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League Targets

KOB1987

John Eales (66)
Have I missed something? Theres zero to suggest Twiggy was directly involved or on board in this; he owns a dozen seperate companies and delegates authority to the board, the Force being one of the smallest.

Had he taken a personal interest, I’d expect they would have signed him.
Fair enough, just some bad wording on my behalf. I was referring to the Force.
 

hammertimethere

Trevor Allan (34)
The whole fucking thing was a beat up from Crichton's manager. They made the approach, asked for a certain amount and duration (apparently they wanted an average of 800k/yr for 3-4 yrs) and leaked that this figure was on the table before RA had actually formally tabled their final package. RA didn't value him as highly as they did so he'll probably end up looking at another NRL deal or Japanese rugby now.
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Simon Poidevin (60)
He could get 600k from a good side looking to get better like the Storm and up to 750k from a shit team needing a pick up like the Dragons/Tigers. League sides never link arms for long. They wanted SBW banished from the game at one point.
 

Wallaby Man

Nev Cottrell (35)
I’m not anti league players as their talent is ridiculous and in my mind comfortably the premier ‘rugby’ competition in the world. There is a reason a lot of countries has some form of ex NRL consultant in recent times and many of the systems used currently are things the NRL has been doing for years. Ireland has so much NRL style dna in their attack and the worlds best defensive coach runs a league system for France and used to for a successful wales.

What I do have an issue with is dropping players straight into systems when they are getting their heads around the nuances of the game, compromising their experiences and then ultimately taking short cuts to get them to speed early. Many people forget but Koroibete was maligned for 2/3yrs when he first made the change but got to speed, he’s also a strange case of a Fijian with predominantly a league background growing up. With the cleary’s, Crichton’s etc. this is where we need to guide these players to Japanese rugby for a year or French rugby to upskill before they are placed in our system and we waste 2 years of salary to get them up to speed.

Sonny Bill spent time overseas before getting in to the NZ system, so had automatic reactions to rugby decisions by the time he went in to the NZ system.

There is no stopping Crichton from getting a solid contract in French 2nd division, then popping up in the NPC for a season and having 30 pro games under his belt before the start of the 2025 season at one of the Super Rugby sides. All away from pressures, away from people desperate to fast track his rugby specific skills.
 

Lorenzo

Colin Windon (37)
I’m not anti league players as their talent is ridiculous and in my mind comfortably the premier ‘rugby’ competition in the world. There is a reason a lot of countries has some form of ex NRL consultant in recent times and many of the systems used currently are things the NRL has been doing for years. Ireland has so much NRL style dna in their attack and the worlds best defensive coach runs a league system for France and used to for a successful wales.

What I do have an issue with is dropping players straight into systems when they are getting their heads around the nuances of the game, compromising their experiences and then ultimately taking short cuts to get them to speed early. Many people forget but Koroibete was maligned for 2/3yrs when he first made the change but got to speed, he’s also a strange case of a Fijian with predominantly a league background growing up. With the cleary’s, Crichton’s etc. this is where we need to guide these players to Japanese rugby for a year or French rugby to upskill before they are placed in our system and we waste 2 years of salary to get them up to speed.

Sonny Bill spent time overseas before getting in to the NZ system, so had automatic reactions to rugby decisions by the time he went in to the NZ system.

There is no stopping Crichton from getting a solid contract in French 2nd division, then popping up in the NPC for a season and having 30 pro games under his belt before the start of the 2025 season at one of the Super Rugby sides. All away from pressures, away from people desperate to fast track his rugby specific skills.
besides the fact that he wants 800k a year
 

rugboy

Jim Clark (26)
The whole Crichton thing stinks of another massive f#@k up by RA. Mclennan has been publicly courting Crichton since the Sua'ali'i signing, name-dropping him several times in the media and saying they had more than enough money to sign him. Sounds like the state unions are turning the blow torch on Mclennan and the board and they got cold feet so have tried to flip the script.
 

eastman

John Solomon (38)
He’s also family friends with the Crichton‘s and publicly boasts about it- his lack of awareness is frightening.
 

hammertimethere

Trevor Allan (34)
The whole Crichton thing stinks of another massive f#@k up by Rugby Australia. Mclennan has been publicly courting Crichton since the Sua'ali'i signing, name-dropping him several times in the media and saying they had more than enough money to sign him. Sounds like the state unions are turning the blow torch on Mclennan and the board and they got cold feet so have tried to flip the script.

It wasn't. They were approached, the timing of the story, the figure leaked etc were all from the mananger. RA played a straight bat, offered what they thought was reasonable (which is of course debatable) then walked when it became clear that the manager was trying to inflate his price.
 

rugboy

Jim Clark (26)
It wasn't. They were approached, the timing of the story, the figure leaked etc were all from the mananger. Rugby Australia played a straight bat, offered what they thought was reasonable (which is of course debatable) then walked when it became clear that the manager was trying to inflate his price.
Really? A quick Google search and Mclennan came out in an interview and said Crichton was on their hitlist back in April. As Eastman pointed out he was rabbiting on about how his wife knows his Dad since they were both 5.


He then mentioned it again in early May "Without being prejudicial to Joey's negotiations, we can easily afford Joey and Angus Crichton as well," McLennan told 9News.

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/news-2...ua'ali'i/df247657-124a-4228-b9b2-0cc1b72d6688

Surely you don't make all those references in the media and not approach them, or maybe RA are more incompetent than I thought, so when the manager finally picks up the phone they can say "well they approached us". You can't make this stuff up. I guess there should be an asterisk next to the "we can easily afford him as well" with something like if he is willing to accept far less than what he currently earns.

It's all the chest-beating in the public space with no possible intent or means to back it up that makes RA look like a joke.
 

hammertimethere

Trevor Allan (34)
Really? A quick Google search and Mclennan came out in an interview and said Crichton was on their hitlist back in April. As Eastman pointed out he was rabbiting on about how his wife knows his Dad since they were both 5.


He then mentioned it again in early May "Without being prejudicial to Joey's negotiations, we can easily afford Joey and Angus Crichton as well," McLennan told 9News.


Surely you don't make all those references in the media and not approach them, or maybe Rugby Australia are more incompetent than I thought, so when the manager finally picks up the phone they can say "well they approached us". You can't make this stuff up. I guess there should be an asterisk next to the "we can easily afford him as well" with something like if he is willing to accept far less than what he currently earns.

It's all the chest-beating in the public space with no possible intent or means to back it up that makes Rugby Australia look like a joke.
I won't dispute that RA's public chest beating is ridiculous, and they payed overs by a bit for Sua'ali'i but the very large limits of their incompetence don't extend to how things played out in this specific example. Mclennan was chest beating and drumming up publicity at a time when Crichton was on contract for 2 more years at Roosters and had an option in his favour I'm pretty sure.
 

DoubleCodeTraitor

Frank Row (1)
Nathan Cleary will leave Penrith in the next couple of years.

He'll end up at the next NRL expansion team, the Warriors or in rugby union.

I've been convinced it will be in rugby union for a little while but not so sure now considering the state of Australian rugby.
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Simon Poidevin (60)
Going to depend completely on personal interest and drive.

His contract is for 1.3 next year. Plus rep footy payment getting to 150k (1.45 now) then add endorsements he’ll easily make 2m as the low end.

NRL salary cap will continue to go up. Especially if a new team comes in and they charge more for right.

Rugby at best will only be able to match and there is no guarantee endorsements follow at the same rates with the current state of Rugby in Australia and companies like Adidas don’t see Rugby as a product as big as Soccer for athletes if we try and spruik the global nature of the game.

I’d love to see him play Rugby and think he’d kill it but it’s going to be tough. Rugby almost had Joey but 9 stepped in. This could be similar

I’d also suggest a lot could happen when Ivan decides he’s done. Coaches can be paid whatever amount so I can only imagine what the Cleary family must be on as a whole. He may also want to see if his Brother is going to make it.
 
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Members Section

John Thornett (49)
Nathan Cleary will leave Penrith in the next couple of years.

He'll end up at the next NRL expansion team, the Warriors or in rugby union.

I've been convinced it will be in rugby union for a little while but not so sure now considering the state of Australian rugby.

Why would he end up at the wahs?
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Simon Poidevin (60)
He won't. Well if they want to pay him the world he might but just because he lived there while Dad coached them means nothing.

Will he go to the Roosters because Dad was playing there when he was born?
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
If I could have any league player at the moment it would be Tamika Upton for our 7s team. But the timing isn’t right as you’d want to recruit her 12 months out from the Olympics (I doubt she would come earlier than that).

And then get every 7s carnival the Aussie Women play on free to air.

IMO the cost/benefit would be so much better than any potential male league player.
 

Jimmy_Crouch

Ken Catchpole (46)
Waqa Blake and Billy Smith both not contracted for 2024 if we are looking for centres with rugby backgrounds.

There were some rumors earlier in the year that Blake's baby momma and kids moved to Perth and he wanted to be closer to them.

Smith captained Scots in 2017 and played NSW schools with Donaldson and Frost.
 
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