(Archived) THE RUMOUR MILL - Player Movement

So if hypothetically Bird is gone, who's our target at right centre?
What about Josh Morris? Probably cheaper than Bird, he's got 2-3 good seasons left, and his origin days are probably over which is a good thing. Could be a good old head in what is a pretty youthful backline. Off contract next year I think.

HaroldBishop said:

Then how do you explain the amount of metres he makes?

Look I agree that we can spend the dollars elsewhere, but for people to say he's a plodder is laughable.

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but he is a plodder

CHOGM said:

So if hypothetically Bird is gone, who's our target at right centre?
What about Josh Morris? Probably cheaper than Bird, he's got 2-3 good seasons left, and his origin days are probably over which is a good thing. Could be a good old head in what is a pretty youthful backline. Off contract next year I think.

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bird being off contract and leaving, we should throw money at either whare or chambers

chambers won us a grand final, deserves our respek

fergo, aaron gray a few others are available

CHOGM said:

So if hypothetically Bird is gone, who's our target at right centre?
What about Josh Morris? Probably cheaper than Bird, he's got 2-3 good seasons left, and his origin days are probably over which is a good thing. Could be a good old head in what is a pretty youthful backline. Off contract next year I think.

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Wouldnt go for jmoz for mine, past his peak and there's younger and better players on offer. In no particular order these are some id consider that are off contract:

Ferguson, chambers, nofoaluma, naiquama, gagai, whare, roberts, milne, skd, mead, dwz, kahu, gela-mosby.

Some are obviously moreso wingers but beale looked good when val was outside him providing the star power so I wouldnt be against us picking up a gun winger instead of a centre.

we could also look to re-sign beale and sign DWZ, tupou, feldt, taufua and johnny tuivasa-scheck

kato ottio is another to look at from canberra, guy is a gun, or we could throw cash at gagai

options a plenty

nofo is a fantastic shout

Proud Shark said:

Wouldnt go for jmoz for mine, past his peak and there's younger and better players on offer. In no particular order these are some id consider that are off contract:

Ferguson, chambers, nofoaluma, naiquama, gagai, whare, roberts, milne, skd, mead, dwz, kahu, gela-mosby.

Some are obviously moreso wingers but beale looked good when val was outside him providing the star power so I wouldnt be against us picking up a gun winger instead of a centre.

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Gotta say I didn't realise how many were off contract next year. In light of Gal, Lewis and Heino departing, I'd be looking at a more experienced centre than a young gun. Chambers or Gagai.

snowman said:

bird being off contract and leaving, we should throw money at either whare or chambers

chambers won us a grand final, deserves our respek

fergo, aaron gray a few others are available

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Gray reminds me so much of Stapo

snowman said:

we could also look to re-sign beale and sign DWZ, tupou, feldt, taufua and johnny tuivasa-scheck

kato ottio is another to look at from canberra, guy is a gun, or we could throw cash at gagai

options a plenty

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Yep mentioned the beale option too. Forgot about Ottio as well he looks decent.

CHOGM said:

Gotta say I didn't realise how many were off contract next year. In light of Gal, Lewis and Heino departing, I'd be looking at a more experienced centre than a young gun. Chambers or Gagai.

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My issue is those guys wouldnt be demanding much shy of bird with the cap increase. Surely almost 700ish respectively. A guy like Whare could hit their level but maybe cost around 400-500, Nofa a bit more but probably still less than chambers. We had our success with experienced forwards and young outside backs, I wouldnt be against sticking to that model.

Proud Shark said:

Yep mentioned the beale option too. Forgot about Ottio as well he looks decent.



My issue is those guys wouldnt be demanding much shy of bird with the cap increase. Surely almost 700ish respectively. A guy like Whare could hit their level but maybe cost around 400-500, Nofa a bit more but probably still less than chambers. We had our success with experienced forwards and young outside backs, I wouldnt be against sticking to that model.

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I thought the problem was Bird was after fullback or 5/8 money, which is more like 900k. I would have thought Chambers or Gagai would not be cost much more than we've offered Bird, 450-600k. But I'm totally guessing, no idea really. My worry next year we are losing a lot of those experienced forwards. If we lost Bird, signed Chambers and kept 300k in the bank I'd be pretty happy.

CHOGM said:

I thought the problem was Bird was after fullback or 5/8 money, which is more like 900k. I would have thought Chambers or Gagai would not be cost much more than we've offered Bird, 450-600k. But I'm totally guessing, no idea really. My worry next year we are losing a lot of those experienced forwards. If we lost Bird, signed Chambers and kept 300k in the bank I'd be pretty happy.

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Yeah im guessing too but id have those two on that sort of contract now, so with the cap increase looming id expect they would be after a fair pay bump. Gagai probably signed on fb money at newy too.

My thing with Bird is, he wants this position or that position (or so we keep hearing), some teams are apparently offering big money and promises of positions.....well ive gotta say a $900,000 a season 5/8 wouldnt be talked about for origin with comments like......"where would you play him", "whats his best spot" this is the whole thing. Every single expert in the game does not have a definitive answer for that. There is not 1 position that suits jack to a t. Hes typically a ball runner. Ive seen little creative play or much a strong kicking game to suggest he will be a long term success at 6. If i were jack i would be looking around at what players do, and what he does and where he compares.

No doubt he will have brilliant moments in games. But are you going to want him in control of the attack? Hes a crab. Will only hand the ball off when he finally realises he isnt getting anywhere.

My own opinion is his best spot, be it here, parra, newy or wherever is on the right edge. Centre while he gains his strength and size then straight into the 2nd row. He will be an amazing ball runner, run awesome lines. Get the ball early on those midfield bits of broken play also. I honestly think the pressure of a huge contract and a demanding position like a 6 will be his undoing. You dont here the press starting to blame 11s or centres for a loss. Playmakers get the scrutiny. Once he gets put under that microscope i think the things he is missing from his bag of tricks will be very evident.

Brilliant player, but not a modern day play maker. Most teams are using a 2 half back system rather than a 7 and a 6 almost

I agree BWB and on top of what you said - a club can promise any position they like but if a player fails at the appointed spot they're unlikely to persist with it for too long - and all of a sudden he finds himself back in the centres or the 2nd row or lock anyway.

townsend to sign for 2 more years....bye bye birdie

Thresher Shark said:

I agree BWB and on top of what you said - a club can promise any position they like but if a player fails at the appointed spot they're unlikely to persist with it for too long - and all of a sudden he finds himself back in the centres or the 2nd row or lock anyway.

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Barbs is the perfect example.
He came to us as a 5/8 not fullback.
He played a few games and stunk it up and then off the bench in 2015.

Western Sharkie said:

Barbs is the perfect example.
He came to us as a 5/8 not fullback.
He played a few games and stunk it up and then off the bench in 2015.

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Yep, and Manly learnt the hard way by persisting with Dylan Walker in the halves for too long

If we did sign reynolds do you think we could play him as a center if we lost jack bird. would make for some exciting attack. Not sure how his defense would be like in that position. Just a thought.

That Darren Lockyer "5/8 experiment" is another good example. Shoulda just gone straight to the second row

andrew's_sharks said:

If we did sign reynolds do you think we could play him as a center if we lost jack bird. would make for some exciting attack. Not sure how his defense would be like in that position. Just a thought.

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No, imo, could he fill in there during a game if injury occurred, yes, but over the season he would be caught out & targeted, cant see him at Sharks anyway, lots of games being played out in the media, players, player managers & clubs atm.

andrew's_sharks said:

If we did sign reynolds do you think we could play him as a center if we lost jack bird. would make for some exciting attack. Not sure how his defense would be like in that position. Just a thought.

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We could play him at centre the same way we could play prior at fullback

It would be more 'exciting' playing Reynlods in the halves where he belongs, don't see him leaving dogs anyway

Forum really is stretching this year....