Are the Wahs a strong team?
Cos we sure aint signing anyone and we should be
NRL NRL 2025 General Recruitment Thread
- Thread starter Noitall
- Start date
Cos we sure aint signing anyone and we should be
Seems stupid to do mid season, especially with all the rumours of players now being on the outer.
- Thread starter
- #1,323
Yeah we do need to find who can add something extra. Bulldogs have Galvin going there now, no one knows how that turns out? But also Leo Thompson next year, storm have just added Pahulu
Glad im not alone on that thought.
Come on Cappy. For the teams sake SIGN someone or we will be on the big slide.
DOWNWARDS
DWZ is DONE. Don't keep him just because of his so called flowing locks of hair
Don't think we need to sign anyone at all, one loss and you are thinking we're doomed
- Thread starter
- #1,326
We need to consider that teams are going to get better through recruitment, two I mentioned before who are already travelling pretty well. Can’t get left behind
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We are skinny at lock if Clark gets injured. I know we have Gannon coming but a short term insurance rental at lock - perhaps players of the following calibre: An older player who is ok being a mercenary.Don't think we need to sign anyone at all, one loss and you are thinking we're doomed
Adam Eilliot (on outer at Knights anyway) capable of playing at an elite level but only when he can be arsed. Which is exactly why is on the outer. But would pick up his lip for a top four team.
Hopgood - Eels are sick of him. Getting embarrrasing roles like part time hooker must be grinding his gears. No one else will want him but good be quite useful in a championship push. OK with being here for a good time not a long time.
Ray Stone - criminally under rated journeyman - valued highly by his team mates and coach. But always has been expendable when push comes to shove.
Elliot just got injured.
Don't think Eels are sick of Hopgood, just want Walker to play more mins. Hooker experiment was over weeks ago.
Stone is okay, but not an improvement on any of our junior forwards.
We ARE doomed if we can't score tries.Don't think we need to sign anyone at all, one loss and you are thinking we're doomed
Thats why we are in 3rd place with a negative points diff.
We just get to 10 or 15 points then defend our arse off
But you get my direction? An older player of that nature capable of holding his own in a grand final who has been around the block. Doesn't have to be one of those three. But a player similar to them. I was going to list Klese Haas but he is 23 and won't want a short term shot at glory.
So what do we do with these guys when Clark’s not injured? Keep them in a genie bottle?
Play them in our 17 off the bench and someone like Bunty or Laban back to NSW Cup.
Best 17 ignoring our backs with everyone healthy and we get Hopgood
8 JFH
9 Egan
10 Barnett
11 Leka
12 Capewell
13 Clark
14 Vaimauga
15 Niukore
16 Ford
17 Hopgood
Play a 4 man forward bench, Reality is one forward will be down each week with some sort of niggle which is precisely why Bunty has gotten in 7 matches out of a possible 11.
So Hopgood goes from a starting lock to a bench player? Such an enticing offer for him. Are we matching his current salary?
I just think we have multiple players on our roster who could play 13
Beating his current salary to lure him away. Remember salaries start in pre-season - so we only have about 30% to 40% of the year left so only need to play a portion of his salary out of our 2025 cap which is why these rental players coming to top teams without breaking caps is so achievable for the top teams.
He is coming here a) for a more cash b) a shot at glory since Eels are going nowhere in either 2025 or 2026 for that matter.
So we are only signing him for the remainder of 2025? Or is he going to play for free his remaining contract years?
That is up to negotiation. And what he and his agent see as his future. Sure the hooker experiment is over at Eels but that was a bit of a fuck you to him from the coach. He has been elite in the past so going to back up hooker and having to look his team mates in the eye before and after the match. He will remember that.
If he wants to stay here in 2026 I don't see why we can't have three lock depth with Clark, Gannon and Hopgood with Gannon picking up plenty of minutes in the second row and Clark going to prop sometimes when Hopgood comes on.
The Warriors wouldn't mind though if he wanted a 6 month rental gig where he gets picked up "somewhere else" in 2026.
That would be our preference just 6 months. But open to a discussion as forward depth is always good.
Fair. As I said I think we have multiple players who can play lock.
The best options for back up lock are Niukore and Barnett who are filling other roles that would need to be back filled if they went to lock. I know some people rate Ale as a lock. I have never ever seen him make a single pass at NRL level. Now maybe he can as the coaches would have simplified his role when he played prop and told him just to tuck it under his wing and go. But to have never passed it ? I mean Lisone had a real good pass. Must be able to distribute as a lock in 2025.
