Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Vicious said:
It was Mick Potter and then Jason Taylor.
One was playing Koroibete is reserve grade and the other playing Addo-Carr is reserve grade.
Both were scoring length of the field tries in reserve grade every week and both quoted they need to work on their defence before becoming regular 1st graders.
Our recruitment & retention has been atrocious, Junior Tatola was a star forward all the way through the grades at Balmain, then one of these coaches said he’s was t good enough for NRL.
Everyone blames our CEO and Chairman, not even sure if the current two were about during these times, but whoever was in charge was simply backing the judgement of our coach and recruitment manager at those times,
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Mick Potter wanted to keep Koro he had another year and a half to go the board went over his head
 
Kaito said:
I didn't say anything about Brooks lol. I think
he had a good game yesterday in comparison
to most games this season tbh. We look lost
everytime the ball goes passed 1 man wide of
the ruck. Ball runners have been fine, I would
say we're calling the wrong plays at the wrong
times. Goes back to reading the play, an IQ thing.
Crashing short when it's not on, going back on
the inside when we have a small overlap out
wide. It's the small things. Our new halves will
have a lot to work with which is encouraging
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I’m not having a go at you as you definitely seem footy smart, but in your opinion do you believe Bula has been injecting himself correctly at these times and on our right do you believe Bateman is starting deep enough and running onto the ball with enough purpose to be a genuine threat to the opposition ?
I can’t believe we have some of our supporters doubting To’a he is hard to stop every time he gets the ball and he’s usually heavily marked, in my opinion ion due to opposing teams not being worried about Bateman as an attacking threat, so no need to double mark him like they do with most NRL second rowers.
 
Tucker said:
I think there is far more to being an organising half than just being the field kicker.
I also don’t think they are ‘virtual coaches’.
To me they are the guys who keep the team on track via reading the way the game is going and acting accordingly to ensure that the game plan is being realised. They direct the attack at players pre-identified as having weaknesses and they look for additional players who are struggling to exploit. They look to slow down or speed up the play as is required.
Guys like Munster and Ponga are incapable of this as they are mainly eyes up, instinctive weapons. Benji was one also. It’s not uncommon to see set after set where these guys barely touch the ball….then all of a sudden, they explode. The organising half is the one that is working, doing all the boring shit so that the opportunities arise whilst these weapons are scanning for these opportunities.

As for Fainu, I’ll take your opinion that he can do this as I haven’t seen him play enough yet. I wasn’t impressed with his origin game but that’s pretty much all I’ve seen so far.
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Just re-read my first response to you. Think I might have come across as a dick. Didn't mean to. Hope you didn't take it that way- but if you did, apologies.
 
batboy said:
So now it's an opinion? - You rolled it out as definitive or fact..

And despite you ignoring it,
there was zero footage the conclusively showed he was offside...
Regardless of what you think you saw.
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I was shocked when it came back as a try as well ......but then again as a WT supporter you get used to pulling that plank of wood out of our ass that the NRL quite usually shoves up our never regions most weeks
 
Vicious said:
I’m not having a go at you as you definitely seem footy smart, but in your opinion do you believe Bula has been injecting himself correctly at these times and on our right do you believe Bateman is starting deep enough and running onto the ball with enough purpose to be a genuine threat to the opposition ?
I can’t believe we have some of our supporters doubting To’a he is hard to stop every time he gets the ball and he’s usually heavily marked, in my opinion ion due to opposing teams not being worried about Bateman as an attacking threat, so no need to double mark him like they do with most NRL second rowers.
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I don't think poor old T'oa knows what Bateman will do next because Bateman himself doesn't know. I think he stifles that side by running strange angles.
 
Vicious said:
I’m not having a go at you as you definitely seem footy smart, but in your opinion do you believe Bula has been injecting himself correctly at these times and on our right do you believe Bateman is starting deep enough and running onto the ball with enough purpose to be a genuine threat to the opposition ?
I can’t believe we have some of our supporters doubting To’a he is hard to stop every time he gets the ball and he’s usually heavily marked, in my opinion ion due to opposing teams not being worried about Bateman as an attacking threat, so no need to double mark him like they do with most NRL second rowers.
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All very valid points & I agree with you Vicious!

Bula can chime in more on sweep plays but
watching him, his assignments seem pretty clear
& specific. Chase attacking kicks, hang around
the ruck & stay in Api's back pocket. I don't
think he's been given the freedom to link, don't
think they trust his passing just yet judging by
the play calls. It's his first year, they just want
him playing fullback & not overcomplicating
things I get the impression. You're right about
Bateman, put papali'i in the same box too. One
is being used as a quasi-middle that cuts back
inside and the other has been used as a crash
dummy to get us over the ad-line at around
halfway mark. They're not used enough in the
red zone, especially papali'i. It's like we haven't
watched the tape in his games for Parra and
what made him so effective. Coaching issue.
Agree regarding To'a as well, the kid can play.
Up & down a little but who hasn't been in 2023
 
TYGA said:
One area we really struggle and need recruitment are wingers with speed that can finish and get the ball out of our own end. Nofa is worn down hasn’t got speed and Tupou isn’t quick and probably best suited at centre over the long term. We lack pace.
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agreed. i think it's why we've been a little slow on recruiting outside backs because there's no real fleet footed wingers on the market. it also makes Staines a must keep.
 
jrtiger said:
agreed. i think it's why we've been a little slow on recruiting outside backs because there's no real fleet footed wingers on the market. it also makes Staines a must keep.
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A few possibilities spring to mind, but it does not appear we have any capacity to recruit outside backs unless we somehow get other teams to take on a few of ours that are currently contracted for 2024.
Bevan French is apparently keen to come back to Australia , he’s quick, a great finisher, safe under the high ball and can play a few different positions. He’d be great at the right price.
Some others have mentioned Thomas Jenkins from the Panthers. He’s a prolific try scorer in the lower grades and has decent size, height and pace.
One I’d love us to get is contracted with the Sharks until the end of 2025, but would only be on a bare minimum contact and not much chance of breaking into the Sharks top 13 anytime soon is Sam Stonestreet. He’s the prototype winger being tall, strong and fast,
Edward Kosi is a giant winger still contracted to the Warriors and has played well when used at NRL level.
He does not look like getting back in their starting 13 when they are full strength and they have RTS as another outside back for next season.
The Raiders have a few they are not using at NRL level that could help us.
Xavier Savage, Harley Smith-Shields and James Schiller. All are fast and run the ball with positive intent.
Mawene Hiroti another from the Sharks.
He is off contract, always plays well at NRL level as he did on the weekend against Souths and kicks goals quite well too.
Jackson Ferris from Manly also off contract and has been in great tackle busting, line breaking, try scoring b form in NSW Cup. He also made a positive impression as a centre playing NRL for the Sharks a few years back and I think he’s had some injury riddled seasons since, but seems back to his best now.
 
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Being new to the club Api took a little time to transition into the leadership role. He has taken all the pressure off Brooks by leading on the field, and you can see him communicating plays. He has been the best buy the club has made in a long time and the irony is he is the perfect foil for Brooks - who can now afford to play some eyes up footy - had he decided to stick.
 
Vicious said:
One I’d love us to get is contracted with the Sharks until the end of 2025, but would only be on a bare minimum contact and not much chance of breaking into the Sharks top 13 anytime soon is Sam Stonestreet. He’s the prototype winger being tall, strong and fast,
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Oh I wish.
 
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