Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[KCTiger2]

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

 

[Tigerbenb]

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 .

 

[crazycat]

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.

 

[crazycat]

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.

 

[KCTiger2]

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

 

[Oldman]

Wouldn't his payout still be included in the Panther's salary cap?

?
Maybe we could get Bud Sullivan to quit to take up boxing 🥊
We could give him a little brown paper bag to take with him and who knows he might just change his mind and return to league next year with another club.
Sound familiar

 

[Vicious]

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 .

Put it this way there has been multiple NRL players and fringe NRL players up on domestic violence charges over the past 5 or so years and I cannot remember one of them being convicted.
You cannot tell me that every one of them was not guilty ?
This is how the system works, high profile people with plenty of money to pay the best legal teams and they generally get found not guilty.
So it is highly likely Taylan May will get found not guilty and the true story will never be known by anyone other than he and his ex partner.
That being said, none of us know the true story and if he ends up being found not guilty, does that mean a club like us, desperate for a player like him should err on the side of caution and let a glamour club such as the Roisters sign him, or should we do our best to get off the bottom of the ladder and do all we can to sign the best available players possible ?

 

[balmain boy]

how old are Makasini and Large ? They are years away … 18 yr old Galvin is the exception and not the rule …

These guys are rated much higher than Galvin was at the same age. Just because Galvin is the exception, doesn't mean we don't also have other exceptions in our midst.

 

[balmain boy]

You could probably go through Australian school boys sides throughout time and find that maybe 5% went on to lengthy NRL careers. It’s a massive leap, it’s why fans need to get excited about the Galvin’s, Fainus and the Bula’s.

I think you'd find the number is much closer to 40-50% going on to at least become solid first graders.

 

[batboy]

These guys are rated much higher than Galvin was at the same age. Just because Galvin is the exception, doesn't mean we don't also have other exceptions in our midst.

Doesn't surprise me, IMO Galvins rise isn't off the back of talent (Not to say he doesn't have talent)
It's off the back of his want....
I've not seen a player that young ever show such a desire to be in the game....
It's franchise changing....

I see a whole lot of JT in Galvin, Gutherson to an extent as well....
A real dogged determination, Any heights can be reached off the back of that.

 

[BAGNF05]

I think you'd find the number is much closer to 40-50% going on to at least become solid first graders.

what would be you definition of that, 150 games? i.e. 5 seasons?

I think you'd find it's much lower.

 

[BAGNF05]

Doesn't surprise me, IMO Galvins rise isn't off the back of talent (Not to say he doesn't have talent)
It's off the back of his want....
I've not seen a player that young ever show such a desire to be in the game....
It's franchise changing....

I see a whole lot of JT in Galvin, Gutherson to an extent as well....
A real dogged determination, Any heights can be reached off the back of that.

Seems to have an old head on his shoulders too. Haven't seen him panic into an error that I can think of. Also supposedly extremely fit. All makes for a good clutch player if given some meaningful footy games.

 

[balmain boy]

what would be you definition of that, 150 games? i.e. 5 seasons?

I think you'd find it's much lower.

I'd say 100 games is a great achievement for any player. That's about 4-5 full seasons too, appearances will usually be a bit more scattered in the early days when they're finding their feet and yoyoing between grades too.

 

[Tom Shines]

These guys are rated much higher than Galvin was at the same age. Just because Galvin is the exception, doesn't mean we don't also have other exceptions in our midst.

well…they weren’t called the next JT like Bud Sullivan was at a similar age …so they weren’t rated as high as he was… Doesnt mean much now for Bud though does it ?

Galvin has actually done it …that’s all that matters to me

 

[BAGNF05]

I'd say 100 games is a great achievement for any player. That's about 4-5 full seasons too, appearances will usually be a bit more scattered in the early days when they're finding their feet and yoyoing between grades too.

My 5% was in relation to top line career first graders, I agree 40-50% of Aus school boys will make first grade and play 4-5 seasons.

 

[Westie]

Put it this way there has been multiple NRL players and fringe NRL players up on domestic violence charges over the past 5 or so years and I cannot remember one of them being convicted.
You cannot tell me that every one of them was not guilty ?
This is how the system works, high profile people with plenty of money to pay the best legal teams and they generally get found not guilty.
So it is highly likely Taylan May will get found not guilty and the true story will never be known by anyone other than he and his ex partner.
That being said, none of us know the true story and if he ends up being found not guilty, does that mean a club like us, desperate for a player like him should err on the side of caution and let a glamour club such as the Roisters sign him, or should we do our best to get off the bottom of the ladder and do all we can to sign the best available players possible ?

We would be stupid not to try and sign him.
What I am not sure of is what happens if we does get found guilty does his salary come off the salary cap and are we able to sign someone else.?

 

[Vicious]

We would be stupid not to try and sign him.
What I am not sure of is what happens if we does get found guilty does his salary come off the salary cap and are we able to sign someone else.?

Any contracted can be and would be terminated on the spot if a player is convicted of a serious offence.

 

[crazycat]

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.

It looks like Townsend is going to the Chooks.
You add in Sam Walker.. I don't get how or why they keep both players.

Luke Keary may be retiring. If we did not have way more 'halves' then we need he would be a good option.

The Bulldogs are smart in signing a premium center instead of halves. So many 5/8's fewer players wanting to play Center

 

[The Chad]

Are you still upset about Horsburgh and Hetherington? You've had a right old sulk haven't you?

Pull your ego in.

Believe it or not, there have been a few people on here critical of players of poor discipline. It's interesting that a few are now supporting one of the least disciplined players to come here as an option.

Yet you're the one that came back with "What would Wayne Bennett know" like a smart arse.

You 'asked' that I lay off the Horsburgh & Hetherington ideas- which I did.

No need to be a smarmy tool on top of it.

 

[weststigerman]

May is a dead beat who should be in jail and we should stay well away from him.