2026 recruitment & retention

If we are thinking of signing Klemmer we should have resigned Sipley as similar player and dollars. Disappointing Jazz is going he looked good at lock and means Jake could play prop. Paseka, Tak, Jake and Bully not a bad prop rotation, Navale cover injuries. We need a hooker and a lock that can both tackle and have footwork and speed.
 
Be helpful if the medical retirement issues with Aloioa could be finally clarified
Would be interesting how the planning for the forward line up is being directed right now
Aloioa , Sipps and Jazz not on the books next season so a bit of coin there to try and get the right type of replacements and mix
Not keen on Turpin unless Froggy is still in the very doubtful category as a back up to Simpkin and the young 9 "s coming through not quite into calculations yet
Not sure if the loyalty factor may kick in with Garrick past next year , not sure other clubs would offer that much more then he is presently on .
Has a bit of that Mathew Ridge type competitiveness which can only be a good thing and the way things are going , could well be mainly looking at a centre option at Manly if Turbo continues to show his Mojo again at the back and Lehi staying in a wing role
Talau still an asset but not sure if it is the club or him mainly responsible for him not being re signed to date
Navale and Hart look like developing into real keepers and could well be that a prop grouping of Tent , Jake , T K O and Bully may form the main basis there .
Maybe Patolo is expected to go better into next season apart from the other prop young guns
 
Be helpful if the medical retirement issues with Aloioa could be finally clarified
Would be interesting how the planning for the forward line up is being directed right now
Aloioa , Sipps and Jazz not on the books next season so a bit of coin there to try and get the right type of replacements and mix
Not keen on Turpin unless Froggy is still in the very doubtful category as a back up to Simpkin and the young 9 "s coming through not quite into calculations yet
Not sure if the loyalty factor may kick in with Garrick past next year , not sure other clubs would offer that much more then he is presently on .
Has a bit of that Mathew Ridge type competitiveness which can only be a good thing and the way things are going , could well be mainly looking at a centre option at Manly if Turbo continues to show his Mojo again at the back and Lehi staying in a wing role
Talau still an asset but not sure if it is the club or him mainly responsible for him not being re signed to date
Navale and Hart look like developing into real keepers and could well be that a prop grouping of Tent , Jake , T K O and Bully may form the main basis there .
Maybe Patolo is expected to go better into next season apart from the other prop young guns
Pretty sure Jazz and Toff would have been on pretty minimal deals. I don’t think we have as much cap to play with next year as you might think.
 
Pretty sure Jazz and Toff would have been on pretty minimal deals. I don’t think we have as much cap to play with next year as you might think.
just as a hunch , Toff just under 300 K and would have thought Jazz around the 300 K mark so maybe not that insignificant
 
just as a hunch , Toff just under 300 K and would have thought Jazz around the 300 K mark so maybe not that insignificant
What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4
 
What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4
Croker may not play again , but may not get a medical retirement either , that “ could “ be $400k more
 
What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4
Gone to a bit of trouble there , some seem in the ball park , a few others , maybe not so much
Would have thought Saab more in the 320 K range , Koula probably 450 or a bit less now but next hopeful contract most likely around the 750 min , T K O would deserve that upgrade .
Lehi probably not far off , Maybe a bit more for Wilson , just could not see 400 K for Froggy , thought that Large was in the top 30 next season
 
What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4
Off the top of my head, what I can confirm as having been published:

Koula and Garrick on <$600k currently
Paseka on $600k
Saab on ~$250k
The rest sound about right though. probably a bit higher for some of the lower level guys.

Doesnt change much anyway, but the point is, we need ~4-5 players on ~200-250k. Some people here want players well beyond that packet. The best we can do is try to get some juniors IMO.
 
Klemmer an interesting one. Initially I thought "please no". However watching a few Dragons games recently he runs straight and hard and has a very quick play the ball. A guy I work with is a Dragons member (goes to all games) and he said "Klemmer may be a bit past it but he has tightened up our middle. Hard to fault him really". Q: Is he better than Lodge, Sipley? Possibly good value at a 1 year deal.
Not going to win anything if we are using Lodge as the benchmark!

Just sayin’
 
What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4
Generally looks good.

Ben T prob on 400k and Saab prob on 350k
 
Tom Ale (NZ Warriors Prop) rumoured to have signed with Penrith Panthers. Fits the profile of players we need. Wouldn't have broken the bank. Why can't we sign these type of players? Instead we are looking to sign a winger and a hooker/utility.
Because he’d rather go to the four time premiership winning Panthers than Manly.

Players and managers are pretty savvy these days. Go to club on less money/train and trial/minimum wage and develop in a good system and score a big contract down the track vs getting a little bit more now to stay languishing in and out of first grade.

That’s how we keep missing out.
 
Gone to a bit of trouble there , some seem in the ball park , a few others , maybe not so much
Would have thought Saab more in the 320 K range , Koula probably 450 or a bit less now but next hopeful contract most likely around the 750 min , T K O would deserve that upgrade .
Lehi probably not far off , Maybe a bit more for Wilson , just could not see 400 K for Froggy , thought that Large was in the top 30 next season
No confirmation anywhere on Large being top 30
 
Gone to a bit of trouble there , some seem in the ball park , a few others , maybe not so much
Would have thought Saab more in the 320 K range , Koula probably 450 or a bit less now but next hopeful contract most likely around the 750 min , T K O would deserve that upgrade .
Lehi probably not far off , Maybe a bit more for Wilson , just could not see 400 K for Froggy , thought that Large was in the top 30 next season
Hard to argue with much of this. Only thing I’d say is Rugby had offered Koula $800k so I’d say you’re estimating him on a little unders.
 
What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4
Plus long service credit to come off turbos money?
 
Croker may not play again , but may not get a medical retirement either , that “ could “ be $400k more
Not entirely sure how this works, but I think the medical retirement means player is paid for the reminder of the contract but that amount doesn't count on the club's cap.

If a player just decides to retire mid-contract, without 'medical retirement', then the contract is finished by mutual consent. Player doesn't have to play and club doesn't pay, and the rest of the contract amount no longer counts on the cap.

Of course clubs have been suspected of 'encouraging' some players to retire, with some off-the-books inducement (allegedly) precisely because of the salary cap relief. (Josh Jackson springs to mind)
 

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