Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

I am excited about Galvin and Sam Fainu … Sam found success this year at 20 years old … so hence why I am saying 16 yr olds are a couple of seasons away more than likely …

Bula wasn’t that highly touted as a junior I believe …
Yeah, I’m on record saying I don’t want to talk about them until they’re playing against adults. Very average players can look good against school kids.
 
Yeah, I’m on record saying I don’t want to talk about them until they’re playing against adults. Very average players can look good against school kids.

People will be pointing to Galvin now as the example that they can all do it..

Kid is an absolute freak …was the best trainer at the club in his first NRL offseason! I’m hoping that says more about him than the rest of the squad …
 
People will be pointing to Galvin now as the example that they can all do it..

Kid is an absolute freak …was the best trainer at the club in his first NRL offseason! I’m hoping that says more about him than the rest of the squad …
We were excited about Brooks & Moses, Galvin is way ahead of where they were at that stage. My biggest concern for him is the clubs that will be after him.
 
We were excited about Brooks & Moses, Galvin is way ahead of where they were at that stage. My biggest concern for him is the clubs that will be after him.

When you are a “development club” the only way you can have real success is to hold onto your top 10 percent talent …. Even that is still a long road ..

It’s why I feel disappointed that not enough is being done in my view about trying to improve the team further next season to try to convince him to stay … 2026 will be too late ..
 
When you are a “development club” the only way you can have real success is to hold onto your top 10 percent talent …. Even that is still a long road ..

It’s why I feel disappointed that not enough is being done in my view about trying to improve the team further next season to try to convince him to stay … 2026 will be too late ..
Hopefully the club is like a duck on a pond mate. Richo promised we’d be the first to know.
 
He'll probably end up at the Roosters with his brother
Highly likely, but there is also the possibility they could lowball him with their offer, considering they will need to spend plenty to try and retain Sam Walker and knowing they need cap space to sign a quality 5/8 ASAP.
If we really wanted him and made a decent offer, I would say we would be well in contention to sign him.
 
Highly likely, but there is also the possibility they could lowball him with their offer, considering they will need to spend plenty to try and retain Sam Walker and knowing they need cap space to sign a quality 5/8 ASAP.
If we really wanted him and made a decent offer, I would say we would be well in contention to sign him.
I'd be asking Luai and Api whether they think he's salvageable as a player. He fills a position we desperately need to enhance.
 
In case you didn't realise only one of our junior rep sides made the finals. Two of them came last. Of those Harold Matt's GF winning players, most are too small to play first grade consistently at a high level.
Our Flegg side lost by 60 last week, we're last in Cup and NRL. We like to talk ourselves up but most clubs have talent equal to or greater than what we have.
Our cup team is shit cause the best players for it are either injured or playing nrl our flegg team is in and around the top 4 and all of the best flegg eligible players are in nrl or cup

As for junior reps 2 teams made the grand final including 1 going undefeated all the way until they unfortunately lost the grand final

And the HM GF team being “to small for first grade” there is only 1 player even close to small and that’s Kit who still has time to fill out and what he lacks in size he makes up for in heart and effort so as long as he makes his tackles and runs the ball hard who cares the size

Btw we could name the best team in jersey flegg history and win every game by 60 if we wanted to but we don’t cause it’s stupid for development
 
I'd be asking Luai and Api whether they think he's salvageable as a player. He fills a position we desperately need to enhance.
Agreed. If he is Not guilty, I am talking to his manager. Guilty - well u can get back in the gane after locking people in cupboards. Guilty - he drives a street sweeper for life plating in some group A or group d comp somewhere . Chooks don’t need him- might end up overseas .
 
I was listening to Jason D (Ex Souths coach) talk about signing players.

He listed their "backbone" and surprisingly it wasn't the players I exactly imagined.
Cameron Murray
Campbell Graham
Keoan K
and someone else... (not Walker, Cook or Mitchell). *

The big one that surprised me. Nichols was apparently a very valuable member of the team. He basically said his attitude at training kept the players working hard. He was on a cheap contract and basically outperforming his value in spades on the field and off. Nichols was the only player picked up by Bennett from souths (from memory).


I listened to all this and thought... We have our culture totally wrong here. Api is great, but he can't keep carrying the team.

*this ofcourse may be deflection from the accusation that he gave special treatment to Mitchell and Walker.
 
Just a general comment, but our juniors tend to be seen through a lens of upward linear and incremental development as a given.

These kids are 16. There's no guarantee that the best kids in their current age group can emulate that in NRL for any consistent period of time or at all in many cases.

Often the best kids in their age group simply become bog average first graders at best. The NRL is littered with kids that played Australian schoolboys or u16 origin that never progressed past NSW Cup or intermittent first grade appearances.

Don't get me wrong, it's good to have genuine talent coming through, but these kids have proved nothing other than they are better than kids their age. Much of their opposition is underdeveloped 16 year olds and their success may be more a function of their accelerated physical growth rather than genuine talent. You simply don't know until they train with the big boys and create headaches against established first graders.

It seems to me, the kids that translate from youth footy to NRL are those that are considered smallish, but excel anyway. We had Moses and Tedesco who came into grade fairly small, we now have Galvin. Reece Walsh was tiny. Thurston. Cherry Evans. Ben Barba. These guys were cutting up junior teams despite their size disadvantage. The progressive physical strength of playing in the NRL, just made them better players over time.

The hype around our 16 year olds is a little premature considering they have not tested themselves at a professional level and 2 to 3 years is a long time in your teens. Anything can happen.

Not trying to be a doubting Thomas. Just my 2 cents
Right on.

I remember when people said Woods and Groat would be the next big things...
Juniors can play the house down at lower grades. Suddenly when they are playing full time professionals the game is a lot tougher as Sullivan and Fainu have found out.

One thing I notice is fewer teams are bringing a bunch of Juniors up together now. We seem to be having half our side with Junior or 2nd year first graders and it really shows.
 
I’m starting to think that the NSW Cup team is no place for our young guys to be learning their trade… getting belted every week by reserve graders… …Galvin, Mason and Luke L got promoted out of Flegg and at least haven’t had their confidence beaten out of them…yet..

I’ve been holding my breath and stamping my feet since April about getting some more first graders signed …yet nothing..
Although the cup team needs more experience it’s not as bad as it has looked this year

Due to the injuries at our club our experienced cup players are having to play first grade (Faataape, Naden, Porter)

So although we need more than the injury’s haven’t helped

And being able to have Sullivan and Fainu back this week is a big help
 

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