NRL Pre season thread - News, transfers and discussion

[Jatz]

Hi All,

Thought it might be useful to have a 'catch all' pre season thread. Injuries/signings etc.

I'll start this one with the ongoing feud between Paul Gallen and Nathan Brown.

My personal favourite lines from the (hypocritical) boofhead:

“ ... for Brown to say that Cronulla four or five years ago were going nowhere and to bring the drugs issues up was a cheap shot coming from a first grade coach,” Gallen wrote.

Ahh Paul, so it's alright for you to take a free swing at the Knights but when someone returns serve, all of a sudden it's a cheap shot? Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/368c13d70a218a919d4bad9cf457b1da

 

[Jatz]

In other news, Paul Kent raises some interesting points regarding the Hayne contract:

“To be honest, I think the whole thing stinks. I think there’s a smell about this,” Kent said.

“I don’t see how the NRL can justify Jarryd Hayne taking a $1.2 million deal, walking out on it and being allowed to get under the cap at Parramatta for $500,000.

“I’ve got no concept of me can figure out why that’s a fair deal.

“The NRL, I’ve spoken to them today about it, they’ve argued that’s what Jarryd’s current market value is, but how do you establish that?

“The fact is, he hasn’t gone to market and if you try to sign any other player in the NRL and try to take $700,000 off his contract price, I don’t think the NRL would register it.”

It's not an unreasonable point to be fair. I'd be interested in seeing the rationale behind green lighting the Parra contract.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...h/news-story/33b68317cc8bc75af5fe334641d30c85

 

[Jatz]

Finally for now (sorry, I'll stop spamming my own thread), with James Maloney moving to the Panthers, here's a couple of players in their new colours.

 

[Jatz]

 

[raptalia]

Hi All,

Thought it might be useful to have a 'catch all' pre season thread. Injuries/signings etc.

I'll start this one with the ongoing feud between Paul Gallen and Nathan Brown.

My personal favourite lines from the (hypocritical) boofhead:



Ahh Paul, so it's alright for you to take a free swing at the Knights but when someone returns serve, all of a sudden it's a cheap shot? Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/368c13d70a218a919d4bad9cf457b1da

Is this a serious thread or a pissing contest? I will revisit when you have some serious off season info to share and decide to promote serious debate.

 

[Jatz]

Is this a serious thread or a pissing contest? I will revisit when you have some serious off season info to share and decide to promote serious debate.

Bizarre post aside, why don't you share a 'a serious debate' you might like to discuss? I'll have the conversation with you.

Where did you get the idea of a pissing contest btw? I wasn't even talking with anyone else - who's the contest between?

 

[raptalia]

Bizarre post aside, why don't you share a 'a serious debate' you might like to discuss? I'll have the conversation with you.

Where did you get the idea of a pissing contest btw? I wasn't even talking with anyone else - who's the contest between?

You start off with some feud between Pal Gallen and Nathan Brown that is all about something buried in the past. What has that got to do with off season movement or the 2018 season?

I might just as easily have started a thread about Wayne Bennett's comments re Jack Bird's fitness but that is not what I assume this thread to be about. You either want a serious thread about the NRL or you want somewhere to hang the dirty linen.

If you want to start a serious debate you might comment on the move of Mitvchell peartce to the Knights or Maloney to Penrith or Moylan to the Sharks. Those of us who do not live in Sydney have to rely on NRL 360 or Big Footy to get information about signings etc.

 

[Jatz]

You start off with some feud between Pal Gallen and Nathan Brown that is all about something buried in the past. What has that got to do with off season movement or the 2018 season?

I might just as easily have started a thread about Wayne Bennett's comments re Jack Bird's fitness but that is not what I assume this thread to be about. You either want a serious thread about the NRL or you want somewhere to hang the dirty linen.

If you want to start a serious debate you might comment on the move of Mitvchell peartce to the Knights or Maloney to Penrith or Moylan to the Sharks. Those of us who do not live in Sydney have to rely on NRL 360 or Big Footy to get information about signings etc.

How is that 'feud' buried in the past? These are comments that have been made in the last week. I'd say that's pretty current, no?

I don't feel particularly strongly about Gallen one way or another. I'm certainly not trying to hang any dirty linen. In this instance I feel he's being silly but that's just my opinion.

I have already posted about the Hayne contract being ratified by the NRL. Do you have an opinion on that?

 

[andrew coombs]

Graham Annesly from the Titans deserves an Academy award for his work in maintaining a serious face when thanking Hayne for his contribution for Gold Coast. I saw through it, he is one of the happiest blokes in Australia. Parra have pulled the wrong rein here. Arthur was either overruled by the board or didn’t pay enough attention during his time with Bellamy. Hard to win Premierships with blokes on the roster who pick and choose when to give full effort.

 

[Aucklander]

Breach notice hits Manly's cap space

Link

The Manly Sea Eagles are unlikely to have to shed players, but won't be able to attract new ones, after being hit with a breach notice by the NRL for salary cap infringements over the past five years.

NRL.com understands the Sea Eagles, who have close to $500,000 left in next year's salary cap, will have most of their available funds wiped if the NRL adjusts the club's salary cap to include alleged illegal third party payments made since 2013.

It means the Sea Eagles, who chased Mitchell Pearce as a replacement for Blake Green's move to the New Zealand Warriors, are unlikely to be able to lure Trent Hodkinson or any other established playmaker to the club in 2018.

Two unnamed NRL club officials, who have or still work for Manly, have been handed show cause notices and will be required to provide information as to why the governing body should not cancel their registrations.

No great surprise here.

 

[robbieando]

Breach notice hits Manly's cap space

Link



No great surprise here.

Funny that the two teams that lost Grand Finals to the Storm during the years they were cheating have since been busted for cheating the cap over multiple years. Stones, glass houses and all that.

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

How come the Sydney clubs found guilty of cap breaches get a slap on the wrist but they went to town on the storm

NRL make the afl look like saints and geniuses by how bad that comps ran

 

[boncer34]

Can't wait for another limp wristed reaction from the NRL

 

[Jatz]

This has Bozo written all over it...

It all depends on how far over the cap we're talking. Doesn't sound good though.

Further proof that TPA's are a joke and should be removed from the game. Manly won't be the only ones guilty of this. Hell, James Maloney inadvertently let slip regarding his recent contract with Penrith. Can bet the auditors will set up at the foot of the mountain for a little while.

 

[phantom13]

Read a very sketchy article today that Manly were considering chasing Todd Carney before this broke, any chance someone else would have a look?

 

[Jatz]

Read a very sketchy article today that Manly were considering chasing Todd Carney before this broke, any chance someone else would have a look?

Would highly doubt it. They were looking at him and Trent as they don't have a 5/8 to play alongside DCE.

Can't think of another team who'd throw him a lifeline.

 

[Jatz]

“The NRL have uncovered evidence, allegedly, whereby Manly have been signing players for example to $150,000 and they register the contract at the NRL for $100,000,” Kent said.

“Which is as blatant as it gets when it comes to cheating.

“It’s not a lot of money. It’s significantly less money than Parramatta and it’s spread over five years.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...t/news-story/14da852a8bdf3fa5f17d67702047ad31

Looks like a fine only for Manly. The amount was far less than Parra's which obviously helps.

 

[phantom13]

Would highly doubt it. They were looking at him and Trent as they don't have a 5/8 to play alongside DCE.

Can't think of another team who'd throw him a lifeline.

Bunnies, Dogs, Titans? All fairly weak in the halves aren't they (might be forgetting someone in there)

 

[Jatz]

Bunnies, Dogs, Titans? All fairly weak in the halves aren't they (might be forgetting someone in there)

Bunnies are set, with Inglis back they'll move Walker back to 5/8 to partner Reynolds.

Dogs have Foran and MBye, with Frawley as back up.

Titans have Elgey and Taylor. Gold Coast would probably be the most likely but were burned by Hayne just recently.

 

[Jatz]

 

[Jatz]

Seems weird to me you wouldn't put up a picture of him in a Titans jersey but anyway.

Good acquisition for the Titans.

 

[Aucklander]

New layout for https://www.nrl.com/

Not too shabby.

 

[Jatz]

New layout for https://www.nrl.com/

Not too shabby.

That's certainly a bit cleaner.

So I don't know if anyone else has noticed but NRL.com has consciously moved towards writing more 'gossip' articles. It's mostly to do with potential player movement but it's a conscious change from them. Between my mate at Big League and my other one at NRL.com, I hear all kinds of wonderful things haha.

 

[Jatz]

Just me or does this look incredibly wrong?

 

[Jatz]

Sam Tagataese has joined the Broncos.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/12/13/tagataese-joins-brisbane-broncos/

Good get for them. Adds some grunt after the departures of Herman and Adam Blair.