"Sorry, we're full..." article

[brently]

Cronulla rugby league chief executive Greg Pierce said Sharks coach Ricky Stuart talked to Tuqiri's business adviser Les Ross yesterday.

"We can afford to get him [Tuqiri], there's no argument with that, but it's what effect it's going to have on the rest of the squad if you go out and get him," Pierce said.

- with AAP

Well, for one you can't afford to pay our halves the money they are currently on. I think Nod and Dykes would definitely exit stage left if Lote signed with us. Do you think Lote's signing could make lesser paid players in the squad jealous? It is going to take a veritble truckload of cash to sign him.

 

[Great White]

Agree totally, I think as much as I would love to see him, it is too much for a winger/centre.

 

[Hardstyle_shark]

I think it depends on who leaves us at the end of the year. He could do the complete opposite of jealous and he could lift some of the players confidence. To have a such a player of his talents. Could help out our younger players and give the team a boost. But thats not my opinion. I think he could make some players jealous. Plus i don't think his worth what he is asking for. Good player he is but not great player as of yet.

 

[Great White]

Does anyone think other Saints players get jealous when playing with Gasnier?

 

[Dr Prawn]

He says his future will be sorted out within a week, so that timeframe suggests to me that he'll most likely stay rah-rah.

 

[Great White]

Interesting.

 

[Blondie]

It would be bad business if the Sharks signed Lote. He is a good player however he would put an undue pressure on the wage structure like Kimmorley has. What if, like Kimmorley, he does not meet expectations. You then have a guy on the books being paid huge sums of money whilst up and comers cannot stay at the club because the club has reached its salary cap limit. Chuck in the payouts to x coaches and the need to develop talent and the whole Lote thing is a bad idea. Gasnier will be the end of the Dragons current bout of form. I know it takes more than one player to win the big one but where was Gasnier against the Storm in the semis. People paid that sort of money are expected to perform miracles. I did not see any miracles.

 

[peachey]

lote tuqiri will meet the expectations...with ball in hands he is better then gasnier i reckon...he is a game breaker for sure..the younger guys would love to have him around..

 

[shark23]

I am with you Peach... I think the young guys would develop with the experience someone like Lote can bring to a club. I think there are a lot of smart ideas Ricky Stuart is implementing and I am sure that he will look at every angle before committing to any Tuqiri signature... With Ricky around, our club and our team is in safe hand..

 

[Shiredad]

And you know, it may not be all about the money.

Rugby is a demanding sport, in that so much time is spent overseas. Lote has just been away for 3 weeks in South Africa. He'll be off to New Zealand in a month or two, then off to South Africa and NZ again for the Tri-Nations, then to France for a couple of months for the World Cup. Then if the Wallabies do an end of year tour, he'll spend another couple of months in Europe, only to come back home, hit pre-season training, and off to South Africa again.

I'm sure that his wife and kid would be happy to take a pay cut if it meant much more time at home.

 

[Gummyshark]

You could buy two real quality players for his asking price. Spend our money else where, Mark O'Mealy, Anthony Tupou, Iosia Soliola just some examples.

 

[peachey]

no chance of getting soliola..i think he re-signed with the roosters...

 

[grommy]

I agree with Gummyshark. Y spend so much money on one great player when you can get 2 great players instead

 

[Sempa Fi Sharky]

Soliola

Sharks backline-
1 - Simmons
2- Brown/Anderson
3- Robinson/Hannay
4- Pommeroy
5- Covell/Rafeterey/Misi
etc (sorry if I missed anyone)

Soliola won't get a place in this backline after mid year. So even if he wasn't available don't waste your money.

I make the predicition that $for $ this will be the most improved backline in the NRL by the back end of the season.

Young guys scoring s**t loads of points.

Yeah baby

 

[Sempa Fi Sharky]

Backline

You guys wait and see.

SW*8t post. Just trying to get off 113

 

[brently]

Hope you're right semp. our backs def need to be more dynamic than last year. was painful to watch because you just knew we were out of ideas if the old-face-ball-to-a-second-man-and-then-turn-it-back-inside didn't work.

 

[Sempa Fi Sharky]

Brently

You are not the only one

 

[sharks195]

i think you are right sempa, they will improve and be consistent by season's end.

 

[Great White]

You could buy two real quality players for his asking price. Spend our money else where, Mark O'Mealy, Anthony Tupou, Iosia Soliola just some examples.

Exactly right, the money can be spent better elsewhere. Imagine we were resourceful enough to sign a Inglis like talent.

 

[Bronze Whaler]

$700 000 a year! What a load of horse ****. He's a good player i wouldn't call him a great player. That would be one of the worst decisions we could make to pay anywhere near that. You would buy two real good players for that, Lote isn't twice as good as everyone else!