Newcastle Knights sign Canberra Raiders back James Schiller

[Canberra Milk]

There is a lot of talent coming through the juniors but unlike last year if they lose a few of these emerging squad players there isn't a lot busting the door down at the moment. Next winger up after Asomua is Stuart and from what I have seen of Esera and Wataire they aren't screaming NRL player yet.

I think they will need to get active in the market at some point even if it's for depth.

Time to lock in Hoppa long term

[Dylan’s Raiders]

We didn’t let him go - he got a three year deal to play centre for more money. Good player, would have preferred him to stay over Hopa (and potentially Cotric if he re-signs) but we can’t keep them all.

Fair enough if you have the inside word.

Yep. Provided directly by the DT.

[Canberra Milk]

And props to the Knights, they would have seen him scoring tries for fun in Cup last year, at centre. Good signing for them

[-PJ-]

Is this as of now OR from 25 ?

[NoMan]

From 25.

[Hando]

He's still in front of Hoppa but you'd have to think Cotric now comes back in.
Why continue to develop a player , same with Sanders .
Release him now if we can secure another player.

I'm disappointed he is leaving. I wish him the best but it's next man up

Cos if he's currently in our best side he should play. Worry about next year next year, this year still matters.

[PNGRaider37]

Sad to see him go. But best wishes to him. can't keep em all.

[LimeGreenMachine]

Gagai and Best are their centres.
Not sure when Gagai's contract runs out but he probably doesn't jump either of them.

[kiwi raider]

I like schiller, have wanted him to see more first grade for some time but I kind of get why we wouldn't want to pay too much for him, I reckon his best position is right centre and the problem is he ain't better than matty Timoko so you wouldn't want to overspend. Also think Asomua's style and physicality suits wing a bit better if he reaches his potential

[LimeGreenMachine]

He's still in front of Hoppa but you'd have to think Cotric now comes back in.
Why continue to develop a player , same with Sanders .
Release him now if we can secure another player.

I'm disappointed he is leaving. I wish him the best but it's next man up

Cos if he's currently in our best side he should play. Worry about next year next year, this year still matters.

It does but it's also bit of a development year too.

We have a group of youngsters coming through , he was one so I see no harm in bringing in Asomua.

[Hando]

He's still in front of Hoppa but you'd have to think Cotric now comes back in.
Why continue to develop a player , same with Sanders .


Release him now if we can secure another player.

I'm disappointed he is leaving. I wish him the best but it's next man up

Cos if he's currently in our best side he should play. Worry about next year next year, this year still matters.

It does but it's also bit of a development year too.

We have a group of youngsters coming through , he was one so I see no harm in bringing in Asomua.

Yeah could live with Asomua replacing him.

[T_R]

Very disappointed with this one - I think he will play a lot of NRL in the years to come, and would have preferred it was with us.

[President Clinton]

Wow, I didn’t see that coming.

Seems he is looking to play centre and that’s what lured him to the Knights. On that basis, he will take Gagai’s position next year.

I am satisfied that Timoko and Kris are better centres. Would have been nice to keep him as depth on the wing / centre but Asomua might get a shot soon.

[Bennyboy2283]

I was hearing somewhere that we are signing Charlie stains , is this true?

[Dylan’s Raiders]

I was hearing somewhere that we are signing Charlie stains , is this true?

No.

[greeneyed]

Yeah but I reckon Schiller’s ceiling is high. Probably higher than Asomua’s from what I’ve seen.

Completely disagree
Reckon Asomua’s ceiling is significantly higher
More well rounded player. But we’ll see!

Schiller outside of Ponga should be a fun time. Better player than Jenkins and Tuala imo

But Asomua is not a particularly fast player, that's my impression is that correct?

I liked the speed and enjoyed watching us burn up the sideline

Na he’s not a burner by any means
But he’s also not slow. He’s fast enough to finish imo

Stylistically very similar imo to Brian To’o more than Savage
Good balance between the two and Chevy at fullback

I agree that Michael Asomua has the higher ceiling. Personally, I don't see a great deal of difference between Schiller and Hopoate. I think it's best that the club doesn't overpay on wingers. The Canberra Times is reporting that the Raiders did not match the Knights in terms of the contract value, plus the Knights are promising him a centre spot (see article in first post of the thread). If Schiller is getting the chance to play centre at the Knights and that's what he wants, best wishes to him. There is no way he'd be playing centre with the Raiders.

[-PJ-]

I like Schiller, can’t tackle but I do like him.

[bonehead]

drop him, move on with Cotric

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[The Nickman]

Yeah, bring back Crotic!

[Dylan’s Raiders]

I’ll also put this out there, if Schiller had no defensive issues, then keep him for the rest of the season on the right wing - don’t care if he leaving at seasons end if he is the best option.

But, with this information, I would have Hopa ahead of him next week.

[LimeGreenMachine]

How does Ricky play this. Does he drop Schiller back to NSW cup , could that upset the playing group. Does he try and move Schiller on this year and replace him in the top 30 with another player?

[Wiki Special]

Good luck to James, I hope he has a long NRL career.

[Regs Revolution]

Axe him. Make him clean the toilets!!!

Damn. Not happy about this one. I thought he could be a really good winger. Was never playing centre behind Kris and Timoko.

Schiller stays in for me till Rapana comes back. If Stewart is going alright, shift Rapana to wing.

From the limited amounts I’ve watched Asomua, he looks the good. But it’s limited.

[Dylan’s Raiders]

Asomua is too raw - I think they timed it well to promote him next year.

[Canberra Milk]

I’ll also put this out there, if Schiller had no defensive issues, then keep him for the rest of the season on the right wing - don’t care if he leaving at seasons end if he is the best option.

But, with this information, I would have Hopa ahead of him next week.

Let's face it, Hoppa was probably going to get picked over him regardless

[Rickmando]

Good luck to James, I hope he has a long NRL career.

x2

I’m disappointed because Schiller = entertaining to watch and Hopoate/Cotric = dull to watch.

Here’s hoping Asomua gets a shot at some point. Cotric or Hoppa clogging a wing spot is depressing. Not to mention a throwback to a grindball era that I’m sure none of us want to see re-lived!

[dubby]

Out of the blue.

Oh well.

I guess this means more Hoppa?

[-PJ-]

It’s only fair they pinch one back.

We’ve taken 12 of them.

[Bloody_Burnham]

Gutted. I would have thought with his Raiders lineage he would have stuck around.

I reckon the knights must have offered him more money (the crap about being promised a centre position was thrown around when Cotric signed with the dogs too but we all know that move was motivated by the crazy $$$ he was offered to sign with them). I get a sense that the raiders think his best position is a winger (which I agree with) because of his defensive deficiencies. Hope Asomua gets a shot in first grade soon now.

[julian87]

**** sake

[Andymachine]

Well this sucks. I definitely would like to have kept him. He's a valuable squad member for this year because on top of what he can do for us on the wing, we also have no backup centres for Kris/Timoko. His defence is terrible but it can only improve and I love having speed in the backs! If only Newcastle had signed Cotric.

[Mickey_Raider]

This sucks. Knights fans scouring this forum will be thrilled as the best barometer for whether a signing is a good one is the reaction of the fans of the team being left behind.

Did I completely imagine something with Schiller relating to attitude and popularity (or lack thereof) within the playing group?

[Rick]

This sucks.

Hopefully Stuart can be mature about this and keep using him this year for as long as his form permits, unfortunately I can not see this happening and can see us with Bert back in the 2 next week.

Alternatively if Chev stays at 1 then Rapa to the wing.

Have pace on the wings was nice while it lasted.


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[Cranky Old Man]

Yesterday I was told by a source of unknown reliability that Morkos was returning next year. Might be a connection.
Sorry to see him go, but wingers are about the easiest players to find. Both Asomua and Stuart look to have promise, the centre Mainere (sic) looks to have something and behind them are a couple of outside backs in Flegg who might in time come good.

[IBG]

Look, you can't keep them all, maybe we realised that we had to drop Schiller to spare some extra cash for Mooney.

He's been great no doubt, but wingers are a dime a dozen. Asomua is coming through and you still have Hoppa and Cotric. Plus Jed Stuart has been pretty bloody good in NSW Cup.