The Parramatta Eels are reportedly set to table an offer for Warriors hooker Issac Luke.
The report comes just days after The Sydney Morning Herald revealed details of the Warriorsโ $3 million offer to Parramatta for young gun Dylan Brown.
The Eelsโ offer would see Luke in the blue and gold for the 2019 season.
The New Zealand international is contracted to the Warriors for 2019 on a relatively lean deal when considering his calibre.
Luke had agreed to a salary of roughly $150,000 with the Warriors with a clause inserted in his contract that he be released should a rival club come up with a more lucrative offer.
After missing out on George Burgess, The Sydney Morning Heraldโs Adrian Proszenko reports that Parramatta is poised to offer the veteran a contract worth $700,000 over two years.
The club views the veteran as not only a viable playing option but as an option to help with the development of younger players Reed Mahoney and Kaysa Pritchard.
The offer pends while Parramatta officials internally debate whether or not to formally pursue Luke.
There is a shortage of quality hookers and halves in the NRL.
Warriors ditching Luke, Lino and Johnson.
Derp.
Parra really need an established halves partner for Moses. They have a really good team on paper but lack in that department. Dummy half/hooker is classed as a spine player but like I have been saying for years hookers don’t lead the team around the paddock, Halfbacks do. There was plenty of numnutters on here last season saying Melbourne would win the comp even without Cronk because they had Smith. Well Melbourne would have gone back to back if they had Cronk, but they didn’t. Parra need a 5/8 or Half not a hooker/ball pickerupperer ๐ช๐๐
I disagree timberhen.
As the refs crack down on the 10 meter and wrestling issue, a dynamic, quick hooker that terrorises the ruck area to exploit sluggish forwards and quick ball plays, is one of the most critical areas of the game.
Solid, safe hookers like McCullough, who’s value is 50 tackles a game, just ain’t enough in the modern game.
TimberHen, that’s GOLD Screamin!!!! Nobody gives it to him!
If this is the case… surely the warriors have a crack at Segeyaro – considering he is apparently not looking for money… Iโm sure heโd accept that $150k being used for Luke.
What the hell are the warriors upto, Uncle Bully is a legend.
Agree with you Screaming about McCullough. I like the guy and his work ethic, but you are right that he is really just a tackling machine. You need someone like Cook out of dummy half and someone who is a good ball distributor so that your halves have more time to do their thing. Macca is quite slow in his delivery from dummy half.
Luke I believe will be a good pick up for the Eels.
$700k is a lot of money for luke, looks like eels are juts throwing our money to get half decent players
Just throwing out*
The $700K is for 2 years ($350K p.a).
Given the inexperience in our current spine, I’d be very happy to add Luke, especially to this year’s squad.
I hope we do it, and it’s a much better idea/fit, to our current squad, than either Jennings or Burgess would have been, not that I’m negative on either of those players as such.
Yep. $700K for 1 year would be the old Parra. $700 over 2 years seems about right I think, if not maybe a little overs given his current contract. Still worth it to work with Mahoney for a couple of seasons.
350k per season for someone of his calibre is money well spent.
Well screamingeagle its good to see you put your hand up for being one of those numbnutters if not the leader of them. Friend does 50 tackles a match and he has a grand final ring. Cook had pace out of dummy half and he had a empty tissue box after the preliminary final. Its the halfback and 5/8 that is the readers of the game, not the bloke bending over passing the ball to those readers of play. Great defensive teams bottle up the ruck area and there is very little space for quick runners from dummy half.๐ฉ๐๐๐๐คฃ—-๐ช๐๐
Besides screamingeagle do you think Isaac Luke at 32 is fast out of dummy halfโโโโ. Obviously your out of touch with reality.๐ฉ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐๐ฑ When you say “I disagree” implying with your own words that you need a fast running hooker.๐คฃ๐๐๐๐ต
If Parra can get him fit and keep him fit (including his weight) then it will be a smart purchase. Not sure he will last 2 years though.
My mistake thought it was 700k per season. Would be a quality but at $700k for the two years
Timberhen hahahahah thatโs a good one
“Parra really need an established halves partner for Moses.”.
Fair point, but 300+ game Dally M winning veterans, like Cronk is now, don’t grow on trees.
Someone has to “blood” new players, incl halves, as Parra is looking to do with Brown, and I think it stands to reason to get experienced players around them (especially in key combination positions).
Any “halves are more important than hooker etc” arguements at a “rule of thumb” level are mute.
Every position is important, and drilling down to the micro level of what that particular team needs is what’s important. That’s the coaching staffs job.
In an ideal world, assuming we get Luke, I’d argue our next priority, with our available salary cap and squad, would be to get an experienced centre. Some would probably argue “but that’s not a key position”, but it is for us (Parra) based on our current squad.
are we all suffering from long term memory loss?? The whole reason Isaac Luke isnโt playing for the kiwis is because his form has been so bad for the warriors that nz selectors would rather rookie or bench utility hookers over him. If you are thinking of signing luke at this stage of his career you really shouldnโt be spending overs on him or wanting him for more then a year.
If he can stay injury-free I reckon heโd be a wonderful pick-up for Parra. Iโve never been a fan of smartars***/ fancy pants dummy halves like Elias. More than any other position I like hookers who play tough (like Royce Simmons) and Luke is one of the best, if not the best when it comes to that. Despite admiring McInnes Iโd have him at Saints any day of week. Heโd be a sensation playing off the go- forward of Vaughan and Graham.
Iโd sign him for this year.
If he goes good then sign him for another year.
1: B French
2: B Ferguson
3: M Jennings
4: C Gutherson
5: M Sivo
6: D Brown
7: M Moses
8: Jr Paulo
9: I Luke
10: D Alvaro
11: T Moeroa
12: S Lane
13: N Brown
14: M Nuikore
15: P Terepo
16: O Kaufusi
17: T Mannah
Parra never learn.
Dude is way past it……
No M’au M’au?
Seriously?