Mini's replacement

[The Brain]

What year do you think is the final season for Mini?

Should be this year
Noticably last year he has lost a lot of pace .He has enough in him to keep going I think though.Should grab him self a couple years in the old dart.

[tullo]

I'd like to think Mini has another season in him if he can keep his fitness as it was at the tail end of last season .... he is a smart fullback

[Headless Chook]

As you say, Kurtley has come on a heck of a long way in the last 12 months, much like SKD.

Kingbilly refers to if he has the defensive balls for NRL. I believe he has, the way he had to defensively and offensively take on the massive guys of the All Blacks and Springboks really impressed me as that is certainly no easy task!

Mini was a great fullback 5 years ago, but the role has changed dramatically since then. Back then a fullback was a support player more than anything but now a fullback is a link man and extra play maker. I would love to see Beale in the RW&B. Imagine him running onto Pearce or Carney's passes at top speed and casually dropping the ball on to his foot and toeing it through. Or being the sweep runner out the back similar to Boyd and firing a 20m cut out pass to a flying Justin Carney.

[Guest]

Mini was a great fullback 5 years ago, but the role has changed dramatically since then. Back then a fullback was a support player more than anything but now a fullback is a link man and extra play maker. I would love to see Beale in the RW&B. Imagine him running onto Pearce or Carney's passes at top speed and casually dropping the ball on to his foot and toeing it through. Or being the sweep runner out the back similar to Boyd and firing a 20m cut out pass to a flying Justin Carney.

Spot on mate! Beale is a super talent, all the tricks of the trade. He would be a tremendous addition giving us another dimension to our side. He would make for a really good support player as well, like a Brett Stewart, as he has quite good pace.

If the Roosters managed to get Beale, we would without doubt become the most lethal attacking side in the comp!! If we were to lose Anasta at the end of this year or next, having Beale will offset the loss of losing a ballplayer with gaining arguably an even better one!

[Spanner in the works]

Beale and Dugan would be far too expensive in my opinion. Especially given the talent we have coming through. They'd be very valuable players for the team don't get me wrong, but I think as a team you need as much quality throughout the squad as you can especially with a long season. I don't want to lose all of our youngsters either. If Mini goes around past 2012, I would shift him to the wing and then give one of our young guys a full season at fullback. Same deal if he retires. If we can't promote from within, I think we should be aiming for a far cheaper option than those two.

[Headless Chook]

Beale and Dugan would be far too expensive in my opinion. Especially given the talent we have coming through. They'd be very valuable players for the team don't get me wrong, but I think as a team you need as much quality throughout the squad as you can especially with a long season. I don't want to lose all of our youngsters either. If Mini goes around past 2012, I would shift him to the wing and then give one of our young guys a full season at fullback. Same deal if he retires. If we can't promote from within, I think we should be aiming for a far cheaper option than those two.

Melbourne have shown that that is not really that necessary. Melbourne have ensured they have had quality in the key positions of 1, 6, 7, & 9 and in a lot of cases surround them with journeymen type players like your Dane Neilsens, Brett White's and Brian Norries. yes they may have been over the cap, but its hard to ignore the way they built the spine and then manufactured players for the other roles.

[Pass the Ball]

Let's see how that "spine" goes this year. I think they will lose more than they will win this season...

[Spanner in the works]

Melbourne have shown that that is not really that necessary. Melbourne have ensured they have had quality in the key positions of 1, 6, 7, & 9 and in a lot of cases surround them with journeymen type players like your Dane Neilsens, Brett White's and Brian Norries. yes they may have been over the cap, but its hard to ignore the way they built the spine and then manufactured players for the other roles.

I tend to think they are the exception rather than the rule. If we signed Beale or Dugan I wouldn't be upset, but I'd much rather we give our current group of players a chance and if that doesn't work sign a talented guy who could well turn into a Dugan, Slater or Stewart.

[Headless Chook]

Let's see how that "spine" goes this year. I think they will lose more than they will win this season...

I'll take that bet. I think they will still easily make the 8, don't know whether they can win it, but I think they will be up there.

[Headless Chook]

I tend to think they are the exception rather than the rule. If we signed Beale and Dugan I wouldn't be upset, but I'd much rather we give our current group of players a chance and if that doesn't work sign a talented guy who could well turn into a Dugan, Slater or Stewart.

I don't want Beale AND Dugan. We only need one of them.

[Spanner in the works]

I don't want Beale AND Dugan. We only need one of them.

That's what I like to call a **** up. Oops! LOL!

[Cockadoodledoo]

Melbourne have shown that that is not really that necessary. Melbourne have ensured they have had quality in the key positions of 1, 6, 7, & 9 and in a lot of cases surround them with journeymen type players like your Dane Neilsens, Brett White's and Brian Norries. yes they may have been over the cap, but its hard to ignore the way they built the spine and then manufactured players for the other roles.

I don't think Melbourne are a relevant example as they were massively rorting the salary cap.. Brett White was a journeyman origin player and Neilson was about 19 and a highly promising youngster.

[Vasco]

Let's see how that "spine" goes this year. I think they will lose more than they will win this season...

I believe they will be very competitive. They have a solid forward pack with some very talented outside backs.

Throw in Slater, Cronk and Smith and you have the makings of a good team.

[Guest]

We can afford to keep both our current squad (minus a few like Graham and possibly mini) and get someone like Beale for next year by back ending his contract. The salary cap will go up significantly in 2013, plus there would be a fair chance that the NRL may assist us in getting Beale as we would be getting a star player from another code which can only be good for the game.

[Cockadoodledoo]

We can afford to keep both our current squad (minus a few like Graham and possibly mini) and get someone like Beale for next year by back ending his contract. The salary cap will go up significantly in 2013, plus there would be a fair chance that the NRL may assist us in getting Beale as we would be getting a star player from another code which can only be good for the game.

Do you base this on any precedent? I can't recall getting too much help from the NRL in the past... ever... Salary caps going up will just lead to player salary inflation so it will be pretty relative..