Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[ancient_magpie]

hard to say but the club has obviously indicated that once they believe they are ready that they'll throw them in there. here's my thoughts.

Galvin we need to be patient with. yes he is immensely talented but he hasn't even played Jersey Flegg yet. a preseason with first grade will put him on the path but he needs the Leilua diet in order to bulk up, even if he plays at 6. it's likely he gets a debut next year but I think consistent first grade is a while away, especially if he is immediately transitioned into being a backrower. that said, as we've seen with Tallyn, stranger things have happened.

Kit Laulili'i is already monstering Flegg and is someone I could see debuting late 2023, along with Chris Fa'agutu. Unlike Matamua, the toughness and physicality is already there for Kit and he is a very competent ballplayer. very much a watch this space, but don't be surprised if he graduates to Cup in the next month with first grade coming afterwards. there is absolutely a spot for him to come in and make the 13 his own given Matamua's issues and the fact that it has been a revolving door for us all year.

Conti's future I'm not certain of. I only hear a few things out of the Wests side of things, whereas Balmain I have no connections. as a result I'm unsure if he's doing a preseason next year with first grade, whereas I know Heath Mason is. he is brilliantly talented but he is also tiny. if I was a betting man I'd say likely Origin period 2025 debut with regular first grade to come in the years that follow, but that depends on his physical progression.

Onitoni is likened to Suaali'i and it's easy to see the comparisons. that doesn't mean that he will be ready the moment he turns 18 though. I don't think its beyond him, but our expectations need to be tempered. he and his brother have been anointed by the club, but that doesn't mean they'll deliver a premiership when they're still in their teens. late 2025/early 2026.

Good post but the main thing is how long are they signed for.Also faagutu feledy mason miller etc you can't get any info on length of signings what's to hide if there all signed for a few years if not the vultures will be already circling

 

[king_sirro]

No.

He said he can’t see how they fix it. That was my point.

And that's my point, he doesn't know. So why listen to him?

 

[Canberratiger]

hard to say but the club has obviously indicated that once they believe they are ready that they'll throw them in there. here's my thoughts.

Galvin we need to be patient with. yes he is immensely talented but he hasn't even played Jersey Flegg yet. a preseason with first grade will put him on the path but he needs the Leilua diet in order to bulk up, even if he plays at 6. it's likely he gets a debut next year but I think consistent first grade is a while away, especially if he is immediately transitioned into being a backrower. that said, as we've seen with Tallyn, stranger things have happened.

Kit Laulili'i is already monstering Flegg and is someone I could see debuting late 2023, along with Chris Fa'agutu. Unlike Matamua, the toughness and physicality is already there for Kit and he is a very competent ballplayer. very much a watch this space, but don't be surprised if he graduates to Cup in the next month with first grade coming afterwards. there is absolutely a spot for him to come in and make the 13 his own given Matamua's issues and the fact that it has been a revolving door for us all year.

Conti's future I'm not certain of. I only hear a few things out of the Wests side of things, whereas Balmain I have no connections. as a result I'm unsure if he's doing a preseason next year with first grade, whereas I know Heath Mason is. he is brilliantly talented but he is also tiny. if I was a betting man I'd say likely Origin period 2025 debut with regular first grade to come in the years that follow, but that depends on his physical progression.

Onitoni is likened to Suaali'i and it's easy to see the comparisons. that doesn't mean that he will be ready the moment he turns 18 though. I don't think its beyond him, but our expectations need to be tempered. he and his brother have been anointed by the club, but that doesn't mean they'll deliver a premiership when they're still in their teens. late 2025/early 2026.

Thanks man! Good write up

 

[hank37w]

He probably offered but got knocked back by the club

We are dumb enough to do that

Way too busy trying to woo Harry with some shitty merchandise with hideous Brydens logos on it.

 

[king_sirro]

In my OP I said good judges are saying they can’t see how the club gets out of this current predicament. And I agree with them, we seem to be a mess.

IMO it’s up to the club to recognise that and make some significant changes way above the “football department”.

Fair call mate

 

[hank37w]

I feel pretty sure we would have had a plan, but I feel that plan had Brooks staying at our club.
But when he told em to stick it, the plan fell apart and they thought 'shit what do we do now'.
For me personally, I would love to see him go really well playing alongside DCE.

and I'm sure he will.

 

[BZN]

I'm not looking for words of comfort from forum members but I can't recall being at a lower ebb in terms of how I feel about this football club. I've followed Wests and Wests Tigers since 1960 and have seen plenty of lows and the odd high. I recall feeling quite low just prior to the merger but getting a boost from the thought of two old clubs with great histories and similar cultures coming together to form a new club that would take the best from both clubs. The truth is WT are nothing like either the old Balmain or Wests.
Fast forward to 2023 and things have never been worse. We are headed towards the second successive spoon. We find it very difficult to sign quality players. Our administration and leadership is woeful and appears to be locked in place. Our ownership seems totally disinterested in bringing about the type of change we need to get us out of this rut.
The only plus is we have a few juniors coming through who show huge potential. But I've seen two things happen to quality juniors over the years - either they don't go on with it, which happens quite a lot, or they get poached by the bigger and stronger clubs, which we have seen happen to us so many times.
We need change and we need it now.

Hang in there coivtny: 🙂 As I said to jadtiger recently, we've hit the pile of 💩 in the bottom of the Tigers den, we've just gotta wait till the rite person comes along with a hose to wash away the problems 👍.

 

[Needaname]

Luai is joined at the hip with Nathan, there is no chance of him leaving

Can’t hurt trying; there is 99.99% chance of him rejecting us but what’s the harm in that. The reputation is already on the fritz is one more rejection going to matter.
Who knows really, maybe he looked up to Benji when he was younger and he has a working relationship with Api from Penrith and NSW. Not sure of Panthers halves prospects outside of Luai though so that could be a major factor.

 

[Needaname]

Blind Freddy could see Hastings is a pure half, Brooks a running 5/8 and Doueihi is a centre or lock… Benji and Farah surely should have realised playing with Brooks he isn’t a halfback…. But no the coaches were deadset on a brooks and doueihi halves combo and thus pushed Hastings out… I am certain we would’ve had more than 3 wins with a Hastings/Brooks halves and Doueihi in the centres combination… I blame sheens for this

Hastings plays more like a pure Hooker to me.

 

[BalmainJnr]

The really sad part of all of this is the fact that Laundy should be backing us not the dogs because he is a Tigers supporter from way back.I am not sure why this has not eventuated but i certainly have my suspicions

Same reason as Jaycar I assume.

 

[Needaname]

Alot of our kids are already playing first grade ie Pole, Toupu, Talyn, Bula. There is another batch coming through behind them. We all just need to be patient with them.

To me it matters.
The kids you speak of, when you say ours of that group above only Tayln is ours.
It’s great that we have a few from the lower grades coming through but the reality is the best ones have come from other systems with 3 outa 4 being recruited into our juniors and not having originated.
Throw Galvin, Faagatu, Herman into that argument.
The juniors are improving but the talent still exists outside our system.

 

[Needaname]

there is a general consensus amongst the Wests boys that they want to "do a Penrith," implying that they want to stay together and build a premiership winning side. couple that with the fact that the large majority of the guns (including the players you mentioned) have been locked up long term, and that will certainly help us into the future.

they can't do it on their own though. we need experienced, toughened first graders who can show them the way and assist them in showing them how to win and play consistent week to week footy. this is why an experienced half is so important for these next couple of years.

also, Galvin will be a backrower. club has identified him as such and that will be where he ends up. there is a chance he may do a Wade Graham or a Matterson, who starts off at 6 and then shifts to an edge, but that is the plan. that may slow his path to first grade further as he's 80 kilos wringing wet.

Onitoni could easily play halfback or 5/8, he's genuinely that good, but I think Alex Conti is the most natural halfback in the pathways and moving Onitoni outside him will be of a benefit to both of them, pending of course they remain on their current trajectories. Alex definitely has some growing to do, hopeful he's doing a preseason later this year.

Onitoni could, but he is extremely quiet on the field in the games I watched him. The hooker and Isdale were doing all the talking. If he was to be a 7 he needs to find a voice.

 

[clokan]

In my OP I said good judges are saying they can’t see how the club gets out of this current predicament. And I agree with them, we seem to be a mess.

IMO it’s up to the club to recognise that and make some significant changes way above the “football department”.

I don’t need Johns to tell me what’s wrong with the club, it’s lacking governance and accountability. That sits with managemenmt, they’ve had years to address the issue and haven’t been able to. They talk of accountability, but they (the board, Lee and Pascoe) haven’t been made accountable. Gee they don’t even front the media when they stuff up, they let the players cop it, such as after the ANZAC Jersey debacle, or Benji poster at the COE

Lee might be pumping $$ into I the club, but he is killing it with his narcissism and childish reactions, threatening taking the NRL to court, attacking podcasters, walking out on Jones.

Our club is a basket case and I have strong doubts that the management team in place will be able to turn it around. Good luck to Sheens and Benji, they’ll need it.

 

[BZN]

Hate that it always feels like we take 1 step forward, 2 steps back.
It's gotta be our governance structures that is counterproductive - to supporting our objectives - no-one has that much bad luck.

The Lady with 'the voice of reason' has spoken...I'll run with that.

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

The really sad part of all of this is the fact that Laundy should be backing us not the dogs because he is a Tigers supporter from way back.I am not sure why this has not eventuated but i certainly have my suspicions

Wonder if Laundy hit up to club to sponsor them?..

 

[Needaname]

You rarely hear about other clubs juniors. Let that program go on in the background and everyone in that area needs to be focused but don’t build these kids up too soon, it could all end in disappointment for them. Our emphasis as a club should be on winning first grade games.

Well the first 4 including Matumua have debuted in first grade from our pathways. I know they are still kids but they are hardly juniors anymore. You usually hear about them once they debut that’s the case with most clubs. But your right I think our club talks about our juniors prospects more than most.

 

[liltiger]

To me it matters.
The kids you speak of, when you say ours of that group above only Tayln is ours.
It’s great that we have a few from the lower grades coming through but the reality is the best ones have come from other systems with 3 outa 4 being recruited into our juniors and not having originated.
Throw Galvin, Faagatu, Herman into that argument.
The juniors are improving but the talent still exists outside our system.

You make a great point about the talent coming from other catchment areas, though I think the priority has to be recognition, as long as we can recognise who the talent is and go bring it to us it will be fine.

 

[balmain boy]

Funny stuff that, he left broncos because they wanted to make him a hooker. Promised everything from the Gould he’s our half back! Then now he’s a lock, nice work Gould, lie lie lie.

Zero chance that kid plays hooker anytime in the next few years. Zero.

 

[balmain boy]

They got the John Morris rumour wrong no doubt. The club changes tac like the weather but you hang on to that one because all mail has 100% accuracy doesn’t it. Lol. The fact is one of the hosts had a 20 minute phone conversation with said manager. Nothing is final but it was a real conversation. The only dribble I see is your opinion on something you have no clue about and casting aspersions about others who put their names & faces to something and provide an informative podcast listened to by more people than you could ever imagine.

Pumping up your tyres Rob?

Why would Tartak be so incredibly unprofessional to discuss ongoing client private contract negotiations with a nobody podcaster with a couple of hundred listeners?

 

[balmain boy]

Some market news via SMH that impacts us:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/tyson-frizell-poised-to-extend-knights-deal-20230710-p5dn48.html

State of Origin forward Tyson Frizell is set to hand the Knights a huge boost as he closes in on an extension to stay in Newcastle.

Frizell, arguably the biggest name on the NRL player market without a deal for 2024, is on the cusp of agreeing to terms with the Knights despite the lure of several rivals, most notably Benji Marshall and the Tigers.

Meanwhile, the Sharks have told rivals they won’t accept any approach for back-up half Braydon Trindall despite the 23-year-old’s struggle for regular NRL game time behind Nicho Hynes and Matt Moylan.

Trindall remains under contract at Cronulla until the end of 2025.

So Sharks want to keep Hynes, and Dykes, and Kennedy, and Trindall, and two elite young halves from the panthers in their system, and they think all these players will be happy playing lower grades for the next few years?