A possible Cronk-included roster for 2011

With all the talk about Cronk and it will no longer surprise me in the least if it happens, one thing is quite clear. We are facing a generational change at the Eels. To fit Cronk into the salary cap I think we will be limited to players at around the $100k/$120k mark - basically players nobody else wants. It almost certainly would mean losing players like Grothe and Keating but also maybe fringe first graders players like Oake and Wright. As was shown in the Watts case, we will also have no money to chase players other clubs want to retain. And with those players going we're going to have a lot of gaps to fill.

So lets assume, we get Cronk you're looking at a roster like:

You're look at a roster with 5 players (Hayne, Tahu, Cronk, Poore, Hindmarsh) taking up close to $2 million or half your cap. So you're forced to spread the other half across 20 players giving you an average of $100,000 per player. The real difficulty with this is we don't have the juniors to bring through which is what Melbourne would do (on top of their cheating) to get away with this kind of stacked roster. If Cronk is signed, the club is going to have to do some very canny budget recruiting or we have to pray for no injuries.

Just as an example, assume that Mannah, Hayne and Cronk play State of origin next year. For those who think signing Cooper Cronk will automatically deliver a Premiership I think its worth looking at the bigger picture as well. None, of which is to say it can't be done - if you get some excellent budget recruits or have magnificant luck all year, you can live with no depth but the team that has been the most successful over the past two years in terms of consistency is obviously the Dragons who have the most even roster if the competition.

1. Hayne

2. Burt

3. Tahu

4. Reddy

5. Wright?

6. Mortimer

7. Cronk

8. Moimoi

9. Robson

10. Poore

11. Hindmarsh

12. Shackleton

13. Ben Smith

14. M Keating

15. Horo

16. Manuokafoa

17. Mannah

18. Humble

19. Etu Uaisele

20. Lasalo

21. Allgood

22. O'Hanlon?

23. ?

24. ?

25. ?

OK this is how it would work if indeed we did sign Cronk. If it is a 650K deal as being rumoured, what the Eels will do is back date his contract. For example: To get under the cap next year and retain say Grothe and sign Mannah, Horo. The Eels will declare him at 350K for the first year and each year his pay will go up, much like a pay rise, to be what the money is bandied about. So arguments sake he signed 4 yrs at 650. So thats 2.6mil for 4 yrs. This is how they will get around it and keep players as well instead of having fringe first graders. I have a mate who plays in the nrl and saw him go through his recent contract and thats what happened in his case. The 3rd or 4th year of Cronks contract will be bolstered by the retirement of Hindy and also the new TV deal. So thats how they will afford to pay him and buy better then average players or keep current players.

Hope that makes sense. :o)

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Replies

- 1Eyed Eel > ParraMagic June 25, 2010 at 2:56pm
  
  Defence is going to be key. If you start to throw in the likes of Wright, Etu, Lasalo into the mix - all of which have had issues defensively in the past you lose a large part of what has made us successful over the last two years. I do think thats the one thing we do, do well. Peter Sharp, IMO, is the best defensive coach in the competition and what the club has done with Justin Horo who I always considered defensively fragile for Wenty has been amazing.
  
  If this is the way we go, I think the big thing is to get players who will fill in, and who may not be such attacking forces, but who won't let you down defensively.
Michael Ericson June 25, 2010 at 3:02pm

F**ck me I hope we don't get rid of Grothe.

He did three hit ups on Monday before he copped a knock on the knee and they were the best 3 hitups from a back in a month.

For mine that has been the biggest dissapointment about Tahu, he is a big unit these days but he seems reluctant to do the tough stuff in attack coming off our line.
- 1Eyed Eel > Michael Ericson June 25, 2010 at 3:14pm
  
  I'd rate Grothe a 10-1 chance of staying and you can blow that out to 100-1 if Cronk comes.
- RealEel > Michael Ericson June 25, 2010 at 4:53pm
  
  Re Tahu: Bigger and Slower unfortunately, seems the years he was put out to pasture in RaRa have added to his size but reduced his speed. Seems you need more meat on your bones in RaRa in case you get cold standing around do jack on the wing!
- YDIDISAYIDO > Michael Ericson June 26, 2010 at 8:43am
  
  Tahu was never a big hiteruperer... but he was always good from dummy half as is burt, morts and KK... none of whom have gotten in there often enough.
ColMac June 25, 2010 at 3:14pm

OK this is how it would work if indeed we did sign Cronk. If it is a 650K deal as being rumoured, what the Eels will do is back date his contract. For example: To get under the cap next year and retain say Grothe and sign Mannah, Horo. The Eels will declare him at 350K for the first year and each year his pay will go up, much like a pay rise, to be what the money is bandied about. So arguments sake he signed 4 yrs at 650. So thats 2.6mil for 4 yrs. This is how they will get around it and keep players as well instead of having fringe first graders. I have a mate who plays in the nrl and saw him go through his recent contract and thats what happened in his case. The 3rd or 4th year of Cronks contract will be bolstered by the retirement of Hindy and also the new TV deal. So thats how they will afford to pay him and buy better then average players or keep current players.

Hope that makes sense. :o)
- 1Eyed Eel > ColMac June 25, 2010 at 3:22pm
  
  That only delays the problem. You've still got to pay the money over time. This time next year, Tim Mannah is going to re-sign and he given he's being groomed as captain and is likely to be a State of Origin rep, he is going to expect a salary up around the $300k mark. So there goes any money you're saving from Hindy and then we've got an even bigger hole to fill. We've already got one back-ended contract with Timana. Effectively you play one year over the cap, but it follows that you pay for that in another year.
eels_brad June 25, 2010 at 3:17pm

I see what you're saying 1 Eyed, but i think the addition of Cronk will more than make up for a loss or 2 or sacrifice of depth.

1. Hayne
2. Burt
3. Tahu
4. Reddy
5. Etu/Sio - Etu has been solid in his chances, and Sio looks to be a future star
6. Mortimer
7. Cronk
8. Fui Fui
9. Robson/Mitchell
10. Poore
11. Hindy
12. Shack
13. Smith

14. Horo
15. Humble
16. Mannah
17. Lasallo

18. MK
19. Mitchell/Robson
20. Allgood
21. O'Hanlon
22. Sio
23. Oake - surely we can keep him on a minimum salary. Dont see too many clubs chasing
24. Wright - same as Oake
25. Te Mari

15.
ColMac June 25, 2010 at 3:32pm

Can totally understand what your saying. I dont see it very feasable either. Its just how its done. The clubs hope for increased cap,increased marquee player payments juniors on low money to get them over the line. All I was saying how its done and how they keep under the cap.
Pato June 25, 2010 at 3:36pm

1Eyed - wouldn't the Storm need to pay part of Cronk's contract for the remaining term if he were to leave?

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