First off, let me start by saying I couldn't really care less about Zac leaving. There's enough red flags about decsions he's made off field and on it to show he might not be the full package. Being 1 year into a 4 year deal and letting this crap totally derail his form the back end of his first year should tell you all you need to know about how committed Zac is to fully maximising his own value and potential to a team. Some fully buy in , some don't - its their career end of the day who are we to argue. The job for us as a club is to recruit the right type of character and person to represent our club and respect the organisation, people in the organisation, fans / members etc.. which is what I feel Ryles has been making a priority since he came here. I don't think Zac ever arrives at our club in the first place if Ryles made that decsion. Shane Flannagan didn't rate him and it appears Ryles doesn't either. That being said, his skill set is going to need to be replaced.
That aside, let's get to Clinton Schifcofske. One must wonder how he could be still welcome in this sport by 9am Monday.
He was welcomed back after his drug ban as a player, and he's code hopped during his career to now earn a living as a player manager and rugby league commentator post career . Rugby League has been great to him. But there's no coincidence the players he managers are the ones being linked to this R360 rubbish. He's fully bought into it early and he's taken his players to discuss their futures with it. Rugby Union has tried to totally distance itself from R360 and nations have banded together. Rugby League is trying to do the same. Then this dingbat is taking every one he can in to try and fill his own pockets.
The argument is that its hard to say no to that sort of money and its life changing. Sure, it is. But Zac should never have been shopped to them less than a year into a 4 year deal in the first place. I find it hard to believe they head hunted all Clintons players and Zac was highest on their priority list of all players in the comp. Stephen Crichton is a better, higher IQ version of Zac and he re-signed with Canterbury and hasn't been linked at all. There's a reason why he's had ultimate success as a player, is maximising his potential and having a club built around him. And there's also a reason why Zac underachived in his league career , never fulfilled his potential and aside from an Origin series never had much success.
Clinton Schifcofske can be argued to be doing his job as a manager but shopping guys on contract to rival codes is treating all in Rugby League with contempt. It's just like he did the Crushers when he decided to get on the gear. Hopefully, he's out of the game ASAP, and I would love if he loses his commentary gigs on top of it. Ordinary stuff, Clinton.
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That's great and all finding that character and the right fit for the club which I completely agree with.
Point here is our best player is burning his prime we've still got gaping holes all over this roster we don't have the quality depth to deal with injury and Lomax leaving 1 yr into a 4 yr deal isn't exactly ideal for a team trying to rebuild.
The fact of the matter is we are still years behind the best in the development stakes we struggle to attract elite talent in a league that is expanding and the quality of it is thinned down even further.So while it's all well and good looking for character in certain players which is the right thing to do the chances of ending a draughts becomes harder and harder.
We aren't a club strong enough to lose guys like DB and Lomax as examples we aren't the Melbourne Storm we aren't Penrith Panthers this is the conundrum we face.
It's an ascending roster without being complete, but if you look across the league almost every roster has question marks. There's no doubt we will need some strike , depth and athleticism in the outside backs but aside from that obvious area of weakness I don't think the roster is as far away as you think . There's some really poorly constructed teams in the comp at the moment and others like Cronulla who have just about squeezed everything out of the lemon.
In reality there's only a handful of sides in the comp who attract top talent . The other clubs all have to pay overs for it. How far our young players develop over the next 12 months will obviously determine how we go but I'm all for a coach that has invested in and played young talent . Coaching them up and hopefully progressing to a competitive side that's playing in meaningful games is a reality for 2026. A young side thats on the up and playing end of season games with cap space is the sort of side that can attract talent .
I'm also fine with someone else trying their luck with Dylbags especially at his going rate . He's had maybe 1 year out of 6 where he could string 3 good games together . Lacks any real kicking game , or vision . He's just a bloke that has a strong running game on his day but doesn't know how or when to inject himself into a contest when it's not all on his terms. I doubt the club is losing sleep over either departure but where I do agree with you is the clock is ticking to build a side Moses can have a couple of realistic dips at winning the comp with .
The Newcastle Knights are not the Kiwi International Team....so although again he has proven his worth in a steller International tornament he cant do it when the team expectations are on him or the chips are down in a regular season match deep in to the season...Has he won Parra a game like Moses has I would say no.. Good luck to him
See the issue is what and who are we replacing DB with and the same goes for Lomax they've had over half a season to come up with a replacement for the first mentioned nd they've taken a guy whose using us as a stepping stone so in all essence there isn't a replacement so to say no stability and this time next year we are still looking for a 6 and dialing up yet another new combination it's a train wreck.
Much like Lomax they've got nothing of his caliber within the club they've got nothing in the development stakes so when people say we are an ascending roster we are with the mentioned in the squad I'll agree but if we aren't replacing it with similar talent the ascending are just words until you signal worthy replacements.
See this is the where I disagree if there not losing sleep over DB and Lomax moving who exactly have they got as long term replacements and of equal talent.
I laugh when people say DB hasn't got this or that and completely ignore the good stuff because there's more good than bad.As for him walking that's on our poor negotiating skills his PA played us like a fiddle and let DB as a player own all the leverage.End of the day the players won here Parra haven't and still don't have a long term replacement at the position which is a complete travesty.It was clear they wanted Galvin were prepared to pay more to land him than what they were paying DB but couldn't close.
Lomax again another guy a rep player state and country but we aren't worried about losing him I bet you internally they'll be fuming that he's chosen to walk as they no the chance of getting anyone close to what he brings is slim.
But I guess at least we got Pezet for a year right I mean his character was using us as a stepping stone it's clear his mind and character are elsewhere.
The more nd more this off season unveils the worse this is looking.The Parra front office seriously now just need to throw what cap we do have at some serious talent otherwise it's make up the numbers time and we rinse wash repeat next year.
I agree with this.
I understand the brave face people are putting on here but our roster is declining, not ascending.
Is Pezet better than DB? No chance. Pezet is ok but he's never played a season of FG. And he's also leaving so are we stronger or weaker at 6?
Lomax is quality. Say what you like the guy plays for NSW and Australia. But suddenly he's too expensive for a winger and he's not that quick and he's got defensive issues? Sorry I ain't buying it. We're weaker without Lomax.
So there's two rep players we've had leave and you can just guarantee we won't be replacing them with rep players.
Parra has one strategy to win a comp. We need to strike gold and bring through a crop of outstanding local juniors who love the club and are all deseperate to stay, who are capable of taking us all the way before they're inevitably poached by other clubs. That's the blueprint, that's all there is. Anyone who thinks we can sign rep players and overhaul our roster is going to be very disappointed. Fingers crossed Sean Russell plays State of Origin in 2026.
That seemed to work out ok for the Panthers, perhaps we should give it a try
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Excellent assessment Snottie!
Didn't Clinton Schifcofske actually play for Parra once upon a time?
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