Dragons are chasing Niukore

Sydney morning herald are reporting that dragons are chasing Niukore from 2023 onwards. Eels please give him a permanent starting role at backrow and sign him up long term. Niukore and papalii are our long term backrowers. Lane and Matto can leave when their deal is expired. We can offer them to other clubs worst case scenario if we need money soon. Carty can be the player who can play backrow from the bench. 

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    • Well there will be some big decisions to be made, is Matterson more important than Niukore cause both are off contract next year Parramatta will decide who they want to stay. Or depending on finances they could decide to let both go to save some coin elsewhere.

      But you are right, we rarely seem to let anyone we want go these days.

      • Marata over Matto for mine. Matto hasn't really floated my boat

        • agreed Parrapete, as much as i like Matto injuries have hurt him and the headknocks too; someone will get him but if we offered him a modest contract? hope he can stay, but Marata is a definite for me.

           

        • Personally, controversially, I think Matto has taken too many head knocks. His decision making has been a massive problem in recent weeks and I believe would have cost us vs Storm on the weekend. I was glad he was on the bench. Marata all the way!!

    • Yes if the Eels recruitment and retention team have a brain, must keep Niukore and Papali’i. Lane and Matto can go instead

  • Totally agree with you EA...hope we fork it up for him. His contract gonna need massive upgrade I guess.

    Ive been blabbing on about how we’ve been wasting him in the middle (and off bench at that) for years. Its been my fear for awhile that a club who gives him an offer of a starting backrow spot will grab him from us. Given his abilities, Im sure he enjoy playing on an edge more too.

    You’d  think also holding down a starting spot would  be worth more to him financially as well.

    • I think he'd be in for a modest upgrade, not a massive one.

      His value is mostly in his defense and toughness, he doesn't promote the ball much at all in attack which limits his value and he won't win any awards for flashiness.

      I like Niukore but is he more important than Paulo, Gutherson, Dylan, Reed, Matto, or Isaiah? I would argue not.

      That makes him our 7th most important player we need to retain after 2022. He is way down the pecking list for a new contract unfortunately for him. This is why it is bad to have too many off contract guys at once, you usually have to let some go.

      • Yeah I can’t understand how we thought it was a good idea to have so many off contract at the same time  -and also doesn’t help with coach contract coinciding either. Gawd I just hope his manager isn’t the same at Guts’?

        I reckon his stocks have risen quite a bit this year, getting a fair bit more attention. Think from memory he is on a lower value contract around $250...could be wrong on that. If Matto is worth $550 as a rep and Lanes last contract was $450K (which seemed fair at the time) then  I think Marata  is worth about the same as Lane  $400 -450K - for what he brings for this team? You?

        He just hasn’t had much of a chance to shine in attack being kept out of his rightful spot and also to get valuable combos going. Imagine the combo that he and Dylan could form?

        Just feels so much safer on the edge with him defending, I love a cool headed good defender just like him :)

        in fact I’m hoping BA gonna throw him in at centre with Waa at wing to give that a shot as I truly believe he and Penisin are our safest bets esp against Souths.

         

        • Dylan would be great with Niukore. Dylan can dig deep into the line before passing short to Niukore. Niukore can break a tackle and give a potential offload to supporting players. However, I must admit that Dylan has a good combination with Carty. Carty seems to have the footy brains and vision as he calls the shot with Dylan doing his role in the play. It has happened a few times this year.

      • Can't  agree here raptor, he is a must keep. One of those blokes who hurt you when you tackle him and then he hurts when he tackles you. We need  that dispenser  of pain in our side.

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