Moves, Rumours,Judiciary, Injuries ...

[RabbitRhinoovOZ]

The situation at the GC is astonishing really when you stop and think about it, That hopeless Hayne has now burned 7 coaches between Parramatta & his current club! How you ever create a strong culture up there when the board have now shown that one premadonna player is bigger than the club I don't know.

Time for another rebranding at the GC lol.

[Graham]

15 hours ago, RL is the future said:

What's the latest with Matthew Lodge? Heard Brisbane Broncos were interested in him 

Not heard anything recently.

Last I heard was in about March:

Quote

MATT Lodge has edged closer to an NRL return after being given permission to train with the Brisbane Broncos.

Lodge will begin training with the Broncos next week as part of an affiliate club arrangement with the Redcliffe Dolphins, who he has been playing for in the Intrust Super Cup.

The NRL approved Lodge’s application to train with the Broncos on Monday, however he has not been cleared to play in the NRL this season.

Lodge, 21, signed with the Dolphins this season to begin his path back to the NRL.

The former Wests Tigers prop was arrested in New York in 2015 following an incident which he later avoided jail-time for.

Anybody know of any progress in his situation

[DiddyDave]

A month ago we were all remarking on how the Titans flogged the Sharks in the rain at Robina,the next week the Titans were arguably robbed by two poor reffing decisions against the Panthers. So what the heck has gone wrong in the space of three weeks? Talk of players walking if Henry stays on is absolute garbage,they all have a contract and they have to honour that,but as somebody has just said on FB,get rid of the lot of them if they don`t want to play for the Titans I`m sure there`s lots of players at Burleigh and Tweed only too happy to step into the breech. The players should butt out,their job is to play to the best of their ability no matter who is the coach. 

[Graham]

Nathan Cleary has become the youngest NRL player to reach 200 points in a season.

Edited August 20, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Two of the most exciting wingers in the NRL are set to stay, with the Melbourne Storm poised to announce the re-signings of Josh Addo-Carr and Suliasi Vunivalu.

[Graham]

 Kaysa Pritchard

Beau Scott

 

 

In a major boost to the Parramatta Eels’ premiership claims, both Beau Scott and Kaysa Pritchard are preparing for remarkable comebacks ahead of the finals.

Scott and Pritchard were both thought to have suffered season-ending injuries back in Round 15 but are now thought to be a chance to play in the Eels crucial match against the Brisbane Broncos on Friday.

[Graham]

Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is set to escape suspension for his late and errant elbow to Wests Tigers five-eighth Tuimoala Lolohea's head.

The New Zealand Test forward has been charged by the match review panel with grade one dangerous contact to the head or neck over the incident during Saturday's win over the Tigers.

But he can avoid a ban with an early guilty plea, leaving him free to play in the Roosters' crucial clash with Cronulla on Saturday.

Tigers winger David Nofoaluma received a similar charge and outcome from the game for an incident with Ryan Matterson.

Cronulla stars James Maloney and Wade Graham can accept fines for grade one offences for tripping and a careless high tackle respectively against North Queensland.

[Vichyssoise]

Neil Henry has been officially sacked... and Hayne will replace him.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/08/21/breaking-jarryd-hayne-named-captain-coach-of-gold-coast-titans/

 

A pretty funny joke, if I may say.

[Graham]

As I reported earlier, this has been on the cards for some weeks. The media reporting of the thoughts of Jarrman Hayne seemed to bring matters to a head. The fact nobody would sit next to him in the coach's box at the last match was telling.

They're saying it's not player power that's caused this. 

It was probably inevitable, but the media 'reporting' and suggestions of player unhappiness with the coach can't have helped.

They will be stuck with Hayne now. No coach in their right mind would want him in their squad. No club in their right mind would pay him anywhere near what he is getting and not earning at Titans.

[Vichyssoise]

5 hours ago, Graham said:

As I reported earlier, this has been on the cards for some weeks. The media reporting of the thoughts of Jarrman Hayne seemed to bring matters to a head. The fact nobody would sit next to him in the coach's box at the last match was telling.

They're saying it's not player power that's caused this. 

It was probably inevitable, but the media 'reporting' and suggestions of player unhappiness with the coach can't have helped.

They will be stuck with Hayne now. No coach in their right mind would want him in their squad. No club in their right mind would pay him anywhere near what he is getting and not earning at Titans.

And Gold Coast is under NRL ownership / control, isn't it?

[Graham]

According to form Titans lost $50+ in season 2016

NRL keen to sell the club they took over in 2015 when it went into administration.

The word was that new owners would be found to take over this season...

[Graham]

Castleford have signed Joe Wardle from Newcastle Knights on a three year contract starting next season.

Joe appears not to have settled well in Australia.

Going to play for Daryl Powell will be just what he needs to get back into top form.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Graham

[Irish Saint]

Brisbane Broncos winger Jordan Kahu has been ruled out of his side's clash with the Parramatta Eels on Thursday night with a groin injury. 

‌

Kahu last week revealed to NRL.com that it was an injury he had been battling for four months, with the New Zealand international first tweaking it during his side's Round 7 win over the Gold Coast Titans. 

It is why Kahu has not been kicking goals in recent weeks, resting his injury in a bid to try and play out the season. 

But this week it has flared up again and the Broncos are playing it safe, with David Mead coming onto the wing to replace him. 

Edited August 23, 2017 by Irish Saint

[Graham]

Yes, that's why he's not been kicking goals recently.

A lot of players will be carrying injuries at this time of the season.

Of the 'big three' at Melbourne, it's the youngest one, Coops, who is being nursed through. That might be partly psychological though with his mindset being I'm winding down my career, while Billy and Cam are still expecting to carry on next season.

[Graham]

Newcastle Knights have granted utility Tyler Randell’s request for an immediate release.

Randell is a local junior, who played from Harold Matts in 2007 through to making his NRL debut in 2014. The 24-year-old has since played 44 NRL games.

It was a difficult decision for the Club to make at this stage of the season, however, the Club accepts it is in Randell’s best interest.

“This is an opportunity that provides security for Tyler and his family long-term,” CEO Matt Gidley said.

Which club is he going to?

[Graham]

How daft is this situation? 

Tigers still paying a huge amount not to have Robbie Farah in their squad!

Now Souths are facing the reality of having him want to get rid as they can get just as good for much less.

Quote

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are shopping veteran hooker Robbie Farah to rivals in a bid to offload him next season.

It is reported that Farah is one of the highest paid players in the NRL this season and the Rabbitohs are questioning his worth, with the younger Damien Cook getting the job done at much less the cost.

According to report, the Rabbitohs are only paying $200,000 of Farah’s $950,000 salary this year, with the Wests Tigers paying the bulk of it.

Just think what Tigers could have done with that money.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Aaron Gray

 

Talking of Souths...

Here's some players who will definitely not be playing with them next season:

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The departures of Aaron Gray (Cronulla Sharks) and Bryson Goodwin (Leigh Centurions) had been announced earlier in the season, with both already signing with new clubs for 2018.

While Toby Rudolf, Brett Greinke, Luke Kelly, Anthony Cherrington and David Tyrrell will also finish their time with the Rabbitohs at the season’s end.

 

Edited August 23, 2017 by Graham

[Farmduck]

5 hours ago, Graham said:

 

Newcastle Knights have granted utility Tyler Randell’s request for an immediate release.

Randell is a local junior, who played from Harold Matts in 2007 through to making his NRL debut in 2014. The 24-year-old has since played 44 NRL games.

It was a difficult decision for the Club to make at this stage of the season, however, the Club accepts it is in Randell’s best interest.

“This is an opportunity that provides security for Tyler and his family long-term,” CEO Matt Gidley said.

Which club is he going to?

Wakey for 2 years from 2018. They're currently waiting for his visa to get sorted out.

5 hours ago, Graham said:

 

How daft is this situation? 

Tigers still paying a huge amount not to have Robbie Farah in their squad!

Now Souths are facing the reality of having him want to get rid as they can get just as good for much less.

Just think what Tigers could have done with that money.

This has been our worst year ever, IMO. After all the grief we endured dumping players so we could afford to keep Benji and Farah we finally woke up and decided to ditch them instead but when we finally got some money to spend on the players we wanted, those players had already signed elsewhere.

It isn't quite as bad as the Farah bill suggests. Yes we still have to pay him - I believe the number is closer to $450K than the oft-quoted $750K - but some of that is delayed payments from previous years and some is Long Serving Player Allowance, so we couldn't simply transfer that $$$ back into the overall wage bill.

[Graham]

This business of signing players to contracts that are weighted to the back end could be re-thought maybe...

Just have contracts that are the same year on year. If you agree to a big amount overall, have it spread evenly season by season, otherwise don't offer it. 

I may not understand the situation as is, a clearer explanation of what clubs do and why would help me and maybe others.

 

Edited August 23, 2017 by Graham

[Farmduck]

The Farah/Benji situation is unusual because it relates to the period when Balmain still owned 50% of Wests Tigers. Because they couldn't stump up their 50% of the cash shortfall, Wests Tigers tried to shave expenses partly by having Farah and Marshall defer some part of their pay to following years. These weren't back-ended contracts, more like private loans from the players to the club.

The situation of back-ending deals usually comes when a player comes on the market unexpectedly, like Foran or Hayne. By about February, most clubs only have about $300K wiggle room left in their caps. If Foran wants $1mill/season you would have to offer him a longer deal where the shortfall in the early years would be made up as other higher-paid players moved on. You could imagine the Storm doing a deal like this because they assume Smith and Slater will both finish next year so they could play a new player substantially more in 2019 than in 2018.

The problems start when the player has a massive drop in form or disagreements with the coach and/or players or can't physically stay on the field - Anthony Watmough, for example. You're stuck with a player who can't be offloaded at his average pay rate, let alone at the inflated rate of his contract's later years.

[Graham]

Thanks FD.

The idea of a player wanting $1m a season is enough to make my wallet shiver. 

I don't though begrudge players getting well paid, especially if they are exceptional. Some figures quoted,if accurate, are a worry when they are for a player such as Hayne or Foran. I don't see them as worthy now as maybe they were at their best.

As always, the key thing is having both a good judge of a player and a sensible financial regime within a club and not being lured into paying over the odds.

Very few if any players currently in Rugby League would be worth $1m a season. I can't think of one, maybe wrong.

Would be interested to hear who folk would pay the biggest money for, and whether there's someone worth that big million price tag.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Wests Tigers lock Matt Eisenhuth is on the verge of re-signing.

The terms are still being finalised but the deal is likely to be for another two seasons.

[Graham]

 

Quote

Which player is having second thoughts after signing on with a new club for next season?

(And no, it’s not Jack Bird)

 

Edited August 23, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Bulldogs have still work to do to be salary cap compliant for the start of next season. They have released Sam K to Melbourne. Josh Reynolds is going to Tigers.They aren't re-signing Michael Lichaa, Craig Garvey or Tyrone Phillips but still they will need to release at least one more player. Probably a big name one at that.

If they are to fit Aaron Woods and Foran into their side then it could well be a big name player going.

Tigers are not even thinking of a Woods backflip possibility.

[Vichyssoise]

Laurie Daley's contract won't be renewed. NSW is looking for a new coach.

I'm afraid that it means he'll soon be back to his commentating gig. Don't rugby league fans suffer enough?

Edited August 25, 2017 by Vichyssoise