Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

The Hastings fan crew in here are blind, IMO.

He was a serviceable 7 at best, which is being laid bare for Newcastle now. They're barely a couple of wins above us, and he has been average at best.

Sheens had the right idea of moving him into a ball-playing lock. Hastings thought he could get better money as a halfback which he is entitled to do.

The man of steel award means nothing once you're playing in the NRL. I would go as far as saying Brooks is a better half than Hastings. He has speed, Jacko just doesn't.

The truth is - neither Brooks or Hastings were the answer, and if we have to go a season or two without an established halfback, that's on the team working behind the scenes in pathways for the last couple of years.

We've been put in a very difficult situation because of this, in a market that just so happens to be incredibly short of playmakers. Compounded issue.
 
Tindall, Boyd and Walker would be my picks for 'available' HBs that the Tigers need to be targeting for '24.
Still under contract but all first grade quality currently 3rd choice halves in their teams. Pezet obviously on that list too but seems least likely to move.
Guys like Volkman, Madden, Cogger should be plan B.
 
Fingers83 said:
The Hastings fan crew in here are blind, IMO.

He was a serviceable 7 at best, which is being laid bare for Newcastle now. They're barely a couple of wins above us, and he has been average at best.

Sheens had the right idea of moving him into a ball-playing lock. Hastings thought he could get better money as a halfback which he is entitled to do.

The man of steel award means nothing once you're playing in the NRL. I would go as far as saying Brooks is a better half than Hastings. He has speed, Jacko just doesn't.

The truth is - neither Brooks or Hastings were the answer, and if we have to go a season or two without an established halfback, that's on the team working behind the scenes in pathways for the last couple of years.

We've been put in a very difficult situation because of this, in a market that just so happens to be incredibly short of playmakers. Compounded issue.
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I think you are right about Hastings as a player, but also we took a risk that has backfired since both our halves have gone down with significant injuries and we didn't sign a prominent halfback during our 2023 recruitment drive.
 
Fingers83 said:
The Hastings fan crew in here are blind, IMO.

He was a serviceable 7 at best, which is being laid bare for Newcastle now. They're barely a couple of wins above us, and he has been average at best.

Sheens had the right idea of moving him into a ball-playing lock. Hastings thought he could get better money as a halfback which he is entitled to do.

The man of steel award means nothing once you're playing in the NRL. I would go as far as saying Brooks is a better half than Hastings. He has speed, Jacko just doesn't.

The truth is - neither Brooks or Hastings were the answer, and if we have to go a season or two without an established halfback, that's on the team working behind the scenes in pathways for the last couple of years.

We've been put in a very difficult situation because of this, in a market that just so happens to be incredibly short of playmakers. Compounded issue.
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Despite disagreeing with most of your post, Ill comment on the last paragraph.
We havent been put in any position. The club has created this mess from scratch without any outside influence.
  • Hastings showed leadership and sparked some footy out of the 2022 squad = let him leave his contract early
  • Madden shows he can handle the 7 as a depth player on occasion = let him walk
  • Brooks declares he wants to leave = ignore that, make him stay
  • Munster doesnt want to play here = sign Wakeham
  • Doueihi does his knee again = Everything is OK...we have Wakeham
  • Moses, Pearce, Johnson dont want to play here = sit on our hands sulking
  • Brooks states he will be selfish on his next contract = low ball him
  • Brooks signs for Manly = enquire about Madden and an 18 year old yet to debut in first grade.
Yes its a shitshow, and its 100% our fault.
We have let 3 NRL halves leave us this year and a 4th has done his ACL for the 3rd time. Essentially we have lost 4 NRL level halves in the past year and replaced them all with Brandon Wakeham.
 
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Tucker said:
Its not enough said and I explained why using facts to back it up.
You are talking with your emotions and they are wrong.
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For the record, Inglis won the Clive Churchill playing 5/8 not centre for Melbourne, then went on to win the Grand Final playing fullback for Souths.

Latrell was class at centre for the Roosters and NSW, playing his role in star studded teams perfectly. Moving to Fullback at Souths he has turned them into contenders, taking on a position with much more responsibility having more consistent influence on results.

Both players have been moved from centre to fullback and 5/8 by different coaches due to them having more influence there.

Hell, even you say you would play Mitchell at fullback while arguing he is better at centre, lol.
 
Tucker said:
Despite disagreeing with most of your post, Ill comment on the last paragraph.
We havent been put in any position. The club has created this mess from scratch without any outside influence.
  • Hastings showed leadership and sparked some footy out of the 2022 squad = let him leave his contract early
  • Madden shows he can handle the 7 as a depth player on occasion = let him walk
  • Brooks declares he wants to leave = ignore that, make him stay
  • Munster doesnt want to play here = sign Wakeham
  • Doueihi does his knee again = Everything is OK...we have Wakeham
  • Moses, Pearce, Johnson dont want to play here = sit on our hands sulking
  • Brooks states he will be selfish on his next contract = low ball him
  • Brooks signs for Manly = enquire about Madden and an 18 year old yet to debut in first grade.
Yes its a shitshow, and its 100% our fault.
We have let 3 NRL halves leave us this year and a 4th has doen his ACL for the 3rd time. Essentially we have lost 4 NRL level halves in the past year and replaced them all with Brandon Wakeham.
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All of the above can be true - without meaning that we should have kept Jacko Hastings.

There's more to what we think we know, that has happened - Hastings himself has been coy to talk about it, as has Tim Sheens.

Just because Hastings is an NRL half, doesn't mean he is player we should have kept. In his only season with us, we still only walked away with 4 wins, regardless of how good his post match interviews were. He didn't spark any footy, again, we won 4 games. Our footy has been better this year.

Saying that we signed Wakeham cause we didn't get Munster is fundamentally wrong and embarrassing. We needed a back up half in case of injury. Munster isn't a back up half.

It's not for lack of trying to solve the halves problem that we have failed, its that we haven't been able to secure the top line talent we wanted - for various reasons, some of which we are already well aware of.

The fact is, Hastings is gone, he is not playing great footy in Newcastle either. No need to keep debating it. We're finally starting to see the change we have always needed in the halves even if the road will be bumpy.
 
Anyone know the story with Blore - is he leaving the club, told he can go, not being re-signed?
He has something but how you extract that and get him to play that way for 80 minutes (or even 40minutes coming off the bench) is the question.
 
king_sirro said:
For the record, Inglis won the Clive Churchill playing 5/8 not centre for Melbourne, then went on to win the Grand Final playing fullback for Souths.

Latrell was class at centre for the Roosters and NSW, playing his role in star studded teams perfectly. Moving to Fullback at Souths he has turned them into contenders, taking on a position with much more responsibility having more consistent influence on results.

Both players have been moved from centre to fullback and 5/8 by different coaches due to them having more influence there.

Hell, even you say you would play Mitchell at fullback while arguing he is better at centre, lol.
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www.athletesvoice.com.au

'Not just my father's son' by Jack Cogger

Before he became a rising star at the Newcastle Knights and before he signed with the Bulldogs, Jack Cogger had the chance to join his favourite team, Wests Tigers. He told them no.
www.athletesvoice.com.au www.athletesvoice.com.au

Good story from a few years ago on Jack Cogger. Interesting intro:

"My first club was a choice between the Knights and my favourite team, Wests Tigers. I went to Newcastle. Because at Wests Tigers, I didn’t want to be known as Trevor Cogger’s kid."

I am sure that will change if he gets a good offer from the WT.
 
Can anyone local pop in and do a safety check on the Tigers recruitment team ...
Seems like the lights are on but no one working

Are there anyone on the forum that can still play as you might be needed for a run soon..

Looking forward to 4pm when the club announce TT in the starting team again and end our excitement of a sway deal with Manly.. I am beginning to think they don't give a shit about there fans
 
TigerNeddyK said:
No it’s not, GI was almost unstoppable in Origin in the centres with slater and Boyd playing fullback in front of him
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I think you need to look at who is around him though. I don't think you weaken your fullback position to strengthen centre, as fullback is a much more important position. Players there on average has a bigger bearing on the results of games. Most club teams don't have the luxury of moving their best players out of key positions. The only exception at the moment is probably Penrith who are able to use Crichton in the centres because they have an excellent specialist fullback in Edwards.
 
AmericanHistoryX said:
No. Hunt to hooker. Gold Coast 2024 upwards on onwards.
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gallagher said:
Is Payten's success a surprise? He did really well with our 20s.
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Didn't both Patten and Webster have success at Wests Tigers
watersider said:
I wonder what makes lee and pascoes approach to players and coaches so hopeless? They seem unable to recruit anyone. Is it desperation? Incompetence? That sort of acting too chummy in the way they go on?

I can understand people either buying into or being totally put off by the intensity of madge but those two seem to only put people off. Pascoe, in one of his segments, went on and on about how new recruits now get welcome packs including club backpacks etc. Do you think he brings that stuff up when recruiting? Maybe it's all those winning jokes he makes, maybe he talks about hairdresser's chair.

Whether it's just perception or the reality of those two, no one wants anything to do with them and they have to go. We need serious and connected rugby league people in charge, not spotlight hungry corporate cheerleaders. Sheens had that sort of clout first time round, I think he looks like a geriatric to players these days. Unlike Bennett, he doesn't have record of recent success to instill trust. Someone like Hasler would have been perfect. Btw I like Sheens and think he's probably a pretty good coach, just no one buys it.
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You had me until your last sentence. Otherwise very very good post. Thank you.
 
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