Raiders player signing speculation 2021

[bonehead]

Edrick the Entertainer, love him

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[BadnMean]

I'm not sure Gagai is a good bet for a club, with the money he generally goes for. He's a great origin player though (bastard!).

Ricky doesn't really do comebacks does he? Has there been one apart from Rapa who they never wanted to go? So I doubt Edrick will be back. That said I really hope he finds another club, I cheer every time big Edric hits the clear no matter who he plays for now- one of the great sights in league. He played some decent footy after leaving us, all the best to him.

[gerg]

If you recruit Gagai you've got to hire somebody who can get into his head enough to convince him his playing for QLD every week. Guy is a freak in Origin and has been for a while. God even if you could get 75% of the effort he puts into Origin, on a weekly basis, he would be in the upper echelons of the game. But he just hasn't consistently delivered at NRL.


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[Jado639]

I think Ricky could do that with Gagai. He would slot into our backline well. He would strengthen our defence and has more strike power in attack than any of our current centres.

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[julian87]

Massive no to Gagai. That better player for Qld thing is not a myth. All of the successful teams are downgrading salary cap at centre.

[zim]

You'd have to say no to Gagai based on cap alone.

[BJ]

I’d happily take Gagai but not at his market rate on the salary cap.

[Botman]

Pass on Gagai
We're not QLD, so he's absolutely useless for us. Hard pass.
Rather take my chances with HSS, Timoko and Kris

[afgtnk]

A guy who can give Jack Wighton a bath has to be one hell of a player. A pity for his club's sake that he almost never brings that type of game to club level, and probably never will.

I'd take him, but it'd definitely have to be cheap and certainly not on a wage based off his level playing Origin. No chance.

[The Nickman]

I think Ricky could do that with Gagai. He would slot into our backline well. He would strengthen our defence and has more strike power in attack than any of our current centres.

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Nice to see your input Mrs Gagai, I think your boy has potential to fit into our backline nicely too!

[Raider of d Lost Ark]

I’d happily take Gagai but not at his market rate on the salary cap.

[Belcher#1]

think the only way canberra could sign gagai is if Croker decided to retire at the end of this season. Even then, I wouldn't want to be throwing $600k+ at gagai

[Botman]

I dont think Stuart would look outside of the club if Croker did retire abruptly
I think they'd redistribute that money in other areas and look at the younger guys to give them a go

[Cranky Old Man]

I very much doubt that Rick S would sign a centre any time soon, even if Croker retired which I don't think is likely or needed. HSS, Timoko and Kris have long been cultivated as first grade likelies for some years now and nothing I have seen from them challenges that scenario. Unless they all fall in a hole, they are our future centres.

[Raiders_Pat]

think the only way canberra could sign gagai is if Croker decided to retire at the end of this season. Even then, I wouldn't want to be throwing $600k+ at gagai

Gagai is 30 this year... there is no way he's scoring a $600k/year deal. A good club would get him on $300-400k for a shot at a premiership.

[zim]

30 and in the form of his career. He's not taking a 400k haircut to sign anywhere.

[Raiders_Pat]

30 and in the form of his career. He's not taking a 400k haircut to sign anywhere.

Is he on $700k? That's outrageous...

[zim]

I think that was the general comment when he signed that contract haha.
There's been a fair bit of movement since then as well (cap increase, his own standing in the game, offers to other centres that aren't rep players). I don't expect him to get the same value but it's not going to come down as much as we would expect.

[Raiders_Pat]

I think that was the general comment when he signed that contract haha.
There's been a fair bit of movement since then as well (cap increase, his own standing in the game, offers to other centres that aren't rep players). I don't expect him to get the same value but it's not going to come down as much as we would expect.

If the Dogs (who aren't exactly the most financially responsible club when it comes to signing players) dished out $600k/year for Cotric who has made rep teams and has years ahead of him, I think I'd still be surprised to see Gagai pick up much more than $500k/year on his new contract. If he thinks he's getting close to the $700k he's on - he's in for a rude awakening.

[zim]

Yeah I don't think 700k is realistic, and that's being polite. The money being touted for Staggs is crazy too. Will be interesting to see where that ends up.
Crichton reportedly got a solid pay check too.

Gagai is an outlier in that he's an actual centre, playing for a Australia who's not looking to re-sign on potential, and he can actually defend. You know he's a professional on and off the field. If you could get him for that 400k somehow you'd be laughing. I think that 500k is closer to it.

[Raiders_Pat]

Yeah I don't think 700k is realistic, and that's being polite. The money being touted for Staggs is crazy too. Will be interesting to see where that ends up.
Crichton reportedly got a solid pay check too.

Gagai is an outlier in that he's an actual centre, playing for a Australia who's not looking to re-sign on potential, and he can actually defend. You know he's a professional on and off the field. If you could get him for that 400k somehow you'd be laughing. I think that 500k is closer to it.

I'd probably have to agree on that - $300k was a bit of a lowball but I was thinking of the Morris deals when I came up with that figure.

[Belcher#1]

think the only way canberra could sign gagai is if Croker decided to retire at the end of this season. Even then, I wouldn't want to be throwing $600k+ at gagai

Gagai is 30 this year... there is no way he's scoring a $600k/year deal. A good club would get him on $300-400k for a shot at a premiership.

someone will pay him $600k a year.
If a club offers Staggs something ridiculous then I'd lock gagai in at the donkeys

[GreenMachine]

We'd be crazy not to have a crack at Staggs or Coates for that matter...
Having a strike centre with genuine speed would really round our side off.

[zim]

Signing Staggs is the exact same issue as Gagai but likely more exaggerated.

It's a non starter due to cap.

[Raiders666]

Gagai actually started to hit some really good form for Souths last season.. Still way too expensive though

[afgtnk]

Signing Staggs is the exact same issue as Gagai but likely more exaggerated.

It's a non starter due to cap.

How so?

Staggs delivers at club level, except his defence is highly questionable at the moment. He's also still young.

Gagai doesn't deliver, although his defence is generally pretty good. He's also 30 years old.

Staggs is worth a punt on big money for a struggling team in need IMO, given his individual brilliance - he can probably deliver a team 15-20 tries a year. For us though, the outlay probably isn't worth the risk it could pose to our defensive structure, although I definitely wouldn't be against him being here.

[julian87]

Word is that Canterbury were offering him 800k.

[GreenMachine]

What do you think Coates would be worth in this market?

[gerg]

Word is that Canterbury were offering him 800k.

Who?

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[Botman]

Signing Staggs is the exact same issue as Gagai but likely more exaggerated.

It's a non starter due to cap.

How so?

Staggs delivers at club level, except his defence is highly questionable at the moment. He's also still young.

Gagai doesn't deliver, although his defence is generally pretty good. He's also 30 years old.

Staggs is worth a punt on big money for a struggling team in need IMO, given his individual brilliance - he can probably deliver a team 15-20 tries a year. For us though, the outlay probably isn't worth the risk it could pose to our defensive structure, although I definitely wouldn't be against him being here.

i tend to agree with this analysis. I'll always take a punt on talent, young talent in particular. I'd definitely take a punt on Staggs... not for the prices reported though, i wouldnt pay any 2-5 back that sort of money. But at the right price, top of the market but reasonable money, which for me might be 700k tops he would be worth a punt for most clubs

Not sure that's the way forward for us, but i wouldnt be against it. His defence, is frankly, a disgrace, but he doesnt lack of physicality or athleticism to defend out there, i think he's got a reasonable football IQ and i'd bank on good coaching to improve him defensively.

[zim]

Signing Staggs is the exact same issue as Gagai but likely more exaggerated.

It's a non starter due to cap.

How so?

Staggs delivers at club level, except his defence is highly questionable at the moment. He's also still young.

Gagai doesn't deliver, although his defence is generally pretty good. He's also 30 years old.

Staggs is worth a punt on big money for a struggling team in need IMO, given his individual brilliance - he can probably deliver a team 15-20 tries a year. For us though, the outlay probably isn't worth the risk it could pose to our defensive structure, although I definitely wouldn't be against him being here.

Because we have Croker and Scott on multi year deals.
This is the Raiders signing thread so I was really just focused on our cap situation rather than comparing them as players specifically. Staggs is going to cost more than Gagai therefore exaggerated.
I agree if you can throw bank at staggs go for it, but for us we have our centres locked in and we're about to pick up scotts full rate next year.

[zim]

I will say if you can convince Scott to move on and given how we might be seeing Lui, Soliola and Rapana also depart, if that happens you could put together a package but I can't see it being in the same amounts as other teams given we'll be looking at tweaks to spine contracts as well.

[Boomercm]

No. Next question.

OK. Why not?

(I don't disagree, by the way, just trying to work out why bigotry is more of a no-no that drunk driving or assault).

He’s not going to be good for club culture in my view. People make mistakes, but in Israel Folau’s case, he shows no sign of acknowledging the harm he has done others in promulgating those views and won’t withdraw. That’s his right, but it’s also the right of the code to say it’s not consistent with our values, so we don’t wish you to represent our sport. Personally I don’t think it’s consistent with the values of any decent, caring society either.

harsh take. Everyone knows that some old school religious people have silly views. It is not a surprise to anyone. So I think the idea that he has done harm to others is fiction. That harm was already done (and state sanctioned until very recently). Jack Wighton did real harm to others and we love him.

Now I'm completely anti-religious and would not want him in the club as it would be destabilizing in the current environ. But keeping him out is worse discrimination than we have seen in decades, just toward different groups of people. The dominant social movement of our time in my view is more self-righteous, intolerant, and discriminatory than anything we have seen for a very long time.

[gangrenous]

That is a mushroom

[Boomercm]

Agree with GE on Folau, but going a little further.

When they say sport is a business it means much more than just the 'horse-trading' of players. Elite sport cannot survive without a high level/value of sponsorship. With the rise in social media over the past decade sponsors can no longer ignore negative feedback to their product/service or involvement with a particular sport. Negative publicity can (and does) snowball and has the potential to cripple a business. If sports, such as the NRL, want to attract and maintain sponsorship dollars they cannot afford disruptive players like Folau.

It is much more cut and dry with players who have broken the law. In some cases the courts deal with misbehaving players and if not Reptars integrity unit punishes the player.

What Folau has done doesn't break any laws - which I don't agree with, but that is another matter - so the courts or integrity unit cannot do anything about it. But his comments and complete lack of remorse are incredibly divisive and put simply he is not worth the risk.

Edit. And just to add, this is the guy that cut and run on our sport for the highest bidder and now that he has burnt his other bridges, comes crawling back. Did he also pile **** on rugby league after leaving or was that the other mercenary (K.Hunt)?

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This I agree with. They way our culture is slanting currently, it is bad business being associated with Folau.