Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Roar_Power]

You'd have to think by Richo's comments in that podcast that Jerome is 100% coming.

Makes for an optimistic lead into the New Year! Halves sorted for 2025 - X factor everywhere. Benji now needs to focus on strengthening this average backline. IMO, 2025 backline in the making:

1 Bula
2 Staines
3 Olam
4 Galvin
5 ?

Too many question marks over our wingers. Noffa on the nose, Lobb not proven at NRL level, Solomon transitioning from union. Staines should lock down one wing....

 

[Stevec]

I'm still concerned about our 2024 backline ? As I see it we've got a great no 1
That's 1. Bula
Our positions 2-5 im really concerned. Is Junior Tupou going / staying for 2024 ?
Is Nofo going to be cut / paid out ? Or rehabilitated with fitness and attitude and still in our side ?
I think Toa is potentially a very good center but needs similar quality left and right of him
I think Naden does rash things and will spend a lot of the season off the field . He just doesn't seem to be a winner .
I think Staines has done very little to prove he's a quality 1st grader .He's a big maybe ?
Some are picking AJ at center ? To those in saying check the video ! Watch a few replays he just stands there a watches like a statue
All in all where is this great newbackline ? Can't see it !
Halves - to save reading 50 posts and still not knowing
Weve got Sullivan / Seezer / Latu for 2024 . Correct ? Is that it ?
Luai - Has he signed ? Is it announced ? Will it fall through ?
Summary weve got a good pack and a good fullback and maybe a good halves pairing but the rest sounds like last year or maybe even worse
Someone tell me what's going on !!!

 

[Champ1]

Is that you Lee???

We had a right to make a counter-offer but were outbid by the Dolphins!

Nothing shonky like Taupau - Matterson - Aloiai etc who all broke their contracts to move to greener pastures!

You sound like a bunny boiling jilted ex!!

How about we just treat him on merit while contracted to the Tigers like any decent professional organisation would???

There are more important things than money my friend. It appears you don’t grasp that winning is a culture not bank account. Professional organisations understand the importance of all team members being committed to the organisation & believe in structures. Topou clearly does not . There is an old saying, “You can make the willing able, but you can’t make the able willing.”
Topou is a Dolphin now.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

There are more important things than money my friend. It appears you don’t grasp that winning is a culture not bank account. Professional organisations understand the importance of all team members being committed to the organisation & believe in structures. Topou clearly does not . There is an old saying, “You can make the willing able, but you can’t make the able willing.”
Topou is a Dolphin now.

Some are motivated differently. Ben Teo, SBW and even Matterson to call out a current player are/were paid mercenaries and didn’t really hide the fact. We don’t really know Junior’s motivations yet. Could be money, could be the appeal of South East Qld, who knows. If he starts moving from club to club though, we might get an idea of what motivates him. That’s if he‘s even good enough. He hasn’t convinced me yet.

 

[tigerballs]

Some are motivated differently. Ben Teo, SBW and even Matterson to call out a current player are/were paid mercenaries and didn’t really hide the fact. We don’t really know Junior’s motivations yet. Could be money, could be the appeal of South East Qld, who knows. If he starts moving from club to club though, we might get an idea of what motivates him. That’s if he‘s even good enough. He hasn’t convinced me yet.

Blokes getting a hefty pay rise, getting coached by the greatest, moving to Qld.... wish it would happen to me...

 

[Halbrowne61]

I'm still concerned about our 2024 backline ? As I see it we've got a great no 1
That's 1. Bula
Our positions 2-5 im really concerned. Is Junior Tupou going / staying for 2024 ?
Is Nofo going to be cut / paid out ? Or rehabilitated with fitness and attitude and still in our side ?
I think Toa is potentially a very good center but needs similar quality left and right of him
I think Naden does rash things and will spend a lot of the season off the field . He just doesn't seem to be a winner .
I think Staines has done very little to prove he's a quality 1st grader .He's a big maybe ?
Some are picking AJ at center ? To those in saying check the video ! Watch a few replays he just stands there a watches like a statue
All in all where is this great newbackline ? Can't see it !
Halves - to save reading 50 posts and still not knowing
Weve got Sullivan / Seezer / Latu for 2024 . Correct ? Is that it ?
Luai - Has he signed ? Is it announced ? Will it fall through ?
Summary weve got a good pack and a good fullback and maybe a good halves pairing but the rest sounds like last year or maybe even worse
Someone tell me what's going on !!!

Good post .

 

[Harvey]

think a C+ is a crock of shit personally. I feel that only Penrith and North Queensland are better than us.

we have a better pack than the Broncos (since the departures of Flegler and Capewell), Melbourne (backrowers are shocking), Newcastle, Canberra & Redcliffe (Dad's army), Manly, the Dogs & the Dragons (shithouse).

we're on par with NZ, Souths, Parra, Gold Coast and the Chooks, and we likely edge Cronulla given Brailey couldn't hold a candle to Api. our pack was not the issue last year.

Depends if you are judging by reputation or performance. Our pack start last year on fire, but by the end of the year they looked average at best.

The big name/big money backrowers in particular clocked off

 

[Harvey]

Our centres are garbage. Very surprised that no-one is mentioning Feledy. Should be getting to the point where he is playing 1st grade, but we botched his development by not letting him play most of last year in KOE cup despite our lack of talent there

 

[liltiger]

‎Betoota Talks: INTERVIEW: Shane Richardson on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Betoota Talks, Ep INTERVIEW: Shane Richardson - 24 Dec 2023

podcasts.apple.com

Sounds like a done deal. Well worth the whole listen. If not fast forward to about the 33 minute mark.

I had a listen thinking perhaps you were just reading too much into it. I was 100 percent wrong sounded like he was already a Tiger and Richardson wants him as out captain. Wonder what the hold up is on the announcement of his signing is.

 

[crazycat]

Just taking Flippers name out of your post has done wonders for my well being. I was about to go to the mental health thread.
Yeah Bula is a gun, and would be any where in the backline, we need to get the best FB coach on the planet here for the next 12 months to coach Bula, and Large, Mason, etc.
It’s obvious we need decent outside backs now, we have a decent pack (could use another NRL standard prop or SRF), we have a bunch of halves plus hopefully another rep 5/8, and I reckon we could name a decent enough bench, but NRL outside backs are require asap.
It’d be nice if 2 or 3 of these young blokes could have a year like Bulas. I’m no expert on our young blokes but if say Miller, Fa’agautu, Fainu, Sukarau, Gavin or the like, if just a couple of these names have bust out years we could have a decent team and season.

Flippers, Tuna potential, nice with Rice and seaweed.

Reminds me of Tripod's "surfers Paradice the Musical". These were songs Tripod wrote in under 1 hour, on live radio, made from Random words Will Anderson/Adam Spencer threw at them.

Honestly it's die laughing stuff. Sorry the word "flipper" has set me off there.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

With the current state of our outside backs I genuinely can’t see us finishing above 15th

The halves also have a big question mark, despite people’s confidence.

 

[Tom Shines]

The halves also have a big question mark, despite people’s confidence.

Not confidence about the halves but hope… we know already that the outside backs are pretty ordinary .. Staines perhaps the exception…

 

[magpies forever]

The halves also have a big question mark, despite people’s confidence.

Yes a question mark, but I'm assuming at a minimum able to be the link between forwards and backs that really didn't work 23 season. I remain hopeful.

 

[Buttface]

Our centres are garbage. Very surprised that no-one is mentioning Feledy. Should be getting to the point where he is playing 1st grade, but we botched his development by not letting him play most of last year in KOE cup despite our lack of talent there

Feledy missed half doz tackles on debut. Maybe a few more games against men would’ve had him more prepared for tackling at NRL level. Anyway I think we should have him playing reserves minimum this year and work out if he’s a keeper by the end of the year, and it’s real easy to judge. If he can improve his defensive game over this offseason/year and be a fairly dominant centre in Cup, then I’d say keep. If he shows no defensive improvement in his game then he’d need to be scoring 6 tries a game otherwise he’s going. I’m only keeping youngsters that are prepared to work on their flaws. Especially ones that can see their own flaws.

 

[hsvjones]

I had a listen thinking perhaps you were just reading too much into it. I was 100 percent wrong sounded like he was already a Tiger and Richardson wants him as out captain. Wonder what the hold up is on the announcement of his signing is.

I would have to imagine it was the 10 day period or missed the cut off for the NRL to sign it off.

It would have been a nice Xmas gift, and I could see the club's memberships growing with the announcement as well.

 

[Roar_Power]

Feledy missed half doz tackles on debut. Maybe a few more games against men would’ve had him more prepared for tackling at NRL level. Anyway I think we should have him playing reserves minimum this year and work out if he’s a keeper by the end of the year, and it’s real easy to judge. If he can improve his defensive game over this offseason/year and be a fairly dominant centre in Cup, then I’d say keep. If he shows no defensive improvement in his game then he’d need to be scoring 6 tries a game otherwise he’s going. I’m only keeping youngsters that are prepared to work on their flaws. Especially ones that can see their own flaws.

Feledy definitely needs to spend the season as one of the FT KOE centres

 

[skywalker]

Blokes getting a hefty pay rise, getting coached by the greatest, moving to Qld.... wish it would happen to me...

Am pretty sure 2024 is Bennetts last year as coach. Unless he is released early he won't be coached by him. But the extra dollars and lifestyle make a difference

 

[Spartan117]

Feledy definitely needs to spend the season as one of the FT KOE centres

Josh Feledy as the One that API called out as a "Young player" to watch in 2024 on the "Bloke in a Bar" podcast

Enjoy

 

[Coastie_Tiger]

I had a listen thinking perhaps you were just reading too much into it. I was 100 percent wrong sounded like he was already a Tiger and Richardson wants him as out captain. Wonder what the hold up is on the announcement of his signing is.

Yeah im of the same opinion until i had a listen sounded like with almost everything he said it was done. I reckon the hold up is just when the best time to announce it is. He was practically gushing about Luai he obviously rates him extremely highly. Talked about him in the same breath of Inglis and Burguess to Souths at the time.

 

[rugbygoated]

Yeah it was very direct from Richo wasn’t it.
Expecting Luai to be in the captain candidate as well.

Mentions Twal as a must have squad player also which was interesting

I think Luai needs to mature a bit to become captain but as a player he can definitely lead. I think at Penrith they tolerate and condone his antics even when it's a bit over the top. Ivan Cleary doesn't have an issue with it