2019 Recruitment and Retention Thread

[Minto]

2019 Gains
Kurt Baptiste (Sydney Roosters, 2019)
Jordan Kahu (Brisbane Broncos, 2019)
Nene Macdonald (St George Illawarra Dragons, 2021)
Josh McGuire (Brisbane Broncos, 2022)
Tom Opacic (Brisbane Broncos, 2020)
Dan Russell (Souths Logan Magpies, 2020)

2019 Losses
Ben Barba (released)
Josh Chudleigh (Townsville Blackhawks)
Lachlan Coote (St Helens, 2021)
Shaun Fensom (Brisbane Broncos)
Sam Hoare (Townsville Blackhawks)
Shaun Hudson (Townsville Blackhawks)
Kyle Laybutt (Townsville Blackhawks)
Kane Linnett (Hull KR, 2021)
Johnathan Thurston (Retired)
Antonio Winterstein (Retired)

2019 Off Contract
Carlin Anderson, Kurt Baptiste, Ben Barba, Logan Bayliss-Brow, Scott Bolton, Javid Bowen, Gavin Cooper, Reuben Cotter, Gideon Gela-Mosby, Tom Gilbert, Ben Hampton, Coen Hess, Corey Jensen, Ethan Lowe, Te Maire Martin, Justin O'Neill, Matthew Scott, Murray Taulagi, Enari Tuala, Kurt Wiltshire.

https://www.zerotackle.com/rugby-league/teams/north-queensland-cowboys/

 

[Minto]

Cowboys begin preparations to lure Valentine Holmes north
OCTOBER 31, 2018
THE Cowboys will on Thursday launch one of the richest poaching raids in the club’s history in an attempt to bring Queensland Origin star Valentine Holmes to Townsville.

The Courier-Mail can reveal North Queensland will begin negotiations with Cronulla flyer Holmes on a package worth up to $3.6 million as more than $20 million worth of talent hits the NRL open market.

An estimated 168 top-liners are up for grabs from Thursday with the NRL’s annual November 1 contracting period giving off-contract NRL stars the chance to test their value on the open market.

Holmes is at the top of the hit-list, with the Cowboys now having the capacity under the NRL’s guidelines to table a formal offer for the Townsville-born tryscoring machine.

The Cowboys have been linked with Holmes for the past six months. The Maroons ace is seriously considering quitting Cronulla, but has been unable to field a formal offer from the Cowboys until November 1.

Now North Queensland have the contractual green light to ramp-up their pursuit, with Cowboys head-of-football Peter Parr on Wednesday confirming the club will make a formal play for Holmes.

“We were waiting to see if Holmes was still available come November 1 and now that he is, we will have a discussion with his management,” Parr said.

“We will certainly be making contact with his management, Chris and Gavin Orr, and we will see where it takes us.

“We haven’t given much thought to what our offer would be, but now that Valentine is on the open market, I will have a discussion with ‘Greeny’ (Cowboys coach Paul Green).”

Parr would not be drawn on figures, but it is understood the Cowboys will consider offering a three-or-four year deal worth $900,000 a season.

The Sharks have tabled a mega five-year extension to Holmes worth more than $4 million, putting pressure on the Cowboys to table a long-term deal.

While Holmes is contracted to Cronulla until the end of 2020, he has a 12-month option in his favour, meaning he can field rival offers from Thursday.

Several Sydney clubs are also keen on Holmes, with some willing to break the bank to secure his services, but if he leaves the Sharks, a move to the Cowboys is likely due to family connections.

In his Cronulla contract, Holmes has until next August to give the Sharks a definitive answer.

His manager confirmed the Cowboys are a genuine contender to win the Test winger’s signature.

“There will be a lot of interest in Val and come November 1 we will be open to discussions with all those who wish to secure his services,” PSM director Chris Orr said.

“It’s been a great year for Val and he is currently overseas enjoying a break from rugby league, so we won’t look to discuss his options until he returns.

“A lot has been said about the family attraction of the Cowboys for Val, which is true, but he has been at the Shire since he was 17, it’s not like Val is unhappy at Cronulla.

“We regard Val as a franchise player. He is extremely marketable, so this should be considered by any club wishing to secure his services.

“He has the X-factor to attract sponsors and fans to the game each weekend.”

Parr admits it will be an uphill battle to prise Holmes out of a Cronulla club with whom he won the 2016 premiership.

“Val has plenty of mates there and he has played some outstanding football at Cronulla,” he said.

“In my experience, it’s always hard to get good players to leave their incumbent club, especially if they are successful.”

https://outline.com/wzPKsD

 

[Jax]

Cowboys begin preparations to lure Valentine Holmes north
OCTOBER 31, 2018
THE Cowboys will on Thursday launch one of the richest poaching raids in the club’s history in an attempt to bring Queensland Origin star Valentine Holmes to Townsville.

The Courier-Mail can reveal North Queensland will begin negotiations with Cronulla flyer Holmes on a package worth up to $3.6 million as more than $20 million worth of talent hits the NRL open market.

An estimated 168 top-liners are up for grabs from Thursday with the NRL’s annual November 1 contracting period giving off-contract NRL stars the chance to test their value on the open market.

Holmes is at the top of the hit-list, with the Cowboys now having the capacity under the NRL’s guidelines to table a formal offer for the Townsville-born tryscoring machine.

The Cowboys have been linked with Holmes for the past six months. The Maroons ace is seriously considering quitting Cronulla, but has been unable to field a formal offer from the Cowboys until November 1.

Now North Queensland have the contractual green light to ramp-up their pursuit, with Cowboys head-of-football Peter Parr on Wednesday confirming the club will make a formal play for Holmes.

“We were waiting to see if Holmes was still available come November 1 and now that he is, we will have a discussion with his management,” Parr said.

“We will certainly be making contact with his management, Chris and Gavin Orr, and we will see where it takes us.

“We haven’t given much thought to what our offer would be, but now that Valentine is on the open market, I will have a discussion with ‘Greeny’ (Cowboys coach Paul Green).”

Parr would not be drawn on figures, but it is understood the Cowboys will consider offering a three-or-four year deal worth $900,000 a season.

The Sharks have tabled a mega five-year extension to Holmes worth more than $4 million, putting pressure on the Cowboys to table a long-term deal.

While Holmes is contracted to Cronulla until the end of 2020, he has a 12-month option in his favour, meaning he can field rival offers from Thursday.

Several Sydney clubs are also keen on Holmes, with some willing to break the bank to secure his services, but if he leaves the Sharks, a move to the Cowboys is likely due to family connections.

In his Cronulla contract, Holmes has until next August to give the Sharks a definitive answer.

His manager confirmed the Cowboys are a genuine contender to win the Test winger’s signature.

“There will be a lot of interest in Val and come November 1 we will be open to discussions with all those who wish to secure his services,” PSM director Chris Orr said.

“It’s been a great year for Val and he is currently overseas enjoying a break from rugby league, so we won’t look to discuss his options until he returns.

“A lot has been said about the family attraction of the Cowboys for Val, which is true, but he has been at the Shire since he was 17, it’s not like Val is unhappy at Cronulla.

“We regard Val as a franchise player. He is extremely marketable, so this should be considered by any club wishing to secure his services.

“He has the X-factor to attract sponsors and fans to the game each weekend.”

Parr admits it will be an uphill battle to prise Holmes out of a Cronulla club with whom he won the 2016 premiership.

“Val has plenty of mates there and he has played some outstanding football at Cronulla,” he said.

“In my experience, it’s always hard to get good players to leave their incumbent club, especially if they are successful.”

https://outline.com/wzPKsD

If we miss out on him, we should target Mbye...

 

[Spacey]

Thought we would have signed him by midday already

 

[Revivous]

Minto, you can also have a gander at what I did for next season. Feel free to copy for here

 

[aqua]

Minto, you can also have a gander at what I did for next season. Feel free to copy for here

Mate I clicked the link you have done a great job.

 

[Revivous]

Mate I clicked the link you have done a great job.

Cheers mate! I'm always updating it with new info and rumours and stuff - I did it for the 2017/18 season as well. I thought I'd refine it a bit more though for this year.

 

[Minto]

This is our official Top 30 squad heading into the pre-season. Which means our development players are Carlin Anderson, Logan Bayliss-Brow, Reuben Cotter, Tom Gilbert, Dan Russell and Kurt Wiltshire.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/11/02/2019-nrl-rosters-official-squads-announced-for-all-teams/

"Under the terms of the CBA between the NRL and RLPA, each club is required to have the contracts of a minimum of 24 players registered by November 1. Clubs then have until March 1 to register 29 players and June 30 to finalise their top 30 squad."

 

[Jagjaxon]

Molo at 9? He must have a decent pass

 

[Moggy]

Molo at 9? He must have a decent pass

At least O'neil has a number he deserves

 

[Jagjaxon]

At least O'neil has a number he deserves

18th man is still a tad high for my liking

 

[Minto]

Buzz Rothfield warning but he thinks Holmes will leave:

HOLMES HEADING HOME

THE Cronulla Sharks have all but given up hope of retaining superstar Val Holmes for 2020.

The club hasn’t heard from Holmes’s manager Gavin Orr for two weeks, which is a sign he has already done a deal with the North Queensland Cowboys.

Holmes will finish up in the Shire at the end of next season.

The Sharks are not dirty because he is heading home for family reasons.

At least it enables coach Shane Flanagan to start planning for 2020.

Does he bring home Ben Barba or chase another big name?

https://outline.com/UJBeCw

 

[Revivous]

I guess Buzz is pretty in the know with the Sharks as well.

 

[Charlie124]

I'd love Val to be content with being the worlds best winger so we can keep Barba at fullback in 2020, but i get that he's after the 1 jumper and his price tag would command it.

still....

1. Ben Barba
2. Kyle Feldt
3. Enari Tuala/Ben Hampton/Tom Opacic/Gideon Gela Mosby/Te Marie Martin
4. Nene McDonald
5. Val Holmes
6. Jake Clifford
7. Michael Morgan

 

[Revivous]

You definitely wouldn't want GGM or TMM as a centre

 

[Beaves NQ]

Or Hampton.

 

[Rudi]

There is no way Val is coming here to play on the wing.
He is locked in as fullback, the only uncertainty is whether it’s in 2019 or 2020.

 

[Beaves NQ]

There is no way Val is coming here to play on the wing.
He is locked in as fullback, the only uncertainty is whether it’s in 2019 or 2020.

I don’t have the faintest idea on our inner sanctum but I hinestly don’t think we have the cap space for 2019 to accomodate him (unless we back end the ass out of the deal). We will have the spare $$ once Thumper, Cooper and O’neill depart at the end of 2019.

 

[Revivous]

I don’t have the faintest idea on our inner sanctum but I hinestly don’t think we have the cap space for 2019 to accomodate him (unless we back end the ass out of the deal). We will have the spare $$ once Thumper, Cooper and O’neill depart at the end of 2019.

I put this together a few months ago with the help of a few unbiased mates, I'd say you're spot on the money for us being at or near cap:



I mean, I just threw it together as a 'have a gander' sort of thing - so please don't take any of it as gospel and pull it apart, also it's missing a couple of the development players. 105k is base rate for NRL and 50k is base rate for development according to the NRL.

 

[BDR]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1060311197310844929

heh