Dane Gagai discussion

I've bitten my tongue all year but can't anymore. I felt ill for days after Gags signed a THREE YEAR deal with us. The nightmares hadn't even subsided from the first time he was here. But, there was a lot of positivity on here about his return and I comforted myself with fact that he was more mature and had done alright at Souths. Now I can say it, the guy a defensive liability that no amount of attacking flair can overcome. He makes some great reads coming from the outside in and actually hits pretty hard. But once his man gets slightly outside him, he is little chance of making the tackle. The Souths coaches didn't just wear it week in week out, they tinkered until they found an answer. Obi, right centre ain't it. PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE take my pain away and make sure, if this pretender is even here next year, that he is left wing or no where.
 
I thought we were buying him as a winger.
We should know he isn't a great defender.
He showed us that for years.
In a side where others can look after him in defence, he goes good.
Even as a winger, we'd need to have a centre beside him who could help him out in defence.
 
My surprise came from what we have in the pathways. We had so many options for right centre at the start of the year with so much potential. Even if you were concerned that none of them were quite ready this year, clogging up that pathway for three years with a guy that has such obvious defensive issues on decent money didn't make sense to me.
 
It's a really hard position to defend in. Maybe the hardest. Even the best defenders in that spot like Campbell Graham and Joey Manu have had moments they'd want back. Tom Trbjoevic got cooked in Origin by Kurt Capewell of all people playing there. So I guess they thought they needed someone experienced.

But it's been clear for months now that Dane is hopelessly at sea. Bigger players run through him, smaller ones absolutely cook him.

Why was Hymel Hunt never considered to play in that spot?

You got me mate. I don't know.

Mapapalangi has played right centre all year in NSW Cup but he's looked like our answer to players like Farnworth and Tago in his two games at left centre & he looks like he can fix the problems we've had playing Best there so I don't wanna move him.
 
Yeah Gagai had a shocker, but the half and edge backrower on his side don't make life any easier, same can be said for the opposite edge.
 
Frizell is secretly the other big problem with that side, he gets away with it because sometimes he puts a shot on. But he's **** at the 1%ers and clearly just doesn't talk. The right edge defended a lot better with Guerra and Pearce there, even with a spud at centre. Incomparably better.

On the left, Clune clearly a huge liability but there's no way around that. I think Brodie tries harder than Friz at the 1%ers and Mapapalangi - a 19 year old rookie - has embarrassed some of the blokes around him with his effort and commitment.
 
Agree, the whole side doesn't talk in defence, could even argue when Ponga is in the side he's not directing the defensive line like other good fullbacks, as for the 1%'s not in this club's DNA
 
Just want to say, how good is Dave going these days? Has just become the consummate professional for us, if I had to pick a Knight to play for my life it’d probably be him.

Searching for this thread and reading it and another one I found, he took a lot of brickbats when he first came back in 2022. Good on him for turning it around so comprehensively.
 
Gags will be 34 next year, offer him $400k if he wants more than that, than Lucas starts slimming down and back to Centre for mine. $600k @ $300k a year if he wants 2 years.
 
I was one that had nightmares about his return. 2022 was a bit shaky at times. He's been excellent since the start of 23 though. He was given much better service at the start of last year, service not so good this year, which isn't his fault but he has run the ball like a monster. His defence has been top notch too in a much improved defensive system.
 
Mad not to ext him by one year with option for 2, he has been very strong, doesn’t shirk the work, he’s still going strong at full time
 
I was worried about his defence when he was resigned but he has proved me wrong.

Gags has now played 176 first grade games for us and a total of 274 premiership games now.

We should definitely make him a reasonable offer.
 
Always thought he was overpaid for us the first time around.
Very annoyed that he went well for Souths - better than he did here.
Didn't want him back.
He has proved me very wrong by being in career best form for moderate money.
They don't do incentive based contracts now, but I'd be happy if he got a base salary and extra for every firstgrade game - that would be fair to us and to him.
 
I think he always wanted to come back here to finish his career off. Always talked highly of the place and his family was living here at least while he was still at Souths. Just happens some of his best years have come towards the end so it'll be interesting to see if the open market tempts him to go for one last big paycheck or if he's content to wind down here.
 
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