2023 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[MaroonTitan]

If the NRL.com Signings lists are correct, we have two spots for next year in our 30. I imagine Des has quite a few deals in the pipeline but based on what I can see (and the little that I know about the behind the scenes manoeuvring), I think our first priority is to resign Francis and Alick. Ok, that sounds crazy to sew up the 30 with those two but we missed out on Bullemor and need an outside back.

I'd be looking to shift the underperformers out of the 30 for new blood rather than these two. Des would know better than most how to shift players to other clubs. Spry. Maumaulo and Schoupp are the obvious candidates to shift in the backs. Can anyone here justify hanging onto them?

In the forwards, Stimson and Liu look like they don't have another year of NRL in them but may provide depth. The question is how much are they being paid for depth? Too much? Shift em.

We also need to extend Mo and Weaver ASAP with both coming off contract at the end of next year.

As usual, I could be so wrong about this so please correct me if I am.

[willhelm]

Say we move Maumalo on and Lofi goes down - who replaces him?

[Cowabunga]

There's Liyou and R.Foran who are in the top 30 next year not on the NRL.com site, We're not sure if the club is going to take up the offer on Alick, So I think it's 29 if Alick is staying.

The issue with moving Liu on is probably how much is someone willing to pay of his salary at this point, apparently it's 500k so we'd still have to be paying a fair bit on our salary cap so I think it's nearly worth just keeping him on. Stimson is worth keeping around as a vet and wouldn't be on much coin at all probably wont be in our best 17 anyway.

The backs are 100% an issue but is there anyone worth bringing in who's available right now? Tass would be a decent option. The Ben Hunt situation is still hanging around and some other clubs who have had massive choke seasons could look to make some moves (Cowboys, Souths, Parra etc.). Who knows, Maybe everyone else has dumb clauses like us and someone comes on the market.

If Oates is on the out at Broncos, I' hope we have a look at him, Still only 28 and just played origin last year with an injury riddled year this season. It's ridiculous for Lofi to have that wing spot locked down with no competition considering his braindead mistakes and lapses.

[MaroonTitan]

Say we move Maumalo on and Lofi goes down - who replaces him?

Francis

[willhelm]

Francis

I’d rather have Kenny in the squad tbh

[MaroonTitan]

I’d rather have Kenny in the squad tbh

Why is that? Experience only?

[Titanic]

Interesting to read that McGuire had one of "those clauses" which he activated when Bennett left the 'Ponies ... Holbrook isn't Bennett ffs but McGuire is hardly the sharpest knife in the kitchen so there must be a lot of those around.

[Team Titan]

Say we move Maumalo on and Lofi goes down - who replaces him?

Hopefully not Schoupp after what we seen yesterday ����… also heard Francis is off to Rugby next year?

Next year our backs depth with no Maumalo..

Fullbacks - AJ, JC, Kini & Degroot (Dev)
Wing - Lofi, Sami, JoJo, Spry & Degroot (Dev)
Centre - Kelly, Schoupp, AJ, JoJo & Spry

My ideal back 5 would be

1. JC
2. Lofi
3. Kelly
4. AJ
5. Sami

[Bayside Titan]

I think with Schoop he will head back to Sydney as he was linked to the Eels and his partner in due their first child. This I hope puts Francis up the food chain.

[willhelm]

Why is that? Experience only?

Yeah, and we need one of those big body bulldozer type wingers

[Whats Doing]

There's Liyou and R.Foran who are in the top 30 next year not on the NRL.com site, We're not sure if the club is going to take up the offer on Alick, So I think it's 29 if Alick is staying.

The issue with moving Liu on is probably how much is someone willing to pay of his salary at this point, apparently it's 500k so we'd still have to be paying a fair bit on our salary cap so I think it's nearly worth just keeping him on. Stimson is worth keeping around as a vet and wouldn't be on much coin at all probably wont be in our best 17 anyway.

The backs are 100% an issue but is there anyone worth bringing in who's available right now? Tass would be a decent option. The Ben Hunt situation is still hanging around and some other clubs who have had massive choke seasons could look to make some moves (Cowboys, Souths, Parra etc.). Who knows, Maybe everyone else has dumb clauses like us and someone comes on the market.

If Oates is on the out at Broncos, I' hope we have a look at him, Still only 28 and just played origin last year with an injury riddled year this season. It's ridiculous for Lofi to have that wing spot locked down with no competition considering his braindead mistakes and lapses.

Ben Hunt said in the Dragons after match interview is that he will be staying with the Dragons next year. So it looks like that option won’t happen.

[Hail Sezer]

Hopefully not Schoupp after what we seen yesterday ����… also heard Francis is off to Rugby next year?

Next year our backs depth with no Maumalo..

Fullbacks - AJ, JC, Kini & Degroot (Dev)
Wing - Lofi, Sami, JoJo, Spry & Degroot (Dev)
Centre - Kelly, Schoupp, AJ, JoJo & Spry

My ideal back 5 would be

1. JC
2. Lofi
3. Kelly
4. AJ
5. Sami

Spry won’t be there

They’ll try to retain Tony Francis but he’s not short of options

[NZFan]

Lawton free to leave — wouldn’t mind bringing him home as a cheap utility.

I’d love to see this happen but unfortunately he fills the same roster spot as Randall. If we traded him for Clarke I’d be all for it, but we just don’t need another backup utility on the books next year.

[willhelm]

Is he still with that big booba broad?

[Titansborn'n'bred]

Despite us having little to no room on the roster I hope Des provides a small clean out of a few players under contract that need to be moved on sooner and has a list a suitable targets to replace. We can’t go in with the same 30 expecting major improvement from this year