2022 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[willhelm]

I understand that the deal is to increase his current contract next year to $800k and for 2023 as well and rising to $850k for 2024 and 2025

Probably smart to have a slight back ending like that given the current salary cap is down 6% due to covid and I’m guessing with inflation and, hopefully, wages on the rise the salary cap will go back up by 23/24.

[Titans83]

My Favourite props in the game are J Paulo, D Saifiti, P Haas, AFB, Welch, NAS, J Papalii, H Uele. Comparing there wages to tino is hard because most of it is guess work. From the estimates are any of these guys on more than what tino will be on?
Haas signed a cheap contract but I think he’s getting a big upgrade. Maybe Papalii is on 800k but I’m not sure.
Not all the players I have listed are necessarily better then Tino. AFB and Haas both have off field crap, NAS is an impact player(far better then tino was at Melbourne though), Welch might not be that good if he leaves Melbourne. Most of the players have shown to be top tier players for a number of seasons and they would be on around or some less then tino is getting.
I’m happy for tino to stay as I think he will help our culture, recruitment and his ceiling is very very high but if we lose him it’s not the end of the world.

[willhelm]

Mole reporting that it's down to Dolphins and Roosters for Smith

[Hail Sezer]

My Favourite props in the game are J Paulo, D Saifiti, P Haas, AFB, Welch, NAS, J Papalii, H Uele. Comparing there wages to tino is hard because most of it is guess work. From the estimates are any of these guys on more than what tino will be on?
Haas signed a cheap contract but I think he’s getting a big upgrade. Maybe Papalii is on 800k but I’m not sure.
Not all the players I have listed are necessarily better then Tino. AFB and Haas both have off field crap, NAS is an impact player(far better then tino was at Melbourne though), Welch might not be that good if he leaves Melbourne. Most of the players have shown to be top tier players for a number of seasons and they would be on around or some less then tino is getting.
I’m happy for tino to stay as I think he will help our culture, recruitment and his ceiling is very very high but if we lose him it’s not the end of the world.

A fair few of middles are on 700k+. Tino was literally our player of the year, still only in his second season in the NRL, is an origin middle, and by all accounts sets the example at training and on the field. Not to mention he is only 21 and playing a position that most players peak in their mid to late 20's. If we lose him, I think the biggest issue we'll have is what it does for the confidence of the remaining playing group - why did their best player and leader, who talked the talk about bringing success to the Titans, decide to leave for a pay bumper and to play under a coach nearing retirement?

And what picture does it paint of the Titans for guys like Brandon Smith, that Tino is even contemplating leaving to play under Bennett at the new club up the road?

No player is irreplaceable and no player is above the club but jeez the sooner this is over the better, can't help but think it is distracting for the playing group internally as well.

(edited bc wrong wording)

[Upthetits]

And then there were two.

Brandon Smith - the most sought-after player in the rugby league world for 2023 - has narrowed his choices down to two clubs.

The dynamic Melbourne hooker has been chased by half the clubs in the NRL, but is close to deciding his fate, with the Roosters and the league's new franchise, the Dolphins, the teams still in the hunt.

"He has spoken to a lot of clubs and narrowed it down to those two," a source close to Smith told Wide World of Sports.

"Brandon still has another meeting with the Roosters coming up and that will probably decide which way he goes."

The Storm are still hopeful of retaining Smith, but simply won't be able to match the type of money being thrown at him by the big-spending Roosters and Dolphins.

Melbourne also has an outstanding back-up hooker in Harry Grant, who will move into the starting side should Smith move on once his contract expires at the end of next season.

The Roosters see Smith as the perfect long-term replacement for Jake Friend, who retired midway through last season.

And the Dolphins want Smith as a marquee signing for their debut season to attract other big names.

- - - Updated - - -

Off-contract Kiwi star Brandon Smith will have dinner with Trent Robinson at his eastern suburbs home this week as the Roosters make a last-ditch attempt to beat Wayne Bennett in the race to woo the in-demand dummy half away from the Melbourne Storm.

It comes as Smith’s agent Stan Martin revealed that he was hoping his star client would make a call on his future soon after his guided tour through the Roosters’ headquarters in the coming days.

The face-to-face with Robinson will be the final stopover on a high profile trip down the eastern seaboard that also included visits with the Dolphins, Titans and Cowboys, who all tabled offers over the past fortnight.

It is understood at this point Robinson’s Roosters are the biggest threat to Bennett’s Dolphins, who are shaping up as the dominant force in this battle for one of the game’s most sought-after signatures, especially given Smith’s desire to continue playing hooker and Harry Grant’s ongoing presence at the Storm.

Bennett makes no secret of his keenness to sign the nuggety New Zealander as one of his marquee men at the NRL’s newest franchise, and the Dolphins seem pretty confident they will get their man.

But the fact is that when it comes to rugby league recruitment, no one does it better than Roosters supremo Nick Politis, who has a track record of getting what he wants, with superstars Sonny Bill Williams and Cooper Cronk among his former high profile targets.

However, Martin said Smith was not scheduled to meet with Politis this week, who was expected to be away on business.

But Robinson is also known to drive a very compelling argument when it comes to selling his vision for the Roosters.

“Trent has organised with Brandon, or is going to organise, to have dinner at his place,” Martin said on Sunday.

“He has got about a week in Sydney before he heads down to Melbourne.

“He will make a decision then I would hope. We might have to talk to Melbourne before we close off but I am hoping it is not too far into the distant future. Maybe two or three weeks I’m hoping.”

Martin is convinced Smith’s best position is dummy half, and that is where he should continue playing.

“He is the Dally M hooker of the year,” he said.

“It is not better for Brandon (playing out of position behind Grant).

“I don’t know if you remember but about a year ago we said that Brandon is a hooker.

“That is what we wanted.

“We always wanted that, never wavered off that.”

But he said continuing to play hooker at the Storm would be highly unlikely given Grant’s presence until at least the end of 2023.

“I don’t see that happening. They have got Harry, haven’t they?” Martin added.

Martin also conceded how Smith thought he might handle living in Sydney could factor into his final decision, with his parents currently living in Brisbane.

“There are lots of things going around in his head,” he continued.

“Monetary side of things is important. Being a leader is important.

“Building a legacy, which he won’t do at Storm because the legacy is Cameron Smith’s.

“All of those things are obvious issues. He will have visited all four clubs by the time this is over.

“I have a preference, but at the end of the day, he will have a preference and we will have a chat. We will have a Zoom conference and we will hopefully come to a club that we can agree to.”

[Bayside Titan]

While I like to see B Smith at the club I don't want it at the expense of Tino and Fifita. I feel that these two players we can build around and hope that they settle on being with the Titans for the long term. I think that between Booth , Boyd and Clarke we should have the players that we need to develop a Hooker or wait until one comes up that suits our purpose. I think that if the Borders open up (2022) that could open clubs like ours up to looking at the Super League again for a player or two.

With the Dolphins and a potential new club a few years after that clubs may forecast that they need to go into a player development phase and I feel that should start now. IMO we should start the see the JTS in full production in the next 2-5 years with the talent and the schools we have a partnership with. ( Just thoughts ).

[hungryjacks]

Im with you Bayside, Im much more excited about what is in the production line in the JTS compared to what we can purchase outside of it. Every year our junior development program seems to be improving 2-fold ( ever since Garth started to be honest to him and the club) and am super excited to see the fruits of that year after year eventually.

A better question is how do we spend the money if we miss out on Smith? 850-950k is alot of money.

[Ausphin]

If Smith is not an option, I would be keen to keep an eye on the Hodgson to Tigers situation. Either Liddle or preferably Simpkin may be available.

[Titanic]

Also with you BT … lock down tino and focus on our blokes.

[Whats Doing]

Welsh is apparently knocking back the Dolphins as well. They are having trouble signing anyone.

[T0ken]

Tino more 50/50 than the media is reporting

Do not be fully invested until you have to offical media releases

[5 Year Contract]

Smiths management came out and said the down to 2 x clubs thing is absolute BS so I would say we still arent out of the race. There is a GC bulletin article but I dont have a subscription. I think we are very much in the Hunt and if the money is close and Tino is staying I think Smith would prefer us but again we dont even know if Tino has signed

[psmitty]

Brandon Smith 2023: Manager Stan Martin’s slams false Roosters, Dolphins rumour

BRANDON Smith’s camp has rubbished a report claiming the NRL’s most in-demand free agent has narrowed down his NRL future to the Dolphins or Roosters.

November 22, 2021 - 4:09PM

BRANDON Smith’s camp has rubbished a report claiming the NRL’s most in-demand free agent has narrowed down his NRL future to the Dolphins or Roosters.

Smith will meet with Roosters coach Trent Robinson before the end of the month for his final club meeting before returning to pre-season with the Storm on December 7.

Smith’s manager Stan Martin blasted rumours Smith had already ruled out offers from the Titans, Cowboys and Storm as baseless speculation.

“Not at all,” Martin said.

“I don’t know where people get this s---. It p----- me off.

“We haven’t discussed anything yet. That will come after Brandon’s meeting with the Roosters but he hasn’t even got to Sydney yet.

“I’m just sick and tired of people speculating. It is cut and dry - Brandon will make his decision after meeting with the Roosters and I’m hoping to have it sorted by December 7 because he’s got to be back at training in Melbourne.

“I’m sure we’ll have it sorted before Christmas.”

The Titans have offered Smith a three-year contract in the vicinity of $800,000 per season but News understands that offer is not the highest Smith has received.

The Dolphins have more salary cap flexibility with the club yet to land a marquee signing to build its inaugural roster around.

The Titans and Dolphins share geographical advantages over North Queensland and Sydney, with Smith’s family recently relocating to Brisbane, where younger brother Jayden attended Wavell State High School.

Smith has strong friendships with Titans marquee players David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who have run a tag-team recruitment campaign to bring the ‘Cheese’ to the Gold Coast since Fifita first signed with the club.

The Titans forwards hope Smith will prove the piece that completes a premiership-calibre spine, with long-term halves and a fullback secured in AJ Brimson, Toby Sexton and Jayden Campbell.

The looming re-signing of Fa’asuamaleaui to an upgraded contract and Fifita’s million-dollar plus salary will create cap headaches should another marquee player join the mix but the Titans confidence in its junior pathway is second-to-none.

Memorandums of understanding with local talent factories Keebra Park, Palm Beach Currumbin, Coombabah, Marsden and Marymount College, and a club recruitment director intimately connected with the New Zealand rugby league pathway, can supply a steady stream of young talent to supplement a top-heavy salary cap.

https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au...1cb46b212da066

[Whats Doing]

PSmitty had already posted the GC Bulletin article

[Just-a-Fan]

I have confident in that B Smith will sign with us to play besides Tino and Fifita I have also heard his Family is moving to the gold coast in 2023 how true this is I do not know
Can anyone confirm his Brother has signed to go to Keebra Park school in 2023 ? B Smith is the 1 paying the bill this is all only hear say no prove as from WA its hard to get any good info