2019 NIB Knights

Welshy wrote:

So a knocked down salary based on that but would still pay overs, him playing 40 mins and mentoring 2 top young props and a young pack would be gold

I think we could pay the same amount of money for someone who we could get a few more years out of.

Honeysett wrote:

I think we could pay the same amount of money for someone who we could get a few more years out of.

Unless they go after Graham, who will have the same impact on and off the pitch as Scott? You only need him for 2 seasons, one blast next year and a wind down 2019. Easy E and DSaifiti be good to go then.

After joining the club this season, Newcastle Knights utility Rory Kostjasyn has been forced to announce his retirement from the game.

Kostjasyn sustained a complex throat injury during a routine pre-season training session in January. He has undergone a number of surgeries to repair the injury, however, his airways have been significantly narrowed.

Unfortunate for Rory, wish him the best in retirement.

My only problem with when we were chasing scott was the cash we were reportedly going to pay him. A million a season or so - I guess you look at it as a 2 year investment in the future of the club and it works out that way considering no one else wanted to sign but still, fair chunk of cash for a guy who may never be the same again.

I want us to go after Klemmer.

Its a shame he never got to play. Was the kind of steady blue collar player that would have really helped earlier on in the season.

Rory, Plythian, Mullen, Buhrer for half a season, Hodkinson for half a season - 4 of those guys are pretty decent and experienced first graders, such a shame they were injured or are injured.

Things certainly are looking up for newie next season. How far up remains to be seen though.

Shame Gagai is leaving as Newcastle are building a nice little squad for next year. Can't wait to watch Ponga on a weekly basis again. Watson is also another great signing that will definitely add some great strike power. Ese'ese will provide some much needed go forward. Exciting times ahead.

Moose wrote:Shame Gagai is leaving as Newcastle are building a nice little squad for next year.

Are they? Their best players from last season wont be there next season, this season's lot aren't getting any better and their salary cap is being woefully managed - the only players they have worth worrying about are all off contract together at the end of next year, so the club holds no bargaining position over them to re-sign. Its the "big 4" of the Tigers all over again, except its more like the "meh 4".

ryno_ wrote:

Are they? Their best players from last season wont be there next season, this season's lot aren't getting any better and their salary cap is being woefully managed - the only players they have worth worrying about are all off contract together at the end of next year, so the club holds no bargaining position over them to re-sign. Its the "big 4" of the Tigers all over again, except its more like the "meth 4".

Given we are talking about Newcastle, I amended what I assume was a typo in your quote above....

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

Given we are talking about Newcastle, I amended what I assume was a typo in your quote above....

Watson, Ponga, Herman E, all good pickups.

Moga and Guerra are always one game away from obscurity. If they "fire" on a regular basis, they'll hold their end up.

It's better than what we've got currently so that's the start.

ryno_ wrote:

Are they? Their best players from last season wont be there next season, this season's lot aren't getting any better and their salary cap is being woefully managed - the only players they have worth worrying about are all off contract together at the end of next year, so the club holds no bargaining position over them to re-sign. Its the "big 4" of the Tigers all over again, except its more like the "meh 4".

who are these best players who wont be there?
Gagai? Hodkinson? lol Mullen/Kostjason didnt play a game this year either, hardly a change to next year.
how is the cap woefully managed now? they have millions in cap space.
This season's lot isnt getting any better? There are a number of players who have clearly, clearly improved from last year.
if they have guys coming off contract, I trust that they will sign the best ones that want to be there.
The squad is clearly better for next season.. lol

What a pathetic attempt at trolling

I would be in absolute shock if the knights dont come in the bottom 4 next year, but their squad is clearly better next season.

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

Given we are talking about Newcastle, I amended what I assume was a typo in your quote above....

Not bad

but considering if you travel 5km in any direction out of the brissy CBD you are surrounded by junkies, its pretty a pretty rich comment. But you cant really blame OZ being the imbicilic hypocrite that he is.

Will be really interesting to see how Watson goes behind a non superstar pack tho. The guy can clearly attack when on the front foot.
Ponga is the interesting one - I am really happy they didnt release him to us early, a season of him playing qld club is the best option for him this season. I wouldnt even hate it if he spent a bit of time in the NSW cup next year, and came off the bench in newcastle. The guy clearly has great potential but in the limited game time he has had this year he didnt exactly set the world on fire, but wasnt bad. Again, will be interesting to see how he goes when not on the front foot.

Here is hoping, but in a few years time - Levi, Watson, Ponga have the potential to be one of the best spine's in the league if you can land a good halfback. Jeez, even if you chuck a cooper cronk or maloney in there for next season it becomes exciting at the very least.

Pieman wrote:who are these best players who wont be there?

The players on the books last season who wont be there next season? Gagai, Uate, Mullen, Snowden, Tariq, J Smith. Are all those losses the Knights fault? No. But they are still losses. And they got replaced by NYC level players.

Pieman wrote:how is the cap woefully managed now? they have millions in cap space.

I told you how its being poorly managed - all the players worth looking at are all off contract at the same time. Gives the player group all the leverage and the club (which is already a club players don't want to go to) none. Look at what happened to the Tigers this year.

And I'm not sure having "millions in cap space" is the best argument for a team improving.

Pieman wrote:This season's lot isnt getting any better? There are a number of players who have clearly, clearly improved from last year.

The squad is clearly better for next season.. lol

Individually, sure, players are making progress. But as a unit? As a cohesive team? Nah. They don't look any better now then they did at the start of the year.

ryno_ wrote:

The players on the books last season who wont be there next season? Gagai, Uate, Mullen, Snowden, Tariq, J Smith. Are all those losses the Knights fault? No. But they are still losses. And they got replaced by NYC level players.


I told you how its being poorly managed - all the players worth looking at are all off contract at the same time. Gives the player group all the leverage and the club (which is already a club players don't want to go to) none. Look at what happened to the Tigers this year.

And I'm not sure having "millions in cap space" is the best argument for a team improving.



Individually, sure, players are making progress. But as a unit? As a cohesive team? Nah. They don't look any better now then they did at the start of the year.

Lol, im not sure what you are arguing with the loss of players from LAST season, or before that even. Considering newie will be the owner of 3 spoons in a row, are you arguing that the club is worse off than when we had those players?? We are in the exact same position on the ladder, the main difference is that we now have a future because we dont have much money tied up in over rated over paid players. Every club loses players, and we have had some average replacements and some decent ones. Buhrer, Barnett, Sione, Ross in particular Most of the other guys that have come in have been one thing, cheap. Next year its Guerra, (SKD), Moga, Ponga, Watson, Ese and that is just at this stage..they are some pretty good replacements. They did well to clear cap space by getting rid of over rated hacks like Tariq, some retired, Uate needed a change (made a brilliant direct swap) some injuries forced retirements, some were poached by other clubs and and some personal fuck ups ended careers. The only players we would have benefited from keeping is Tapine and Mullen, but even the loss of mullen has been a blessing in disguise considering the amount of footy he missed in his career and how much he got paid. The rest, good riddance. They have been turned into young guys and  much needed cap space.

Players worth keeping that are off contract at the same time? Right... I assume you are talking about next season with the Saifiti boys, sione, Buhrer. Hodkinson too (he wont be getting re-signed anyway you would think and even if he does re-sign, it would be for a minimum deal). So 4 players? Lol. The rest are guys that you wouldnt blink at if they left next season. They planned it that way too, so that they have the ability to spend money on a big signing or 2.

The reason the tigers player held the club hostage was because they all had the same manager. There is literally no reason from the Newcastle's point of view, that they cant keep who ever they want because of the millions in cap space that they have at the moment. And yeah, having millions in cap space is one of the main factors for a team to improve, especially when the team doesnt have access to shit tonnes of TPA and stuff.

Also, You know that in 2021 all these blokes are off contract at the same time right? Bird, McCullough, McGuire, Milford (not to mention the reports that boyd has signed until 2021 as well). OMG what horrible cap management.

Absolute horse shit, they look heaps better. Especially in the first half of games, they look like a decent footy team. then they die off. They look heaps better than last year and they look heaps better now than what they did at the start of the year.

Pieman wrote:

Lol, im not sure what you are arguing with the loss of players from LAST season, or before that even. Considering newie will be the owner of 3 spoons in a row, are you arguing that the club is worse off than when we had those players?? We are in the exact same position on the ladder, the main difference is that we now have a future because we dont have much money tied up in over rated over paid players. Every club loses players, and we have had some average replacements and some decent ones. Buhrer, Barnett, Sione, Ross in particular Most of the other guys that have come in have been one thing, cheap. Next year its Guerra, (SKD), Moga, Ponga, Watson, Ese and that is just at this stage..they are some pretty good replacements. They did well to clear cap space by getting rid of over rated hacks like Tariq, some retired, Uate needed a change (made a brilliant direct swap) some injuries forced retirements, some were poached by other clubs and and some personal fuck ups ended careers. The only players we would have benefited from keeping is Tapine and Mullen, but even the loss of mullen has been a blessing in disguise considering the amount of footy he missed in his career and how much he got paid. The rest, good riddance. They have been turned into young guys and  much needed cap space.

Players worth keeping that are off contract at the same time? Right... I assume you are talking about next season with the Saifiti boys, sione, Buhrer. Hodkinson too (he wont be getting re-signed anyway you would think and even if he does re-sign, it would be for a minimum deal). So 4 players? Lol. The rest are guys that you wouldnt blink at if they left next season. They planned it that way too, so that they have the ability to spend money on a big signing or 2.

The reason the tigers player held the club hostage was because they all had the same manager. There is literally no reason from the Newcastle's point of view, that they cant keep who ever they want because of the millions in cap space that they have at the moment. And yeah, having millions in cap space is one of the main factors for a team to improve, especially when the team doesnt have access to shit tonnes of TPA and stuff.

Also, You know that in 2021 all these blokes are off contract at the same time right? Bird, McCullough, McGuire, Milford (not to mention the reports that boyd has signed until 2021 as well). OMG what horrible cap management.

Absolute horse shit, they look heaps better. Especially in the first half of games, they look like a decent footy team. then they die off. They look heaps better than last year and they look heaps better now than what they did at the start of the year.

Urgh. Im not getting drawn into a wall of text argument with a peanut whose only ability is transferring thoughtless verbal diarrhea to text.

My point(s);

Knights lost more talent from 2016 to 2017 then they replaced.
The talent theyve added 2017 to 2018 still leaves them at a deficit.
They don't look any better from the start of 2017 to the end of 2017. Individuals, yes. The team? No.
They've managed their cap poorly by having the only players worth sticking around all off contract at once and requiring almost immediate action, greatly reducing the clubs leverage, regardless of who the player managers are. And you forgot Lamb. They face the very real prospect of having to sign their captain, vice, best half prospect and best prop in the one window (sound kinda familiar?). They will either lose ones they needed to keep or overpay and be unable to bring in more (much needed) talent.
The Broncos having those players all off cap in 2021 isnt an issue because of how far away it is. If in 2020 all of those players are both a) still wanted and b) not-extended, then itll be poor cap management. Until then alright.

/argument. QED. Yell into the wind if it makes you feel better.

ryno_ wrote:

Urgh. Im not getting drawn into a wall of text argument with a peanut whose only ability is transferring thoughtless verbal diarrhea to text.

My point(s);

Knights lost more talent from 2016 to 2017 then they replaced.
The talent theyve added 2017 to 2018 still leaves them at a deficit.
They don't look any better from the start of 2017 to the end of 2017. Individuals, yes. The team? No.
They've managed their cap poorly by having the only players worth sticking around all off contract at once and requiring almost immediate action, greatly reducing the clubs leverage, regardless of who the player managers are. And you forgot Lamb. They face the very real prospect of having to sign their captain, vice, best half prospect and best prop in the one window (sound kinda familiar?). They will either lose ones they needed to keep or overpay and be unable to bring in more (much needed) talent.
The Broncos having those players all off cap in 2021 isnt an issue because of how far away it is. If in 2020 all of those players are both a) still wanted and b) not-extended, then itll be poor cap management. Until then alright.  

/argument. QED. Yell into the wind if it makes you feel better.

Ok? They were last then and they are last now. What is your point? Next season they have clearly improved the roster, and the additions of Ponga and Watson in particular give the club 2 of the best young players in the league.. I don't see how you can possibly say that after losing those guys (who got the spoon) we aren't going into 2018 in a better position. At least we have youth and cap space.
Disagree, they loook heaps better, for half a game anyway.
The reason the tigers were fucked was because they all had the same manager. Newcastle clearly has enough money to sign their players, none of which who would be asking for anything even close Jack Bird money. Also, signing Watson means Lamb isn't as much of a priority considering hodkinson is still around. It is ideal, no, its it as bad as the tigers situation? 4 players asking Huge money all with the same manager? Fuck no Not even remotely close.

Also the broncos just signed roberts till 2021, so there is another big money player off contract at the same time. So make that 5 big big money guys coming off contract at the same time.

Ya box. Back in it.

I'm looking forward to watching Newcastle play. They've had some pretty unlucky losses and I really can't wait until next year when they can convert their half time leads to wins