Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

bathursttiger1 said:
Geoff Starling (14 December 1952) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative three-quarter back, he played club football in the NSWRFL Premiership for Sydney's Balmain Tigers club.

In 1970 Starling was playing in the Jersey Flegg competition for the Balmain club. The following season he started playing first grade, gaining selection for the Australian national team, becoming Kangaroo No. 459, and the youngest player to ever represent Australia. He was 18 years and 181 days old when playing a tour match against a New Zealand XIII at Huntly. That season he also played for the New South Wales side. The following year he made his Test match début against New Zealand. Starling was also selected to represent Australia in the 1972 World Cup, playing in the final which was drawn with Great Britain. In 1973 Starling was selected to go on the end of season Kangaroo tour, helping Australia to victory in the Ashes series.

In 1974 Starling contracted a debilitating disease that absorbed his energy, yet defied diagnosis. Over four weeks he lost 19 kg (42 lb), forcing him into an early retirement. He spent time in hospital in 1975 and attempted a comeback in 1976. Years later his ailment was diagnosed as Addison's disease.
In 2007 Starling was inducted into the Balmain Tigers Hall of Fame.
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Saw him play in what I think was his first game in a trial match at the old sports ground. Him and I think Trevor debuted in the centres, both 17.
 
Tito Santana said:
Much like how he said the Bulldogs aren’t the right team for an inexperienced coach like Ciraldo. Wouldn’t trust Gould at all.
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Kinda like how Sheens said he has no interest in Coaching....
It's the Media!!

These types of blokes can only say what they can say - And it's not up to everyone else's want to know for them to appease....

There's a few things in effect though...
2 Clubs, The Player....
Most hear would agree the Papalii speculation effected him toward the end of the year on field...
 
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Champ1 said:
Agree Hal. Joffa , while solid is no Jim Dymock. When Hastings played that hybred 13 position i loved the footy the Tigs played . A POD from all other teams & thats exactly what we need.
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Joffa has worked at 13 for us because we're ordinary up front...
A big body at 13 helps us downfeild.

If we get the Props going - Some decent 2nd Rowers and some decent metres out of our Wingers...
Hastings at 13 will be a treat.
I (Like others) Don't know he's zippy enough for an NRL 7....
 
Halbrowne61 said:
Just playing devils advocate for a moment, maybe with TS planned new attack strategy he sees more in Brooks in that regard.
Maybe he thinks he can remake Scotty Prince Mk2.
That’s fine but we did have a lot more firepower with a guy called Marshall and Hodgo at the back. And a pack that were going forward most days.
It seems incredible to me that he is so keen on Brooks( or maybe that push is coming from Benji/Robbie) when’s he had so many chances. I hope we don’t see Hastings walk because of it as I believe he can be add plenty.
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Agree and maybe also that all result and perfomance indicators suggest the same thing. That our bigger issues and the main reason we aren't meeting most team objectives is because we're not capable of throwing enough at opposition teams due to our deficiencies with go forward and strike.
There's a desired "style" we wish to implement but we are still a long way off and don't have the sufficient cattle.

A number of (team) objectives obviously aren't going to be met as they depend on correlated KPIs such as fundamental stuff e.g. better cohesion, game plans, attack and defence.

This team/players has/have never really had regulated and aligned KPIs either, due to frequent changes with coaches and the roster. Things likely won't settle until Koroisau and Papalii have played a handful of games but I consider them critical to all aforementioned team tasks, Korisau especially and he's going to be pivotal to improving Brooks' game.

Dylan Brown or (can't believe I'm saying this) Mitch Moses are more aligned to this vision IMO and would rather see us wait for either of them if necessary.
 
Earl said:
There isn't really any positive news from the Pom there.

Klemmer would be great but he has to be released.

We desperately need a left edge backrower and Bateman I think played on the right plus it's way too risky a signing for us to make. I'd rather not make it.

Newcastle appear to want Brooks. It's interesting.

No Hastings, Laurie, Doeuihi or Brooks deals appear to be coming through. I'd prioritize Hastings then Doueihi but they appear to want to go to market.

There isn't much happening which is what I expected. It's a shame we are such mess in the spine. I'm not even sure who we
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Wiz said:
He gets caught with the ball on the 4th tackle in the opposition 20m zone more than any other player in the competition I reckon.
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Aidan Tolman says hi
 
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batboy said:
If we get the Props going - Some decent 2nd Rowers and some decent metres out of our Wingers...
Hastings at 13 will be a treat.
I (Like others) Don't know he's zippy enough for an NRL 7....
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I love the positive post. The pack might do the job, Hastings at 13 on the field for 80 minutes at lock changes the players you need. I think the best part of Brooks and Doueihi game is their running games. Our wingers are likely to get good metres and score tries. They are slow but their hit-ups are quality.
 
WT2K said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1580453261869711360
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bathursttiger1 said:
Geoff Starling (14 December 1952) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative three-quarter back, he played club football in the NSWRFL Premiership for Sydney's Balmain Tigers club.

In 1970 Starling was playing in the Jersey Flegg competition for the Balmain club. The following season he started playing first grade, gaining selection for the Australian national team, becoming Kangaroo No. 459, and the youngest player to ever represent Australia. He was 18 years and 181 days old when playing a tour match against a New Zealand XIII at Huntly. That season he also played for the New South Wales side. The following year he made his Test match début against New Zealand. Starling was also selected to represent Australia in the 1972 World Cup, playing in the final which was drawn with Great Britain. In 1973 Starling was selected to go on the end of season Kangaroo tour, helping Australia to victory in the Ashes series.

In 1974 Starling contracted a debilitating disease that absorbed his energy, yet defied diagnosis. Over four weeks he lost 19 kg (42 lb), forcing him into an early retirement. He spent time in hospital in 1975 and attempted a comeback in 1976. Years later his ailment was diagnosed as Addison's disease.
In 2007 Starling was inducted into the Balmain Tigers Hall of Fame.
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"Sparrow" was one of my favourite all time players for Balmain. He and Fulton had a really good combo going on that Kangaroo tour.
 
Earl said:
I love the positive post. The pack might do the job, Hastings at 13 on the field for 80 minutes at lock changes the players you need. I think the best part of Brooks and Doueihi game is their running games. Our wingers are likely to get good metres and score tries. They are slow but their hit-ups are quality.
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Only when they pass the ball.
 
Demps said:
Good luck to him.
He is a promising prospect.

Connections with the dogs through his girlfriend.
So I'm sure there's options there.
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Yeah and no - They did pretty well in Cup and 20's....
So there may be decent players in front of him there also.

If he wants to play NRL in the back row - You'd reckon WT's would be his best bet....
Especially with Sheens having the clipboard.
He's always good for an unexplainable smokey on the bench
 
king_sirro said:
Brooks is worth what the market will pay. Your opinion that he isn't worth 500k is an opinion that is wrong because the market has always demanded he earn 650 and upwards his entire career. He currently has at least one club willing to pay 800k for him.
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So true and don't begrudge someone earning a dollar good luck to him I think Sheenius will unlock his potential and with API he is already going to be better next year add Isiah Klem and maybe one other and he could be half of the year again
 
The Pom certainly feeds the good info- much appreciated.

From what he's come up with & the subsequent threads that followed:

Klemmer adds starch. Our forwards have routinely been overrun. Klemmer should help with that. Momentum on the field is huge & we have regularly lost that battle. Coupled with Stefano, Joffa, Twal up front, and Papali'i & Bateman on the edges- you start by winning up front..

Additionally- Klemmer is a 2-3 hitup per set type forward. If you are playing Hastings at 13, you need someone to pick up the metre gaining slack..

Bateman adds attitude. If he's slipping as a player, what he brings off the field is still useful. He'd be warming the seat for the likes of Blore to take over in time.

If the Tigers take the field with Klemmer, Bateman, Blore, Stefano, Api & Papali'i as additions to last year...this is the biggest turnaround in quality in the NRL in terms of forward packs.

Brooks has only been praised by Sheens/Benji. He's their guy. #6 is up for grabs. Hastings looks likely to be 13 or even 14. Douiehi..doesn't seem like a priority. Laurie getting a look at 6? It will be interesting to see what direction the club goes here.

Clearly the young players coming through are the BIG signings of our future. I think as a fan base, we need to realise that our 'best players' might already be on the club's books- just not necessarily in the top 30. I'd say by the end of 2023-beginning of 2024, we might have 5-6 new faces coming up from the juniors.

Interesting times.
 
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