Nonotmeagain
Well-known member
Thw worst of all worlds.
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
Instead of a transfer I would ask for Jake Aveallo as he is a gun.Kikau helps Bulldogs snare promising forward from Tigers
The Wests Tigers are privately fuming over losing one of their brightest young stars to the Bulldogs.
Kitione Kautoga, who made his one and only NRL appearance for the Tigers against the Dragons in round 24 last year, is on his way to Belmore.
The Fijian forward, who scored three tries in NSW Cup in the opening round, was brought to the Tigers by former general manager Adam Hartigan. Hartigan is now at the Bulldogs working with Phil Gould.
The pair organised for Kautoga to meet with coach Cameron Ciraldo and his idol Viliame Kikau. It was enough to get him over the line.
The Tigers requested a $160,000 transfer fee from the Bulldogs to release him this year, but that doesn’t look like happening.
‘Put up or shut up’: Tigers boss slams ‘clickbait’ media in fiery pre-game speech
Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis addressed more than 200 guests inside the Centurions Lounge at Leichhardt Oval before kick off. He didn’t miss.www.smh.com.au
supercoach
Well-known member
I watched St George yesterday, now they are a bottom four team on paper. Yesterday they played with energy and power both in attack and defence. Ben Hunt as always was the ring master and directed them around the paddock . You could put Ben Hunt in our side and we would be two from two now. Our 6 and 7 have zero idea but surely the coaching staff have to take ownership. We have dead set gone backwards
weststigerman
Well-known member
Musgrove ran for 150m and Liddle for 130m and scored a try.
Something is very rotten in this place that players leave and play much better while those that arrive lose 50%.
No idea what it is but it’s true.
Something is very rotten in this place that players leave and play much better while those that arrive lose 50%.
No idea what it is but it’s true.
weststigerman
Well-known member
Hastings did that for us while not being at Hunt’s level.
No idea why Sheens wanted Brooks over him.
I’m worried we’ve already re-signed him and the club are too scared to announce it.
balmain boy
Well-known member
The only back row prospect at the club and he leaves to be 5-6th choice at the Dogs. Incompetent roster management to the extreme.Kikau helps Bulldogs snare promising forward from Tigers
The Wests Tigers are privately fuming over losing one of their brightest young stars to the Bulldogs.
Kitione Kautoga, who made his one and only NRL appearance for the Tigers against the Dragons in round 24 last year, is on his way to Belmore.
The Fijian forward, who scored three tries in NSW Cup in the opening round, was brought to the Tigers by former general manager Adam Hartigan. Hartigan is now at the Bulldogs working with Phil Gould.
The pair organised for Kautoga to meet with coach Cameron Ciraldo and his idol Viliame Kikau. It was enough to get him over the line.
The Tigers requested a $160,000 transfer fee from the Bulldogs to release him this year, but that doesn’t look like happening.
‘Put up or shut up’: Tigers boss slams ‘clickbait’ media in fiery pre-game speech
Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis addressed more than 200 guests inside the Centurions Lounge at Leichhardt Oval before kick off. He didn’t miss.
We literally have no back rowers in nsw cup or flegg other than him. Tumeth is a plodder, solid and gritty, but you can only have so many solid players, you need some with x factor. Kautoga is in the only backrower at the club, even all the way down to harold matts level that has any x factor. We have zero quality back rowers and the one we have we don't secure, but find room to have players like Lomi Saukuru and Fainu in the top 30.
We can't just rely on a bunch of 14-17 year olds to eventually come good and just sit around waiting in the meantime!!!! We should have top prospects in all our grades, the fact that both nsw cup and flegg are still largely made up of no hopers, who'll lever play first grade is a horrendous indictment on the club's passive attitude towards player development and progression.
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I had not even thought of that but i will have nightmares every time i go to sleep especially knowing the sort of money Sheens would probably throw at him
Wow, that is such a huge loss.
Took all of 2 minutes of Staines at fullback to see a sweep play actually create some space. Think Staines to fullback and Tupou into the wing is worth a try. We can’t get any worse.
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Kelce68
Well-known member
Countless times yesterday, Api got out from dummy half after a quick play the ball and went to pass but had to stop and look around because nobody was pushing up on the ball.
The whole 'bodies in motion' theme that Sheens' playbook had imprinted on the front cover during the 00's is absolutely nowhere atm.
So either, Api starts communicating exactly what he wants from his players around the ruck (he shouldn't have to, it should be second nature) or the coaching staff should be absolutely unloading on the group for how often, and how many of them, just sit on their heels in attack, waiting their turn.
The only person I saw pushing up with Api was, ironically, the halfback, Brooks.
davey_farrell
Well-known member
totally agree Bones, Staines must be fullback and bring Junior onto the wing, Nofo must go too
weststigerman
Well-known member
Liddle and Simpkin had this exact problem last year. I think most assumed they didn’t have the capability to organise the middle and Api might fix that.
Turns out we were wrong.
Tiger-ferret
Well-known member
This is my concern
TV Ted Ellery
Well-known member
All of our starting 17 yesterday aside from Tumeth and Seyfarth would get a start at another nrl club and would perform better than they do here. Failure is so entrenched in the club that every player succumbs to mediocrity no matter how talented or committed they are. It must be such a depressing environment for the players.
Agree.. I think it's a good chance as Sheen swapped them for a reason. I think Laurie would be a good 14 to come on and just roam around the ruck
tony soprano
Well-known member
liltiger
Well-known member
Its an easy fix Brooks to reserve grade for Wakhem. Can't be any worse. Then in week 4 Staines for Laurie. And the week after replace Douhi.
tony soprano
Well-known member
Ben Hunt - has a footy brain. Leadership on the field. No team can succeed without it.
jirskyr
Well-known member
Not that you are wrong about our depth and recruitment outcome failures, but what if the player simply wants to leave?
The one problem I find with these arguments is an assumption that the club recruitment has failed or made some mistake that was avoidable. First and obvious: Tigers recruited Kautoga, so they saw potential and he was in their plans. According to the article, Hartigan brought Kautoga to the Tigers and has now done the same for Bulldogs, and the guy "idolises" Kikau as a fellow Fijian.
Tigers have since bought Bateman for 4 years and IP for 3 years so the starting pathway for backrow is clearly blocked. Kautoga signed for Tigers from Sharks, so he clearly follows money and opportunity rather than sticking with the club that is giving him a go.
Kautoga barely played in 2021-2022 and the club "stuck by him" when he initially had visa issues (his own words from his debut game interviews). But the player still chooses to leave, despite loyalty shown by Tigers for very little return.
Also of course we are a team who ran last 2022 and currently running last 2023; it remains to be seen whether Dogs are definitely on a superior trajectory compared to Tigers, but it looks that way.
So the player was nursed through injury and migration issues, supported and given his debut opportunity, but signed with someone else despite that investment. And he left the Sharks also despite coming through their system. I am not exactly clear what the recruitment guys are supposed to do when the club is on the nose and the player is obviously only looking out for his short-term interests. Obviously the club's trajectory sucks, but is that on the recruitment or is that as much on the overall club performance and not being a place young players want to stay?
