With all the reports going around town, Tyson Frizell could shift to the Newcastle Knights by 2021. Should it actually go down, he’d be a top asset for Newcastle.
With the season less than a month away, we Knights fans can rule out any chance of him joining our team beforehand and we could see a mid season shift but most likely won’t happen.
There’s just a mere 25 days until Newcastle begin their season with a home game against the Warriors and a new era to begin. Frizell being with Newcastle could actually benefit both him and us.
For anyone who watched his interview in the Nines, you could tell he was thinking about a change. Newcastle is just the perfect spot.
His top-level experience both for club and representative football could pay off for the Knights’ backrowers like Mitchell Barnett, Sione Mata’utia and Lachlan Fitzgibbon. These men are all breaking their rookie ranks and going towards the professional stage.
With Tyson Frizell, while he may be a specialist as a second rower but he does have prop and lock forward experience. A team with the likes of those like Mitchell Pearce, David Klemmer, Kalyn Ponga, Tyson Frizell, Mitchell Barnett and Sione Mata’utia is a team which can cause some serious damage.
We all remember when Newcastle won six in a row last year and were destructive and dominant. Could you imagine if they had the potential to play like that all season? They’ll be unstoppable.
From a personal perspective, I am looking forward to this season way more than any I have in the last ten years and watching the Knights run out on Marathon really tends to kickstart my heart.
So Roarers, do you think Tyson Frizell will go to Newcastle and if so, would he be a valuable asset?
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Everyone is a battering ram to Mary
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
That's simply not true, not even close. The club did all they could, even to their own detriment. They allowed him to be around the club and train, which probably had an effect on the playing group knowing he wasn't able to play. The club couldn't have done anything nore
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
One of his big motivations is to win a premiership which rules the Knights out straight away. Haven't played finals in a long time. Roosters a d Storm would be obvious fits, but doubt they could afford him. Hopefully he stays at the Dragons and Mary uses him properly. He's a wide running backrower not a battering ram
Bryce
Guest
Frizzell is a good, experienced backrower but that’s not where the Knights squad need strengthening. The back row and the spine this year are probably the Knights strengths. We’re short a star outside back or two if we’ve got money to spend.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Surely Clubs can't be paying $800k - $1m for a backrower ? That sort of cap impost should be reserved for players that can win you matches. Frizell is a solid forward but when was the last time he won a match for St George ? "Rampaging backrowers" are fast becoming a "dime a dozen" with every team having a bunch through their ranks. Frizell is one of the better ones, but does cop a fair share of injury, and paying him up to $800k is way overs in my opinion.
Big Daddy
Guest
Probably depends on wether McGregor will be coach next year.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Interesting choice of words... I almost wrote “he won’t be the same rampaging player he is now” but changed the wording for the reasons you’ve highlighted I think it makes far more sense for the dragons to re-sign him than the knights to sign him (fan favourite, respected player, leader, etc) and they won’t have to pay the same freight to keep him as the knights will to get him
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I'd say it's a good idea for Frizell to leave before he completely runs out of steam. Saints run up to challenge for a title has come and gone and his only chance is to move clubs.
Nat
Roar Guru
Yep. If those figures were around for a backrower 5yrs ago, he would be worth it 5yrs ago. Not at 30, not for his contribution in the last few seasons.
KenW
Guest
I expect Frizell will stay at the Dragons but hope we don't over-pay. Frizell is a good player, great motor, bends the line, tackles hard - he's the sort of forward that will chase the winger all the way to the line. Love having him at my club and hope he stays there. The only problem is that he doesn't quite live up to this perception that he is a rampaging beast. He 'almost' breaks tackles all the time, but actually succeeds very rarely. Fox Sports had him at 14 tackle breaks + 1 line break in 2019. We let Leilua go with 43 + 4 respectively. Taumololo had 69 + 10. There are very few regular backrowers in the comp that broke less tackles than Frizell. Stats don't tell the whole story, and I want him to stick around. But he's not a $1m dollar player and giving him that % of a salary cap would be making life very hard.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
If those 5 or 6 games are enough to get them into the semis he’d have done a hell of a lot better than Guerra or Glasby . Think they have a classy 6 and something classy out wide priority before a backrower at this stage.
KenW
Guest
Yes, if there's a criticism of Saints with JDB is that they over-supported him. Not that he should have been abandoned, he claims innocence still and nothing has yet been proven otherwise, but they should have been more pragmatic. Treating him like a squad member that could play any week was a mistake.
Nat
Roar Guru
I'm with you Dutski. He has the Saints over a barrel and Newy are not going to offer so much more to warrant risking his comfy nest at Kogarah.
Nat
Roar Guru
I think that's what you want to believe Adrian. The club supoorted JDB the best they could until it was taken out of their hands.
Andrew
Guest
I think he is classic Newcastle. Barring injury he will play 18 good-to-average games and 5-6 really good games and get paid loads to do it. He is a stay away for me.
Andrew
Guest
Is he filthy at the club? Has he said this somewhere? I don't read a tonne of main stream media anymore so genuine question
The Barry
Roar Guru
I don’t think it’sa great move for the knights If they bring him up to Newcastle it will be for around that 800k - 1M mark and that’s if he’s not just using the knights to leverage his deal with the dragons He’ll be 30 at the end of 2021. Still some good years left but he’s not going to continue to be the player he was Knights need to be careful about continuing to pay overs for players on the downward part of their careers Anyway, I like Fitzgibbon and Barnett. You get a lot of what Frizell brings without the price tag Fitzgibbon was probably a little bit flat last year compared to 2018 but also had regular changes with the personnel inside him
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Hope not. And an issue for me is guys signing elsewhere a year ahead. I'm sure there are insurances for injuries etc but you might as well move now and cut your losses with current club. 'Twill be interesting decision and a sorry tale for Dragons if Tyson thinks he needs to go to Knights to have a premiership chance.
Adrian Megale
Guest
With all due respect sir, he’s still pretty pissed off with how they handled the case with Jack De Belin. I chose not to mention it in the article for common sense reasons. He’s pretty filthy with the club.
Dutski
Roar Guru
I can’t see Frizell moving. The Saints need him to badly to let him go. Surely they will throw the cheque book at him. If he did go we’ve seen how damaging he can be running an edge. I think he’s wasted in the middle.