Courtesy from the cumberland throw
Apparently The SMH Carrayannis has said the Moses Suli links with Parramatta are incorrect.
Jayden Sua out 14 weeks. Pectoral
Jessie Mclean linked to.the Eels
Milky Jenkins
Spencer Leniu
Burton
Moses Suli. - No. - Fake news
Replies
I rather Kitione, he's starting to play well now. If we can get a Burton and lets say a tago or Xerri next to him man he will dominate.
Also, keep an eye on Petrus, who could be starting by 2028. Younger and cheaper option and could be better than both Kautoga and Blore. No guarantees but all things we've seen so far tell us he could be special as a back-rower for us.
Claiming there’s ‘no use bringing through juniors’ is just reactionary and ignores how NRL roster building actually works.
Junior pathways aren’t about guaranteeing every player becomes a long-term first-grader at 19 they’re about producing NRL-calibre talent and creating options for the cap and squad balance. That’s exactly what Petrus, Talagi and Koina represent. They are our best three coming through. Added into the reasoning of wanting a middle but not long term so these players have a path.
And the club has retained talent when it matters. Talagi was pursued by Penrith and still signed long-term through to 2027 at 17, and Koina chose Parramatta over Brisbane and is locked in until 2028. That’s not a broken system that’s functioning recruitment and retention. Before you say Talagi free to negotiate in November, he signed that deal in 2024, he was 17 at the time. Offering a 17 year old a 3 year deal with the chance of not even debuting in that time is fair. He is playing Cup and his progression through the grades is on track to play NRL sooner than later. Same with Petrus, Koina in Flegg is moving steadily too.
The fact we convinced Ryda to stay, turning down the chance to join his brother and a powerhouse is a win if anything for the R&R, where they have done a lot wrong, that is actually a big win. Koina is one too, prying him out of Brisbane, where they are the premier club. Players want to play for the Broncos, like the Roosters for example. He would have had a clear path, but chose to relocate and play for Parramatta. Another big win. We will reap the rewards of those signings. The best ones are the ones progressing steadily and were given 3 year deals to start with. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ryda nab a top 30 deal in 2027, maybe unlikely and more likely a dev deal but still a chance. Koina as well more likely gets dev, as does Petrus. It is also very likely Talagi and Petrus get deals where they are upgraded for 2027 and move into top 30 for 2028 and beyond.
Every club loses juniors and wins others. Pretending a pathway is pointless because not every player is immediately locked away long-term isn’t analysis, it’s an emotional overreaction. If MON is so inept as you say, why mention Blore as a player we more likely miss if we haven't got the ability to get him anyway in your eyes?
The pathways has to be viewed as a funnel. Not every player will make it through, and some will go to other clubs - we know that. The key for Parra is that ultimately we retain the right players, which is more easily said than done. If our development pathways are working, we will (and have) produce NRL quality players
Don't be surprised if young Petrus ends up at PNG in 28 when he made his debut in cup at Kellyvile is family and Joey Grima were stting in front of us and were very chatty and pally . His Heritage is highlands PNG . Just saying
Right and what if we extended Talagi to 2030 and he doesn't work out. You'd be the first to bitch and moan of why did we sign him long term before playing FG.
So your argument is that Talagi signing until 2027, Koina until 2028 and Tuivaiti until 2027 are examples of recruitment and retention being asleep at the wheel?
You keep saying "scrap development" but then complain about not retaining developed players. Which is it?
The reality is Parramatta developed Talagi, retained him despite Penrith and his brother being there, recruited Koina out of Brisbane's system and extended Tuivaiti. Could they retain more? Sure. Every club would like to. But calling the entire pathway pointless because not every teenager is signed until 2030 is an emotional reaction, not a serious assessment of recruitment and retention.
If the system was as bad as you're claiming, these representative juniors wouldn't be at Parramatta in the first place.
We will extend Tuivaiti to say 2030, come end of 2027 you'll say we need to extend again.
Doesn't work out? What don't we have talent identification specialists? The best eyes know who will and who wont work out.
Why did the Storm sign Cooper Clarke until 2030 before hardly playing a first grade game? Are they concerned that players like Cooper won't work out?
Thats how professional clubs are run my freind, not this Tuivaiti off contract in a few months bs
Wake up LB and answer the question on why other clubs are signing these youngsters long term
You keep demanding I answer your questions, yet you've ignored plenty of mine when they didn't suit your argument. Stop being hypocritical when i answer all questions presented to me. You are losing the debate so stop strong arming to prove your point.
As for Cooper Clarke, he was already signed until 2028. Melbourne added one extra year and suddenly it's the gold standard of retention? Koina is already signed until 2028, so that example doesn't really support your point. As we signed a player we rate highly to the same as Clarke who is a year older than Koina. He is also a year older than Talagi, who was 17 when he signed his long term deal.
You also continue to forget the factor that players also decide if they want to sign or move on. You cannot force players to sign for what you want them to.
And the comment that scouts and talent ID staff know exactly who will and won't work out is ridiculous. If that were true, every club would have a 100% success rate on juniors and there'd be no recruitment mistakes. Talent identification is about projecting potential, not predicting the future with certainty. So Ash Taylor coming through, if he left Parra before debuting, this site would have went to meltdown as he was the future superstar. He turned into nothing. Look at Eels over the years that have had massive raps that failed. Pat O'Hanlon, Jakob Loko, Kelepi Tanginoa, even Will Penisini has not hit his full potential and everyone wants to run him out of town. Had we lost any of them when they were coming through you would have had same reaction. Had we kept any of them 2-3 years too long you would have blamed R&R for poor picking of players and why they signed that long.
Talagi stayed despite interest from Penrith and the chance to join his brother. Koina left Brisbane to join Parramatta. Those are genuine recruitment and retention wins. Also, Brisbane let Koina go, they were furious how he got away as he is similar to Pat Carrigan. Maybe they are inept too?
You've gone from "what's the point of bringing through juniors?" to "why aren't they signed until 2030?" They're two different arguments. Wanting earlier extensions is a fair discussion. Saying development should be scrapped and our retention is the worst in the comp is just an overreaction.
Chief mate, you've been the one banging the drum, you're the one who set the blog up. I'm not singling you out, you did that yourself.
And I don't need to put a blog up just because you ask me to.
I respect everyone's right to have a say, and everyone can. But just because you stick a blog up and everyone says we should sack the head of football, doesn't mean it's either accurate or the correct decision.
If the club starts reacting to what fans online think should happen in the management of the football department, we'll very quickly collapse completely. You end up listening to the fans you end up sitting with them.
Why would Petrus sign a contract locking him into Parramatta when he knows the Chiefs are entering the competition?
I'm interested in understanding how you state that clubs have signed their best juniors until 2029 and 2030. Are these juniors in pathways, or have they debuted already?
Under NRL rules you can only sign players to a full time top-30 or dev deal at the age of 18, train and trials can only be formalised at 17.
I understand we're in discussions with Tuivaiti for an extension.
Teancum Brown has been extended to the end of 2028.
Lorenzo Talataina extended to the end of 2028.
Charlie Guymer extended to the end of 2028.
And the idea that R&R is "asleep at the wheel" indicates you are not at all across our junior pathways, Chief. Because back in 2024 we extended Lincoln Fletcher, Ryda Talagi and Lachlan Coinakis to the end of 2027 as soon as we could.
I'm interested to hear your thoughts on Brisbane's retention of Coby Black? You know that stand out Brisbane pathways halfback who played for Under 19 Qld. Surely a powerhouse club like Brisbane wouldn't have let their best halves prospect since Ben Hunt go to a rival?
And surely Brisbane weren't asleep at the wheel when they retained the services of Payne Haas? No chance he's leaving, is there?
The Roosters, meanwhile, being the professionals they are, they wouldn't have had Ethan Strange in their pathways and then released him? They weren't asleep at the wheel? Surely the presence of John Strange coaching at the Roosters would have meant they tied him down long term?
By the way, I'm not pointing this out to say Parramatta's recruitment and retention is perfect. I'm doing this to highlight 2 things:
- Chief's fascination with just sacking people speaks to a misunderstanding of junior pathways
- The NRL junior market is a fluid beast with clubs losing and signing players on a regular basis (yes, even the supposed "premier" clubs)
That line about other clubs tying their best juniors up until 2029 and 2030 is fairly inaccurate, given most clubs are extending their NRL players that long, but not their juniors, because most of their juniors are an unknown quantity so they can't commit a top 30 spot to them in 3 years time. A couple may extend 1 junior player that long. But contracts of that length generally only get handed to known NRL players.
Like our contracts to Tallyn, Mitch and Jaydn.
-
7
-
8
-
9
-
10
-
11
of 11 Next