Re: Gildart : Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:24 pm  

Stu M wrote:

I wouldn't be so sure with Welsby. My understanding is that him and his agent were chatting to Aussie clubs during the WCC trip. I'm not saying it is for next season, it may well be him scoping out options for 2025 onwards. As I've said before I'd be disappointed in him if he didn't go there and chance his arm

What is interesting though is the number of Saints players having testimonials compared to other clubs. Someone posted the stats a few days ago and we have 6 qualifying players still playing and the rest of SL combined have 10

Of late Makinson, Percival, Walmsley, Lomax and LMS have had testimonials. Roby is due another one next season too!!

It’s a fair point. I don’t know what the take home figure is from a testimonial but it would need to be bigger than I thought to make a major difference.

That Roby stat is unreal A second testimonial?! Absolutely outstanding that and a sign of what a legend the guy is.

Re: Gildart : Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:59 pm  

NSW wrote:

If we could keep hold of our players instead of them going to the NRL our potent left edge of

Joe Burgess, Gildart, Williams and Farrell would be into its 9th season together.

That is the continuity needed to put together back to back GFs

Exactly.

Re: Gildart : Fri Feb 24, 2023 4:00 pm  

There could be personal reasons behind it and perhaps they look at when they recruit etc, but I sit there and wonder how no NRL clubs have come sniffing around some of them, and if they have then how the bloody hell have they kept hold of them.

We've lost players to the NRL that haven't even played a first team game or even established themselves yet.

Re: Gildart : Fri Feb 24, 2023 4:04 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

It’s a question that I’ve asked for a while and one I’ve never had the nuts to ask at a fans forum. The question always asked is ‘why can’t we keep our players?’ but that’s obvious given the salary cap differences. The question should be is ‘how do Saints do it?’ and that’s a mystery and one which will just grow following this World Club win (if players don’t go).

Mike Rush said yesterday that money isn’t everything and it’s success that keeps them but surely that is only applicable with minimal differences between players real values and what they’re currently getting. They have no players on Marquee deals by all accounts but no human being alive is going to under value themselves to that degree. To have no marquee player, you’re talking an average salary of 100k (ish) per player. Now they have 8-10 players under selling themselves by fortunes if that’s the case and plenty of good players turning out for much less than 100k if it’s not.

It’s good for the game that they can keep them and I’m a believer that clubs should be able to spend what they can afford but I’ve struggled for a good while to get my head round it.

Let’s not kid ourselves, every player is in it for the money and rightly so. Always has been always will be. Unless, Welsby is the one that has broken the mould then he will be looking to get a gig in Australia. The world is his oyster but he will need to grasp his opportunity because who knows what is around the corner.

Re: Gildart : Fri Feb 24, 2023 4:07 pm  

Stu M wrote:

I wouldn't be so sure with Welsby. My understanding is that him and his agent were chatting to Aussie clubs during the WCC trip. I'm not saying it is for next season, it may well be him scoping out options for 2025 onwards. As I've said before I'd be disappointed in him if he didn't go there and chance his arm

What is interesting though is the number of Saints players having testimonials compared to other clubs. Someone posted the stats a few days ago and we have 6 qualifying players still playing and the rest of SL combined have 10

Of late Makinson, Percival, Walmsley, Lomax and LMS have had testimonials. Roby is due another one next season too!!

That is an interesting fact Stu, Wigan have two of the other four with Powell and Faz.

Re: Gildart : Fri Feb 24, 2023 4:47 pm  

Egg Chasing wrote:

There could be personal reasons behind it and perhaps they look at when they recruit etc, but I sit there and wonder how no NRL clubs have come sniffing around some of them, and if they have then how the bloody hell have they kept hold of them.

We've lost players to the NRL that haven't even played a first team game or even established themselves yet.

Rush has confirmed categorically that Roby, Lomax and Walmsley have all turned down NRL clubs for whatever reason.

Re: Gildart : Fri Feb 24, 2023 5:15 pm  

NSW wrote:

Warrington written all over him. Centre is their weak spot.

Wardle and Gildart both left centres so it’s a no.

Unfortunately Toby King is still under contract for next season and takes up a huge chunk of cap space. Hoping he has a great season and you want him permanently!

Re: Gildart : Fri Feb 24, 2023 11:04 pm  

Stu M wrote:

Rush has confirmed categorically that Roby, Lomax and Walmsley have all turned down NRL clubs for whatever reason.

Absolutely there will be personal reasons. Lockers didn't go because of his wife.

Like I say, perhaps saints ask things like that at contract time and we don't. I'd love to know though because it feels like our squad gets torn apart every season almost. Especially in the Wane era when we could and maybe should have done what you and Leeds have done

Re: Gildart : Sat Feb 25, 2023 12:31 am  

It certainly seems strange that NRL clubs are prepared to take a punt on players like Albert Kelly and Jordan Turner and Dan Sarginson, but never Lomax or Makinson or Walmsley? So it's hard to imagine that overtures weren't made.

Re: Gildart : Sat Feb 25, 2023 7:57 am  

Moe syslak wrote:

Unfortunately Toby King is still under contract for next season and takes up a huge chunk of cap space. Hoping he has a great season and you want him permanently!

Me too, there is a lack of quality centres around on both sides on the world so their wage demands are high due to the simple laws of supply and demand.

In King and Wardell I believe we could have one of the best centre partnerships to come for a long time, if we can get King permanently.

At 26 and 24 we could have a settled centre partnership for the next 6 or 7 years.

Wardell has already turned down NRL opportunities and I’m told he has no desire to play over there, this may change obviously, but it’s good news for us for now.

Having 2 quality centres of which neither count on the quota is a massive positive for any team.

If for whatever reason we cannot secure King for next year then I’d consider bringing Gildart back, but even then he wouldn’t be my first choice, or probably second/third either.