Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[BlackWhiteGold]

With the Naden signing, I can only conclude that Matthew Komolafe (Eels NSW Cup winger) is now off our radar & Kade Dykes is for 2023 onwards (hopefully).

I think ultimately Naden & Talau will be our backup outside backs with Kepaoa & T'oa going on to secure our Centre positions. And hopefully Scolari on a development contract next season as a future wing replacement.

I'm on the fence about Jack Hetherington. Bulldogs would need to subsidise a large chunk and he comes with a lot of baggage & we'd be hoping Maguire/Sheens can turn him into a disciplined beast that refs don't even notice??? I think we are more in need of another forward leader if Tamou does retire. Depending on if our Joseph Tapine dream comes true soon, that may be Luke Thompson rather than JH.

 

[bathursttiger1]

Dogs are lucky the dolphins are in the market to fill half a squad

That’s correct but who are the Dogs going to sign?

 

[earl]

His skill set suits playing as interchange prop but he's not got the size for it, nor the dynamism of a Rueben Cotter to make it work

You are right but he has the motor to play that interchange prop role. The problem is we have Twal as well. You only need so many worker props.

 

[Red88_Tiger]

That’s correct but who are the Dogs going to sign?

I’m sure Gus has a plan🤣
But I really don’t care

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

Guilty- I really appreciate Alex Seyfarth. He does his job with great effect and never gives up or stops.


Not every player has to be or can be Origin grade.

I never said every player needs to be origin grade.... That doesn't even happen for the top sides....

He doesn't do his job with great effect, he is solid in defence with lateral & hold down issues and is well below NRL standard with the ball.

He is a squad depth player that should be called upon every now and then at best - the fact that he is called upon every week / starting - really highlights our depth issues in the backrow which get worse next year.

 

[Fish88]

Tyrell Sloan must seriously be on the nose with Griffen at the dragons. Kid can play. If we have already secured Dykes then probably not required but could be a great fullback / wing option

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

I love his effort but he's a pretty poor backrower. His skill set suits playing as interchange prop but he's not got the size for it, nor the dynamism of a Rueben Cotter to make it work

His skill set currently is more aligned to the workhorse lock but without the offensive ball skills.
Right now he is dead last on mtrs v minutes within NRL players this year - never want to see that in a prop or backrower.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Tyrell Sloan must seriously be on the nose with Griffen at the dragons. Kid can play. If we have already secured Dykes then probably not required but could be a great fullback / wing option

5/8

 

[SeanT]

I’m sure Gus has a plan🤣
But I really don’t care

No one too sign. Especially with the Dolphins coming in. They won't have a halfback or fullback.

 

[Long Term Fan]

We are beginning to feel like the Penrith Tigers. If my memory serves me correctly 6 of our current squad have played for Panthers. Blore and Laurie maybe juniors only.

Laurie
Naden
Roberts
Tamou
Peachey
Blore

Could be seven if Hetherington is signed.

I would chase Burton hard as he is something special and would play him at either Full-Back or Centre.

Maybe we could offer Trent Barrett a consulting gig at WT to work on our attack and that way he could keep the ex Panthers connection and may allow us to sign more ex Panthers.

Have we signed Kade Dykes from Sharks for 2023. Note he is 18th man for the Sharks this week.

 

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

I just commented on the other thread. How can a club like WTs afford $150k albeit for a talented young player at that age. Apparently this is how the NRL want it. It's sad for the SW of Sydney because we need more young men of his quality coming through our ranks to the NRL.

Whether this is true or not, why is it sad for south-west Sydney ? It’s sad for Wests Tigers. But I love to see the kids from Magpie land kick on and play in the NRL. Teddy, Jessie, Taniela Paseka, Sean Keppie, Trent Peoples etc ... brilliant.

As long as this club continues to let the world refer to them almost singularly as, “The Tigers” and wraps itself in Leichhardt Oval mythology, why would a talented kid like Miller feel any affinity to the club. He can’t play for his local NRL club because he doesn’t really have one.
The south-west of Sydney, the Magpie junior reps, they are a feeder club for the entire NRL, not the Tigers.

This stuff will keep happening while the Wests Tigers continue to try to be all things to a number of divergent regions. Grow a pair and base the club in Campbelltown (as was agreed in the joint venture discussions 22 years ago) and things will undoubtedly change.

Good luck to Jordan.
I for one will be cheering him on whichever colours he chooses to wear.

 

[earl]

As long as this club continues to let the world refer to them almost singularly as, “The Tigers” and wraps itself in Leichhardt Oval mythology, why would a talented kid like Miller feel any affinity to the club.

Sorry mate I'm not buying this. They leave for chances and money.

If Miller has left it's because the Dolphins offered him a massive contract for his age. They've taken a punt on him. He isn't going to knock them back because the Tigers aren't referred to more often as "Wests Tigers".

It's professional sport.

 

[tony soprano]

Sorry mate I'm not buying this. They leave for chances and money.

If Miller has left it's because the Dolphins offered him a massive contract for his age. They've taken a punt on him. He isn't going to knock them back because the Tigers aren't referred to more often as "Wests Tigers".

It's professional sport.

Yeah miller seems like wants to get out of Campbelltown at first chance.

 

[earl]

Yeah miller seems like wants to get out of Campbelltown at first chance.

I don't know him but he is getting offered good money so early. It's a golden opportunity.

He might love Campbelltown but he might also be trying to feed himself and his family.

 

[Bones]

Dogs fans really living it up as if all getting rid of Brent Naden is the same thing as a complete roster overhaul. Fellas, if he's the guy who's out the door on day one, no fuss, it suggests he's probably not the worst contract on your books.

Yeah it’s an interesting take.

They signed Naden at the end of last year by out bidding us. Now after 10 games he is coming to us and they are paying half his salary. I’m not sure who thinks that’s good business but I’m glad they aren’t looking after my finances 😂😂😂

 

[diedpretty]

Anyone else heard the rumour about Adam Clune -> Tigers on a fairly cheap deal?

That doesn't make sense. We have an over abundance of halves and a few coming through the ranks.

 

[jirskyr]

As long as this club continues to let the world refer to them almost singularly as, “The Tigers” and wraps itself in Leichhardt Oval mythology, why would a talented kid like Miller feel any affinity to the club. He can’t play for his local NRL club because he doesn’t really have one.
The south-west of Sydney, the Magpie junior reps, they are a feeder club for the entire NRL, not the Tigers.

This stuff will keep happening while the Wests Tigers continue to try to be all things to a number of divergent regions. Grow a pair and base the club in Campbelltown (as was agreed in the joint venture discussions 22 years ago) and things will undoubtedly change.

I'm sorry I agree with Earl, this is a load of ancient baloney.

No offence but I am going to guess you are comfortably older than 22 years old and were a long-term Magpies supporter. I'm 42, I supported Balmain in my formative years.

Every kid in the Magpies and Balmain junior ranks knows they are in the feeder system for Wests Tigers. Not one of these kids is pinning their final hopes on being a Magpie - that is merely a stepping stone to first grade. Most of these kids are only in Magpies jerseys for a few years anyway, because prior to this they were playing for Eaglevale or Minto Cobras.

Case in point: Tedesco himself said was a fan of the Roosters because Camden Rams wear Roosters colours, even though his family supported Tigers and he's a local kid. Although Tedesco emerged via Wests Tigers pathways and gave us many good seasons of play, in hindsight we also know he manoeuvred to leave the club every time his contract was up. He wasn't a Magpie, he was a Tedesco - he's only interested in his own brand.

The idea of kids aspiring to play for their local club - I honestly think that idea is mostly dead. Geographical boundaries for clubs are not what they used to be. Maybe if the family were club supporters it adds some charm to play for their childhood club, but we also know such things are easily discarded once young kids become young men within the first grade club they first join. For example there are countless examples of people who supported Balmain as a kid who are instead deeply associated with other first-grade clubs - the Johns brothers, Ivan Cleary, Josh Addo-Carr etc. etc. There are also countless examples of Balmain stalwarts who did not grow up in the Balmain districts - Blocker Roach, Garry Jack, Olsen Filipaina, Arthur Beetson etc.

Furthermore, any kid who is a decent footballer knows they may have up to 9 potential suitors for senior contracts without having to leave Sydney, and 11 if they stay within NSW. They will take the best deals available to them.

Not one of these kids was close to being alive when Wests Magpies last played in the top tier competition.

We also have countless examples within our own club to illustrate how it is more important to develop your first-grade culture, than have unrealistic expectations that local kids are died-in-the-wool club supporters. For example Stefano and Alex Twal - Parramatta juniors. Zane Musgrove who is a Kiwi. Tamou who is also a Kiwi and came to Sydney to play in the Roosters juniors. Laurie and Blore from Penrith. Jake Simpkin is from QLD and Jacob Liddle is from Terrigal. Jackson Hastings is a Wollongong junior.

There are only a handful of legitimate all-Tigers juniors - Nofoaluma and Doueihi are the prominent ones. It must be supremely evident that whilst the local districts are very important, more important than this is to sign the best players from anywhere, and then develop a first grade culture that encourages those players to stay and contribute.

 

[Kelce68]

I'm sorry I agree with Earl, this is a load of ancient baloney.

No offence but I am going to guess you are comfortably older than 22 years old and were a long-term Magpies supporter. I'm 42, I supported Balmain in my formative years.

Every kid in the Magpies and Balmain junior ranks knows they are in the feeder system for Wests Tigers. Not one of these kids is pinning their final hopes on being a Magpie - that is merely a stepping stone to first grade. Most of these kids are only in Magpies jerseys for a few years anyway, because prior to this they were playing for Eaglevale or Minto Cobras.

Case in point: Tedesco himself said was a fan of the Roosters because Camden Rams wear Roosters colours, even though his family supported Tigers and he's a local kid. Although Tedesco emerged via Wests Tigers pathways and gave us many good seasons of play, in hindsight we also know he manoeuvred to leave the club every time his contract was up. He wasn't a Magpie, he was a Tedesco - he's only interested in his own brand.

The idea of kids aspiring to play for their local club - I honestly think that idea is mostly dead. Geographical boundaries for clubs are not what they used to be. Maybe if the family were club supporters it adds some charm to play for their childhood club, but we also know such things are easily discarded once young kids become young men within the first grade club they first join. For example there are countless examples of people who supported Balmain as a kid who are instead deeply associated with other first-grade clubs - the Johns brothers, Ivan Cleary, Josh Addo-Carr etc. etc. There are also countless examples of Balmain stalwarts who did not grow up in the Balmain districts - Blocker Roach, Garry Jack, Olsen Filipaina, Arthur Beetson etc.

Furthermore, any kid who is a decent footballer knows they may have up to 9 potential suitors for senior contracts without having to leave Sydney, and 11 if they stay within NSW. They will take the best deals available to them.

Not one of these kids was close to being alive when Wests Magpies last played in the top tier competition.

We also have countless examples within our own club to illustrate how it is more important to develop your first-grade culture, than have unrealistic expectations that local kids are died-in-the-wool club supporters. For example Stefano and Alex Twal - Parramatta juniors. Zane Musgrove who is a Kiwi. Tamou who is also a Kiwi and came to Sydney to play in the Roosters juniors. Laurie and Blore from Penrith. Jake Simpkin is from QLD and Jacob Liddle is from Terrigal. Jackson Hastings is a Wollongong junior.

There are only a handful of legitimate all-Tigers juniors - Nofoaluma and Doueihi are the prominent ones. It must be supremely evident that whilst the local districts are very important, more important than this is to sign the best players from anywhere, and then develop a first grade culture that encourages those players to stay and contribute.

Nofoaluma was a Wests Junior.

Good post though.

 

[jirskyr]

Nofoaluma was a Wests Junior.

Yeah Wests Tigers junior. That's exactly the point. Distinctions between Balmain and Magpies juniors is pointless. They are either Wests Tigers, or Wests, or Tigers juniors whatever name you choose.

Being a Magpies junior means nothing if you don't go on to play first grade for Wests Tigers, or play FG for someone else.

 

[weststigers]

Whether this is true or not, why is it sad for south-west Sydney ? It’s sad for Wests Tigers. But I love to see the kids from Magpie land kick on and play in the NRL. Teddy, Jessie, Taniela Paseka, Sean Keppie, Trent Peoples etc ... brilliant.

As long as this club continues to let the world refer to them almost singularly as, “The Tigers” and wraps itself in Leichhardt Oval mythology, why would a talented kid like Miller feel any affinity to the club. He can’t play for his local NRL club because he doesn’t really have one.
The south-west of Sydney, the Magpie junior reps, they are a feeder club for the entire NRL, not the Tigers.

This stuff will keep happening while the Wests Tigers continue to try to be all things to a number of divergent regions. Grow a pair and base the club in Campbelltown (as was agreed in the joint venture discussions 22 years ago) and things will undoubtedly change.

Good luck to Jordan.
I for one will be cheering him on whichever colours he chooses to wear.

I don't want to turn this into a Tigers/Magpies thing, but most, if not all kids born after the year 2000 don't have any affinity to either Balmain or Wests.