Does this sound familiar?

[Cairnsman]

A team with many wooden spoons to it's name
Only one premiership cup in the trohpy cabinet
A team littered with high draft picks
A team that has strung together it's longest winning streak ever...

all this great stuff is happening to the Doggies and so what do they do next...

they sign as many of their players up mid season so other clubs can't raid them...

I just wonder whether it would be better for a club in the Buldogs postion to say to their current crop, hey win us a premiership this year and you will all get automatic 2 year deals with options and variation thrown in where negotiated.

I mean why should a club in the postion the Dogs are in be concerned right at this very moment in the season about other clubs poaching their players. If any of the Bulldogs players can't see that they are more than likely going to win a premiership in the not too distant future then why would they want to leave. Brisbane and StKilda have proved that you can get players to stay at a club for reduced pay in exchange for a good chance at a premiership

To me it seems a team like the Bulldogs has rewarded their players with contracts before they have reached the organisations ultimate goal. Has anyone got any insight into this issue or hindsight as it may be for us Saints supporters.

[Cairnsman]

my main point being that if the Bulldogs players can't be told, hey wait until October before we do contracts because if you win us a premiership this year then there will be beer and skittles all round.

[Solar]

on the other hand they don't sign up the likes of cooney the attention on the "uncontracted" players will intensify.

If they believe that certain players are there for the longer term as part of their plans then it makes total sense to sign them up. I am yet to meet a player who wasn't as passionate to win the big one after signing a contract.

to be honest, it's a bizzare OP.

BTW I would like us to wrap the likes of armo and gilbo up so that the gold coast don't get their dirty hands on our developing players.

[saints11]

A team with many wooden spoons to it's name
Only one premiership cup in the trohpy cabinet
A team littered with high draft picks
A team that has strung together it's longest winning streak ever...

all this great stuff is happening to the Doggies and so what do they do next...

they sign as many of their players up mid season so other clubs can't raid them...

I just wonder whether it would be better for a club in the Buldogs postion to say to their current crop, hey win us a premiership this year and you will all get automatic 2 year deals with options and variation thrown in where negotiated.

I mean why should a club in the postion the Dogs are in be concerned right at this very moment in the season about other clubs poaching their players. If any of the Bulldogs players can't see that they are more than likely going to win a premiership in the not too distant future then why would they want to leave. Brisbane and StKilda have proved that you can get players to stay at a club for reduced pay in exchange for a good chance at a premiership

To me it seems a team like the Bulldogs has rewarded their players with contracts before they have reached the organisations ultimate goal. Has anyone got any insight into this issue or hindsight as it may be for us Saints supporters.

no that doesn't sound familiar

[Cairnsman]

on the other hand they don't sign up the likes of cooney the attention on the "uncontracted" players will intensify.

If they believe that certain players are there for the longer term as part of their plans then it makes total sense to sign them up. I am yet to meet a player who wasn't as passionate to win the big one after signing a contract.

to be honest, it's a bizzare OP.

BTW I would like us to wrap the likes of armo and gilbo up so that the gold coast don't get their dirty hands on our developing players.

Yeah it is a little left of field. If Adam Cooney and the Buldogs adminstration had an understanding that was based on loyalty, integrity and trust then surely there would be no fear of Adam wanting to leave a club on a huge upswing. And altenatively there would be no fear of the Bulldogs administration giving Adam the heave ho if they didn't happen to win the flag this year. As an interim they could sign an MOU based on my proposition in the OP to get them through to October. Does that articulate my OP any better?

[Solar]

on the other hand they don't sign up the likes of cooney the attention on the "uncontracted" players will intensify.

If they believe that certain players are there for the longer term as part of their plans then it makes total sense to sign them up. I am yet to meet a player who wasn't as passionate to win the big one after signing a contract.

to be honest, it's a bizzare OP.

BTW I would like us to wrap the likes of armo and gilbo up so that the gold coast don't get their dirty hands on our developing players.

Yeah it is a little left of field. If Adam Cooney and the Buldogs adminstration had an understanding that was based on loyalty, integrity and trust then surely there would be no fear of Adam wanting to leave a club on a huge upswing. And altenatively there would be no fear of the Bulldogs administration giving Adam the heave ho if they didn't happen to win the flag this year. As an interim they could sign an MOU based on my proposition in the OP to get them through to October. Does that articulate my OP any better?

But what if cooney win the brownlow, the bulldogs lose the prelim by 5 points and cooney is a 10 year player. Port have a shocker of a year, end up having alot of money to throw around. They throw cooney heaps of money on the first of october and he decides that perhaps this is the time to go home.

They could have had him signed up in june when he was just an improving midfielder, albit with the second on the ladder team. The difference of a brownlow and BOG in a prelim loss might mean another 150k a year from a side in his home town.

If I had this guy in my plans for the next 3-4 year at least then I would be looking at getting his signature in the next few months. Leaves him stress free from the press (no "when you signing" or "are you heading back home at seasons end" speculation non stop in every interview with him) and focused on bringing home the bacon this year.

I understand the OP but still find it strange because I have never heard of a player focusing less on his football after he was signed, in fact as I have suggested signing him up might take some outside speculation off him and allow him to focus on it.

[plugger66]

my main point being that if the Bulldogs players can't be told, hey wait until October before we do contracts because if you win us a premiership this year then there will be beer and skittles all round.

The club has done the right thing. If you want to keep a player you sign them up whenever you can especially with the 2 new clubs coming in. Great move all round.

[The Craw]

A team with many wooden spoons to it's name

They only have 1.

[Cairnsman]

I understand the OP but still find it strange because I have never heard of a player focusing less on his football after he was signed, in fact as I have suggested signing him up might take some outside speculation off him and allow him to focus on it.

Maybe not focusing less, and by focus I assume you mean focus on a premiership, but can you think of a situation where a players 'effort' might have dropped away after he has signed but might have still appeared focus.

[Solar]

I understand the OP but still find it strange because I have never heard of a player focusing less on his football after he was signed, in fact as I have suggested signing him up might take some outside speculation off him and allow him to focus on it.

Maybe not focusing less, and by focus I assume you mean focus on a premiership, but can you think of a situation where a players 'effort' might have dropped away after he has signed but might have still appeared focus.

then perhaps they will be "dropped" (see dal last week)