Was going to post this in the signings thread, but thought it was better to spread the discussion. Couldn't be bothered reformatting though so deal with it. Any additional insights are appreciated.
Kade Dykes
21 years old. Fullback or 5/8. Path currently blocked by Kennedy (signed till 2023) or Moylan (signed till 2024). Also had a brilliant year in cup last year and didn't look out of his depth at 6 or 1. I thought he was impressive in his couple of first grade games, and looked like he could have challenged for Kennedy's spot by the end of this year had he continued developing well. Unfortunately, he will miss the year with an ACL tear. This puts the club in a more challenging spot as there will be less data to decide whether he could be ready to be the heir to the 1 jersey in 2024. It is also likely that Kennedy will be looking for a longer term deal, so the club is in a tough spot on this one. Kade is signed through the end of 2024 too, so one option could be bringing him in through 5/8 in 2025, then transitioning him to replace Kennedy after a next deal if he lives up to the hype.
I think given his injury, the club has no choice but to re-sign Will. Hopefully for two years, maybe with a mutual option for a 3rd. Kade can transition in as injury cover/utility/five-eight over the next few years, and can likely be retained cheaply given he'll be coming of a significant injury.