Storm War Chest
Sounds like we will soon be in the market for a big time player.
Who do you guys want us to buy in the next few years at around $1M a year?
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 9f1af4959c
STORM WAR CHEST
Melbourne could soon become a major player in the transfer market this season.
With nine top line players off-contract, along with master coach Craig Bellamy, the Storm could possibly find themselves in a scenario where they have cash to burn.
Their two marquee men in Cameron Smith and Billy Slater are both off-contract and the Storm have their successors already in their system and secured on long term deals.
The skipper is the club’s highest paid player and worth $1 million a season.
Turning 35 this year, their champion No.9 is showing no glimpses of slowing and the Storm have budgeted accordingly.
While Smith is yet to declare whether he will play on next year, it’s likely that will be the case although the same can’t be said for Slater.
“I don’t know what I will do next year,” Slater said recently.
“I’ll make that decision down the track but I don’t think I’ll leave it until the end of the year.”
Also 35 this year, the fullback has not made his intentions clear beyond this season and while the Test star won’t sign with another NRL club should he opt to play on, the Storm do have players who are off-contract and in high demand.
On a deal worth around $900,000, should Slater retire, the Storm have endless options for how to spend the cash.
That will largely depend on how the halves perform this year.
It’s understood moving Cameron Munster back into the No.1 is a consideration which would open the door for the club to buy another half.
On the home front, the Storm have re-signed gun centre Curtis Scott until the end of 2021 and have now turned their attention to Smith and boom backrower Felise Kaufusi.
Kaufusi is facing the biggest decision of his career.
A current international after making his Test debut for Australia in 2017, the 25-year-old is one of the best edges off-contract.
To complicate matters, the market for backrowers has been warped by Angus Crichton’s big money deal with the Roosters.
Crichton’s current club South Sydney are one club keeping tabs on Kaufusi’s movements. They’re on the hunt for a quality replacement for Crichton and Kaufusi ticks every box.
While the Storm wants to keep the premiership winner, they don’t traditionally pay big money for edges.
They refused to compete with the lucrative money being thrown at Tohu Harris last year and released Kevin Proctor the season before that to chase a pay day on the Gold Coast.
Who do you guys want us to buy in the next few years at around $1M a year?
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 9f1af4959c
STORM WAR CHEST
Melbourne could soon become a major player in the transfer market this season.
With nine top line players off-contract, along with master coach Craig Bellamy, the Storm could possibly find themselves in a scenario where they have cash to burn.
Their two marquee men in Cameron Smith and Billy Slater are both off-contract and the Storm have their successors already in their system and secured on long term deals.
The skipper is the club’s highest paid player and worth $1 million a season.
Turning 35 this year, their champion No.9 is showing no glimpses of slowing and the Storm have budgeted accordingly.
While Smith is yet to declare whether he will play on next year, it’s likely that will be the case although the same can’t be said for Slater.
“I don’t know what I will do next year,” Slater said recently.
“I’ll make that decision down the track but I don’t think I’ll leave it until the end of the year.”
Also 35 this year, the fullback has not made his intentions clear beyond this season and while the Test star won’t sign with another NRL club should he opt to play on, the Storm do have players who are off-contract and in high demand.
On a deal worth around $900,000, should Slater retire, the Storm have endless options for how to spend the cash.
That will largely depend on how the halves perform this year.
It’s understood moving Cameron Munster back into the No.1 is a consideration which would open the door for the club to buy another half.
On the home front, the Storm have re-signed gun centre Curtis Scott until the end of 2021 and have now turned their attention to Smith and boom backrower Felise Kaufusi.
Kaufusi is facing the biggest decision of his career.
A current international after making his Test debut for Australia in 2017, the 25-year-old is one of the best edges off-contract.
To complicate matters, the market for backrowers has been warped by Angus Crichton’s big money deal with the Roosters.
Crichton’s current club South Sydney are one club keeping tabs on Kaufusi’s movements. They’re on the hunt for a quality replacement for Crichton and Kaufusi ticks every box.
While the Storm wants to keep the premiership winner, they don’t traditionally pay big money for edges.
They refused to compete with the lucrative money being thrown at Tohu Harris last year and released Kevin Proctor the season before that to chase a pay day on the Gold Coast.
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Danger D
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I'd be fine with spending some of it on Felise. We may need the rest of our "war chest" to resign players coming off contract or upgrading younger players in our feeder system as they come through the ranks. I really like the way our team is balanced at the moment and wouldn't really want a big money player to come in and mess that up. We're pretty solid for key positions anyway which is where you would spend big money.
Yes agreed, sign us Felise as a priority. Because of Souths; he will command top dollar.
But if Munster moves back to full back; we can probably afford a $700-800k five eighth..
or perhaps another big time Front Rower to make us even more powerful up the middle.
But if Munster moves back to full back; we can probably afford a $700-800k five eighth..
or perhaps another big time Front Rower to make us even more powerful up the middle.
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Danger D
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We're really spoiled with talent and depth at the moment. As an example: we can't find a spot for Jarhome Hughes unless it's through injury. Same with the likes of Cheese & Stimson who would make it onto the starting sides of most other teams. If we can't give these guys opportunities in first grade because of big money signings they may look elsewhere. I would prefer to upgrade our existing talent as a show of good faith and for their efforts in continuous improvement: if they keep improving then i want them to sty at the club.
The only halves on the market who come off contract this year demanding decent coin are Austin, Sezer, Elgey, Will Smith, J Nikorima, Michael Morgan, Jackson Hastings and some kid named Thurston. Don't think any of them would be worth losing any of our young talent coming through.
The only halves on the market who come off contract this year demanding decent coin are Austin, Sezer, Elgey, Will Smith, J Nikorima, Michael Morgan, Jackson Hastings and some kid named Thurston. Don't think any of them would be worth losing any of our young talent coming through.
It is an interesting one and intriguing as any issue in the NRL today.
That is why there are huge articles about it on Fox Sports.
As I have said in many posts; we are absolutely in a fantastic position
but lets just assume we have another great season but don't win the premiership. We are runners up.
Do we go all in with our chips and try and get that one top up "superstar" player in the area that we perceive ourselves to be most deficient in and retool for a premiership?
Winning premierships is a ruthless business.
Look at the targeting of Jordan Mclean by North Queensland last year
or of Cooper Cronk by the roosters
or of Felise by the South Sydney Rabbitos.
You get the point!
You have to be ruthless; do all your homework and virtually steal a player from another Club.
God knows the others do it to us often enough!!!
That is why there are huge articles about it on Fox Sports.
As I have said in many posts; we are absolutely in a fantastic position
but lets just assume we have another great season but don't win the premiership. We are runners up.
Do we go all in with our chips and try and get that one top up "superstar" player in the area that we perceive ourselves to be most deficient in and retool for a premiership?
Winning premierships is a ruthless business.
Look at the targeting of Jordan Mclean by North Queensland last year
or of Cooper Cronk by the roosters
or of Felise by the South Sydney Rabbitos.
You get the point!
You have to be ruthless; do all your homework and virtually steal a player from another Club.
God knows the others do it to us often enough!!!
100%. We are well placed and do not need to be rushing to recruit someone just because we look to have some room to move with the SC.blazza18 wrote:We're in a pretty good position where we can remain patient with who we target.
With Cronk gone we have a buffer to allow us to upgrade any remaining young guns coming through that aren't signed long term or suddenly see significant first grade. Croft is tied up until 2020 but if he somehow manages to play consistent with what he has offered so far, he will likely get a bump/upgrade.
When Slater hangs them up the club probably looks to a decent, established signing - although not necessarily at FB.
We should also keep the same formula that has worked so well for us, for so long. Invest in the 1, 7 and 9. Don't overcapitalise on edge forwards or wingers.
1 - Munster or Hughes
7 - Brodie Croft
9 - Brendan Smith (Grant on the horizon)
we are sorted in all those 3 positions
other than Felise; everyone else is signed up too.
We should overspend on Felise imo to keep him eg $800k per year is not unreasonable given Rabbitos will come with a $900k to 1 million deal.
we really do have money to upgrade somewhere else.
7 - Brodie Croft
9 - Brendan Smith (Grant on the horizon)
we are sorted in all those 3 positions
other than Felise; everyone else is signed up too.
We should overspend on Felise imo to keep him eg $800k per year is not unreasonable given Rabbitos will come with a $900k to 1 million deal.
we really do have money to upgrade somewhere else.
If they weren't prepared to pay $600K for Tohu, there is no way they will pay $800K for Felise. Nor should they.Cameron wrote:We should overspend on Felise imo to keep him eg $800k per year is not unreasonable given Rabbitos will come with a $900k to 1 million deal.
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Danger D
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I just don't think buying big name players works. Remember these big money signings?
Sandow to Parra
Blair to Tigers
Barba to Broncos
Foran to Parra
Luke and RTS to Warriors
Hayne to Titans
I think those teams became worse off after the signings. The exception to the rule would be the Roosters who won a premiership after signing SBW. They may again feel success with the signing of Cronk but that is yet to be seen.
Sandow to Parra
Blair to Tigers
Barba to Broncos
Foran to Parra
Luke and RTS to Warriors
Hayne to Titans
I think those teams became worse off after the signings. The exception to the rule would be the Roosters who won a premiership after signing SBW. They may again feel success with the signing of Cronk but that is yet to be seen.
You can't just let blokes walk out the door especially if you have money in a War Chest.
Felise is the most improved player in the game; both Ennis and Dailey said so this week!
He is a try scoring machine. And sometimes you have to pay overs.
Lets see how you feel if he scores 12 to 15 tries this year and plays all 3 games for the Maroons.
He is worth the money because that is the market.
I reckon they let Tohu go because they knew they were getting Ryan Hoffman
Felise is the most improved player in the game; both Ennis and Dailey said so this week!
He is a try scoring machine. And sometimes you have to pay overs.
Lets see how you feel if he scores 12 to 15 tries this year and plays all 3 games for the Maroons.
He is worth the money because that is the market.
I reckon they let Tohu go because they knew they were getting Ryan Hoffman
You can and should let them walk if they are going to be paid overs elsewhere. You also cannot offer more than any offer they get elsewhere just because "that is the market". That is how many other teams get themselves into a mess.Cameron wrote:You can't just let blokes walk out the door especially if you have money in a War Chest.
He is worth the money because that is the market.
Letting some players go if you cannot justify the $$$ for what you get is prudent cap management.
Not a like-for-like swap these days. Also they picked up Hoffman because they lost Tohu.Cameron wrote:I reckon they let Tohu go because they knew they were getting Ryan Hoffman
Its salarycapenomics 101
The point is
Who is going to replace Felise and give some bang for the buck?
We don't have someone? So we would have to go out to the market place to find someone not as good as Felise and pay him overs anyway OR:-
Give up our No 1 likely source of tries other than the wingers.
the edge runner next to Brodie Croft is perhaps the most important person in our offensive try scoring plan and Felise is exceptional at it.
pay the man and keep the man
and watch the offense work perfectly
or don't pay the man and watch the dominoes of our decline in offensive output slowly fall
without a dominate outside runner for Croft; we will see the offensive production in every position fall backwards.
Is that what you want over a measly $200k in salary cap?
Felsie is worth the money.
Because our whole offensive try scoring plan is based around derivatives or fakes or set ups based on Brodie Croft passing to Felise.
That is our No 1 offensive plan.
The point is
Who is going to replace Felise and give some bang for the buck?
We don't have someone? So we would have to go out to the market place to find someone not as good as Felise and pay him overs anyway OR:-
Give up our No 1 likely source of tries other than the wingers.
the edge runner next to Brodie Croft is perhaps the most important person in our offensive try scoring plan and Felise is exceptional at it.
pay the man and keep the man
and watch the offense work perfectly
or don't pay the man and watch the dominoes of our decline in offensive output slowly fall
without a dominate outside runner for Croft; we will see the offensive production in every position fall backwards.
Is that what you want over a measly $200k in salary cap?
Felsie is worth the money.
Because our whole offensive try scoring plan is based around derivatives or fakes or set ups based on Brodie Croft passing to Felise.
That is our No 1 offensive plan.