Recruitment Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
key: T = Team option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, D = Development contract

Confirmed Top 30 2024: 28/30
Confirmed Development 2024: 5/6

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 25/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 1/6

2025 Gains: Nil
2025 Losses: Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks)
 
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[IMG alt="Gumby"]https://sharksforever.com/data/avatars/m/4/4474.jpg?1661916706[/IMG]

Gumby

Jaws​

Rumour is we’re pushing to get AFB for 2024 and this guy is on the table as a player swap.




Not from me anyway, I’m just the messenger. And this guy they mention is Rudolf.

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Yeah righto, push for an early release for a top-2 prop, when they wouldn't release a depth half just a year ago- Oh, and get it done with a swap of a player that backflipped on just a few years back too

Need to get my hands on whatever they are smoking on the shire lol
 
Question - if BHU is keen to come to NZ and signs for 2025, if Sharks offer us Toby and BHU to come in 2024, do we pull the trigger and swap?

Obviously losing AFB for 2024 would suck but having 2 decent, older props (with BHU being the bigger body were looking for) do we pull the trigger on that? I imagine both would roughly cost the same as what AFB costs (600k for Toby, 500k for BHU).

It could be our best option moving forward for 2025, but weakens us a little for 2024
 
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Yeah righto, push for an early release for a top-2 prop, when they wouldn't release a depth half just a year ago- Oh, and get it done with a swap of a player that backflipped on just a few years back too

Need to get my hands on whatever they are smoking on the shire lol
There were some reports that CG said they would look into a player trade scenario after Christmas, but also the David long article mentioning nobody at sharks they want, or more likely can agree on. What would be your attitude if we got BHU and Rudolf for AFB?
 
Rudolph is a big no from me and I can see why the Sharks would be happy to see him go. He hasn't kicked on at all, he is just a big body with a limited skill set. I feel we dodged a bullet in Rudolph reneging on the deal previously.
As far as the Sharks go seeking an early release for AFB, it wont happen. 2024 is shaping up as big year for us based on last years results, our coach, recruitment and player roster, it would make sense for us to seek a replacement for AFB when we have firmly cemented our premiership credentials, we should have players wanting to come over to be part of it. Heres hoping anyway.
 

Toby Rudolf was dead to me after he fucked us around but AFB’s track record doesn’t fill me with confidence. Perhaps understandable Rudolf didn’t want to come and play under Brown as he could perhaps see the train wreck ahead. Very strong ball runner with and offload and great leg drive. Personally if there was a Rudolf trade and getting BHU early, I’d take that. Rudolf could be the bigger body that Jazz doesn’t have filling prop and lock. In doing so you’d also de strengthen the sharks pack which at present is strong with the addition of AFB. All hypothetical anyway.
 
absolutely, that's why the sharks wanted afb in the 1st place. They don't like their middles.
Think it’s more likely that dally m prop came onto the market and they thought he’d be an upgrade. They still paying AFB about twice what they pay their current props. Interesting that in 2020 BHU had 6 tries out of 21 matches, when SJ was there. No doubt AFB is top 2 props on last seasons form but interesting with the amount of tries SJ played apart in AFB’s 9 that perhaps there’s a correlation between BHU’s great try scoring year and AFB’s?
 
- 6th most points scored, 3rd least points allowed
- Surged into the Top 4, after being in the bottom 8 the year before
- Dally M calibre Halfback, and 1st year Coach

I could go on, but even with just that, we are far too similar to the 2022 Sharks as is for my liking, swapping our biggest point of difference, for any amount of the mid-middles the Sharks have just dooms us to repeat what they did

I am half joking, but still, yeah nah no thanks
 
Think it’s more likely that dally m prop came onto the market and they thought he’d be an upgrade. They still paying AFB about twice what they pay their current props. Interesting that in 2020 BHU had 6 tries out of 21 matches, when SJ was there. No doubt AFB is top 2 props on last seasons form but interesting with the amount of tries SJ played apart in AFB’s 9 that perhaps there’s a correlation between BHU’s great try scoring year and AFB’s?
Just watched back some of his tries and Sj was putting it on a platter for him- plus Harris and walker- we’ve got some very clever ball players through the middle of the park and if u take it back to the ptb there’s some really subtle work from Egan.
Bhu is hard to stop close to the line.
I’m starting to warm to the idea- he can’t replace afb but he could be a part of the puzzle.
 
I'm surprised by how many people still point out Rudolf's backflip with us as a reason not to get him.

His mum is blind and his grandmother ended up getting cancer which I think was the official reason for backfilling, but the reality is he had only played a handful of first grade when he signed, and once the Sharks decided they wanted him they would have encouraged him to reneg. I dunno, yeah it's a dick move but I'm not going to hold it against a young guy who may have had reservations about leaving his home country for the rabble that we were, especially with whanau having issues and Cronulla showing interest.

Anyways, still a no from me (unless we got both BHU and Rudolph at the same time for 2024)
 
Just watched back some of his tries and Sj was putting it on a platter for him- plus Harris and walker- we’ve got some very clever ball players through the middle of the park and if u take it back to the ptb there’s some really subtle work from Egan.
Bhu is hard to stop close to the line.
I’m starting to warm to the idea- he can’t replace afb but he could be a part of the puzzle.
I reckon i could live with a pack consisting of
BHU
Egan
Rudolf
Capewell
Niukore
Harris
or
BHU
Egan
Niukore
Capewell
Ford
Harris
And Rudolf off the bench.
 
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