Is our recruiting letting us down?

[mattstormy]

I don’t want to be negative about the future for the Storm, but I’ve just been thinking recently that over the last couple of years our recruiting of both backs and forwards has been mediocre compared to other clubs and Bellyache’s obsession with producing young players straight from the under 20s and recruiting mainly forwards is really starting to let us down and this year it is starting to show. Here are a few examples:

1. Recruiting experienced props: While it seemed and ended up being a good idea at the time, they are no longer viable. Since 2010 we’ve bought Bryan Norrie, Adam Woolnough, Jaiman Lowe, Troy Thompson and Jason Ryles to the club as experienced older props to help the younger forwards and also give us some extra size. While most of them have given us terrific service, by the end of the year I reckon there will be none left out of the names I’ve just listed (Ryles is retiring and I reckon Norrie is likely to leave the Storm as well).

2. Having a makeshift five-eighth: We seriously need to recruit a decent five-eighth to the club (look how well the Roosters and Sharks have done with Maloney and Carney over the last couple of years and I reckon Soward will be terrific for the Panthers). Widdop really only got the gig in 2011 because he couldn’t play fullback due to Slater and we needed a pivot due to Finchy leaving. This is the only position we’ve struggled with for five of seven years since Scotty Hill left the club (we had Finchy for 2009-10 but it wasn’t a long term option for us as he had to leave due to the salary cap scandal). I know we have some young players in the U20s that can fill the role, but we should really look to recruiting a fringe five-eighth and turn him into a superstar (Chad Townsend from Cronulla for example).

3. Outside backs: Apart from Will Chambers coming back and Sisa Waqa becoming a regular due to his recent good form, who else have we had as a consistent outside back in terms of regularity in the side and form wise? Duffie and O’Neill have been terrific at times but their defence is poor at times and are both very injury prone (Duffie’s now just done his ACL recently). Mahe Fonua is really struggling to make it in first grade as a winger and our last experienced outside back in Anthony Quinn has gone back to Newcastle. Since 2010, we’ve recruited Luke MacDougall, Beau Champion who are gone and this year Junior Sa’u who is struggling to get a game. No wonder other teams always score in the corner against us.

With the Billy, Cam and Coops turing 30 this year and will probably only have about two-three more years left in them, I really don’t want to see us become a mediocre cellar dweller in the next five-ten years due to our recruiting since 2010. Bellyache has and always will be a master coach, but at times his reluctance to do things like some other clubs such as recruiting players to make a real impact long term on the club is really starting to let us down. Hopefully we have a bit of a clean out of the squad at the end of the year and recruit some good players from other clubs that will keep us competitive for a long time to come.

[Ice]

The other clubs don't have the big 3 on their books hence why our recruiting has been 'mediocre' compared to other clubs. When you have 3 players on big money you have to cut back in other areas and until they retire it will continue to be the case. That said we won a premiership last season and despite the last 2 weeks we're still right up to our ears in this years race so we must be doing something right....

[blazza18]

I'd love it to be better but when you have 3 superstars on your team we can't expect too much. I do like the fact the we build our team through our under 20's team. I was only thing the other week about how many of the boys were from our junior ranks.

Not have fan of Sa'u but I thought recruiting Moors and Lagi here was a great get by the club. Would love to see Craig target some raw athletes, forwards or backs and help groom them.

Just not sure what else we can do while the big 3 are here.

[Cherry_Poppins]

The other clubs don't have the big 3 on their books hence why our recruiting has been 'mediocre' compared to other clubs. When you have 3 players on big money you have to cut back in other areas and until they retire it will continue to be the case. That said we won a premiership last season and despite the last 2 weeks we're still right up to our ears in this years race so we must be doing something right....

At most they would be taking up $2.4Mil probably less (estimated $800k a peice)

Other clubs have made more astute purchases but then again so has melbourne
(Manly-Lawrence-MCK-Symonds-Horo/Melbourne Ryles-countless other unwanted heroes of the past
plus journeymen,difference being taking the melbournites out of melbourne is fraught with danger-See Adam
Blair)

Then add in players like Chambers and those other blokes in the backline bar the victard and you end up with
a very strong squad in a position where journeymen are required to be the forwards,the backline bar the victard
is very strong,the pack suffers imo but brilliance from the 3 keeps the side competetive,lose say Cameron Smith
and a decent side could put 40 unanswered points on you

[yourhero]

Fair points. I think a significant reason we haven't recruited experienced players is because of the fact that most of our SC cash is tied up in the Australian fullback, halfback and hooker. The three most important positions in modern RL. Experience comes at a cost.

The cost issue alone is probably one very good reason why our recruitment of established players dried up after 2010. It obviously wasn't possible with the cap.

I think from next year and in subsequent years things will pick up. The increases in the SC will allow for some activity but it will also drive up the price tag on our second tier players and fringe first graders.

Having said that, we did pick up Weston recently who looks likely to be an NRL discard with potential, the Storm's bread and butter signing. Plus Moors and Setu who both had massive raps on them before arriving at the Storm.

Nurturing our young players and bringing them in at the right time can work out to our advantage. Jesse Bromwich is one of the games elite props. Tohu had to wait a long time but look at how he is going this year. Proctor and O'Neill are both successful progressions also.

Personally I am comfortable with our recruitment presently.

[Cherry_Poppins]

Fair points. I think a significant reason we haven't recruited experienced players is because of the fact that most of our SC cash is tied up in the Australian fullback, halfback and hooker. The three most important positions in modern RL. Experience comes at a cost.

The cost issue alone is probably one very good reason why our recruitment of established players dried up after 2010. It obviously wasn't possible with the cap.

I think from next year and in subsequent years things will pick up. The increases in the SC will allow for some activity but it will also drive up the price tag on our second tier players and fringe first graders.

Having said that, we did pick up Weston recently who looks likely to be an NRL discard with potential, the Storm's bread and butter signing. Plus Moors and Setu who both had massive raps on them before arriving at the Storm.

Nurturing our young players and bringing them in at the right time can work out to our advantage. Jesse Bromwich is one of the games elite props. Tohu had to wait a long time but look at how he is going this year. Proctor and O'Neill are both successful progressions also.

Personally I am comfortable with our recruitment presently.

Are the 3 on values or percentages of the salary cap? With minimum wage up only $15k i think a lot of high level teams will have a lot more wiggle room especially when the cap hits $7m depending on the cap structure,i believe Foran is on 12% or something of ours,which will more than likely bite pretty hard
The cap increase will help us top of the table clubs which is a little harsh on the little guys but theres no other way around it

[blazza18]

Saw somewhere last week about our big 3 only took up $2 million.

Bargain.

[Go Storm]

We've never been a recruiting club. Most of our greats, including the big 3 have come through our development ranks, as well as Hoffman, Chambers and Widdop.
As said, Coops, Smith and Bill absorb a big chunk of our cap. Then we have some recent recruits in Letu, Moors, Vave and Weston.
J.Bromwich, O'Neil, Proctor, Duffie and Harris are regular performers from our development ranks. And then there's Fonua, K.Bromwich and S.Griffen slotting in and out of the top 17.
There's a few others on the radar too: J.McClean is very close I reckon, Y.Tumavave (?), Auva'a and B.Hampon, just to name a few.
Then we have journeymen Finch, Ryles and Norrie who've performed well for us.
Personally I reckon we're doing incredibly well and I hope we continue as we are.
Melbourne cannot afford to flaunt with the salary cap the way the Roosters and Rabbitohs are.

[mattstormy]

I'm not saying to recruit superstars. I'm saying that we really need to get some bargain buys in all departments and not just recruit older props and 'exclusively' focus on our U20s players. For outside backs, off contract players like Stewart Mills or David Simmons would be bargain buys for the club. As with a five eighth, Chad Townsend or Trent Hodkinson would be relatively cheap options as well.

[Ice]

Saw somewhere last week about our big 3 only took up $2 million.

Bargain.

Not saying you didn't see it but i find that very hard to believe whoever wrote it. But even if it was true, that still only leaves 2.4 million to share between the other 22 players in the squad which is approx $110k each on average. With that in mind and all things considered i think the recruiting staff have done an excellent job on a whole, especially after the salary cap debacle which didn't help matters any. I forgot we also made a prelim final the year before our premiership, given all that i'm sure the majority of opposition clubs would happily exchange places with us.

[mattstormy]

Since 2010, we’ve recruited Luke MacDougall, Beau Champion who are gone and this year Junior Sa’u who is struggling to get a game.

I forgot to mention Maurice Blair, even though he plays well for us in the centres, he struggles to get a game.

[blazza18]

Saw somewhere last week about our big 3 only took up $2 million.

Bargain.

Not saying you didn't see it but i find that very hard to believe whoever wrote it. But even if it was true, that still only leaves 2.4 million to share between the other 22 players in the squad which is approx $110k each on average. With that in mind and all things considered i think the recruiting staff have done an excellent job on a whole, especially after the salary cap debacle which didn't help matters any. I forgot we also made a prelim final the year before our premiership, given all that i'm sure the majority of opposition clubs would happily exchange places with us.

Yea i found it hard to believe too. Can't remember the article but it was to do with the Penrith roster only being worth around $2 million compared to our big 3.

And I do agree. Frank and the team have done a fantastic job with the salary cap since 2010. Just gotta have faith in what they're doing.

[Go Storm]

I forgot to mention Maurice Blair, even though he plays well for us in the centres, he struggles to get a game.

IIRC he was supposed to be our 5/8 in 2011, but got injured in the last trial game of the pre-season and so Widdop got the gig.
Then injury has kept him out of the centres (because he's no good in the halves anyway). After tonight I reckon we may see more of Bobby. He had a great game.

[mystormboys]

Agree I really like Bobby he gives his all when he plays

[blazza18]

I forgot to mention Maurice Blair, even though he plays well for us in the centres, he struggles to get a game.

IIRC he was supposed to be our 5/8 in 2011, but got injured in the last trial game of the pre-season and so Widdop got the gig.
Then injury has kept him out of the centres (because he's no good in the halves anyway). After tonight I reckon we may see more of Bobby. He had a great game.

I think he was injured early on in preseason and it was up to Widdop and Kelly for the 5/8th spot. Widdop was kind of last man standing lol.

But I agree. I'm fine with seeing Blair more as long as its in the centres. He isn't much of a playmaker.