Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[NT_Tiger]

This is playing out well for Richo, if Stef signs for Easts or Souths for $600k or so, knocking back our $800k and $900k from Raiders and Dragons, he is smart enough to know that there is outside payments coming in, and he has the balls to call it out too

I agree, but there is a gulf between knowing it and proving it and I doubt anyone in the NRL hierarchy would have the appetite or nads to pursue it.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

It's because we accommodated for Kit when Faagutu first came down even though he was a Aus schoolboys lock the previous year. Ever since then because he's a bigger body than kit we've seen him as a prop/middle forward

Also played for QLD U19s against Matamua and Tumeth in the NSW U19s. He was a standout in that game.

 

[Tim Sheens]

We had a great win against an average Raiders team last week that didn’t test our young inexperienced guys too much. People talking up our squad on here are forgetting that 2 weeks earlier they were bagging them out as the worst top 30 in the NRL.
I like all our players (well most of them) but, realistically, a lot of them are not anywhere near the top 15 in their relative positions and as for the young ones coming through- who knows where, if or when, they’ll end up good enough. Maybe I just don’t see it but counting on guys like Naden, Toa, Staines, Matamua, Sullivan, Feledy, Faataape, Klemmer, Sukkar, Saukuru, Tumeth, to get us even in the eight without bringing in some real talent, is simply dreaming.
As for all these young “NRL Stars of the future” whose pathway to the top grade we must never block - when they are playing and winning in KOE cup every week and our NRL team is consistently competing with the top clubs, then I’d be worrying about how to fit them all in. If a young player is good enough then his path won’t be blocked. Surely you look after the “Makasini’s” but let’s not get carried away with the hype.

Generally agree, but still a little torn, as also thinking that our best hope/ceiling may lie in further short-term pain whilst concentrating on a blooding youth policy for later sustained gain.

I just don't see our recovering basket case of a club being able to buy it's way to success in a shorter period, if at all.

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

Doesn't all Team need to lock in there top 30 by 1st July ?

You would think there should be some movement in the next few days

Yes, we have 3 spots to fill by Monday.

 

[tigerbadge]

Yes, we have 3 spots to fill by Monday.

Only if we want to, released players can still count for top 30

 

[Needaname]

Only if we want to, released players can still count for top 30

Isn’t that only if we agree to pay their remaining salary that was on our cap for the rest of the year?

Rephrase, isn’t it only if we include their salary as our cap total for the remainder of the year.
Ie we still need to fulfill the 95% salary cap floor quota.

 

[Wildcat777]

Naden has the talent and size to be a very solid centre.

Like last week, Just need to get rid of the stupid penalties.

Perfectly said! Only issue is that at NRL level the 2nd paragraph just won’t happen - no discipline. That will not change unfortunately.

 

[Tiger Stripes]

We had a great win against an average Raiders team last week that didn’t test our young inexperienced guys too much. People talking up our squad on here are forgetting that 2 weeks earlier they were bagging them out as the worst top 30 in the NRL.
I like all our players (well most of them) but, realistically, a lot of them are not anywhere near the top 15 in their relative positions and as for the young ones coming through- who knows where, if or when, they’ll end up good enough. Maybe I just don’t see it but counting on guys like Naden, Toa, Staines, Matamua, Sullivan, Feledy, Faataape, Klemmer, Sukkar, Saukuru, Tumeth, to get us even in the eight without bringing in some real talent, is simply dreaming.
As for all these young “NRL Stars of the future” whose pathway to the top grade we must never block - when they are playing and winning in KOE cup every week and our NRL team is consistently competing with the top clubs, then I’d be worrying about how to fit them all in. If a young player is good enough then his path won’t be blocked. Surely you look after the “Makasini’s” but let’s not get carried away with the hype.

Totally agree with the existing and generation next will NOT get us into the top 8.
It's becoming a pipe dream. We need to get some 1st grade muscle and IQ, ASAP.
The up and coming showed us today they are nowhere near ready. So we must fill the current gap for 2025 now. Starting with the forwards.
We just got totally flogged in the lower grades today.
Penrith had a team of KOE players knocking on the NRL door.
We gloss over our few hopefuls who had a chance to impress but failed to live up to the hype. Time to face reality. We need a few hard headed forwards if we expect to progress.

 

[KCTiger2]

Totally agree with the existing and generation next will NOT get us into the top 8.
It's becoming a pipe dream. We need to get some 1st grade muscle and IQ, ASAP.
The up and coming showed us today they are nowhere near ready. So we must fill the current gap for 2025 now. Starting with the forwards.
We just got totally flogged in the lower grades today.
Penrith had a team of KOE players knocking on the NRL door.
We gloss over our few hopefuls who had a chance to impress but failed to live up to the hype. Time to face reality. We need a few hard headed forwards if we expect to progress.

If your looking at results in flegg and cup to get an idea of the future then you are doing it all wrong

Our flegg team is missing all of their good players cause they are playing cup

Our cup team is missing some of their good players cause they are playing nrl or injured

The next generation are still 18-19 and getting consistent reps against men which is great for their development and if you can’t see that then your blind

 

[Vicious]

If your looking at results in flegg and cup to get an idea of the future then you are doing it all wrong

Our flegg team is missing all of their good players cause they are playing cup

Our cup team is missing some of their good players cause they are playing nrl or injured

The next generation are still 18-19 and getting consistent reps against men which is great for their development and if you can’t see that then your blind

Good players will show something even when at a young age playing against men.
Running the ball hard, tackling hard and most of all playing with energy and desire are pre requisites regardless of age.
Do you think players who are not willing to demonstrate these basic traits at age 18-21 will miraculously start demonstrating these traits a couple of years later ?
I only watched NSW Cuo today and a couple of our players showed plenty of desire despite the poor result, but we also had plenty of players who done absolutely nothing to help their team achieve a better result.

 

[boonboon]

If your looking at results in flegg and cup to get an idea of the future then you are doing it all wrong

Our flegg team is missing all of their good players cause they are playing cup

Our cup team is missing some of their good players cause they are playing nrl or injured

The next generation are still 18-19 and getting consistent reps against men which is great for their development and if you can’t see that then your blind

Exactly if everyone eligible was playing in Flegg they would be dominating the comp - Galvin, Fainu, Fainu, Matamua, kit and Luke lazuli, Miller, etc, etc

 

[Camel2281]

Big Nelson has been pretty busy tonight. Best he's been in 2024

 

[Mccarry]

If it was Cherrington or that hooker from Manly.. Ballin, I would get it.

Taylor white-anted Farah and when you are brought in to basically supplant a SOO hooker (who gets picked from reserve grade), yea I would probably do the same. I mean Club captain, lifetime member and club hero and your basically taking their spot. Heck you may have been told some BS that Farah was being punted to England or something. ..

Oh wait, Farah did not make eye contact.
If it was Ballin, Yea I wouldn't be making eye contact... Jez lucky he dinnit make knuckle contact.

If it was Cherrington or that hooker from Manly.. Ballin, I would get it.

Taylor white-anted Farah and when you are brought in to basically supplant a SOO hooker (who gets picked from reserve grade), yea I would probably do the same. I mean Club captain, lifetime member and club hero and your basically taking their spot. Heck you may have been told some BS that Farah was being punted to England or something. ..

Oh wait, Farah did not make eye contact.
If it was Ballin, Yea I wouldn't be making eye contact... Jez lucky he dinnit make knuckle contact.

Well before Taylor. Well before all the Tallis noise. New player was a clean skin, well liked guy.

Let’s just drop it. As fans who hear bits and pieces we will never know.

I would LOVE Farah to end up the best assistant coach in history.

 

[TigerSJ]

If your looking at results in flegg and cup to get an idea of the future then you are doing it all wrong

Our flegg team is missing all of their good players cause they are playing cup

Our cup team is missing some of their good players cause they are playing nrl or injured

The next generation are still 18-19 and getting consistent reps against men which is great for their development and if you can’t see that then your blind

This is exactly right and only goes to support the point. The thing is that the top clubs don’t have this problem. They are able to field competitive teams in all grades. Why ? Because they actually have a team of NRL ready and able players playing in their NRL team so they don’t play their jersey flegg or cup players - and those players get time to develop properly until they earn the right to play NRL.
This doesn’t stop or block any outstanding juniors from playing 1st grade as you can see across the board in many clubs.

 

[balmain boy]

If that is the case, perhaps Matamua should be in NSW Cup working hard on his running.

That's what he spent all of 2023 doing

 

[innsaneink]

Why does everyone think Robbie is a shite coach? Genuine question. I got know idea if he’d be good or not?
Or are we basing this from his perceived personality?
I’m prepared to follow the herd, I just need to know where it’s going first.

I'm just going off.my own eyeballs... He's that attack coach and more often than not we look like u/15s players with the ball

 

[innsaneink]

Context: Robbie Farah is a club legend. He was a warrior for us and I miss having him in our team.

However. Robbie is not so much of a people person. That doesn’t make him a bad person. It does create an obvious talent gap for an aspiring coach.

I would prefer it stay out of specifics and I am sure plenty of others on here would have heard the examples.

Tommy Raudonikis was a legend for the Magpies... Not many tougher and with a greater will to win... But he was a shite coach

 

[batboy]

That's what he spent all of 2023 doing

Not with the pudding he seems to have put on he didn’t…

 

[Chipofftheoldblock]

Exactly I love Matamua and he is doing heaps of great things for our attack right now but he doesn’t take as many strong carry’s as he probably needs to right now

As a ball playing lock you need to mix up your game.
I have never rated Matamua. Big body player with a pea heart.
His work rate is low and impact even lower sometimes i forget he is playing.

The best lock forward that has ever played our game was Bradley Clyde. That is what every single player in the position should aspire to be.
Clyde had the body of a prop with a huge work rate mixed in with ball skills and speed. He understood when to ball play and when to take a hit up.
Matamua has the body type to play NRL but he is far from that stage.
Sometimes you need to mix it up like Yeo does for the Panthers (who is playing his best football at present).

 

[Todd Packer]

Sofa Solomon last night.
20 runs 176 metres in 41 minutes. 73 post contact metres.
Nah we don't want him, we'd rather have the sook.