Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[lathami]

Line Centre?

I see Olam as the perfect left center. Not the "right" so called attacking center but the defensive grunty center.

Yes his form dipped for "worst weather in the world". Melbourne train hard and I could see Olam upping the intensity and level of our training but wanting a break from the insane "drizzle" level of training. Olam also has experience in the backline and would be our only experienced back next to Nofa (hahahah). Okay add Starford Toa and Staines with their two? seasons at Newcastle and Penrith. ...

We need experience and GRIT in our backline. This guy has it in spades.

I.e. a Steve Matai type which we really have never really had here. Yes we tried with BJ, but BJ was lazy at Canberra. Olam can still move hard and he

Top line centers available for recruitment:
B Best? Not coming here.
Joey Manu, Easts will have him locked down with Sualili cap space.
Various Brizvegas/Tuna fish/Tit's/Cow Tippers... Not leaving and not coming here.

No one else is even sniffing in our direction.
Blore has played 33 games in 3 years. Our Injury management sucks as AD can attest too.

Shawn Blore

The NRL profile of Shawn Blore including career statistics, season stats, games, tries, goals, tackles and fantasy scores.

www.weststigers.com.au

Sure Blore has a good amount of offloads. That's it. Okay I kinda want to keep Blore but I could easily see Blore injuring himself half way through next year, as he did last year!

Why then is belemy keen as ###k for the swap then?? Because BLORE is exactly what they want and need, X-factor. Olams defence was and has been extremely poor this season, hence why belemy wants ti kick him ti the curb! He would be happy to give him away for free, he’s just playing chicken, and we’re dumb enough ti fall for it!!
The key is in playing chicken is to hold your nerve…

 

[InBenjiWeTrust]

Blore is a very strong young man , plays hard , gets injured early in his career and people want him gone , please this kid will be better than Seyfarts and Twally , he hasn’t even had Time to fit into his frame , he will be a gun , and we will let him go and regret it , Blore and Pole are the way forward

IMHO, Blore is 2nd rower not a prop, so comparison with Twal/Setfarth is not correct.
I would keep Blore and Twal, and Seyfarth based on their perrformance this year.
We must trade Nofoaluma!

 

[Demps]

Blore is a very strong young man , plays hard , gets injured early in his career and people want him gone , please this kid will be better than Seyfarts and Twally , he hasn’t even had Time to fit into his frame , he will be a gun , and we will let him go and regret it , Blore and Pole are the way forward

Stefano for Olam swap instead?

 

[ancient_magpie]

Stefano for Olam swap instead?

Have you been drinking Demps

 

[Demps]

Have you been drinking Demps

Haha,

Was watching the Samoa game
Stef hasn't not impressed at all

 

[Merlot]

Haha,

Was watching the Samoa game
Stef hasn't not impressed at all

Samoa looked good for 17min's

 

[Merlot]

did the wonder kid from melboure over step our kid for ,Tommy T of to manly,thats a fair swap

 

[Merlot]

that Blore -Olma deal was talked about ,last week?,as only a swap for a year,any truth or whispers

 

[Merlot]

spill it cc

 

[balmain boy]

Why then is belemy keen as ###k for the swap then?? Because BLORE is exactly what they want and need, X-factor. Olams defence was and has been extremely poor this season, hence why belemy wants ti kick him ti the curb! He would be happy to give him away for free, he’s just playing chicken, and we’re dumb enough ti fall for it!!
The key is in playing chicken is to hold your nerve…

Blore doesn't have x factor, and that's one of his biggest drawbacks. He doesn't break the line, doesn't offload. He's a barge up prop, limited skills and little agility. A bit of a James Gavet type

 

[Merlot]

Blore doesn't have x factor, and that's one of his biggest drawbacks. He doesn't break the line, doesn't offload. He's a barge up prop, limited skills and little agility. A bit of a James Gavet type

tell em there dreamin' harry.his x factor is injury,no 2 Olman

 

[crazycat]

Haha,

Was watching the Samoa game
Stef hasn't not impressed at all

Are all our arguments here, just based on that we watch different games.

Blore, clearly must have had some good games at the back end of the season. Because if this question was asked July, he would have been GONE.

Honestly I can't recall Blore being that good. Maybe an occasional strong run.
Unlike Stefano, who usually does do strongish runs... but yea occasionally has a collapse game.

Our entire forward pack is inconsistent. But hey most forwards are. You can't just ram yourself constantly into the opposition side unless your name is Lazarus, Webcke or Gallen. (Or Siro or Blocker Roach.)

 

[Merlot]

winning would help

 

[lathami]

Blore doesn't have x factor, and that's one of his biggest drawbacks. He doesn't break the line, doesn't offload. He's a barge up prop, limited skills and little agility. A bit of a James Gavet type

He does, it’s just been put in a bag due to his injuries. He’s obviously been told to take it out of his game. Last season in one of the trials he showed what he could do. But they have been playing him as a middle, that’s why he hasn’t been showing his stuff!
Injuries have been his biggest issue but hopefully that’s behind him. In the junior grades he was the most promising player coming through, apart from Cleary. He was the captain and was an attacking second rower but with all his injuries he’s had to go back to basics. All I know if he’s through the injury cloud then he will improve in a big way…

 

[Roar_Power]

I wonder if we are the team in question....

Why mystery surrounds Papenhuyzen link to Storm’s rivals​

By Danny Weidler​

October 22, 2023 — 5.30am (SMH)


Storm superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen has been secretly floated to at least one rival club as a potential recruit, but Melbourne say he is going nowhere.
Papenhuyzen has been mentioned to a team to gauge interest in his services. The club has been approached by a third party on the quiet with the message being, if he were to become available, would they be interested and, if so, at what level.

New Zealand take on Samoa in the 2023 Pacific Championships at Eden Park, Auckland.
It is a conversation that is easy to deny and Melbourne general manager Frank Ponissi laughed at the idea of an early departure for Papenhuyzen, who signed a three-year contract extension in 2021 for about $2 million, which runs until the end of the 2025 season.
Papenhuyzen was not fazed when contacted, saying he had no knowledge of any discussions.

It is a common practice for a third party with links to a team to broach sensitive contract moves because it allows the club to distance itself from any discussions. After Melbourne’s denial I went back to the NRL club that has been sounded out and it confirmed it had been asked about Papenhuyzen.
The level of intent behind the conversations is hard to gauge, and it is difficult to predict if it will lead to anything. Papenhuyzen is a fan favourite and beloved at the club, but the Storm have a star on the rise in

Ryan Papenhuyzen has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons.CREDIT:NRL PHOTOS
He may have played only one NRL game, but his performance left the league world stunned. Then he earned rave reviews after taking on Australia last weekend with Samoa. Faalogo’s Benji Marshall-style “midair” step and pace have him marked as an emerging star. That is why a potential Papenhuyzen exit makes some sense.

Papenhuyzen is on big money and, through no fault of his own, he has been unable to deliver in recent years. The knee injury he suffered against Canberra in 2022 kept him out for more than a year. He broke his leg a couple of games into his comeback and also spent considerable time out following a serious concussion in 2021.
In his absence, Nick Meaney has proven to be a more than capable fullback. The Storm need to bolster their forward roster, and any extra cash freed up by a Papenhuyzen deal would be useful.

Papenhuyzen has admitted to some dark times on the comeback trail but got through them by working hard on self-development. I had a long chat to him recently, before this information came to me, and it was clear he still has a strong desire to be the best fullback in the game. After his major knee injury, he got back to 93 per cent of his previous top speed.

 

[JB9918]

Dragons for sure IMO

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I wonder if we are the team in question....

​

We just forked out 2.7 million to Bula. PapI is not worth the money or effort at this stage. More injury prone than Turbo.

 

[Demps]

Blore for Papz?

 

[earl]

We just forked out 2.7 million to Bula. PapI is not worth the money or effort at this stage. More injury prone than Turbo.

We've made our bed and now we have to see how it turns out. To be fair I'd have Bula and Pole as two of the guys that we have that I think are most likely to have long term NRL careers and deliver good value.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

We've made our bed and now we have to see how it turns out. To be fair I'd have Bula and Pole as two of the guys that we have that I think are most likely to have long term NRL careers and deliver good value.

I was at the game against the Raiders at Ctown. Pole was coming off the back fence on his kickoff returns and ran so hard. Reminded me of Ruben Wiki.