League Targets

[The Ghost of Raelene]

There is also the physical aspect of the fijians being perfect for it. PNG love it and have some utter tanks running around but once at the NRL level tend to be considered undersized. Xavier Coates flys in the face of this I know, but others like Justin Olam are the standard and as good as you'll find and stuck only being a Centre. You look at the Fijian 7s side and just see backrowers and Wingers they'd love. Those 6'4 110kg+ athletes are just perfect for it.

Bit like the Philippians absolutely love Basketball but until the Ring comes down 3ft we aren't going to see an influx into the NBA.

 

[KOB1987]

I'm wondering if the secretiveness/indecision from Daly Cherry-Evans about life beyound the Sea Eagles might indicate he's considering having a crack at proper rugby? I'm not suggesting here and it's hard to see where he'd fit into a set up, thinking more Japan or Europe.

 

[PhilClinton]

I'm wondering if the secretiveness/indecision from Daly Cherry-Evans about life beyound the Sea Eagles might indicate he's considering having a crack at proper rugby? I'm not suggesting here and it's hard to see where he'd fit into a set up, thinking more Japan or Europe.

I’ve heard the Roosters are going to pay him about $1M so I don’t think he will leave the NRL.

The Newcastle knights have totally farked the halves market by paying Dylan Brown $1.3M a year for 10 years. I’ve used this expression before - DCE has more talent in his left nut than Brown has in his whole body.

It will make an interesting time for the next few years with young halves who want to be paid well. We definitely could see a couple more defectors, but RA also doesn’t have the money to pay them so it would likely be Japan or France for the cash as you mention.

 

[KOB1987]

I’ve heard the Roosters are going to pay him about $1M so I don’t think he will leave the NRL.

The Newcastle knights have totally farked the halves market by paying Dylan Brown $1.3M a year for 10 years. I’ve used this expression before - DCE has more talent in his left nut than Brown has in his whole body.

It will make an interesting time for the next few years with young halves who want to be paid well. We definitely could see a couple more defectors, but RA also doesn’t have the money to pay them so it would likely be Japan or France for the cash as you mention.

That could well be true, but he could also be fielding offers in that vicinity, or north of it, from cashed up Jap clubs and broke Euro ones. I vaguely recall him considering making the switch maybe 5 or so years ago, or at least media speculation about it.

 

[Strewthcobber]

DCE will be 37 years old at the start of next season. This whole conversation is wild!

 

[Adam84]

37 year old halfbacks can still earn $1million in NRL, you don't earn that in rugby at that age

 

[KOB1987]

He would be a 10 though right? Anyway, he’s not a target per se but it seemed the most relevant place for this wild discussion. I was more thinking that a lucrative offer at a 3rd division jap club or something might be an appealing semi retirement consideration for him.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

This is the crazy talk I'm all for but he'll make more in league than Rugby at this point. I think he would be decent Rugby player but any speculation of this may be more Manager shit than anything else. He would be able to eek out 2-3 years in Japan if he wanted but why would he bother.

He's a good signing for anyone. Age is the only negative but he's been durable his entire career. Played around 380 top level games NRL, SOO, Tests. Add in the U20s season and he's over 400 games as an adult.

 

[Dctarget]

Are there any league halves that are being paid unders and would do a better job than our current 10s?

 

[Wilson]

Are there any league halves that are being paid unders and would do a better job than our current 10s?

After the Dylan Brown deal they are kind of all on unders. As far as better job than our current 10? A few of them could in time, but I really doubt any of them would be able to (at 10) by 2027.

The only potential exception is Carter Gordon, but that would require him to be fit, and to have learned how to kick (though Sua'ali'i might be able to take over there). I'd say he's lost a fair bit of ground on the current crop now though.

 

[Dctarget]

The only potential exception is Carter Gordon, but that would require him to be fit, and to have learned how to kick (though Sua'ali'i might be able to take over there). I'd say he's lost a fair bit of ground on the current crop now though.

Yeah you don't want to be losing spinal fluid when you tackle the way he does.

 

[KOB1987]

This is the crazy talk I'm all for but he'll make more in league than Rugby at this point. I think he would be decent Rugby player but any speculation of this may be more Manager shit than anything else. He would be able to eek out 2-3 years in Japan if he wanted but why would he bother.

He's a good signing for anyone. Age is the only negative but he's been durable his entire career. Played around 380 top level games NRL, SOO, Tests. Add in the U20s season and he's over 400 games as an adult.

I haven't done a deep dive into the situation but from the snippets I've captured it may not be totally about money, but more about how to best use his body in his twilight years. The options I've heard range from full retirement ($0) to the $1m a year from the Roosters - playing a lot less physical level of club rugby and getting paid decent money for it would sit somewhere in between would it not?

 

[Adam84]

I haven't done a deep dive into the situation but from the snippets I've captured it may not be totally about money, but more about how to best use his body in his twilight years. The options I've heard range from full retirement ($0) to the $1m a year from the Roosters - playing a lot less physical level of club rugby and getting paid decent money for it would sit somewhere in between would it not?

He will get $1 million a year to play NRL and has been offered 2-year deals by clubs..
3rd Division Japan Club rugby isn't paying him anywhere near that, and if he leverages his NRL playing profile, I'm sure he could pivot into an NRL media/corporate-related job the year he retires from playing. If you go to Japan as an NRL star, you risk losing that leverage.

Unless there's something to suggest he is looking at playing Union, I don't see it

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I absolutely think theres more to it and i'd be looking at the Manly HC who has caused plenty of grief at every stop along his career. A clash with a guy who has been spoken of as unlikable by team mates at times would not surprise me.

In regard to the physicality of the footy. I think it's less important for DCE given his durabilty and fitness throughout his career. It's all he knows so I don't think it worries him since he was playing SOO last year at 35. This is a guy who would have made 10m+ in his career from Manly contracts and God knows how much more from third party deals throughout the Northern beaches where he wouldn't have bought a car for 15 years.

There would be at least half the NRL having meeting this week to discuss DCE in their side. When we have just seen a guy like Dylan Brown sign for almost 1.4m a year and he's won nothing and not shown an ability to carry a side on his own DCE will easily be able to get 1m per year for 2 years. A side may offer him 2+ an option for a third depending on the body.

What would a lower tier Japanese Club pay? The NRL Cap auditior set DCEs minimum salary for next year at 400k. There can't be many guys making close to that for the Kanazawa Water Bubblers.

 

[Dctarget]

What would a lower tier Japanese Club pay? The NRL Cap auditior set DCEs minimum salary for next year at 400k. There can't be many guys making close to that for the Kanazawa Water Bubblers.

I sorta hope there are. Quade/Genia are in 2nd div, Rory Arnold would've turned down 500k+ easy from Toulouse to go play 2nd div.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Talking about guys with Rugby experience and also a name in the game that sells. DCE wouldnt move the needle for a Rugby Club the same way Genia or Quade can. Good money for a guy with no experience in the game at 36...

Fun mental experiment but a but unless he has a genuine urge for it and his family with School aged kids want to go overseas Rugby would be 10+ sides down the list.