Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Wiz]

That’s the one , keeping them , but I still feel we are 2 players short of a bit more success , these players only need to be like Olam , Tracy , we could not score , we have secured the pack and Half’s now , just need to get centres , kids will stay if they see a competitive team for them to look forward to joining , not wooded spooners

We’ve often had decent juniors. The main issue is not our inability to keep them. It’s being able to properly develop/progress them. We have been horrendous at developing younger players into first graders, fringe first graders into average first graders, and average first graders into good first graders. I’d say the worst in the comp since the WT inception. (This issue is also evident when we sign first graders from other clubs. Their form mostly declines once they are at WT.) Because we can’t develop players, we have a losing team/culture and therefore players with talent (often young players) leave and go elsewhere.

I am very concerned about Benji’s, Robbie’s and Heighno’s ability to develop our current juniors (Morris thankfully has some runs on the board). Failure to develop and retain this crop of juniors will set the club back for another 5 to 10 years which I believe will put the future of the club in jeopardy.

 

[Mistymuzzle]

From the time we had left Birchgrove and started at Leichardt oval, I never missed a game at Leichardt
And for the life of me I cant remember Leichardt oval running East to West, it always ran North to South.

It used to run east west when I was a VERY little kid and the Keith Barnes stand was the dressing room and that ramp led to the halfway line

 

[Vicious]

Once more, as it stands right now, whenever someone is asked, 'OK, who should we go after and what would you offer them?', there is never a list of targets. It's far easier to speak in generalities than to be specific when it comes to bemoaning the current predicament of the squad.

For example, there is zero star power on the market for next year. That ship has sailed. And it was a relatively barren ship at that.

The only two names worth mentioning were Farnsworth (who has only continued to grow AFTER signing with the Dolphins) and Crichton. What exactly would it have taken to get Farnsworth to the Wests Tigers to play centre? And Crichton. Going to the dogs to play fullback, on $1 million-odd under his former coach and with several of his former tight-knit team mates. What exactly would it take to have got him here instead? 1.2? 1.4? Most definitely the fullback jersey, despite him being an out and out centre and which is now Bula's to keep.

Are these realistic targets? And even if they were, were we ever an option for them?

So, onto 2025 and (possibly) agitate for an early release, which is not the norm..

Firstly, Nov 1 is not for a month, so nothing official or otherwise should be happenning as of yet. Who's on that list that we must be chasing?

Unfortunately, again, there's not bucket loads.

At centre I've got Best, Taylan May and Isaiah Tass. On the wing Kiraz, Cotric and Reimis Smith.

In outside backs, the market doesn't exactly scream 'flush with freely available options'.

So, again, who exactly are these gigantic upgrades that we can target for the next couple of years? What will they cost and are they even a legitimate chance of entertaining Wests as a destination?

It may be, just perhaps, the reason the club has gone all in on junior development. Unequivocally the correct move, given the market scarcity, the rise in the salary cap and the current appeal of this club.

But, as always, there needs to be balance there in external recruitment, just not pie in the sky superstar chasing, especially when no one can name a legitimate target moving forward.

Very well said.
If we are looking at a player approaching the prime of their career with the size, height and speed to be a potential match winner that we need, we would likely be looking at Tass or possibly Reims Smith from that list.
I believe we might be better off head hunting another young up and comer with the potential to be an elite outside back, Samuel Stonestreet from the Sharks.
Currently contracted until the end of 2025, but I’d say it would be a minimal contract that under sells his ability and also he is currently blocked for a regular NRL starting spot at the Sharks.
6”4 winger/centres who run the ball hard and have plenty of speed don’t grow on trees.

 

[Tucker]

Once more, as it stands right now, whenever someone is asked, 'OK, who should we go after and what would you offer them?', there is never a list of targets. It's far easier to speak in generalities than to be specific when it comes to bemoaning the current predicament of the squad.

Once more, as has been explained to you already, we aren’t talking about who is available now. The recruitment team works all year round you realise?

For example, there is zero star power on the market for next year. That ship has sailed.

That is the point being made. Where were we when the doors were still open?
You are sooking about members being upset that we haven’t signed anyone of note, yet your Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is we have to bank on juniors?
It’s a lazy answer as it can’t be proven wrong for years yet. Meanwhile, we continue to be the laughing stock of the code.

 

[Juice]

You’d think a solid first grade player like Taas isn’t gonna be happy to play Reggie’s next year + with Munro coming through doubt he would get extended, solid first grader that prob wouldn’t be on much coin… I could see him asking for a release

 

[Vicious]

Once more, as has been explained to you already, we aren’t talking about who is available now. The recruitment team works all year round you realise?

That is the point being made. Where were we when the doors were still open?
You are sooking about members being upset that we haven’t signed anyone of note, yet your Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is we have to bank on juniors?
It’s a lazy answer as it can’t be proven wrong for years yet. Meanwhile, we continue to be the laughing stock of the code.

Yes it’s no guarantee the best young players become the best NRL players, but I’d much rather have them on our books, than not have them at all.
Players such as Bula, Pole, Fainu x2, Da Silva, Laulilli x2, Galvin, Miller, Faagatu, Mason and then the younger ones such as Large x2 and Makasini just to name a few, are players that would have no problem getting on the books of any of our rival 16 NRL clubs.
Even if 3 or 4 of them live up to their potential, become elite NRL players on their position and stay with us we will have done extremely well.
Better judges than me strongly believe at least 6-7 of this crop will well and truly live up to their potential at NRL level.
If this assumption is correct, we will have a very good side in our hands within a couple of seasons, we just need to be patient as we cannot expect t all of them to be superstars at 18-21 years of age.

 

[Vicious]

You’d think a solid first grade player like Taas isn’t gonna be happy to play Reggie’s next year + with Munro coming through doubt he would get extended, solid first grader that prob wouldn’t be on much coin… I could see him asking for a release

I agree that he’s one that could jump at a good money contract elsewhere.

 

[Hbom]

Reasoning, he brings experience & leadership to a young backline. Bringing in a player of his calibre instils confidence in players around him. Given his age, we'd only offer him 2 years so it would not halt the progress of future pathways talents (that 2 years should help the development of T'oa, Tupou, Feledy etc & also help progress fellow indigenous backs Naden & Reilly). He would help the club use up some of the salary cap we have to use. Yes he is prone to the odd error but is still quick & a good tackle-breaker, fairly good defensively & these positives far outweigh the negatives I believe.

He would help us use our cap?

 

[tigerballs]

Agree mate..

I have said for a while now it's hard to buy all these quality players people want when they are NOT available.

Considering what we are doing and position we are in I think we have done a pretty good job. We clearly had halves problems so went out and brought 3 with big wraps on 2 of them and its better than running Wakeham out each week or Api in the halves. If we had better halves this year, we don't get the spoon and people would see the progress we are making.

We need to pick up some outside backs which we all agree but there are some positives for the year.
1. Bula was a find and a half
2. We somehow extended Api and he is a deadset top line player
3. Debuted a few very good players this year
4. We have offloaded some more average players who just take up spots
5. Next year we are back at our real home as contact is up so better home court advantage


I'm a believer and think we are heading in the right direction so happy to see how it goes.

Plus, its only early and would expect more player in and out before season starts.

The GF was a good case study in the value of good halves, no matter what their age. The 32 year old veteran was very good, the 25 year old a superstar and the 20 year old was MOM with 5 minutes to go. We don't know how good ours will be next year so it's unfortunately wait and see. One has played in a GF, the others....? One or two good ones could ignite the current backline which, if we can get field position like we did this year, could quite easily get us into the eight.

 

[tony soprano]

We’ve often had decent juniors. The main issue is not our inability to keep them. It’s being able to properly develop/progress them. We have been horrendous at developing younger players into first graders, fringe first graders into average first graders, and average first graders into good first graders. I’d say the worst in the comp since the WT inception. (This issue is also evident when we sign first graders from other clubs. Their form mostly declines once they are at WT.) Because we can’t develop players, we have a losing team/culture and therefore players with talent (often young players) leave and go elsewhere.

I am very concerned about Benji’s, Robbie’s and Heighno’s ability to develop our current juniors (Morris thankfully has some runs on the board). Failure to develop and retain this crop of juniors will set the club back for another 5 to 10 years which I believe will put the future of the club in jeopardy.

Shell be right

 

[tony soprano]

The GF was a good case study in the value of good halves, no matter what their age. The 32 year old veteran was very good, the 25 year old a superstar and the 20 year old was MOM with 5 minutes to go. We don't know how good ours will be next year so it's unfortunately wait and see. One has played in a GF, the others....? One or two good ones could ignite the current backline which, if we can get field position like we did this year, could quite easily get us into the eight.

Reynolds sucks

The GF was a good case study in the value of good halves, no matter what their age. The 32 year old veteran was very good, the 25 year old a superstar and the 20 year old was MOM with 5 minutes to go. We don't know how good ours will be next year so it's unfortunately wait and see. One has played in a GF, the others....? One or two good ones could ignite the current backline which, if we can get field position like we did this year, could quite easily get us into the eight.

 

[Tucker]

Yes it’s no guarantee the best young players become the best NRL players, but I’d much rather have them on our books, than not have them at all.
Players such as Bula, Fainu x2, Da Silva, Laulilli x2, Galvin, Miller, Faagatu and then the younger ones such as Large x2 and Makasini just to name a few, are players that would have no problem getting on the books of any of our rival 16 NRL clubs.
Even if 3 or 4 of them live up to their potential and stay with us we have done extremely well, but better judges than me strongly believe at least 6-7 of this crop will well and truly live up to their potential at NRL level.
If this assumption is correct, we will have a very good side in our hands within a couple of seasons, we just need to be patient as we cannot expect t all of them to be superstars at 18-21 years of age.

Part of their development will be mentorship.
Currently, the young forwards have a few to help bring them along.
The young backs have no one.
Additionally, I have no problem having these guys on our books. I think most are over rated but there is potential there. If we want to keep them here, we need to start seeing success before they rise.
Who wants to be the best player in a shit side at 21? Daine Laurie is the cautionary tale in this area.
We need to have a team they would be proud to walk in to. It’s not about being patient, it’s about building a side that’s rocking and rolling by the time they step up.

 

[skywalker]

From the time we had left Birchgrove and started at Leichardt oval, I never missed a game at Leichardt
And for the life of me I cant remember Leichardt oval running East to West, it always ran North to South.

I can remember. Then we played our home games at Sydney Sports Ground for 2 years I think while Leichardt oval changed and grandstand built. Geoff Starling made his first grade debut there one Friday night at Sydney sports ground.

 

[Lestronge]

2022 we had an injury riddled side, no proper stars, our coach sacked mid season, players let go mid season, an interim coach who had never performed at top level, players lent out to other clubs….they had no option but to come last, yet they still tried.
2023 we had our injured players back on deck, we had our premiership winning coach in charge, we had our two favourite sons helping him, we brought another experienced coach in to help, we had three blokes join the team who played in the previous years GF, we had an international join the team who featured for a teir 1 team in the previous years WC, we had an experienced prop join us who has done it all, we unearthed a fullback who won a heap of awards by the year’s end, …should I go on? 23 was a vastly worse year.

Now you bring up 2001 and 2002 and I laugh at you expense and utter desperation.
2001 saw us win 9 games and draw another. Big difference to this year. We scored 100 more points than this year, with a worse roster as you pointed out. 2002 saw us win 7 games. Not great but better than our 4 this year. We again managed over 100 points more than this year, despite our roster.
Uppercut yourself champ, I’m out of town.

I was there for both . And I know you weren’t , hence why you’re using stats as your argument .
And 01 and 02 were just as / if not more bleak than now .
There was no Fainu , no Galvin , no talk of the large brothers , we didn’t have TDS and Bula at the back .
The team was utter shite , really hard to support , and full of manly castaways and morally bankrupt rejects . Sure we won games, but I’ll never forget sitting on the hill listening to Hopoate songs , and generally wondering why we even bothered .
And not to mention the constant fights between wests and Balmain .
I remember a washed Michael Buettner was the only shining light we could hope for .
And if I go back further to when I was a pup in the 90s I remember after Jones lead us to nothingness , and there was real fear that we were about to fold .
But yea you’re right mate … this is definitely the worst .. actually no you’re not . At least there some glimmers of hope . There was zero in 01 and 02 , 02 especially after Hopoate . And we were being talked about like we were the embarrassment of the league . Not in “they always lose “ kind of way , but a “the team is full of westy scum , drug addicts and dead beats, only deros would follow that team “ . That’s the conversations being had around that time .

 

[Kelce68]

Once more, as has been explained to you already, we aren’t talking about who is available now. The recruitment team works all year round you realise?

That is the point being made. Where were we when the doors were still open?
You are sooking about members being upset that we haven’t signed anyone of note, yet your Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is we have to bank on juniors?
It’s a lazy answer as it can’t be proven wrong for years yet. Meanwhile, we continue to be the laughing stock of the code.

Right. So you're bemoaning our lack of recruitment from earlier in the year then? (still no names by the way).

I'm not sooking about anything and I'm not presenting a Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon card. I'm saying that is what the path that's been taken is most likely to be, which is attributable to a number of factors relating to our club and why it struggles to sign high level players consistently.

Meanwhile, in the last 12 months, the club has brought in Koroisau, Papali'i, Bateman and Klemmer.

You want to talk about lazy answers, yet, despite the effort and detail that 2041 have put into our responses and the time we've taken to walk through possible signing targets, either past or present, you're yet to present a response with an outline of who we should target and how we get them here.

Crichton signed in January. Farnworth in February. So when exactly, and who exactly, are all these amazing targets that we've missed this year thus far, or, who, and from what club, are you going to miraculously extract from their current contract?

Mate. I'm with you on the frustration. I wish we were better. I wish we could sign better players. I understand the lament that we haven't, and don't. But to turn your vitriol on people making conservative or low-key acquisition suggestions and refer to them as idiots just doesn't add up to me and I fail to see what that adds to the conversation.

 

[Kelce68]

You’d think a solid first grade player like Taas isn’t gonna be happy to play Reggie’s next year + with Munro coming through doubt he would get extended, solid first grader that prob wouldn’t be on much coin… I could see him asking for a release

Ethan Ferguson coming through there too. They've got a bit of a squeeze coming up.

 

[TV Ted Ellery]

I was there for both . And I know you weren’t , hence why you’re using stats as your argument .
And 01 and 02 were just as / if not more bleak than now .
There was no Fainu , no Galvin , no talk of the large brothers , we didn’t have TDS and Bula at the back .
The team was utter shite , really hard to support , and full of manly castaways and morally bankrupt rejects . Sure we won games, but I’ll never forget sitting on the hill listening to Hopoate songs , and generally wondering why we even bothered .
And not to mention the constant fights between wests and Balmain .
I remember a washed Michael Buettner was the only shining light we could hope for .
And if I go back further to when I was a pup in the 90s I remember after Jones lead us to nothingness , and there was real fear that we were about to fold .
But yea you’re right mate … this is definitely the worst .. actually no you’re not . At least there some glimmers of hope . There was zero in 01 and 02 , 02 especially after Hopoate . And we were being talked about like we were the embarrassment of the league . Not in “they always lose “ kind of way , but a “the team is full of westy scum , drug addicts and dead beats, only deros would follow that team “ . That’s the conversations being had around that time .

While 2001-2002 were bleak years for the senior team, it was a golden period for Wests juniors with guys like Hoffman and Hopoate who signed elsewhere, along with Collis, Ben Roberts, De Gois, Fulton and Gibbs coming through together.

 

[Tucker]

I was there for both . And I know you weren’t , hence why you’re using stats as your argument .
And 01 and 02 were just as / if not more bleak than now .
There was no Fainu , no Galvin , no talk of the large brothers , we didn’t have TDS and Bula at the back .
The team was utter shite , really hard to support , and full of manly castaways and morally bankrupt rejects . Sure we won games, but I’ll never forget sitting on the hill listening to Hopoate songs , and generally wondering why we even bothered .
And not to mention the constant fights between wests and Balmain .
I remember a washed Michael Buettner was the only shining light we could hope for .
And if I go back further to when I was a pup in the 90s I remember after Jones lead us to nothingness , and there was real fear that we were about to fold .
But yea you’re right mate … this is definitely the worst .. actually no you’re not . At least there some glimmers of hope . There was zero in 01 and 02 , 02 especially after Hopoate . And we were being talked about like we were the embarrassment of the league . Not in “they always lose “ kind of way , but a “the team is full of westy scum , drug addicts and dead beats, only deros would follow that team “ . That’s the conversations being had around that time .

You don’t know jackshit about me so stop right there with that line of garbage.
You replied to me champ. I said this was our worst season given the amount of positives attached to it. I said nothing about outlooks to the future, nothing about juniors coming through. I said this is our worst season yet and you tried to smugly discredit this by pointing to a season where we weren’t beat in 10 games. Newsflash…we won 4 games this year and came last with 19 losses. Luckily there were 3 byes or we likely would have lost over 20 games.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

He would help us use our cap?

Clubs have to spend 95% of the salary cap each year. I’d say we are well under that looking at our list so either we front load a lot of contracts or can secure some more higher value players for their position. That is where signing Gagai may help as well.

 

[ancient_magpie]

The GF was a good case study in the value of good halves, no matter what their age. The 32 year old veteran was very good, the 25 year old a superstar and the 20 year old was MOM with 5 minutes to go. We don't know how good ours will be next year so it's unfortunately wait and see. One has played in a GF, the others....? One or two good ones could ignite the current backline which, if we can get field position like we did this year, could quite easily get us into the eight.

I'm not sure he would survive our club culture.

Fainu and Sullivan are our future.

I watched Aidan Sezers highlights and if his short kicking game is still as good were in for a big improvement in last tackle options next year