what greg pierce said to a fellow sharkfinatic:
1. Lance Thompson has NOT re-signed yet, and nothing is set in concrete. His manager is in Texas promoting a Mundine fight, and despite having been inundated with calls and messages from Sharks management is uncontactable at this stage. The situation however is that no one else is chasing him, and that Lance will probably stay, as we have made him a very large three year offer. This may not be finalised until late this week though. Whatever happens it is not for lack of trying that Thompson is not yet re-signed.
2. Nigel has NOT signed with the Rabbits yet. Nigel has promised that he will come and talk to Pierce before he signs, and this has not happened. However, the Sharks will not be matching the current offer he has recieved from Souths, (rumoured to be in the region of $350K a year) as we can't fit that under the cap. Nigel is welcome to enter into talks regarding what would have to be a much smaller contract, but it is more than likely that he will take the money at this stage of his career.
3. Covell is next on the block with his manager coming in tomorrow. Covell is going nowhere, though the Sharks aren't considering him a priority at this stage. Covell REALLY wants to stay, but what he gets offered is dependent on what we have to pay to others.
4. Beau Scott is polarising Cronulla fans. As it stands he is being chased by the Dragons and Titans, but will be made an offer by Cronulla at some stage.
5. We will not be signing Jamie Lyon. We contacted Lyon's management and made him an offer, but Lyon was asking $450K a year which Pierce, (and I concur) felt was excessive for a centre. In fact, under the salary cap we could either have Lyon and a premier league guy, or Lance Thompson and someone like Webster or Delaney. I think Thommo is by far the better option.
6. We are talking to Webster, Delaney and Millard. Our option is Webster, but the Titans have more money to spend, and his family lives on the Gold Coast. We can but offer.
7. Hutch will more than likely leave. At the moment, he is rated as our 4th prop, behind Ross, Douglas, and Stosic??? He is asking around $160K a year which is excessive for a fourth prop. If he gets a better offer somewhere else he is likely to take it as we won't be offering close to that.
8. Salary cap issues are paramount at the moment. A lot of the money we save from Bailey and Nigel is being given to Thompson, (as St George are paying most of his contract this year) and to Luke Douglas who had half the league chasing him. We are also budgeting to re-sign Gallen, as he will more than likely attract lots of interest.
9. Players who have expressed interest in coming to the Sharks should the worst happen and we lose Thompson, are Sione Faumaina, who killed us against the Warriors a few weeks back, and wait for it....
CRAIG FITZGIBBON!!!!! He's on the back end of his career, but he'd look good in a Sharks jersey. Be a great option if the worst happened.
