Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

rihannafan1 said:
Yes, I think the plan would be for him to maybe debut next year. He's rated very highly.
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That would be a mistake. He has at least 2 years of SG to develop him Full time Flegg next year would be the go, he is 18 still probably has a final year of school though May of finished last year.
We signed Api so that we can Harry Grant our prospects not be forced to Jake Simpkin them.
 
jirskyr said:
I don't think Laurie is afraid at all. Very often he takes a dirty hitup and too often yesterday he was being thrown the ball with nothing on, so he has to tuck it under his arm and run into the guts of the defence. He didn't shirk any of that contact yesterday and he got hammered a number of times, including that early warning shot from Tino across the chops. I say this watching the match live and Laurie taking a lot of bomb defusals down my end.

The bloke's about 80 kg.

So I don't think it's fear, it's hesitation. He's not afraid, he's unable to calculate as fast as the game demands. Luke Brooks has exactly the same problem. They talk about "natural ability" and "having so much time", which really means that the player in question has a baked-in ability, a hardware/wiring ability to read a game and take the right option. The players who hesitate or think about it too much, they are always a moment behind the play and over 24 x 80 mins those 1% delays add up.

Compare for example Laurie to Brimson. Brimson isn't really a great technical fullback, doesn't have much of a passing or kicking game and has been tried, to no great effect, in the halves. But Brimson is athletically elite and he doesn't hesitate, which is his big advantage over Laurie. Brimson scored his late try because he picked a line and ran as fast as he could from moment zero; a moment of hesitation and the cover defence gets him.

I think, unfortunately, what we see with Laurie is a bloke who hesitates just that bit too often and it leads to crucial mistakes, despite his otherwise positive involvement in the match. Same as Brooks, who yesterday was most threatening when he took a pre-meditated run, but fairly ineffective with what ended up being a fair amount of possession down the right end of the park.

Doueihi also is a bit hesitant, but given enough opportunities yesterday he did start grinding out attacking chances and, ultimately, 2 tries. But he almost didn't run for his try, looking almost that bit too long for a pass, and it was instead his athleticism and ability to palm off David Fifita which clinched the play. Doueihi has upper-tier athleticism in terms of body shape and strength that someone like Laurie just doesn't possess and never will.
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In the Hodgson era there were not many 100kg speed machine merchants chasing every bomb. The players were much smaller then. Reference Tallis getting hold of Brett in SOO.
 
twentyforty said:
I read somewhere Suaalii moves up to $800k this year with Roosters? I get your point, those chooks have a few sets of gold handcuffs. Souths were not smart letting him go, over a flexible contract stalemate.
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That contract he wanted at the Rabbits was probably something the Rorters suggested he ask for knowing South’s may baulk at it….and then he can sign on with them.
 
Todd Packer said:
It's PTSD. People are traumatised by 4 years of 5 hit ups and a kick and have lost their objectivity.
An objective observer would realise that was the first game in recent memory that we came out and controlled most aspects of the game.
A bit of rust and errors by the usual suspects cost us but overall it was much improved team from the rugby league vomit we've been accustomed to.
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💯 The brand of football we played in the last four years was totally garbage. Guys were out there trying to create attacking chances. They got it wrong at times but the intent is there.
 
Fingers83 said:
Personally, I would give the role to Staines based off what I saw yesterday.

Staines looks ready and willing no matter the position he is in. I was very hesitant on his signing but I totally understand why he's been signed now. I don't think he has the same fear.

I would rather have a fullback spill the ball than not be in the contest at all.
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I'll tell you what Staines did do - he put his hand up and yelled "mine" every time the bomb came in his direction and didn't have a single mix-up. Clear to see even from the sideline.
 
Tiger Tail said:
That contract he wanted at the Rabbits was probably something the Rorters suggested he ask for knowing South’s may baulk at it….and then he can sign on with them.
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Nah it was a "flexible" contract that Suallii asked for. Basically he can leave whatever club he is with 1 year.

We offer 1 million and easts offer 800k we would have a chance.

Yes, that player may be the "future" Origin great or superstar. Like a Jarryd Hayne or something.
So what!


The player is flightie and will come and go as he pleases. If were making a serious finals run, sure hire him. Otherwise leave him alone.
 
Fingers83 said:
Personally, I would give the role to Staines based off what I saw yesterday.

Staines looks ready and willing no matter the position he is in. I was very hesitant on his signing but I totally understand why he's been signed now. I don't think he has the same fear.

I would rather have a fullback spill the ball than not be in the contest at all.
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Laurie can partner Wakeham in the
halves in cup, Staines playing fullback
and Tupou wing for 1sts if he keeps
messing up his chances, I would say
 
Flippedy said:
That we outplayed the Titans in just about every key stat and still lost is enough for me to see the gloom. A different attacking style a la Benji is always a gamble - great if it comes off, nine times out of ten it doesn’t and you end up just coughing up the ball, losing possession and blowing the game like last night.

Combinations take time to gel yes, but ours seem to take nearly the whole season and sometimes they never really gel at all. I’m sure the players at the Dolphins, most who have never actually played a game together needed time to gel also (that’s what training is for) yet somehow they still managed to smack the premiership favourites in their first outing, go figure.
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Combinations generally do take time to gel and the Dolphins win has nothing to do with the Tigers. Keep looking back, you won't find much happiness there. I prefer to look forward.
 
Not sure we really want Moses at 29 on a long term multi million dollar deal but the longer he equivocates the more likely I think that we will end up with the bloke on our books, at least from 2024. Interesting times!
 
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