Replies

              • What the Tigers paid is now extremely good value for a State of Origin representative. We didn't have the necessary foresight and botched the negotiations. 

                • He's not an Origin rep. He's nowhere near it. Freddy stuck him in the squad because the Tigers didn't play on the weekend. It's how you slowly bring a young bloke into Origin. He'd be nowhere near playing. Freddy did the same with Campbell Graham for the first two games.

                  But a few weeks ago Stefano was dropped from a struggling Tigers side.

                   

                  • Semantics. Let me rephrase - he was named in the Origin 'squad' by better judges than you or I. 

                    • Yes based in potential. The club recognised his potential but weren't prepared to pay what the Tigers were prepared to pay, nor did we have a spot in our best 17 for him, unsurprisingly the Tigers did. 

                • There's never any guarantee with any young player. To say that the club didn't have the foresight to retain us revisionist bullshit at best. 
                  If guys like Gus can get it wrong from time to time, then don't tell me Utoikamanu was a lay down misere, cis it's just not true. 

                  • contracted for more than 300k without playing a minute for first grade?

                    if eels had signed him up to that then, there would have been a riot.

                    Utoikamanu or Kaufusi?

                    Think i know which one i would keep. 

                    • I would have liked to have kept both (certainly over a few others in the roster).

            • Yes, and we wanted to keep him, but he wanted more money than we were prepared to pay at the time. There's a shortage of talent in the league since less than half the clubs are developing, so the few that do are going to lose a few. 
              The Panthers have lost Burton, Naden, Aekins, CHN, just off the top of my head, and will lose more, but they're not gonna stop developing.

              Nor should we. 

    • This is the official off contract list:

      Cartwright
      Ferguson
      Hughes
      Lussick
      Oldfield
      Rankin
      Roache
      Smith
      Stone

      • Bryce Cartwright is the only 1st Grader we re-sign here.

        Top 30 contracts could be
        – Nathaniel Roache (hooker depth & development)
        – Will Smith (backline backup)
        – Rankin (half depth)

        We should be looking to sign Connor Watson for our full-time 14.
        It's a critical position these days and a position we're not utilizing more.

This reply was deleted.

More stuff to read

Poppa replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 5 Team List v Wests Tigers
"Pork Rind how fast is he Porky, have you seen him make a break and get into the clear? I actually haven't and I am a supporter of his and while you are thinking about that i have never seen him rag dolled either?
He is nippy and elusive, he catches…"
7 minutes ago
LB replied to Eels2025's discussion Anyone else feel like this week against Tigers is make or break?
"Partial rebuild is more a reboot. Using what you have and just upgrading around them with either juniors or diamond in the roughs or upgrading other areas quickly.
We are not rebooting. But the type of rebuild you are suggesting we are sort of doing…"
17 minutes ago
Adam Magrath replied to Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin 🐐's discussion Club Statement
"I was at that game as well, nothing better than sitting amongst a heap of broncos fans in your eels gear and leaving with a win. Catching the train afterwards isn't much fun "
18 minutes ago
Poppa replied to Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin 🐐's discussion Club Statement
"look on the bright side Bluey. After this month it is only 350.....there no freeing up my son!"
24 minutes ago
More…