NRL NRL 2025 General Recruitment Thread

[Noitall]

Ponga at the back.
Brown at 6.
Fletcher Sharpe as the steady , Mitchell Moses type half.
Leo Thompson is leaving but they can cover the loss.

Think there’s a club option for the last two years of his contract, so knights fans have talked themselves into it only costing them $200k more than his contract with eels for 8 years taking into consideration the final two on an option. They’ll be hoping later in his career that he can transition into a halfback because his speed will wane over his career and that’s a lot of coin. Could end up being a good plan if he can with all the top halfbacks close to retirement age. At the moment you’d think that’s the type of money for a player that can win you a game, but it might just become the norm?

 

[Noitall]

Interesting that rabbits have signed Ravalawa for 2025 and he goes back to dragons for 2026. They’ve done this too with Jayden Sullivan going back to tigers

 

[Makasene]

Interesting that rabbits have signed Ravalawa for 2025 and he goes back to dragons for 2026. They’ve done this too with Jayden Sullivan going back to tigers

Basically how professional loan system works in European football. (in some cases the player can be called back before seasons end) but usually a loan for the season and then back to home club.

Quite often there is the option to stay on too.

I would like to see more of it.

 

[Playdaball]

Interesting that rabbits have signed Ravalawa for 2025 and he goes back to dragons for 2026. They’ve done this too with Jayden Sullivan going back to tigers

I wonder if Ravalawa was in the Warriors thinking , instead of Harper?

 

[Boston Boy]

I wonder if Ravalawa was in the Warriors thinking , instead of Harper?

I would have him over Harper all day everyday. He's a bit rocks and diamonds, but can turn some half chances into tries and can be a powerful runner out of the backfield. I don't know how much money he wanted though?

 

[Noitall]

I wonder if Ravalawa was in the Warriors thinking , instead of Harper?

Harper mentioned he’s happy to slot in at centre or wing and I think Ravalawa can only play wing. Think it could be that we wanted someone who could cover both?

 

[Noitall]

Basically how professional loan system works in European football. (in some cases the player can be called back before seasons end) but usually a loan for the season and then back to home club.

Quite often there is the option to stay on too.

I would like to see more of it.

Rabbits seem to be the only team exploring this option. Wish Jesse Arthurs stayed when he came over for a season

 

[Makasene]

Rabbits seem to be the only team exploring this option. Wish Jesse Arthurs stayed when he came over for a season

Yea was popular a few years ago. We had a few covid ones.

Harry Grant had a year at the Tigers.

 

[Noitall]

Yea was popular a few years ago. We had a few covid ones.

Harry Grant had a year at the Tigers.

Knights wanted Zyon Maiu’u a couple of seasons back on a loan deal for a season. Risky they might not want to come back, but in hindsight might have been the best thing for him

 

[Noitall]

Payne Haas not going to be allowed to get to market in November and broncos doing a deal to extend him at the moment. Sounds like at the knights KPP, Hetherington and Elliot are going to need to take decent pay reductions with Dylan Brown heading there

 

[Noitall]

‘Kalyn’s not 100 per cent happy’: The Ponga rumour that won’t go away... and it could spell ‘disaster’

‘Kalyn’s not 100 per cent happy’: The Ponga rumour that won’t go away... and it could spell ‘disaster’

www.foxsports.com.au

Would love to throw an offer at Ponga, but he’s already too well paid

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Payne Haas not going to be allowed to get to market in November and broncos doing a deal to extend him at the moment. Sounds like at the knights KPP, Hetherington and Elliot are going to need to take decent pay reductions with Dylan Brown heading there

I like Laban, but I'm gunna throw out what I think will be a very unpopular opinion.

Laban is 110kg and 6'2, whereas Kai Pearce Paul is 108kg and 6'5.

Imo, both are similar players but by the end of this year, KPP will have had 2 full seasons of NRL where if we are very lucky, Laban will continue his development and next year he will more or less be playing week in week out NRL.

I wonder if when you have a young fulla who has potential, if a similar, accomplished player becomes available, at what point do you pull the trigger and go for the proven performer over the rookie with potential?

KPP for 600k sounds pretty great imo, with Laban being the sole reason I don't think we should go all in and try to bring him here. It's the whole 'a bird in the hand v 2 in the bush'.

Say a similar situation came up with Zyon Maiu’u, where we had the opportunity to sign a Spencer Lenui type, but you hold on to Zyon Maiu’u who eventually leaves or doesn't progress how you had hoped. Then you're stuck with nothing.

 

[Noitall]

I like Laban, but I'm gunna throw out what I think will be a very unpopular opinion.

Laban is 110kg and 6'2, whereas Kai Pearce Paul is 108kg and 6'5.

Imo, both are similar players but by the end of this year, KPP will have had 2 full seasons of NRL where if we are very lucky, Laban will continue his development and next year he will more or less be playing week in week out NRL.

I wonder if when you have a young fulla who has potential, if a similar, accomplished player becomes available, at what point do you pull the trigger and go for the proven performer over the rookie with potential?

KPP for 600k sounds pretty great imo, with Laban being the sole reason I don't think we should go all in and try to bring him here. It's the whole 'a bird in the hand v 2 in the bush'.

Say a similar situation came up with Zyon Maiu’u, where we had the opportunity to sign a Spencer Lenui type, but you hold on to Zyon Maiu’u who eventually leaves or doesn't progress how you had hoped. Then you're stuck with nothing.

I think with Laban, there’d be more upside in him being able to cover middle forward as well as an edge forward. I just say that because I think KPP frame might be a bit slight to cover a middle forward with some impact, though height certainly seems to be advantageous in the competition these days. The other two in Vaimauga and Halasima getting bench time is probably warranted on their impact in the players they are, but Laban must be right on the cusp of breaking into the first grade side. They obviously wanting to see something more, is it growing his motor to go for 80 minutes?

 

[Noitall]

Klemmer to dragons immediately

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Klemmer to dragons immediately

Is this the first domino to fall in a series of trades...let's hope so!

 

[Ref]

Klemmer doesn’t bend or break the line anymore.
I wouldn’t have him in front of any of our NSW Cup props and middles.
Mind you they are Bunty, Ale, TSS, et al.

 

[Wrighty]

Klemmer to dragons immediately

Wonder if he will play this weekend?

 

[Noitall]

Wonder if he will play this weekend?

Think dragons are trying to make it so. Sounds like he’ll miss the next couple of games to get time to settle though. They lost one of those Couchman brothers to injury and Molo standoff means they need him fast

 

[Ref]

Wonder if he will play this weekend?

No chance.
Has to be named in the Tuesday 22.
Or Dragons are crippled by injuries during the week and seek a dispensation.

 

[Wrighty]

Think dragons are trying to make it so. Sounds like he’ll miss the next couple of games to get time to settle though. They lost one of those Couchman brothers to injury and Molo standoff means they need him fast

I was just looking at the Dragon's pack and Flanno is slowly starting to shape it into something NRL worthy. It's not bad. Even the bench is good and this is before they add Klemmer

14 Jacob Liddle
15 Blake Lawrie
16 RFM
17 Hamish Stewart

I am not saying they are star players. I am saying that is a useful bench compared to other NRL benches.