Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[GNR4LIFE]

No doubt there are some big name signings to come shortly whilst they simultaneously move out the dead wood…

We’ve been trying to move out the dead wood for over 20 years. We just replace it with more dead wood.

 

[Hbom]

It's a tough one. We have a lot of juniors, having two sides gives us an advantage in some ways, it can be hard to know who are our best players are as players develop at different rates, but putting all our best players in the inner side would create a super team of sorts.

We should be nurturing both our junior sides, why we've left Balmain to fend for itself while putting all the best players in Wests makes no sense. Western Sydney boys with Wests boys from the rest of the country in Balmain. It makes sense, hopefully Bronson can help get it done. Concerning is Fulton is going rogue, unless he's signed a half and fullback better than Conti and Nassar he's weakened the club.

Could be related to Willett coming in? Read an article that said his best position was centre, but can play fullback and halfback. Big boot too.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

That’s how it mostly is now people like feledy got put in the Balmain team as for “Fulton weakening the club” Conti may be good but he is below Sullivan, Fainu, galvin, and both the large boys as for nassar it sucks to lose him but we have signed some guns from manly and if nassar wants to play fullback that won’t happen while Bula is around

If you have more than one good option for fullback don't you have them compete to get the best performance.! Nasser would be in the lower grades anyway and I'm sure more than one club is in the same position. By all accounts Nasser is also very quick and we have draft horses on the wings except for when Staines is fit. As for Conti, of course he is going to be below those you have mentioned as he is a junior! It doesn't mean he should not compete against those you have mentioned. All in all, a very poor outcome for the Balmain juniors and juniors from the former Wests Magpies catchment.

 

[2041]

I get it. And I think directionally you are right. But don't forget, Penrith has the second highest paid player in the NRL at their club, Nathan Cleary, who is on something around $1.3M next year if reports are true. Only Ponga is on more coin. So even the best clubs have a marquee or two who command top dollar and soak up a chunk of the cap. Wests Tigers don't have a solitary player in their top 30 who would command more than $700K on an open market. Api would be the only one, second might be Bulla but only from another bottom 4 club desperate for a fullback.
Local juniors who have played together through the grades is a great strategy, but you do need to throw a big signing in the mix to get things moving. Would Penrith have been as successful if James Maloney hadn't been thrown in to the mix with all that local talent? Who knows.

I take your point. I guess what I'm worried about is making impatient moves that cost us down the track. If we give a 1.3m contract to a player who is objectively worth 800k a year, at some stage we're going to not have 500k available - either to sign someone else we need or upgrade and extend one of our own players. It seems like a nominal point at this stage because we've got plenty of cap room and not a lot of good players, but if we get what we all want - ie: a better team - there will come a point during the life of a 4-5 year contract for Luai where there's enough improving talent that we need to find every spare dollar to extend what we have. (and, of course, if we don't have those players we're not going to be winning anyway, Luai or not).

Maybe it's the length of the contract that bothers me. In 2025 we are still going to be paying Bateman, Nofoaluma, Sullivan, Twal, Naden, Seyfarth and To'a, and I am 99% certain that at least four of those will be doing next to nothing for us. I'd be surprised if Luai is providing nothing two years down the track, but let's say he's 500k 'short' on what we're paying him, plus Bateman is busted, Nofo and Naden continue to be useless and one of To'a and Sullivan hasn't kicked on at all. That would be at least 2m of salary cap going to basically nothing - and it would all be locked in two years ahead of time.

EDIT: one more thing. We have already signed several players who are meant to be changing the culture, adding professionalism and so forth. Koroisau, Klemmer and Bateman, for instance. How many more times are we going to pay overs in the hope that this one will suddenly get the rest of the squad focused? I'd argue that Koroisau is our Maloney, basically.

 

[Camel2281]

It's a tough one. We have a lot of juniors, having two sides gives us an advantage in some ways, it can be hard to know who are our best players are as players develop at different rates, but putting all our best players in the inner side would create a super team of sorts.

We should be nurturing both our junior sides, why we've left Balmain to fend for itself while putting all the best players in Wests makes no sense. Western Sydney boys with Wests boys from the rest of the country in Balmain. It makes sense, hopefully Bronson can help get it done. Concerning is Fulton is going rogue, unless he's signed a half and fullback better than Conti and Nassar he's weakened the club.

Conti left because Anasta is his manager and he hates us. Pure and simple. Anasta used Galvin getting prioritised above Conti as an excuse to get him to move.

Also I'm sure I read at the time of his appointment that Fulton is recruitment and retention manager for the NRL squad, he'd have little to do with pathways kids. (Nor should he until they are approaching the age where they can be part of the Snr squad)

They offered the Pathways recruitment role to McDonnell before he threw his toys out of the pram. I'm sure the pathways has it's own recruitment person.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Anasta can sure hold a grudge can’t he. Families of murder victims have been more forgiving to the perpetrator than Braith is to this club for not providing Gatorade.

 

[Lestronge]

Conti left because Anasta is his manager and he hates us. Pure and simple. Anasta used Galvin getting prioritised above Conti as an excuse to get him to move.

Also I'm sure I read at the time of his appointment that Fulton is recruitment and retention manager for the NRL squad, he'd have little to do with pathways kids. (Nor should he until they are approaching the age where they can be part of the Snr squad)

They offered the Pathways recruitment role to McDonnell before he threw his toys out of the pram. I'm sure the pathways has its own recruitment person.

I don’t think it’s that simple mate . He not only has Galvin in front of him , but Bud Sullivan and obviously Fainu. Throw in Large and I believe there’s a real good half in the Balmain team who’s a year younger , it would be malpractice on Braiths part ,to not get his client out of here .
There’s literally no opportunities , and much more elite talent with higher pedigree who will be afforded more opportunities because of this .
The best kids get priority /nepotism . And they’re given the most chances. That’s why you see gun juniors like Wakeham float around the lower grades when they haven’t excelled . Teams rolls the Dice on the pedigree .
Yet a kid with more consistency and a lower ceiling , find it tough . Conti is that kid . He will play first grade , but I don’t think he will be afforded the same luxuries that Fainu , Sullivan , Galvin , even Olaapu and Burton will get at the dogs.
It’s why Ilias suffering his second year blues , is being shafted . Not an elite junior so he’s not afforded the same chances . It sux , but clubs get tunnel vision . It’s why Luke Brooks has been given a million chances .
By the way it’s not just Galvin . There’s also Heath Mason who’s considered a 6/1. Who also made the Aus team . Conti was a bench player for NSW . That’s the difference in talent . This could obviously all change as they age , but if the tigers didn’t choose Fainu , Sullivan , Mason , Galvin over Conti anyone with an idea would lose thier mind .
In fact I’d argue , because he is a Balmain junior , that that’s exactly what’s happened in the past . Which is why the wests side have been complain about Balmain nepotism for a long time .

 

[ROZELLE.O.G]

That’s how it mostly is now people like feledy got put in the Balmain team as for “Fulton weakening the club” Conti may be good but he is below Sullivan, Fainu, galvin, and both the large boys as for nassar it sucks to lose him but we have signed some guns from manly and if nassar wants to play fullback that won’t happen while Bula is around

Conti & Nasser wouldnt have any expectations of even thinking about first grade. Conti is two years younger than Galvin and Nasser is only 16 years old. They would have aspirations and dreams of playing first grade but they know its a few years away. The missing point is if you know you have great juniors, keep them in your system. Both were offloaded for the wrong reasons and that was because there is war happening between Marshall and Fulton.

 

[Tiger Stripes]

I don’t think it’s that simple mate . He not only has Galvin in front of him , but Bud Sullivan and obviously Fainu. Throw in Large and I believe there’s a real good half in the Balmain team who’s a year younger , it would be malpractice on Braiths part ,to not get his client out of here .
There’s literally no opportunities , and much more elite talent with higher pedigree who will be afforded more opportunities because of this .
The best kids get priority /nepotism . And they’re given the most chances. That’s why you see gun juniors like Wakeham float around the lower grades when they haven’t excelled . Teams rolls the Dice on the pedigree .
Yet a kid with more consistency and a lower ceiling , find it tough . Conti is that kid . He will play first grade , but I don’t think he will be afforded the same luxuries that Fainu , Sullivan , Galvin , even Olaapu and Burton will get at the dogs.
It’s why Ilias suffering his second year blues , is being shafted . Not an elite junior so he’s not afforded the same chances . It sux , but clubs get tunnel vision . It’s why Luke Brooks has been given a million chances .
By the way it’s not just Galvin . There’s also Heath Mason who’s considered a 6/1. Who also made the Aus team . Conti was a bench player for NSW . That’s the difference in talent . This could obviously all change as they age , but if the tigers didn’t choose Fainu , Sullivan , Mason , Galvin over Conti anyone with an idea would lose thier mind .
In fact I’d argue , because he is a Balmain junior , that that’s exactly what’s happened in the past . Which is why the wests side have been complain about Balmain nepotism for a long time .

Didn't someone say the Dogs have about 3 halves in front of Conti. the pecking order?
He wont be in 1st grade there either. Maybe a return to Tigers. Has the Camroux feel about it and we know how that went.

 

[Lestronge]

Conti & Nasser wouldnt have any expectations of even thinking about first grade. Conti is two years younger than Galvin and Nasser is only 16 years old. They would have aspirations and dreams of playing first grade but they know its a few years away. The missing point is if you know you have great juniors, keep them in your system. Both were offloaded for the wrong reasons and that was because there is war happening between Marshall and Fulton.

That’s not true at all . These kids are identified as young as 12 years old , and are groomed to eventually play first grade , otherwise what’s the point .
A kid who makes schoolboys , would 💯 be looking at playing first grade . They would have all kinds of people in thier ears , and a good manager would have thier pathway mapped out for them . Eg. Galvin . His pathway is clearly defined . It’s there for all of us to see .
Nasser I dunno . But if the club has prioritised other juniors it’s for a good reason . How many of our top juniors from 2012-20 call manly and Melbourne and the roosters home .
Many were wests juniors . I have no skin in the game as of Balmain v wests , Fulton v Marshall . If it means we keep the very best of talent .
I will say this there’s been heaps of nassers mentioned in the past . Guys like Hill , there was another young Lebanese kid a few years back , who people with connections to the Balmain district swore were going to be elite first graders , and none made it past KOE cup , and most are playing Ron massey or lower .
I think we tend to over value our juniors . And whilst I do think Fulton is probably prickly , he is the guy who snatched the best of our juniors for a long time . Kids who a lot of the time we valued someone else . So if our valuations are being streamlined , and we are better decisions , then for me I’m happy to lose a Nasser every couple of years . As long as we have prioritised someone better . And I guess that proof will be in the pudding .

 

[Vicious]

Conti & Nasser wouldnt have any expectations of even thinking about first grade. Conti is two years younger than Galvin and Nasser is only 16 years old. They would have aspirations and dreams of playing first grade but they know its a few years away. The missing point is if you know you have great juniors, keep them in your system. Both were offloaded for the wrong reasons and that was because there is war happening between Marshall and Fulton.

Are you saying these two were not offered to play for Balmain in 2024 ?
I’m certain they would have been offered a spot playing with Balmain, so it’s got to be reasons from within their own camps why they have chosen to go elsewhere?
As others have pointed out, it’s likely their camps wanted guarantees of NRL development deals within the next couple of seasons and as you have pointed out yourself, they are very young and still a couple of years away from proving they are worth that type of deal.

 

[ROZELLE.O.G]

That’s how it mostly is now people like feledy got put in the Balmain team as for “Fulton weakening the club” Conti may be good but he is below Sullivan, Fainu, galvin, and both the large boys as for nassar it sucks to lose him but we have signed some guns from manly and if nassar wants to play fullback that won’t happen while Bula is around

I just wrote this another comment about Conti & Nasser wouldn't have any expectations of even thinking about first grade. Conti is two years younger than Galvin and Nasser is only 16 years old. They would have aspirations and dreams of playing first grade but they know its a few years away. The missing point is if you know you have great juniors, keep them in your system. Both were offloaded for the wrong reasons and that was because there is war happening between Marshall and Fulton.

I know I am being biased because my son is mates with them and I have seen the kids evolve into what they are today it just burns me being a Wests Tigers supporter we let go of talent like this. They have played together since they were 4 or 5 years old. These highlights you can see Conti in the pink headgear they combine together in nearly every game they play, delivering results for their teams.

 

[ROZELLE.O.G]

That’s not true at all . These kids are identified as young as 12 years old , and are groomed to eventually play first grade , otherwise what’s the point .
A kid who makes schoolboys , would 💯 be looking at playing first grade . They would have all kinds of people in thier ears , and a good manager would have thier pathway mapped out for them . Eg. Galvin . His pathway is clearly defined . It’s there for all of us to see .
Nasser I dunno . But if the club has prioritised other juniors it’s for a good reason . How many of our top juniors from 2012-20 call manly and Melbourne and the roosters home .
Many were wests juniors . I have no skin in the game as of Balmain v wests , Fulton v Marshall . If it means we keep the very best of talent .
I will say this there’s been heaps of nassers mentioned in the past . Guys like Hill , there was another young Lebanese kid a few years back , who people with connections to the Balmain district swore were going to be elite first graders , and none made it past KOE cup , and most are playing Ron massey or lower .
I think we tend to over value our juniors . And whilst I do think Fulton is probably prickly , he is the guy who snatched the best of our juniors for a long time . Kids who a lot of the time we valued someone else . So if our valuations are being streamlined , and we are better decisions , then for me I’m happy to lose a Nasser every couple of years . As long as we have prioritised someone better . And I guess that proof will be in the pudding .

I agree with a lot of what you have said and I know I am showing bias towards these kids but they are both simply too good to be let go. I know with Nasser his grandfather and his brothers were All Blacks, this is information other clubs recruiters know thats why so many clubs were after the kid.

If you were a recruiter would you let this kid go be completely honest.

 

[WestsEffTheRest]

I think this guy is getting paid from Mikey Nassars PR team Lol

 

[ROZELLE.O.G]

Are you saying these two were not offered to play for Balmain in 2024 ?
I’m certain they would have been offered a spot playing with Balmain, so it’s got to be reasons from within their own camps why they have chosen to go elsewhere?
As others have pointed out, it’s likely their camps wanted guarantees of NRL development deals within the next couple of seasons and as you have pointed out yourself, they are very young and still a couple of years away from proving they are worth that type of deal.

I am not sure about Conti but I know from speaking to the dad Nasser they had no deal offered at all.

 

[ROZELLE.O.G]

I think this guy is getting paid from Mikey Nassars PR team Lol

Lol I should be paid!!! My son is best mates with him and it just burns me being a Tigers supporter we lose kids for no reason. I am too too late to the party I only found out he signed with Roosters 3 months ago and I started asking questions WHY WHY WHY !!! I wouldve signed him and COnti in a heartbeat.

 

[Vicious]

I am not sure about Conti but I know from speaking to the dad Nasser they had no deal offered at all.

That is bizarre if true, it just doesn’t make any sense to not offer one of your best players from 2023 a position for 2024.
Are you sure you are getting the full story ?

 

[ROZELLE.O.G]

That is bizarre if true, it just doesn’t make any sense to not offer one of your best players from 2023 a position for 2024.
Are you sure you are getting the full story ?

I spoke to the dad last week about it. They didnt know he was off contract until July a few months after the Matts season finished. Hopefully Bronson Harrison can fill the gaps quickly so it doesnt happen again, there are some great kid coming through Wests and Balmain in the next few years.

 

[Vicious]

I spoke to the dad last week about it. They didnt know he was off contract until July a few months after the Matts season finished. Hopefully Bronson Harrison can fill the gaps quickly so it doesnt happen again, there are some great kid coming through Wests and Balmain in the next few years.

Let’s hope he’s back in Wests Tigers colours within the next couple of seasons.

 

[Coastie_Tiger]

I spoke to the dad last week about it. They didnt know he was off contract until July a few months after the Matts season finished. Hopefully Bronson Harrison can fill the gaps quickly so it doesnt happen again, there are some great kid coming through Wests and Balmain in the next few years.

So the nuts and bolts of it is the Balmain side of things is getting neglected? If thats the truth i don't see why they don't just make Ball, Fleg ect WT have the best of the best in one team. Theres no point in having 2 talent pools and the forgetting one exists, thats worse than not having one at all imo.
Another factor to all this is, supposedly Fulton has an eye on all the top talents in the West maybe he has some even younger ones identified.
Either way things still seem to be woefully disjointed and for a "Development club" thats criminal, hope this review can also highlight such inadequacies.