Playing first grade bush football would have toughened him up for sure.
Here’s hoping we have a good prospect with him.
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
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Here’s hoping we have a good prospect with him.
AmericanHistoryX
Well-known member
Favourite emerges for Addin Fonua-Blake
After requesting an immediate release from the New Zealand Warriors, the St George Illawarra Dragons have emerged as the favourites to sign Addin Fonua-Blake.
www.zerotackle.com
tony soprano
Well-known member
Favourite emerges for Addin Fonua-Blake
After requesting an immediate release from the New Zealand Warriors, the St George Illawarra Dragons have emerged as the favourites to sign Addin Fonua-Blake.
Keeno
tony soprano
Well-known member
I believe he is the best solution tigers can get.
Why of course - did you think I would just make something like that up or something? It's here: https://www.rugbyleagueeyetest.com/...o-at-projecting-nrl-player-salaries-for-2023/
To be fair, the author acknowledges that a lot of Papali'i's loss in value was down to playing for a crap team. But, again, that only mitigates against the idea that plugging a few mid-range free agents into a garbage side is going to produce value. Also, you don't need to be a data analyst to see that Papali'i went from being very good in 2022 to pretty bad in 2023.
"An example of this is Isaiah Papali’i, who went from the being of the best second rowers in the game by this metric to to playing at a minimum salary level just by joining the Tigers. Clearly, he had regressed statistically, but it’s about finding the right line between individual performance and impact of those around them. There’s always an argument about who a defensive miss should be attributed, and edge players are usually paying for mistakes made inside them or covering for weaker defenders on their outside. I’d like to reduce how much that factors into their rating and reduce the cases like Papali’i."
vlad
Well-known member
Jarome Luai-Ivan Cleary slanging match: Wests Tigers enter race for Panthers star
Benji Marshall could prove an influential player in Panthers star Jarome Luai’s contract negotiations as Penrith responds to the simmering tensions between their five-eighth and coach.While the Tigers are not believed to have made an official approach as yet, the club is
determined to arm rookie coach Benji Marshall with a side capable of fighting for finals football.
The Tigers have signed veteran half Aiden Sezer for next season, St George Illawarra young gun Jayden Sullivan and teenage Manly playmaker Latu Fainu.
Marshall and Luai have a relationship that stretches back to 2021, when they were teammates and roommates in the Maori All Stars side.
At the time, Luai spoke about how he had grown up worshipping Marshall after falling in love with the Tigers star at the age of six while on a camping trip with his family to Patonga.
“I clearly remember that ’05 grand final and where I was when Benji did that flick pass – it is a memory that I’ll have for the rest of my life,” Luai said at the time.
Our camping neighbours happened to have a little portable TV, so we watched the game on it. I remember my mum got me a Tigers towel afterwards and I used it after every shower for the next five years – I just didn’t want to let go of it.
“I’ve been a fan of Benji ever since.”
Marshall will give the likes of Sullivan and Fainu, as well as emerging half Lachlan Galvin, every chance to show what they can do throughout the pre-season.
However, it is understood he hasn’t ruled out making a play for Luai as the Panthers star prepares to test the open market.
That's not disagreeing with my point, though - it's just explaining it. An edge back rower running off bad halves and thus not breaking the line, scoring tries etc is not producing value. The mistake you and others are making is assuming some sort of moral judgement here, as if I'm saying Papali'i is somehow to be blamed for having to play outside our reserve grade halves. That's not what I'm saying. But the fact that it's not his fault he didn't do much of any use last year doesn't stop it being a fact.
This is why sensible teams don't start their roster construction with edge back rowers and in fact they're typically the players they feel they can replace relatively easily when they need to shed cap room (see: Viliame Kikau, David Fifita, Adam Blair).
There's no reason why Papali'i can't be a decent player for us, if we sort out our halves. My point is that after one more or less wated season, and on a contract that may not be massive but also certainly isn't tiny, he's very, very unlikely to be anything like a bargain over three years.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
are you concerned we wont be able to fit both AFB and Luai in the team?
The Dragons really are a scummy club from top to bottom, aren't they? Ben Hunt asks for a release to go back to Queensland and maybe have a chance of winning something in the last few years of his career; Dragons response is "no, we're going to hold you to your contract, hope you enjoy losing alongside the coach's son". Addin-Fonua Blake asks for a release to move back to NSW; Dragons response is "sign here please".Favourite emerges for Addin Fonua-Blake
After requesting an immediate release from the New Zealand Warriors, the St George Illawarra Dragons have emerged as the favourites to sign Addin Fonua-Blake.
I mean, it's not quite up there with making a rapist captain but it's absolutely par for the course.
Kaito
Well-known member
AFB misses his tokos in Sydney fingers 🤞🏼
Tom Shines
Well-known member
hey Vlad .. what’s your point of this article ?
Luai hasn’t spoken to Benji since 2021 apparently
Tom Shines
Well-known member
Really? How unusual
tony soprano
Well-known member
We all worship him during that period.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
Tom Shines
Well-known member
Lee is all over him apparently
tigerballs
Well-known member
The next Jahream Bula
tigerballs
Well-known member
Going to be a superstar
Dragons sacked AFB, way back.
Wonder if he'd bother with them...
Not a club on the rise, imo.
Even with the addition of him, they still don't look that good.
Wonder if he'd bother with them...
Not a club on the rise, imo.
Even with the addition of him, they still don't look that good.
king_sirro
Well-known member
I know they are different positions and we are well stacked for middles, but I would let Ice go in a heartbeat to get AFB. He is the best front rower in the game IMO, at least equal to Haas and Fisher Harris
tigerballs
Well-known member
He's bad news.
