This can only mean one thing.... Webcke is coming!!
This can only mean one thing.... Webcke is coming!!
Would be a great signing and a big hit with the fans as long as he isn’t seen as Thompson’s replacement, completely different players. Lees IMO is the man to take over from Thompson and do the long minutes. I think under Woolf, Lees will really improve.
I’ve been on the Bulldogs forum and it just shows how the Aussies view our comp. Most admit to having never seen him play and are asking questions as to how good he is.
The same ones do admit that we will now be their second team to watch this season.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah I think LMS will stay another year, cant really see him going anywhere else unless his form drops off a cliff which I have no reason to think it will. Taia (retire) and Amor will most likely leave at the end of the season I think. I think we'll use the money from those 3 to bring in another prop and back rower (most likely from the NRL). Maybe if we have some money spare we'll look at a project signing from the Championship aswell but not convinced we will. I think we'll see Lees really step up this season and take the spot as a starting prop next season.
Got to say I'm concerned Knowles could be targeted next. His contract expires at the end of 2021 so hopefully Saints are looking at extending his deal before the NRL sides come in.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
Can't get past this, really. Surely the club can't have been naïve to have thought they'd wait until Thompson had 12 months left on his contract before they started talking about a firm deal? These days a year left to run is as good as none. Players very often agree to 'move on' with time left on his contract. Why weren't we negotiating sooner or was it indeed a case of going back on a word? Who knows.
I'm less bought on going for a 'big Tongan' who struggles to play 10 minutes. Those days are gone. Its a real blow to lose Thompson because in days of less replacements, his engine took some stopping.
Thompson's career progression hasn't been linear, though. He emerged in 2014* in Brown's final year and I thought he showed some promise, but was behind Greg Richards IMO in the pecking order. Thompson put in some good performances, but was anonymous in others. What really announced his true promise to me was when he came on in the 2014 GF, at a time when the piescum were beginning to get on top and gain momentum. His first carry was brutal, bending the pie defence back, and he was immense throughout his time on the pitch. That was when I thought he had it in him to be top quality.
But he never kicked on as much as hoped in the following 2 seasons, a combination of Cunningham's tactics/selections and a couple of concussions. Cunningham never seemed to fancy him that much.
It was only when Holbrook took over in 2017 that he started getting picked regularly at prop and his trajectory got back on track.
Towards the end of 2017, he was offered and accepted a new 3-year contract. At that time, he was definitely an emerging talent but still with a lot to prove. It was in 2018 and, even more so, in 2019 that he's just improved & improved to take that step into the 'elite' bracket. I can remember reports of Saints talking to him about a new, longer contract at least a year ago so it's not like the club has been sat on its hands waiting until the final year of his contract to arrive. More a case of Thompson wanting to wait until nearer the time to see how his career and profile developed before deciding on his next move.
* I know he made his debut in 2013, but only started getting anything like regular minutes in 2014
If we look after Tai through the season he might go another year, he has a pretty big influence on how we play. To lose Thompson, Amor, Tai and LMS in the same 2021 season would almost put us into a pack transition when you consider Roby deteriorating as well.
We need Ashworth to have a big season this year preferably from the front row and Batchelor to get some game time.
Good luck Luke, wants to prove himself against the best, every chance playing for Canterbury Reckon Luke will be awesome this season, chance for Saints species to show their feelings for a Saints great, Replacement ? ain't too fussed at the moment (in Eamonn we trust) just going to savour what is going to be a fantastic Saints season. Won't be giving much thought to Luke returning (unless the intensity of super league improves ), this is a James Graham moment the ARL is where the best props need to be....………...Thanks Luke SAINTS GREAT
I'm pretty sure Saints will have been in discussions with him over a new contract for a while. It was mooted last year that we were at some point.
Ultimately you can't make a player sign a contract. You can offer all the incentives you want but if the players wants to challenge themselves in another environment that's their choice. I'm pretty sure Bateman had another year on his contract or an agreement in his contract that allowed them to get fee which is why they got a fee for him when he left, so a different situation.
The key for Saints is to try to tie up key personnel early (Knowles is one I'd be looking at right now), but the NRL cap is so much larger than ours it's difficult to compete with them once our players are on their radar.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
As Blobby said you cannot force someone to sign a contract, if Thommo wants to go to the NRL at the end of his contract then we cannot stand in his way, i have no doubt that the club did its utmost to try and keep him. I also fail to see how its poor business, what because we dont get a transfer fee? I would rather have Thommo playing for us for as long as possible and would rather him go for nothing at the end of his contract than let him go, get a fee and be looking for a replacement that most likely would be substandard.
What we have from this is time and clarity, time to go out and recruit for next season, getting a jump ahead of other clubs whilst knowing what we need to get, an the clarity provided gets rid of all doubt that we have had around the likes of Barba and Holbrook going, you couldnt plan as you were not sure what was going on.
It happens in football all the time. Players sign new contracts knowing full well they will still be sold. It protects a decent fee and stops them going on a free.
If the Bulldogs really wanted him they would have paid a fee. Yes we get him for another season but we’ve had him for over 10 years and are letting him go more or less at his peak and literally get nothing back financially. I don’t think that’s great at all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It does happen a lot in football, as does contracts running out, but players signing a new contract and then being sold is almost unheard of in Rugby League. It can happen in football due to the lack of salary cap, we may be right up against the cap and may not be in a position to offer the increase it would take to cover this season.
It isnt great, but what can you do, its the nature of contracts, they have expiration dates after that there is not much you can do, its not like American sports where you can get draft picks in compensation, there is no facility for compensation when someone’s contract expires.
I don't know the detail, but football does have a compensation for training rule, and I think for players under 23.
He goes with my best wishes.
Just hope he gives absolutely everything this season. Going on his performance against Salford last Saturday, I dont think we need to worry about that.
Hes won pretty much everything he can here. Bar the Challenge Cup and possibly the WCC, with nothing tieing him down here outside of rugby I believe.
His choice to go to Canterbury is a smart one as he will start almost every game. Which is no doubt his intentions.
We aren't going to get 50M for Thompson though. We'd get a couple of hundred thousand tops that you can't even spend on new players wages due to the Salary Cap. I'd guess that over 90% of player movement is done for free at the end of contracts. I doubt Saints wouldn't have offered him a new deal, its up to Thompson if he stays or goes. Power is with players and with the difference between caps and Thompsons reputation I bet he isn't going over there for peanuts either.
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk