How many players have each of the other clubs recruited for next year? I'd like to see a list. We are seeing players going everhere, but they seem to be going everywhere and not to one particular place. I wouldn't be surprised if other clubs are actually in the same situation when you single them out and have a good look.
Exactly.
From memory, the big signings so far have been Maloney -> Roosters, Anasta -> Wests, Taylor -> GC, Neilson-> Warriors, Williams -> Dogs, Gordon -> Sharks, Ellis -> Hull FC, Te'o -> Souths, Beale -> St George and Manu, Brown, Whare and Segeyaro -> Penrith. So Penrith are the only club who have shown their hand, and credit to them for it but their priorities were obvious at the start of the year. They have the worst roster in the comp this year IMO.
Most of those shifts are Clubs nabbing their main (or close to) target for the year, as we did (for once).
Things are always slow around Origin time too.
I don't think we need a recruitment officer as much as we need scouts out there. The players managers are the ones shopping the current graded players around so each club knows who's off contract what they are after etc etc. Where as the scouts are out and about at the schoolboy carnivals trying to sign kids with potential and offering trials. With our current financial issues this is probably and only guessing here, something that we may be lagging behind with the other clubs. Clubs like the roosters etc will employ scouts on a part time/casual basis, where these scouts have a primary employment and if a carnival or something comes up in there catchment area like South East Queensland. They will go to that carnival. They don't necessarily travel all over the state or country cause these clubs have different scouts around. So this is most likely an area in which we fall down.
I think this is on the money. That said, Walsh and Tubbs are both rural pick ups. But that sounds like the sort of extras that the Club just wouldn't have the budget for. Likewise, scouts in NZ. How many good players come to the Storm and Dogs from NZ? I doubt we have much in the way of recruitment staff over their.
On a side not, really are going to come to Cronulla unless we are paying overs or offering a lifeline. Since the offering of overs seem to be a thing of the past, especially under our current administration, being a major player in quality recruitment (exception of last year) may be a little lean until our future is secured.
Who knows what players and their managers really think, but I disagree mate. I think we're at the point where things have looked up but no one knows if it will last with Carney's volatility and the development process. I feel if the Club really wants a player- like it did Gordon- and goes hard after him from the outset, we're a chance but we're certainly not a target for players like Melbourne or Brisbane etc.
