Let's be honest its time for our team for 2021!

I'm not against signing him. Bit of a slow developer but looking good this year

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1 Kayln Ponga
2 Hymel Hunt
3 Enari Tuala
4 Bradman Best
5 Edrick Lee
6 Kurt Mann
7 Mitchell Pearce
8 David Klemmer
9 Jayden Brailey
10 Daniel Saifiti
11 Tyson Frizzel
12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon
13 Mitch Barnett

14 Connor Watson
15 Jacob Saifiti
16 Sione Mata'utia
17 Pasami Saulo

other signed players

18 Starford To'a
19 Jirah Momoisea
20 Pheonix Crossland
21 Shibasaki
22 Christian Ma'anaima
23 Dominic Young
24 Tex Hoy
25 Brodie Jones (probable signing according to Toohey)
26 Simi Sasagi

off contract

Josh King
Mason Lino
Chris Randall
Matt Croker
Luke Huth
Tyronne Robert-Davis

Leaving the club

Aidan Guerra
Blake Green
Andrew McCullough
Herman Eseese
Tim Glasby
Tautau Moga

Guerra confirmed as leaving.
I'll take Owey's word for it, since I can't find where it comes from, and say we have 30 fulltime and ?2 or 4 development spots.
So we have 4 fulltime spots and maybe 4 development spots to fill for 2021, and 3 fulltime and 3 development players off contract now - so we could sign everyone and still have 2 spots left now..
 
The report on the number of spots in the squad was in the sydney morning herald yesterday. It did say that the ideas had to be put to the players association, especially as it involved a pay cut. The idea was to skim some off the top of wages to save "up to 100 players jobs". I've done the maths a few times on two less spots times 16 clubs and keep coming up with 32. Can someone find my error? So basically, take a shave to save the positions of some of your mates. From a knights point of view, I'd see keeping the money and leaving Josh King out of a job would be akin to shooting bambi.

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I wouldn’t be re-signing Pearce until very late in the year. His form this year has been awful and his effective games are one in every 4 matches at best. He’s a $500k half. One season extension at that price max at this stage. Needs a solid 2021. Would rather use the money to retain the youth that is growing in stature and effectiveness. Crossland to be our new half from 2022.
 
Don’t see the point in extending Pearce for any length of time even at half cost, he is nearly done, will be done end of 2021. We should be looking at Crosslands and any other young up and coming halve with 2022 in mind. If no one likely then use the 500k to buy a more than decent one with possible 5 years left in him.
At this stage with Brailey back at 9 then halves will be Pearce with Mann or Crossland for 2021 then its start again.
 
The thing about Crossland is that he has never been a dominant game manager type half.
He has all the skills to be one. He has a great passing game, a great kicking game and is a very good athlete, but up to this point he has always been the less dominant half in any team.
He came through the juniors with Jock Madden, who was clearly the brains of the outfit and called all the shots. He did get a chance in under 20s for half a season to be the main playmaker and did a pretty fair job as a 17 year old, but once he went to reserve grade as an 18 year old, he played second string to Lino, and even to Bayden Searle.
There is no reason that Crossland can't become a dominant playmaker in firstgrade, but he probably needs to do it in reserve grade first.
 
Guerra gone, Herman & Glas gone as well.

Ideal side for next season:

1. Ponga
2. Lee
3. Tuala
4. Best
5. Hunt
6. Mann/Crossland to battle it out in pre-season
7. Pearce
8. Klemmer
9. Brailey
10. Saifiti
11. Fitzgibbon
12. Frizell
13. Barnett

14. Watson
15. Saifiti
16. Sione
17. Jones/King (been more impressed with these two guys than I have Saulo)

18. Randall
19. King/Jones/Saulo
20. Hoy
21. Shibasaki
22. Lino
23. Sasagi
24. Toa
25. Croker
26. Momoisea
27. Huth
28. Searle?
29. Young
30. Manai'aima
 
It's impossible to know how guys are training, but it is starting to look unlikely that Randall, Lino, Huth and maybe Croker will get anything other than a development deal. Jones and King have been talked about as guys we are looking at signing, but probably a low ball offer I think.
I'd give Searle a development contract, if someone else doesn't pinch him first. I'd rather a 20/21 year old Searle than a 26/27 year old Lino on the books next year, even if Lino is firstgrade ready and Searle isn't.
 
Lord of the Skraelings said:
Okay, but who do we get to replace him?

Not having a shot just interested to see who people would suggest. I have zero confidence that we have a dominant playmaker coming through in the next 2-3 which is when we need one.
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My honest answer is I don’t exactly know at this stage but am hoping our management team is organized enough to have a succession plan. It’s a scenario that must have passed their minds and desks more than a dozen times. Whether it is an early over reliance on a known (a season at deep end for Crossland maybe) or more unknown junior or a rabbit out of the hat in the market with the right cap space, a better value option with potential to grow is best. We’re talking 2022 after all so we can get the money if the right opportunity presents.

The more I see our team evolve the more I see Pearce regress. I thought with one or two recruits he could be our halve to lead us to a Premiership. Now I just think he’s that great pick up that helped us navigate a phase of our rebuild.
 
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-Patrick- said:
Guerra gone, Herman & Glas gone as well.

Ideal side for next season:

1. Ponga
2. Lee
3. Tuala
4. Best
5. Hunt
6. Mann/Crossland to battle it out in pre-season
7. Pearce
8. Klemmer
9. Brailey
10. Saifiti
11. Fitzgibbon
12. Frizell
13. Barnett

14. Watson
15. Saifiti
16. Sione
17. Jones/King (been more impressed with these two guys than I have Saulo)

18. Randall
19. King/Jones/Saulo
20. Hoy
21. Shibasaki
22. Lino
23. Sasagi
24. Toa
25. Croker
26. Momoisea
27. Huth
28. Searle?
29. Young
30. Manai'aima
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Looks pretty spot on to me Patty.

At the current point in time I’d be giving Jones and King a crack over Saulo. Pasami is a good runner of the footy but has looked a little lazy in defence and has made more poor choices off the footy than good. Jones has a bit of playmaking about him and King has just been improving each week.
 
The Artist Formerly Known as Aku'd said:
I wouldn’t be re-signing Pearce until very late in the year. His form this year has been awful and his effective games are one in every 4 matches at best. He’s a $500k half. One season extension at that price max at this stage. Needs a solid 2021. Would rather use the money to retain the youth that is growing in stature and effectiveness. Crossland to be our new half from 2022.
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The first 4 or 5 games he was on fire but after that not so much .
 
daniels said:
Not necessarily, they could still see him as a back up for Pearce but not a partner.
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That was always just an excuse for why he wasn't in contention in my opinion. They didn't have an issue backtracking on that excuse that he was only a halfback for the last 3 weeks. O'Brien clearly just doesn't rate him in defence & dropping him proves it.
 
Lino will thrive in the ESL.
80 minutes a week as main playmaker in a comp where his defence is about the norm for a halfback and he will be a star.
If I were an ESL recruiter, Lino would be top of my list - better than the busted up old playmakers they usually get.
 
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