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Bennett, Bunnies agree terms on $3m deal

Gazman said:
I’m confident that Wayne wouldn’t see the team as a bottom dweller in need of a roster rebuild….on the contrary he’d see a very good roster not that far removed from the one that was leading the NRL halfway through season 2023 and with 80% of the playing personnel that he coached to the GF in 2021. Right now the team is spluttering and very slowly recovering from what I consider the worst injury toll in living memory. I’ve heard commentators talk about momentum and it’s clear that the team is struggling to get into the winning groove. We just seem to be bereft of a game plan to arrest a momentum shift. There seems to be close to zero confidence within the group with a wooden spoon looming large.
Yes, there needs to be a critical examination of all of the negative factors that have impacted team performance and to my untrained eye I’d say fitness and conditioning is top of the list. Until and unless that happens no amount of player churn will make much difference.
I see the need for 3 key personnel recruitments…a front rower, a hole running edge forward and a strike winger. Those additions and the return of the currently unavailable players would go a long way to returning the team to finals football.
Needless to say just the fact that Wayne is back will lift the team.
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Gazman said:
I’m confident that Wayne wouldn’t see the team as a bottom dweller in need of a roster rebuild….on the contrary he’d see a very good roster not that far removed from the one that was leading the NRL halfway through season 2023 and with 80% of the playing personnel that he coached to the GF in 2021. Right now the team is spluttering and very slowly recovering from what I consider the worst injury toll in living memory. I’ve heard commentators talk about momentum and it’s clear that the team is struggling to get into the winning groove. We just seem to be bereft of a game plan to arrest a momentum shift. There seems to be close to zero confidence within the group with a wooden spoon looming large.
Yes, there needs to be a critical examination of all of the negative factors that have impacted team performance and to my untrained eye I’d say fitness and conditioning is top of the list. Until and unless that happens no amount of player churn will make much difference.
I see the need for 3 key personnel recruitments…a front rower, a hole running edge forward and a strike winger. Those additions and the return of the currently unavailable players would go a long way to returning the team to finals football.
Needless to say just the fact that Wayne is back will lift the team.
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This is how I see it too.
 
yobbo84 said:
A year in the 14 jersey before Cody retires will be great for him.
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He could be the 7 or the 1 as well, not that far fetched.

I like the idea of him as a 14, but they’ll likely struggle to inject him in the game. It’s not like you can sub him for a spine member (and he probably isn’t going to come on at hooker or in the pack).

Plus you have the fact we’re currently carrying 2 hookers. With Wighton in the side (if he isn’t in the spine), and Cook’s versatility, you can carry a 9 as a utility and get by.

I also have no problem with him continuing to develop his game in NSW Cup as a first reserve injury cover either. It should be hard to get a first grade gig.

The curveball there might be if Dodd wasn’t the 7 (and Cody played there) and Wighton played 6, as then you would have the flex option of Wighton having a stint on an edge while Gray slotted into 6 for periods (or 1 if you did a double swap with Mitchell).

It’s an interesting one and likely dependent on player health and who does what in the preseason.
 
Brilliant news glad it’s all confirmed been a massive day for our club finally a positive and an enormous one.

Well done Souths for getting this done I’m so stoked with this news.

I think this is the right decision. The doubters and haters who were bagging us like Braith etc and people carrying on that watch Souths stuff this up can suck a fat one!
 
Said this in another thread but all contracts will be open now. Staff and players.

We have areas where we need significant improvement and will need to recruit so we’ll need to move some players along to be able to open up the necessary cap space.

Wayne will not care if it’s a highest paid player or a club favorite. He moved Wally Lewis on from the Broncos as an example.

If I were a betting man, I would say Damian Cook and Alex Johnston will be two players in the firing line for starters. Both on large contracts for their position. Both getting up there in terms of age.

As fans, we need to be on board with the fact that tough decisions will be made and we’re not going to like all of them.
 
Rabbits21 said:
I didn’t think AJ was on a big contract!
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It’s big by comparison to an average winger. Especially when you look at AJ’s relative output.

Madmike4 said:
I would move on Taane Milne, Michael Chee Kam . Izaac Tu’itupou Thompson
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Why? Those guys are on minimum deals and shouldn’t be playing as much first grade as they currently are anyway.

Could agree with losing Milne, he hasn’t been doing an adequate job when called upon but the other two are just back up players who are on minimum deals. You get rid of them, you’re just going to replace them like for like anyway.

The problem isn’t Chee Kam or Thompson as such. The problem is that currently, we have them and several other back up type players all in the team at once.
 
DKOR said:
It’s big by comparison to an average winger. Especially when you look at AJ’s relative output.


Why? Those guys are on minimum deals and shouldn’t be playing as much first grade as they currently are anyway.

Could agree with losing Milne, he hasn’t been doing an adequate job when called upon but the other two are just back up players who are on minimum deals. You get rid of them, you’re just going to replace them like for like anyway.

The problem isn’t Chee Kam or Thompson as such. The problem is that currently, we have them and several other back up type players all in the team at once.
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Chee Kam I like (I assume he’s on a little contract). He’s similar to Tass. Won’t win you a game, won’t lose you a game. Fine for spots 25-30 (when you have legit options in your dev group especially).

Milne is fine, but I’m just tired of persevering. See how he goes elsewhere.

And Thompson is just a little too injury prone, and probably out of position. He doesn’t have quite enough upside to be exciting, and isn’t reliable enough to join the Chee Kam/Tass brigade. But I won’t complain if he’s on the roster or if someone at the club (now JD is gone) thinks he has something to offer.
 
Tough decision need to be made to get our rosters right & have money to spend.

I would release

TAANE MILNE
SEAN KEPPIE
ALEX JOHNSTON
JACOB HOST
SILIVA HAVILI
MICHAEL CHEE-KAM
DEAN HAWKINS
ISAIAH TASS
IZAAC THOMPSON
 
Rabbitohs22 said:
Tough decision need to be made to get our rosters right & have money to spend.

I would release

TAANE MILNE
SEAN KEPPIE
ALEX JOHNSTON
JACOB HOST
SILIVA HAVILI
MICHAEL CHEE-KAM
DEAN HAWKINS
ISAIAH TASS
IZAAC THOMPSON
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I mean, sure, but you’re gonna seriously struggle to replace that many players in this market I’d think.
 
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