With recent talk of some very highly rated players being made available, it set me thinking when was the last time the Eels bought an xfactor player. I have to cast my mind back to the Canturbury 3 of Dymock, Pay and Smith. Perhaps Jason Taylor.
Currently on the market and or looking for a move , we have Cameron Munster and Reece Walsh. Selwyn Cobbo was available a couple of weeks ago. Recently Ponga was available, Cook from Souths is after a new contract, Wade Graham and Matt Moylan are looking for new contracts. Brandon Smith is moving next year, Tariq Sims was available for next year as well. Anthony Milford dosnt have a contract for next year.
Players like Payne Hass want out of there current contract.
So I get that some of these players are perhaps past there best, and some not, but most have played at the highest level and it appears that our club is just never in the hunt for these players. We continually look at buying has beens, works in progress, journeyman down on their luck. Is there a logical reason to it.
I feel our club needs an xfactor player. So I ask. Who was the last superstar player we ever bought to the club, and why is it that we never appear to be in the hunt for the elite players, that come onto the market.
Replies
Keiran Foran
And Watmough
Yeah, historically we don't attract X factor players.
Foran was supposed to be that. So was Moses. Tahu was one of the better imports back in the day.
It rarely works out well for us, it comes as a hugh invest which brings risk. Tahu was good, but then we had Foran, Watmough, Hopoate, Dykes, that forward from st merge and so on.
Not saying we should stop trying to get a superstar, but I can see why.
Tahu was good for us for a few seasons
EAM yes Tahu was at top of chocolate box. I remember he followed coach to Knights from memory?
No, he came before Hagan did and whilst Brian Smith was still coach. Tahu came in 2005 when we went on a bit of a spending spree to get him to replace Jamie Lyon, Glenn Morrison, Mark Riddell, Wade McKinnon (back from Warriors), PJ Marsh (back from Brisbane) and Paul Stringer. I think we even got Eric Grothe Jr back from Easts - there was possibly more, but I just can't recall. I loved 2005 with so many new players coming in after the lean seasons of 2002-2004 with the failed Adam Dykes and Andrew McFadden experiment and Tim Smith having his only good year..
Hagan didn't come until 2007 when it was Tahu's last year with us before he went to the NSW Waratahs.
Jamnot my memory says something about a coach and Tahu. Best buy Glen Morrison from Cowboys now your talking great Eels sides when they were a joy to watch. I enjoy the journey sometimes.
I'm not sure about any coach, but he definitely came to Parramatta bvefore Hagan in 2007 after Brian Smith walked away mid-2006. He came to Parramatta to play centres as Newcastle still had him on the wing as they had Gidley and Hughes playing centres up there.
Tahu leaving us in 2007 after what was I thought his career best year coinciding with Hagan;s arrival made me think he actually didn't get on with Hagan and was part of the reason he left Newcastle. I could be wrong there though.
You could make an argument that Fergo was an x factor player.
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