Recruitment

[SamKerrSimp]

Last year the threads were about why we didn't sign Lomax or Jack Wighton. We got Nawaqanitawase for half the price...

There is nothing smart about signing a prop on 1.4m a season, just like there was nothing smart about paying a centre 1m to play fullback or signing a 32yo for 4 years on 1m a season to play in the centres.

Souths didn't lack depth last year when they copped injuries, they just structure their salary cap poorly.

Imagine having 2m in the centres and 1.4m at prop. What are you paying your spine?

And be honest how many from their spine makes our best 1, 6, 7 or 9…

I reckon Savala and Ioelu would start for Souths if not go very close.

There are some some clubs where this signing would make sense, but when you look at Souths prospective spine for 2027, they are cooked, they are spending money in the wrong areas... This is just a hype signing to ensure 20,000 pets renew their memberships for 2027.

Haas wouldn't have signed for anything less than at least 1.5 or 1.6 he's going to be chewing a lot of salary cap for a club who didn't have a good player at 1, 6, 7, 9 when he turns up.

It's actually great watching them burn their salary cap the way they have been doing it, the Broncos have multiple quality halves and it took the greatest individual 6 week performance (alongside Hayne in 2009) from Walsh to get them the premiership he won't have any of that at Souths they are ****ed.

My only concern out of all this is the Broncos now have Sam Walker money freed up and it coincides perfectly with the eventual retirement of Hunt and Reynolds, if we lose Walker we need to go hard at getting Katoa.

[Mr Whippet]

Seriously how the hell would souffs have money for haas?
this will be a big miss for us if they get him
they currently have
gray $600k
Graham $700k
Wighton $800k
Latrell -$1m
Walker $800k
plus Murray, Fifita, cheese and arrow all on big coin and now haas for id say well over $1m

Keaone would've freed up a cool million, so only another 200 grand for Souths to pick him up at 1.2 million (that's the figure I heard)

[Chook2]

Keaone would've freed up a cool million, so only another 200 grand for Souths to pick him up at 1.2 million (that's the figure I heard)

Keon isn’t on $1m at souths
maybe $700k ish
but yes some of his salary would have helped

[Chook2]

The Ruben Garrick signing at $600k–$650k feels like we’re paying a premium for a player Manly were only willing to offer $550k to keep. He’s solid, but is he the game-breaker we need to replace the strike power we're losing?

I appreciate the footy chat Red, neither am I.

I do also find this off
after 2024 when we lost 6 first graders worth $3.5m and made no signings only re signings really and then again we are loosing more and really only got DCE and Garrick for more then most paid him it does raise some uncertainty on us getting the big fish

[ChookMaster]

Haas wouldn't have signed for anything less than at least 1.5 or 1.6 he's going to be chewing a lot of salary cap for a club who didn't have a good player at 1, 6, 7, 9 when he turns up.

It's actually great watching them burn their salary cap the way they have been doing it, the Broncos have multiple quality halves and it took the greatest individual 6 week performance (alongside Hayne in 2009) from Walsh to get them the premiership he won't have any of that at Souths they are ****ed.

My only concern out of all this is the Broncos now have Sam Walker money freed up and it coincides perfectly with the eventual retirement of Hunt and Reynolds, if we lose Walker we need to go hard at getting Katoa.

You’ve got a fair point about the risk in the 2027 spine—losing Dodd and relying on Wighton/Glover is a massive gamble for a club with Premiership ambitions. However, calling the Haas deal a 'burn' ignores the math imo.

By 2027, the cap hits $12.1M. Haas at $1.2M is under 10% of the cap—the same percentage elite props have commanded for years, only the 'number' looks bigger now because the cap is higher. The Broncos were willing to pay him nearly the exact same amount ($1.16M/season) to stay, which tells you his value is based on data, not just hype and media build up.

[Mickie Lane]

What a signing for the Bunnies.
Ol Waynie boy has still got it.
This will be a massive shot in the arm for them.

[ChookMaster]

What a signing for the Bunnies.
Ol Waynie boy has still got it.
This will be a massive shot in the arm for them.

Wayne did sign Payne when he was 18 at the time on a record breaking deal.. they have history and he has pulled the trigger.

[Chook2]

We currently are paying $800k for Spencer and Collins who certainly are not going to lead us to a premiership (we are overpaying for what the provide us)
we just got Garrick for $650k
eels signed Lomax for $600k while Marky we signed for $500k
while you need to be diligent on your roster spend we certainly havnt been there recently overpaying to many guys recently

[Chook2]

Walker is not signed on last 26 yet and neither is humphreys by the looks
however they have
Murray $1.1
arrow, Tatola, Fifita and cheese on $700k allready in the pack
not just the backline but a very dear pack

[A Country Member]

To me, there seems to have been a shift in recruitment. The club doesn’t seem to throw enormous money around like they have in the past. I’d say they’d leverage the culture and post footy life a lot more and offer less as a result. There’s been some misses over the past few years but I think they’d be confident they didn’t overspend to make the deal. Back the development

[Avalon Rooster]

Latrell is a big reason why Haas is going there.

he'll be his front row partner if he keeps eating

[Avalon Rooster]

Only Haas & Murray would definitely make our team, Fifita if in the mood. Duncan is meh at best for now. But that is around 25% of your salary cap. Souffs have Walker & Koloamatangi as the two main players off contract in 2027. Humphries probably gets an upgrade. No-one else of great impact. They will need a 5/8 and possibly a hooker.

Campbell Graham would definitely make our team.

[Steggles]

Campbell Graham would definitely make our team.

Maybe, maybe not. I do recall that Billy Smith absolutely owned him in a game against the vermin scum in 2024, so I’m not sure if Graham is an upgrade on Billy. Both injury prone, so maybe they could share the position. I couldn’t see Graham displacing Toia, Toups or Marky, so maybe Graham doesn’t make our squad.

[Bates]

Maybe, maybe not. I do recall that Billy Smith absolutely owned him in a game against the vermin scum in 2024, so I’m not sure if Graham is an upgrade on Billy. Both injury prone, so maybe they could share the position. I couldn’t see Graham displacing Toia, Toups or Marky, so maybe Graham doesn’t make our squad.

That was Billy's best NRL game.

[Bates]

It wouldn't surprise me if we lose Savala to the vermin. We've dumped him for a pensioner after he was one of our best last season in extremely rough water. You've also got Bennett the sweet talker who still has his sales skills intact after landing Payne Haas.