve been watching closely for a few years now, I’m very excited to where it’s all heading.
 
He's not. Wishart is first drop for either 6 or 7.

Pezet clearly doesn't think he's good enough to thrive in Newcastle. Thats what I take from his decision.

His ultimatum goes like this: I'll play in reserves until Hughes re-signs, then continue to play in reserves or go looking for another club who can't offer me what Newcastle was offering.

What a cuck. Bro doesn't realise in a couple seasons time he'll be 24 with next to no experience after Hughes re-signs on October 31st 2026.

No doubt Pezet thinks he'll be playing elsewhere on loan in 2025. And he may well get a gig somewhere but it won't be a walk up start with your own game strategy built for you. Will be an even greater challenge to succeed. What a young fool. His advisors need their heads checked. He just left $2.5m on the table
Anastasia does manage him after all, so no surprise now.
 
What’s that? Pay overs for Panther players??

Mostly kidding but we have some great moves currently, can’t copy people because you’ll always remain behind the eight ball. Think knights have always known what they should be doing. Just never had the financial backing to do it l, now they have the money and the facilities to brings kids up, including the living facilities.

Im probably more keen on what they are doing as I’ve been watching closely for a few years now, I’m very excited to where it’s all heading.
We can learn a couple of things from them, example, I like their idea of a bus picking the junior teams up after school and bringing them to training, but they're tutored for an hour to ensure their across their school work, and then they train (all done as a squad).
 
It looks like we’re gonna have to rely on juniors to turn us into a good side. Based on the last 15 or so years it sounds pretty grim but I think this current batch might be a class above. Hopefully the investment we’ve had in them will pay dividends.
I’m optimistic about this new batch of juniors. We just need to develop some quality halves and then have patience with them until they mature.
 
What’s that? Pay overs for Panther players??

Mostly kidding but we have some great moves currently, can’t copy people because you’ll always remain behind the eight ball. Think knights have always known what they should be doing. Just never had the financial backing to do it l, now they have the money and the facilities to brings kids up, including the living facilities.

Im probably more keen on what they are doing as I’ve been watching closely for a few years now, I’m very excited to where it’s all heading.
100%
 
I still think Liam Sutton is worth developing, did well against the men in reggies last year, got better as the season went on. Biggest boot in the club. Is he too old for flegg now?
 
Hopefully a Sutton/Linnane turn out as solid first graders in a few years… that’s if they don’t jump ship.
 
Hopefully a Sutton/Linnane turn out as solid first graders in a few years… that’s if they don’t jump ship.

And that's the thing. You spend years trying to develop a half, one comes on the scene and the Roosters, Melbourne or a Sydney club poaches them.

NRL has to do something to fix this stuff, cap concessions for juniors, he'll at this point I'd even support a draft.

The problem though, is the NRL cares about revenue and fanbase, that's it. How fair the competition is, is irrelevant. Salary cap is a joke. No interest on properly enforcing it.
 
Unfortunately Sutton unlikely to get much of a run in halves with us still with Hastings, Cogger, Likely playing 1sts and Cup especially if Hastings is picked at 7 in 1sts means Cogger would likely be in Cup.
Best outcome is Cogger in 1sts with Hastings at Lock in Cup meaning we could play Sutton 7 in Cup giving him a chance to further develop.
Hopefully Crosslands is selected to play 9 or 14 depending on Brailey being fit and playing well
 
It does feel like the top three of the Panthers, Storm and Roosters are totally impenetrable atm. Very difficult to recruit for other clubs if any of them come in with an offer. (Ok, Penrith aren't as into recruiting ... will be interesting to see if that changes as they lose more players).
 
It does feel like the top three of the Panthers, Storm and Roosters are totally impenetrable atm. Very difficult to recruit for other clubs if any of them come in with an offer. (Ok, Penrith aren't as into recruiting ... will be interesting to see if that changes as they lose more players).
The Panthers did just take one of the wooden spooners best players off them in Papali'i.
 
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