Dane Gagai Re-Signs with Knights until 2017

He's alway spoken so highly of the club, culture, past players and community every time he's interviewed. You can tell he absolutely loves being a Knight and is popular within the team. He's also probably going to start his rep career playing with us so it's a win all round. Definitely eases the hurt of Scott going 100000%
 
Billy said:
A young guy with his best in front of him over an old guy with his best, most likely, behind him is a good deal - but it doesn't help the balance of our side - we have way too many backs and need a few more forwards.
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If gidley retires/goes to ESL and mamo leaves our balance looks much better.
 
Junior11 said:
He's alway spoken so highly of the club, culture, past players and community every time he's interviewed. You can tell he absolutely loves being a Knight and is popular within the team. He's also probably going to start his rep career playing with us so it's a win all round. Definitely eases the hurt of Scott going 100000%
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Agreed 100%
 
That's great news... What's the chances of him moving to fullback by next year to make room for Sione. I really hate Sione coming off the bench.

*That was a rhetorical question lol... I know it won't happen :think:
 
He definitely seems like he's taken to Newcastle very well, even when it seemed like he was off to the Broncos. It's great to keep him but it probably means Sione will be fullback next year, while I don't think he's been bad there at all I'd rather him get a start off to his career in the centres & I doubt Gagai will be moved to fullback.

Gidley & Mamo are probably gone now.
 
Turning point for the club, I honestly think we are no longer the shunned ones! The fact our players go out of the way to say how much they love the place is clearly encouraging people to sign and those here to stay because of the vibe.
 
Absolutely ecstatic to be wrong about him being gone so happy to eat my words there.
But even better will be all the media sources who are also wrong haha

Don't know how they did it but kudos

However I think 2017 is when the tv deal expires?
So Broncos by then who knows they could probably offer him $1m with illegal third party deals Etc
 
R_A said:
Absolutely ecstatic to be wrong about him being gone so happy to eat my words there.
But even better will be all the media sources who are also wrong haha

Don't know how they did it but kudos

However I think 2017 is when the tv deal expires?
So Broncos by then who knows they could probably offer him $1m with illegal third party deals Etc
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Am I the only one who thinks this guy is ridiculously overrated? He 100% let's in more tries than he scores.. His defense 1 on 1 in my opinion is absolutely the worst in the nrl abd he gets pushed back when carrying the ball out if trouble... I wish I did but I don't see the fuss on him
 
What id like to see for next year...

1. Gagai
2. Mamo
3. Leilua
4. Matautai
5. Uate
6. Mullen
7. Hodgkinson/Cornish/Elgey
8. Snowden
9. Clydesdale
10. Sims
11. Rochow
12. Sims
13. Bird

14. Roberts/Levi
15. Rochow
16. Pauli Pauli
17. Stockwell

Reserve grade...

Ross
C. Mata
P. Mata
Pe. Mata
Birch
Tuimavave
Feeney
Vaivai
Levi/Redman
Mataora
Tapine
Fitzgibbon
Houston

Redman/ someone else
Yates
Finn
Taylor

and NYC boys to be very much in the mix Lamb, Cogger, Saifiti twins....
 
Gagai happy with Knights deal

Sat 11 Apr, 2015, 7:19am

By Joe Riordan, NRL.com

Following the Newcastle Knights' disappointing loss to the Sharks on Friday night Dane Gagai was immediately on the phone to his mother, letting her know that he had just finalised his deal to stay in Newcastle for a further two seasons.

It was a huge decision considering it means he will remain away from his family in Queensland for at least another two years.

"I love Newcastle and it was definitely the toughest decision I've had to make," Gagai told NRL.com.

"Everyone was talking about me going back to Brisbane and that definitely was an option for me especially with Wayne moving back there and being the head coach and me having a lot to do with him."

Gagai clearly has a deep respect for the master coach, who seems to have been a significant factor in his decision making process.

"He’s actually the one who got me to Newcastle," Gagai said.

"The support he's given me since my release from the Brisbane Broncos when Anthony Griffin let me go, Wayne took me under his wing and gave me a lot of guidance.

"I guess he showed a lot of belief in me to put me straight into the team in 2012 at Newcastle Knights, at centre, and he developed me into the player I am now.

"I do owe a lot to Wayne but I am basing this decision on what I wanted not what anyone else wanted.

"So I guess I got a bit selfish but it's just my future and I enjoy being in Newcastle, I enjoy being part of this team and I enjoy the town."

Gagai hails from Mackay in Queensland, where his family still live, moving to Brisbane would have brought him closer to them but instead he is now hoping to work out a way for them to live down in Newcastle.

"That's what I'm talking with them about now, hopefully Dad can get a job somewhere down here [in Newcastle] because I'm just trying to get the family down here. I'm trying to help my family out as much as I can."

The star Knights centre insists it wasn't a decision that he took lightly considering all the factors at play.

"This was obviously a very long process, I had to weigh in a lot of factors.

"I had to think about my family, going back to Queensland being a Queenslander I do miss it," he said.

"I spent a lot of nights with not much sleep thinking about what I was going to do and what was best for me and I think at the end of the day being in Newcastle is going to be the best decision for me.

"I'm enjoying it here and I feel like I'm playing good footy here."

Gagai's coach Rick Stone was happy about his club's resigning of their strike centre who is tipped for rep honours in the very near future.

"There's some good news absolutely, Dane's obviously a terrific young player he come down from Brisbane and has done a couple of years with the Knights now," Stone said.

"He's obviously cemented his life in Newcastle and wants to remain in Newcastle which is a good show of confidence for the club and the team and the network of coaches that we've got working a the Knights at the moment."

"We think that's a huge boost for us and really happy for Dane that he's sorted himself out and he can get on with playing some footy."

http://www.nrl.com/gagai-happy-with-knights-deal/tabid/10874/newsid/85275/default.aspx


 
Wow! This is a surprise, I had expected him to return to Brisbane.

Hopefully now he can focus on realizing his full potential.
 
Ethant1992 said:
Am I the only one who thinks this guy is ridiculously overrated? He 100% let's in more tries than he scores.. His defense 1 on 1 in my opinion is absolutely the worst in the nrl abd he gets pushed back when carrying the ball out if trouble... I wish I did but I don't see the fuss on him
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Having gone off the Sharks vs Knights match amongst others our bigger concern is Houston defensively. That try by Bird should not have happened (despite the slightly marginal forward pass).
People forget he was very raw when he came here at 20 or whatever it was so now that he has his future sorted and will be with the same coaching staff hopefully it means they'll work on those things defensively, Sandercock sounds like a smart man and I have faith in him.

Also playing alongside a fullback that commits to the task and defence like Gidley (unlike Boyd who just shied away from the challenge) will play its part.
 
rhugh89 said:
Gagai happy with Knights deal

Sat 11 Apr, 2015, 7:19am

By Joe Riordan, NRL.com

Following the Newcastle Knights' disappointing loss to the Sharks on Friday night Dane Gagai was immediately on the phone to his mother, letting her know that he had just finalised his deal to stay in Newcastle for a further two seasons.

It was a huge decision considering it means he will remain away from his family in Queensland for at least another two years.

"I love Newcastle and it was definitely the toughest decision I've had to make," Gagai told NRL.com.

"Everyone was talking about me going back to Brisbane and that definitely was an option for me especially with Wayne moving back there and being the head coach and me having a lot to do with him."

Gagai clearly has a deep respect for the master coach, who seems to have been a significant factor in his decision making process.

"He’s actually the one who got me to Newcastle," Gagai said.

"The support he's given me since my release from the Brisbane Broncos when Anthony Griffin let me go, Wayne took me under his wing and gave me a lot of guidance.

"I guess he showed a lot of belief in me to put me straight into the team in 2012 at Newcastle Knights, at centre, and he developed me into the player I am now.

"I do owe a lot to Wayne but I am basing this decision on what I wanted not what anyone else wanted.

"So I guess I got a bit selfish but it's just my future and I enjoy being in Newcastle, I enjoy being part of this team and I enjoy the town."

Gagai hails from Mackay in Queensland, where his family still live, moving to Brisbane would have brought him closer to them but instead he is now hoping to work out a way for them to live down in Newcastle.

"That's what I'm talking with them about now, hopefully Dad can get a job somewhere down here [in Newcastle] because I'm just trying to get the family down here. I'm trying to help my family out as much as I can."

The star Knights centre insists it wasn't a decision that he took lightly considering all the factors at play.

"This was obviously a very long process, I had to weigh in a lot of factors.

"I had to think about my family, going back to Queensland being a Queenslander I do miss it," he said.

"I spent a lot of nights with not much sleep thinking about what I was going to do and what was best for me and I think at the end of the day being in Newcastle is going to be the best decision for me.

"I'm enjoying it here and I feel like I'm playing good footy here."

Gagai's coach Rick Stone was happy about his club's resigning of their strike centre who is tipped for rep honours in the very near future.

"There's some good news absolutely, Dane's obviously a terrific young player he come down from Brisbane and has done a couple of years with the Knights now," Stone said.

"He's obviously cemented his life in Newcastle and wants to remain in Newcastle which is a good show of confidence for the club and the team and the network of coaches that we've got working a the Knights at the moment."

"We think that's a huge boost for us and really happy for Dane that he's sorted himself out and he can get on with playing some footy."

http://www.nrl.com/gagai-happy-with-knights-deal/tabid/10874/newsid/85275/default.aspx
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Reading this really makes you hate the Qld media like the Courier Mail. They really tried to make it sound to fans like he was gone and hated playing for the club or something. Clearly not the case. Just goes to show that you should always ignore the media and go with your gut. If you get the impression that a player really loves and thinks highly of the club then they probably do.

They had most fans thinking he was gone since mid last year.
 
They were basically just going off the Bennett connection and only that IMO, I knew Gaigai was professional enough not to leak anything before he wanted it announced.
So yes sucked in to the QLd for getting it wrong

Incoming Broncos fans going 'we dodged a bullet'
 
I really respect him now after all this had been sorted. He genuinely wants us to succeed and win a premiership here even though that's unlikely. He's passionate about the club, it's supporters and the fact that we gave him an opportunity almost 3 years ago. Other players need to learn off him.
 
I'm stoked to have him, just hope he can build on his first few rounds defensive efforts, it's his major issue
 
In the Herald they are saying 1.15 million for 2 years for Gagai, or 575k a season.
That's top dollar for a guy who hasn't played rep football.
I can't see other clubs offering him that much.
 
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