Can anyone else verify this possibility or heard it floating around?

Would be nice to have another 5 man to help Coops out....

Have heard this from some quality sources over the last couple of weeks and it's firming as a realistic prospect. I'd say that's the "Get out of jail free" card played... I would guess that the threat is Rogers getting an offer from Europe?

Geez, if this is the case and Rogers can still go a bit, PR is exactly what we need!

if this is the case they have pulled a miracle

it would be awesome im not gonna hold my breathe

but PR w00t

if not bring back Reesy

How would that work with the points system, would we have issues fitting them all in considering he was a australian player.

sounds good to me as he is alot more mobile/capable centre than reesy although i love the big fella.
those players on paper will definately compete with the stacked QLD teams.

We have loads of points to spare. The current 8 come to about 52 tops (possibly as low as 48?). That leaves 14-15 points for the last two spots.

Is this legit or just a pie in the sky rumour?

Not to start an argument but Paul Rodgers owes the Sixers something after his efforts a few years ago, if PR comes back and leads the team to a championship for less than nothing all will be forgiven. .

This is HUGE news if true, will wait for a little more confirmation and may ask him tomorrow on Talking Hoops B4 I get too excited

It is legit in that they are talking to him and he is interested, but I don't know if they're at the pen-on-paper stage yet.

Certainly lends itself to some interesting line-ups, e.g., you could run with a very tall 5 of Maher, Holmes, Forman, Cooper, Rogers that would be very difficult to out-rebound.

Heres my guess at what's happening. Despite saying they're spending the full cap, they're spending a self-imposed cap (say, $680, or 90-95% of the full cap). Theyve said otherwise, but I don't know - easy to say they are spending the cap to stop Willie or Paul Rees negotiating for more cash. Now, to come under their cap, they need to get Rees for minimum pay, which is likely. However, Rogers is interested in playing and would play cheaper than his real value, but not for minimum...

I wouldn't be surprised if you have some thinking that they must stick to their self-imposed cap for financial reasons, and others (potentially the coaches?) thinking that Rogers would be worth the extra money. If you have Rogers for Rees, then you seriously upgrade your championship chances and as they say you have to spend money to make money....

Where has rogers been playing the last couple of seasons??
Has he been doing alright??

I need to wait and see if it goes anything like the farley deal he could be suiting up well into the latter half of the season.

Lets get him signed and pump up the SA fans that we actually have a chance as the last couple of seasons we have looked a bit thin but manage to give it a good hard crack.

Nah, sign Reesy and Rogers and go the whole hog. Stuff the future. Focus on the now. Kids can wait until they're 30 years old and then they can get a game.

if its true is good positive news which is more important to me than the actual signing. For the club to be see to be doing something rather than sitting back and counting the coin.

do not screw with me

WHen Rogers came (back) to the Sixers the first time it was only 1 or 2 years after he'd won league MVP, expectations were huge, pressure was on and it didn't work out that well (obviously). If he joins the team now it's as a last minute replacement for Rees or Hambour, so looking at it that way even if he only gets 12 and 8 each game that's still a success. I understand why he'd want to play in Adealide with family and friends here, but surely pride and setting himself up for down the track MUST come into the equation, and a 7 foot former league MVP and Olympian who was drafted in the NBA must surely have SERIOUS doubts about playing for NBL minimum wage or close to it when he's at the peak big man playing age.

I'm not going to allow myself to think this will happen as I just can't see him agreeing to play for peanuts.

Billo, depends what you call peanuts. He's bought a house here recently and wants to play. I think any issue is either going to arise from a better offer OS or whether the peanuts are cheap enough for the club. I'm pretty sure that he's looking to play for well below his market rate.

Rees won't go to Perth surely? He has his Hoop2Hoop buisness going on here and in melbourne.

Could you imagine Perths Super-Quick front court if he does go though...(C)Rees and (PF) Ronaldson

Paul Rodgers may have a conscience and repay the team and organization with a season's service for league minimum (he did break his leg a few years back, not that it was his fault)

PR has his family and some very close friends here in Adelaide so it wouldn't suprise me if he took what he could get to stay here in Adelaide. The big man has already probably made some serious cash since being drafted back in 1997, so it's not like he needs it to keep himself off the street, and who knows, maybe next season we can offer him a bit more?
He signed for 5 years back in 02 so maybe he's just keeping up his end of the agreement!!!

Personally, I fear PR will break down again.. where will that leave us then?

ShaneD

I hope the rumour is true as Rogers will give us a huge boost.

However, I've heard that Rogers is very unlikely to be a 36er but Rees is likely.

Time will tell. I'm sure the question will be raised with Rogers tonight on Talking Hoops.

The beauty of picking up Rogers is that we have nothing to lose this time around. Its not like we are dismantling a championship team like in 2002, getting rid of guys like Stiff, Garrison and Sapwell for him.

If he signs it will be for a bargain price and at the expense of a development-type player.

Its a no-brainer if he wants to be a 36er.

Worst case scenario is he gets injured again but best case scenario is we get an All-NBL calibre centre who could quite easily play a big role in leading the 36ers to a championship.

A starting 5 of Maher, Farley, Holmes, Rychart and Rogers is just plain scary if all are healthy and at their best.

Wow, all this hype about another big man, but how about we look at his performance on the court last time he was here, did not fit into the system at all.

He doesnt have Ricky Grace spoon feeding him easy baskets here, thats how he got his MVP in Perth.

Sure he will be an assett, as long as he doesnt want the ball for 10-15 seconds every offence cos thats not how the sixers run!

I don't think it is necessarily fair to say that he didn't fit into our system.

It was his injuries that cost him the season.

Even when he was on court in 2003 at the start of the season, I seem to recall he was coming off of surgery and well below 100%.

The big 'if' with Rogers has never been his playing ability, it has been his health.

His proneness to injury is why he wouldn't be the first guy I would build a franchise around.

However, if healthy he would give the 36ers much needed toughness, rebounding, shot-blocking and more importantly inside scoring to help out Dusty.

Add a healthy Rogers and I'd take our line-up every day of the week over Brisbane's.

yea Rogers would be a great pick up, him and cooper woould be among the best centre rotations in the league!! and as long as he stays healthy i'd chose him over bratke these days!
I look forward to hearing him on talking hoops tonight!!!

Rogers was coming off off-season surgery last time with us. It was always going to take time to settle in from that. And he was not that bad, and was getting better each week. Cattalini was also coming off surgery, and he was also struggling below his best for the first month. Of the two Rogers was performing better. Of course Rogers then had his season finished by injury and Cattalini went on to show spectacular form.

And Rogers won the MVP because of Grace? Hardly. If Grace was the reason, he would have got the MVP himself. Rogers was a worthy winner and was universally regarded as the favourite for the award at the time.

yea, i think rogers would be great and could bring us something along the lines of 15pts 12rebs and a block or 2 per game which is a huge up grade on any centre we have had recently, along wit coopers 5-10 pts n boards n shot blockin! we should b good in the middle, id like at times to see the 6ers go big n hava line up like this C Rogers, PF Cooper SF Forman SG Farley PG Maher, i reckon that'd be a good line up n has a bit of size!!!
i soo hope rogers signs!!!

Whether or not he plays for minimum is not the question. He is officially on the "unemployed" list at the moment. He may play for minimum just to keep his practice up for any Europe or good NBL offers that may come along. On Talking Hoops tonight he admitted that he would love to play for Adelaide again. When Smyth was interviewed, he was also keen to get him back but did say that negotiations with Rees was still continuing. I think there is still very much a place for him with Adelaide.

Yes EC.

Rogers comments on Talking Hoops were certainly interesting.

He indicated that he is certainly looking to play NBL this year and Adelaide is the place he wants to play.

Was good to hear Rogers was honest about how he felt he had unfinished business in Adelaide after only honouring one injury plagued year of a five year deal.

He also commented that he felt even worse because the change in the salary cap meant the 36ers could not replace him.

He said he owed it to Adelaide to make us his first option and would love the opportunity to play with Brett Maher and Farley.

Smyth didn't really deal with the issue too seriously other than stating the obvious that they would love to have him.

Of course this could all be moot if Rogers is after a six figure salary as the 36ers have little cap room to work with.

However, if Rogers is serious about playing for a bargain price next season then you would like to think that the 36ers will exhaust all avenues such as sponsor payments, outside employment, etc to put together an attractive package for Rogers.

How many times are the 36ers going to be presented with the opportunity presented by a 7 foot Boomer coming straight out and say they are desperate to sign?

Signing Rogers to complete the roster would sell more tickets than any marketing or promotional gimmicks.

he earns the NBL slalry cap in one season in Europe playing for the base wage would be like Nathan Buckley playing for Seaton Ramblers. The pasty and coke deal may not cut it.

Its either the pasty and coke deal or no deal at all. If he is at all honest about having a debt to the club, he may use this time of unemployment to pay back that debt. After all, he has earned good money the last couple of years playing in Europe, he may be able to afford a minimum salary for one season.

After speaking with the fellas off air im putting my money on he will sign

By the way Kriss, good job on asking him the question on air.

You ask great questions each week!

Much appreciated.

Certainly sounds as though Rogers is keen but like Vidmar has pointed out, its not like the 36ers can offer Rogers $100k or so.

Having said that, there aren't really any NBL teams that appear to have any cap room to offer him $100k or so apart from Melbourne should Anstey stay in Europe.

Just thinking of the rotations is exciting should PR get a gig. We could go huge if we wanted with PR, OF or coops and dusty or go really small with coops, nash and jacob also. This would be the first time in many years we go really deep in the roster and would have players that can cover if injuries did occur.

sixers are better off being safer and signing rees then going for rogers again.

remember last time, risk of injury, cost us a heap, lost us players it was a big turn for our club i wouldnt get too excited his career must be near an end

get stiffy!

Statue of liberty, dont take that one year we had rogers as his whole career.

Good big men don't grow on trees and PR would be great for the sixers. He was pretty durable in his Wildcat days??

"What happened to players who played for love of the sport"

This forum is full of them. What's your point? When it's your living, reality kicks in....