Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Vicious]

thing is as well is that there is a dearth of specialist hookers across the league. Simpkin certainly has his flaws but I do think a club will back themselves to get the best out of him and promise him regular first grade, something that I think he almost certainly will be getting less of as time goes on if he were to stay at WT.

He’s a tough bugger who defends well and added a bit of a kicking game late last season. My concern is he’s not a natural ball player and doesn’t have lightning speed out of dummy half, so he doesn’t really have the attacking threat to be a starting hooker.
His best chance of success is to bulk up a little bit more and be someone who can cover hooker and lock, similar to Cameron McInness.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I think one of his flaws is he lacks creativity around the ruck. Even coming through the grades, most of his try’s came from barge over jobs close to the line.

 

[Masterton]

I reckon John Morris and Benji will do a Taane Milne to him and he will be firing like anything.

Sacked for drugs before he plays for us?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Taane Milne‘s two claims to fame are a torn up contract for drugs and missing a GF for being a tosser.

 

[Telltails]

I know Taane. Screwed up a few years back but he has good people around him, and has moved on from it. Will always be a player people love to hate on the field - its just the way he plays.

 

[Snidest 0]

I have no idea why I thought he was a Kiwi. I thought that was why he’s never been touted for Orign. Turns out he’s just not good enough.

He has been touted for Origin!

Fittler had Lomax in his NSW development squads for years and referred to him as "the gifted one"....

And the real problem is that Lomax fully believes that hype - just watch him claim on the M Johns show on Fox that he could play 80 minutes in the middle!

Reality is:

He tries to play strong man in defence when he is able to cover his man with help from the inside - but keeps getting beaten on the outside if defending with any width...

He breaks tackles and runs for good metres - and then ruins his good work by throwing a flick pass out his backside to noone rather than taking the tackle....

He goes himself when he sees an overlap - meanwhile a standard pass to his winger would be the high percentage play...

He gloats to his opponent and overly celebrates when his team is still behind on the scoreboard...

Not what the Tigers need at all!

 

[KingRobbie]

I have no idea why I thought he was a Kiwi. I thought that was why he’s never been touted for Orign. Turns out he’s just not good enough.

 

[balmain boy]

Bears should be back and playing out of North Sydney Oval. A travesty that that ground has been lost to the game.

It's a cricket oval, horrible for footy

 

[innsaneink]

Not sure about that. Morris was criticised for not having the sharks a sound defensive outfit.

I always thought he was hard done.by a bit.. Got them to the finals twice
'19 +50 f/a
'20 0 f/a
'21 - 35 f/a

Never been to North Sydney oval so I would at least go once if I ever get the chance to, but given how the ground is shaped, I can believe what you say. Was a lot of the old grounds like Belmore and Redfern like that as well?

The rectane that is the footy field doesn't sit squarely in the oval (I think) it's very weird and a bit off putting.
Don't know another ground like it but the old SCG main broadcast camera area was sorta parralel to the Randwick end 20m line... They used to film the game with mainly close tight shots and you'd be surprised you'd think plays on halfway and next thing there's the tryline


I think reggies is still played at NSO it used to be a good nostalgic day no BS vid ref, no sec as telling you where to sit... Good old fashioned footy

 

[Snidest 0]

Never been to North Sydney oval so I would at least go once if I ever get the chance to, but given how the ground is shaped, I can believe what you say. Was a lot of the old grounds like Belmore and Redfern like that as well?

Yes - they ALL were!

Like Leichhardt Oval - Henson Park - Lidcombe Oval - Belmore Oval - Kogarah Jubilee Oval - Wollongong sportsground - Seiffert Oval (old Canberra ground) - Cumberland Oval (old Parra ground) - Orana Park (pre-Campbelltown Stadium)..

The first purpose built rectangular ground with stadium was Parramatta Stadium (with only two Grandstands) that opened in 86 - followed by the SFS in 88!

Before 1988 the GF was played at the SCG!

And before Parra Stadium opened - all mid-week night games were played at Leichhardt because it had the best lighting for TV...

The world was VERY DIFFERENT!

 

[pawsandclaws1]

I have no idea why I thought he was a Kiwi. I thought that was why he’s never been touted for Orign. Turns out he’s just not good enough.

The Raiders used to have a Kiwi prop - Johnny Lomax. He was very good player,

 

[Tigers_Wests]

‘I want to stay’: Why Utoikamanu’s committed to Tigers despite get-out clause​

Stefano Utoikamanu insists he hopes to stay with the Wests Tigers – and declared Michael Maguire’s weekend Origin camp snub has only made him more determined to wear the NSW jersey this season.
If the Tigers fail to make the finals, Utoikamanu can exercise a clause in his contract to sign elsewhere at the end of this year.

The club inserted a clause of their own that blocked his early exit if he played a second game for the blues by the end of 2024.

The 23-year-old front-rower has been flattered by the speculation over his future, but declared he wanted to pledge his allegiance to new coach Benji Marshall and the club.

“I’m trying to focus on making the top eight, that’s what I want to do – I want to stay at the Tigers,” Utoikamanu told this masthead.

“I’ve loved every minute I’ve been here. They’ve given me my big opportunity to become the player I am now.

“I want to give back to the club. We’ll see what happens. I haven’t listened [to speculation].

Benji is big on ‘team first’, and putting others before yourself, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Pressed on whether he could leave if there was an opportunity before the mid-season cut-off, especially if the Tigers were well out of the finals race, Utoikamanu said: “If something like that did arise, and something happened, my manager would sort it out.”

Utoikamanu debuted for NSW last year, was left out of the 35-man Blues squad on the weekend, but confirmed he had received a call from Maguire, who used to coach him at the Tigers.

“He gave me a call, he said he wasn’t going to include me in the squad, but he didn’t really say too much else; he said, ‘Play good footy and it will all sort itself out’,” Utoikamanu said.

“It will only motivate me not being in that squad, especially because I played last year, and I want to play more this year. I’ll push for a spot in that team again.”

Tigers skipper Api Koroisau said retaining Utoikamanu beyond this season was vital to the club’s chances of success. “Stef is a valuable part of this Tigers team. Nobody wants to lose someone like Stef,” Koroisau said.

“If we can keep him, we’d love to, and there’s no way we’d let him go anywhere. It’s up to us to have a great year.”
Meanwhile, Utoikamanu said he was glad there was a coronial inquest into the deathof his good friend Keith Titmuss, and at the very least hoped his family could have some closure over his 2020 death.

“It’s still so sad, I feel devastated. He was one of my best mates,” Utoikamanu said. “I feel devastated for his family. They didn’t have the answers they wanted. I miss him a lot. I think of him all the time. It’s already been a few years. It feels like it was yesterday.

 

[crazycat]

Can someone please tell me when and where Lomax excelled last year from memory he got dropped and the couple of times he actually got in the clear
With 10mtr starts got mowed down very very quickly, people are banging on about our current lack of speed and are suggesting we would benefit from Lomax, just don't see or get it

Totally agreeing here.

Look sometimes Lomax can be brillant, but often he is either average or like you say "mowed down" .

Our problem in always promoting Juniors is that they never partner solid, bankable players. Melbourne, easts seem to do this a lot better then us because they put a Junior next to seniors and set a damn high bar.
Penrith somehow run with Juniors and they just excel. Maybe because of their great catchment area.

We have needed solid first graders for ages. Less "could be the next gun" and more "will stop the next try".

 

[phil1986]

Leichhardt still has a lot of pubs doesn’t it? I actually never really had a chance to go to one after a game. Probably need to next time I go.

The pub crawl up and back, definitely will change the experience for you.

 

[PabloX]

No real outside backs that are off contract really excite me. Taylan May and Turuva are probably the pick of the bunch but can't see Penrith losing both. May seems like it would be more likely but he will probably end up at the Dogs with his brother.

I think it should be a wait and see approach. Hopefully at least one of To'a, Naden, Feledy, Alaimalo, Faataape or Saukuru establishes themselves this year. Other than that, our best bet would be waiting to see who is currently under contract and becomes available/squeezed out of their current club. Someone like an Addo-Carr, Xavier Savage or the like.

How many years do we have to wait and see with Naden, Toa and AJ? They've been around for two spoons already. Thankfully we got rid of Nofa, I'd seen enough missed tackles to last me a lifetime.

 

[Tigerwould]

You could draw Lomax comparisons with Adam Doueihi

Totally agreeing here.

Look sometimes Lomax can be brillant, but often he is either average or like you say "mowed down" .

Our problem in always promoting Juniors is that they never partner solid, bankable players. Melbourne, easts seem to do this a lot better then us because they put a Junior next to seniors and set a damn high bar.
Penrith somehow run with Juniors and they just excel. Maybe because of their great catchment area.

We have needed solid first graders for ages. Less "could be the next gun" and more "will stop the next try".

 

[Jolls]

Benji is big on ‘team first’, and putting others before yourself, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

We are starting to see the first stages of culture shift. When the players are starting to reiterate the coach you know that what is being said resonates. Never heard any of our players sprouting 200 passes to the press last year.

This is definitely why Nofa had to go and is a great indicator of how Benji wants the team to play. I have raised it a couple of times over the last year or so - put your mates first, each and every time, and teamwork and 1%ers follow.

The next step in the process is translating the rhetoric into action.

I think this one statement from a player, off the cuff in an interview, confirms what many have been thinking about Benji's approach to coaching. He is as much about player relationships and team building as he is about the technical side of the game. I expect that the push for Romey was also based on what he brings off the field and gives an insight into the players we should be in the market for going into 2025.

Pretty happy with the forward pack and we need to let the halves work themselves out. I think we need another quality outside back that is mates first, team first. So to me Lomax has the skills but not the personalilty. I'm thinking Taruva would be my target and would be using Api, Luai and, "touch wood", the new club culture as the drawcards to get him here.

​

 

[Halbrowne61]

It's a cricket oval, horrible for footy

Correct but I think it would only be for a couple of games per year, at the most . One v Manly for sure.
I’m sure the NRL knows it would be for
Nostalgia purposes only.

 

[Halbrowne61]

The pub crawl up and back, definitely will change the experience for you.

Two options from memory , coming from Rozelle start at the Sackvile and head down Darling Street toward the ground , 4 pubs this way , or start at Norton St/ Parramatta Road and head straight down Norton Street toward the ground. Only a couple of pubs this way unless I’ve forgotten.
But as Phil says, puts a whole different buzz in the afternoon.

 

[batboy]

You could draw Lomax comparisons with Adam Doueihi

I'd prefer to keep Doueihi....

I saw Lomax take the mickey out of his coach on national television, Not just a slight jab...
It was dis-respectful.

If that's the base he sets for himself I don't want him near the place....
Especially around so many impressionable young blokes and a non experienced coaching team.

Let him rot in the Red V....