2023 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[MaroonTitan]

I agree with you WD. Signing Rona doesn't make any sense to me. Why not upgrade Francis and show another junior the faith we have in them?

I used to like Rona as a player but that's a long time ago. How quick and fit is he now? It's easier to look good with all the stoppages and slowpokes in rah rah.

HS - I would say Rona is unproven at current NRL level and while he might be cheap, so would a junior in his place. I hope you're right and if we sign him, he brains it but Francis sounds like he's very close to ready and while it was only one trial, he looked like he belonged. I think signing Rona would send the wrong message to some of our young guys on the way up.

Thanks for the new thread. I'm happy to see Spry get another shot and those Development players upgraded.

[Hail Sezer]

I agree with you WD. Signing Rona doesn't make any sense to me. Why not upgrade Francis and show another junior the faith we have in them?

I used to like Rona as a player but that's a long time ago. How quick and fit is he now? It's easier to look good with all the stoppages and slowpokes in rah rah.

HS - I would say Rona is unproven at current NRL level and while he might be cheap, so would a junior in his place. I hope you're right and if we sign him, he brains it but Francis sounds like he's very close to ready and while it was only one trial, he looked like he belonged. I think signing Rona would send the wrong message to some of our young guys on the way up.

Thanks for the new thread. I'm happy to see Spry get another shot and those Development players upgraded.

I think there's a few misunderstandings here with the roster makeup..

To answer your first Q, Francis was already contracted on an NRL development deal for '23 and it makes little sense to upgrade him from that when he's already in the NRL picture and able to compete for a spot (albeit not week 1). I'm a big fan of his but he's still a work in progress based on his Qcup form. If they made the decision to upgrade him, you're giving up another top 30 spot occupied by someone without a single NRL game, and in a position that's already skinny on experience.

Most clubs seem pretty comfortable recruiting from rugby union and I'd be really disappointed if we took the approach of choosing not to because it's an apparent inferior sport. If NRL clubs can recruit out of Qcup, NSW Cup and Schoolboy footy straight into NRL rosters, I'd think by the same process a club could make a fair assessment of whether a professional Rugby Union player who's played NRL was worthy of competing for a spot.

I'm not sure if you think by signing another outside back we're in turn sacrificing a junior because that's not the case. We needed more depth in the outside backs regardless - winger and centre - and we really needed that with some experience. We aren't losing any juniors by potentially signing him, they're still there, it's just adding a different dynamic to the group to compete for a spot. It absolutely shouldn't send the wrong message because the guys on the way up haven't proven anything and should have to compete for a spot, not walk into it. Think of signing Rona as a bit of extra motivation for these guys to prove themselves, and a bit of a cushion in the instance they don't..really just a direct replacement for CT with a bit of height

I know it sounds like I'm going in to bat for a guy that in all honesty I hope (if signed) plays little NRL for us anyway because I'm hopeful our younger guys earn a spot, but I'm just trying to give a bit of perspective as to how I assume they're approaching building the roster to create competition with consideration for cost, experience, player profile, term (i.e. how long the player is projected to be with us) and opportunity cost. It's a short-term gap filler if anything while there isn't much else available on the market to fill that need.

[Titanic]

Yep, in these days of having to have news every day, any and all recruitments will get some sort of attention-grabbing headline ... hardly a blip on the radar.

[DIEHARD]

I think the NRL needs to sign more union players. The NRL with 16 and now 17 and soon 18 clubs needs more talent. I'd probably prefer signing younger union talent and juniors though.

I don't know much about him, but it'll be an interesting experiment. He has some experience in rugby league.

Of course, you can't beat building a first class juniors system though and we have the raw materials for that.

[MaroonTitan]

Thanks HS. I hope you're right and our young guys step up and our best outside backs stay fit until at least Round 11. I might be unreasonable wanting NRL quality across our entire 30. There are guys in the 17 for lots of clubs that are lucky to be called first graders.

[coreythompson]

I think we should get the Trejbovic brothers
We already have Foran

[Hail Sezer]

Thanks HS. I hope you're right and our young guys step up and our best outside backs stay fit until at least Round 11. I might be unreasonable wanting NRL quality across our entire 30. There are guys in the 17 for lots of clubs that are lucky to be called first graders.

Yeah me too. The salary cap and nature of recruitment these days means that having a top 30 full of players who would start at most NRL clubs is just impossible. You've got to have players who are on minimum or near minimum salaries to round it out, and the reality is if they were undoubted NRL starting quality then they'd be attracting higher salaries than this at other clubs. These depth/fringe guys should complement your roster of stars, starters, and up and comers.

[Hail Sezer]

Rona off to Japan to play union, where the $$ are probably a bit more friendly than a minimum NRL deal

Interesting to see where the club turns their attention to next, not much out there

[willhelm]

Rona off to Japan to play union, where the $$ are probably a bit more friendly than a minimum NRL deal

Interesting to see where the club turns their attention to next, not much out there

I wonder if Reuben Garrick is happy with what's going on at Manly

[Hail Sezer]

I wonder if Reuben Garrick is happy with what's going on at Manly

I mean, hypothetically he'd be the #1 target for a winger that meets everything we need (assuming he isn't chasing a fullback spot or a fullback salary)...would need a release though

[Titslover]

I mean, hypothetically he'd be the #1 target for a winger that meets everything we need (assuming he isn't chasing a fullback spot or a fullback salary)...would need a release though

Des just got sacked so I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy about that hahah. I agree though, I think if Garrick were to leave Manly it would be for fullback coin.

[willhelm]

McLean re-signed with the Cows for another year so we need to look elsewhere

[Whats Doing]

Rona off to Japan to play union, where the $$ are probably a bit more friendly than a minimum NRL deal

Interesting to see where the club turns their attention to next, not much out there

Thats good. He has a reputation of not sticking around at clubs and could have been our next Will Smith if he signed.

[Hail Sezer]

Thats good. He has a reputation of not sticking around at clubs and could have been our next Will Smith if he signed.

I don't care to defend Curtis Rona but that's just simply not true...let's not speculate.

He left London Irish abruptly but we know zero about that situation. It's worth noting for context that the entire English Premiership is a financial mess with clubs going into administration.

Otherwise he's transitioned between clubs in a completely normal way. Cows > Bulldogs > Force (who got dissolved) > Waratahs > London Irish.

He does not have a reputation for not sticking around at clubs.

[The Birdman]

Interesting to see where the club turns their attention to next, not much out there

At this point we might be better off preserving cap space and roster spots so we can see who becomes available from other clubs during the off-season and into the start of next season

You can usually pick up a few players not providing value to their current clubs with the old club picking up the slack on their freight. There's nothing much out there worth wasting resources on at the moment.