Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

tiger_one said:
I can't recall a roster fix this big.
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Its great to see a separation from the bean counters and the football staff. To be fair it would only have happened with someone like Sheens here - someone that can tell the board to stuff off.

We had a chance with Cleary, but he clearly couldn't do this
 
Klemmer is a big yes, he was a top 5 prop last year under the radar he was excellent and actually gives a shit will help massively with culture, he’s 29 he has a good 4 years left in him imo

Brown won’t be expensive and will have a chip on his shoulder... he excels in something we desperately need someone who just runs hard and brings an aggressive approach - he also is only 29 and could give us a good 2 years doubt we sign him long term and was once upon a time a SOS rep too isn’t a bad impact bench player too

Now Bateman who is also 29 is the only question mark.... I have enough belief in Sheens who identified Gareth Ellis to have trust that we’re getting the 2019/2020 Bateman - I do know his form dipped a little but maybe his motivation dropped playing home the fact we’ve gone as hard for him and offered 3 years leads me to believe Sheens knows something we don’t

All 3 forwards are 29 and you can argue as a forward you get better with age due to peak body growth and experience - none of these players are breaking the bank too with both Brown/Klemmer being subsided and doubt Bateman is being paid more than 600-650k
 
Bateman's regressed since his Canberra days and that shoulder may be an issue but if he can rediscover his Canberra form it'll be a great signing.

Personally would've preferred Frizell, but maybe this fits the budget better.

If we can land Brown and Klemmer too we'll have undergone one of the greatest transformations of a pack the NRL has seen over one offseason.

8. Klemmer
9. Koroisau
10. Ofahengaue
11. Papali'i
12. Bateman
13. Brown

14. Twal
15. Utoikamanu
16. Blore
17. Ngatikaura/Talau/Utility

That's every bit as good of a pack as you'd see on a top 4 side. Obviously we won't make the top 4 as our backs/halves aren't at that level, but we're certainly gonna have a pack capable of holding its own against anyone.
 
tiger_one said:
Just as we welcome all the newbies to our squad, look at this (almost) team who have left us - thanks to astute roster management by Coach Sheens:

1
2 James Roberts
3 Oliver Gildart
4 William Kei
5 Junior Pauga
6 Tyrone Peachey
7 Jock Madden
8 James Tamou
9 Jacob Liddle
10 Tom Mikaele
11 Luciano Leilua
12 Luke Garner
13 Kelma Tuilagi
14 Zane Musgrove
15 Austin Dias
16 Nu Brown
17 Tom Freebairn
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We have never had a problem letting players go remembering we still have to pay the ones that are contracted to us, and some of those players chose to leave - LL Kelma and Garner
Let's see how he goes getting some of the players signed that we have been linked to and then when they produce something on the field the accolades will come from far and wide.
 
Klemmer is probably better than many props we have but he's an old school prop who is a bit slow for the modern game. His lateral movement isn't great and he's probably only an average prop in terms of defensive impact. He always looks really good against us and is a competitive player. Just the prototype prop these days might be more of the Reuben Cotter type player or more nuggety and athletic junior paulo or moses leota. Not against him, but not sure if he's a premier prop. Probably better than any we have.

What is good about Bateman? I've just never noticed him in games.
 
watersider said:
Klemmer is probably better than many props we have but he's an old school prop who is a bit slow for the modern game. His lateral movement isn't great and he's probably only an average prop in terms of defensive impact. He always looks really good against us and is a competitive player. Just the prototype prop these days might be more of the Reuben Cotter type player or more nuggety and athletic junior paulo or moses leota. Not against him, but not sure if he's a premier prop. Probably better than any we have.

What is good about Bateman? I've just never noticed him in games.
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Bateman was Dally M Second Rower Of The Year, 2019
(And Isaiah Papali'i was Dally M Second Rower Of The Year, 2021.)
 
watersider said:
Klemmer is probably better than many props we have but he's an old school prop who is a bit slow for the modern game. His lateral movement isn't great and he's probably only an average prop in terms of defensive impact. He always looks really good against us and is a competitive player. Just the prototype prop these days might be more of the Reuben Cotter type player or more nuggety and athletic junior paulo or moses leota. Not against him, but not sure if he's a premier prop. Probably better than any we have.

What is good about Bateman? I've just never noticed him in games.
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I remember when Bateman was playing for the Raiders v WTs and he put that chip over the top, regathered and a try was scored. He's a very skillful player and I still wonder how Ricky managed to lose both Bateman and George Williams.
 
watersider said:
Klemmer is probably better than many props we have but he's an old school prop who is a bit slow for the modern game. His lateral movement isn't great and he's probably only an average prop in terms of defensive impact. He always looks really good against us and is a competitive player. Just the prototype prop these days might be more of the Reuben Cotter type player or more nuggety and athletic junior paulo or moses leota. Not against him, but not sure if he's a premier prop. Probably better than any we have.

What is good about Bateman? I've just never noticed him in games.
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the modern game is definitely moving towards your smaller, mobile front row types like Cotter, Leniu and even Pole, but there will always be a spot for man mountains who can bend the line and put a hit on. Klemmer is exactly what we need. can’t remember the last time we had an enforcer.
 
pawsandclaws1 said:
I suspect lurking under the surface is a good offload. If you are coached to play a conservative brand of footy, often the offload is put away. Twal is one of our very good and most consistent players and we missed him when injured.
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I am keen to see how he goes with a more attacking style of play, I do hope you're right about the offload as well. He gives his all every game and I felt the difference was obvious after he went down for the year.
 
rusted-on said:
I am keen to see how he goes with a more attacking style of play, I do hope you're right about the offload as well. He gives his all every game and I felt the difference was obvious after he went down for the year.
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Many years ago a member posted that Twal was proficient at the offload in the juniors. He certainly is a footballer who knows his strengths and plays to them.
 
pawsandclaws1 said:
Many years ago a member posted that Twal was proficient at the offload in the juniors. He certainly is a footballer who knows his strengths and plays to them.
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Do you think the game plan under Madge didn't play to his strengths? If he has an offload, awesome. If we start seeing it, just another notch in his belt IMO
 
Lukic said:
Bateman's regressed since his Canberra days and that shoulder may be an issue but if he can rediscover his Canberra form it'll be a great signing.

Personally would've preferred Frizell, but maybe this fits the budget better.

If we can land Brown and Klemmer too we'll have undergone one of the greatest transformations of a pack the NRL has seen over one offseason.

8. Klemmer
9. Koroisau
10. Ofahengaue
11. Papali'i
12. Bateman
13. Brown

14. Twal
15. Utoikamanu
16. Blore
17. Ngatikaura/Talau/Utility

That's every bit as good of a pack as you'd see on a top 4 side. Obviously we won't make the top 4 as our backs/halves aren't at that level, but we're certainly gonna have a pack capable of holding its own against anyone.
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Good pack and you gotta fit Pole in
 
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