Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[crazycat]

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 ?

I really hate this reasoning...

Degree MATTERS! They are not the same.

Yes Brett Stewart is really owed an apology, Jarryd Hayne has been found innocent on appeal, but many have been found guilty
Massive difference to that and Taylan May: "assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of stalking"... and De Belin really was very lucky not to get more jail time..

Court is court. It either finds someone guilty or finds not enough evidence to find someone guilty. It never pronounces someone innocent. Seriously we need to use our brains here and look at different circumstances differently...

From all I can tell Brett Stewart was set up. Hayne, I just don't know (and kinda don't care enough.. probably a he said/she said). May there is clear physical evidence. Don't go near him.

Did Matty Johns and a bunch of Cronulla players do what they did in NZ. Hell yes.
I am more then willing to give Brett Stewart the benefit of the doubt and have the NRL work out a proper way of investigating these claims, ensuring abusers don't play the game while somehow compensating people who were unfairly accused and no strong evidence was presented.

It's a tough one for sure.

But lets not mix your Taylan May's story who has been quite physically abusive with other cases where the "true story" may never been known.

 

[Vicious]

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

Maybe just continue what we have been doing, it’s working well.

 

[Tom Shines]

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

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

I was doing a bit of googling ..here is a story about the 2009 Australian schoolboys team… pretty meh in my opinion apart from Morgan and JT..

A Tongan hero and luckless young stars: Whatever happened to the 2009 Schoolboys team?

Test heroes and luckless young stars: 2009 Schoolboys team — where are they now

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Needaname]

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 ?

Yes. Luai is a family man. I’m sure he will have a lot to say if Taylan is not convicted but was found to smack around his misses’

 

[BAGNF05]

I was doing a bit of googling ..here is a story about the 2009 Australian schoolboys team… pretty meh in my opinion apart from Morgan and JT..

A Tongan hero and luckless young stars: Whatever happened to the 2009 Schoolboys team?

Test heroes and luckless young stars: 2009 Schoolboys team — where are they now

www.foxsports.com.au

Exactly. You get a few obvious break out stars each year. A handful of others who you know are career players, and then some late bloomers who work their way to success. So maybe 20-25 max from each cohort of juniors, in a good year.

That’s about 1 per club per year.

 

[Dr_Ice]

I was doing a bit of googling ..here is a story about the 2009 Australian schoolboys team… pretty meh in my opinion apart from Morgan and JT..

A Tongan hero and luckless young stars: Whatever happened to the 2009 Schoolboys team?

Test heroes and luckless young stars: 2009 Schoolboys team — where are they now

www.foxsports.com.au

Bit harsh against Ryan James and BJ.

 

[balmain boy]

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 ?

The NRL won't register a contract for a player who's been stood down until trial. He's been paidout by Penrith. So there's 9 months roughly until his court hearing and only after being found not guilty will the nrl allow a club to register him.

And yes odds on it will be the Roosters.

 

[Tom Shines]

Bit harsh against Ryan James and BJ.

maybe … and yes …they were solid first graders …. James a bit out of sight out of mind at the Titans and BJ gave me nightmares when he was here

 

[mikey]

Yeah but the tatt speaks volumes for the dumbarse he must surely be.

Imagine meeting a bloke for the first time, finding out that it is his own surname tattooed on his neck and noticing "pain" tattooed under one of his eyes. You'd avoid him like a thousand plagues.

No argument from me.
How about getting Harley Davison tattooed on your neck like that and it's spelt as I have typed it?

 

[weststigers]

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.

Sorry you took it so personally Chad, but it seems like the only ego that's bruised here is yours. You've carried it for a couple of days now. Maybe it's time to let it go?

For the record, I don't think anyone fears Horsburgh. Fake enforcer. Another guy that had half a good season in his career. Don't know what you see in him.

Hetherington is wildly inconsistent apart from being a total psycho that probably won't stay on the field long enough to have an impact.

But what would I know? I'm just a man...with a keyboard. A man with an opinion, like yours....and a keyboard. Written just once...don't miss it.

Just remember, don't reject the mud, as without the mud, the Lotus cannot grow. You too will grow...but you need mud my son.

 

[Tim Sheens]

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 ?

Depends firstly on whether WT want to continue to promote itself as a family club or not.

 

[Nonotmeagain]

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

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

Maybe not NRL but this is true of most professional sports

"A career in elite sport, such as AFL football, is an unusual career. It does not have long career prospects with the possibility for promotion and advancement. The career span for the average AFL player is 30 games or 2.9 years "

 

[bptiger 0]

If Luai didn't get us to the top 8 - will you be a hater then? Of him? Just asking. Cause in 12 months you will have your answer. I have the same hope though at the 8th wonder of the world this weekend.

Heard the same thing. As a footballer I think he has the best all round kicking game since Ricky Stuart and a great passing game, but there is something missing in his game. He still seems to be at arms lengths from his team mates and that is why Luai is a better fit for us.

If luai gets us to a top 8 , I will walk bare foot around Australia, and I say this , at present, we don’t have the forward power to set a platform for luai , Galvin or api , should we sign 3-4 forwards who have some mongrel in them I would say yes we would have a shot at the top 8 . But. Can’t see any forwards coming in only ones leaving

 

[SwervinMervin]

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

Here is the list

List of Australia Schoolboy rugby league team players - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Not sure what the % is. I didn't have the time or attention span to run through it that forensically. But I would say 40-50% for sure have gone on to have at least respectable first grade RL careers.
Just a snapshot of the 2015 and 2016 teams, the age group that should now be prime time NRL age bracket, shows a pretty solid alumni. At least 17-18 out of the 34 listed are regular NRL first graders.

2015 Australian Schoolboys
Ryan Papenhuyzen, Tyronne Roberts-Davis, Curtis Scott, Reuben Garrick, Tre Williams, Nathan Cleary, Scott Drinkwater, Jye Challenor, Blayke Brailey, Jayden Butterfield, Cameron Murray, Adam Keighran, Reuben Cotter, David Fauid, Ray Stone, Bayley Faull, Daniel Vasquez.

2016 Australian Schoolboys
Nic Cotric, Mawene Hiroti, Zac Lomax, Tuimavave Afualo, Campbell Graham. Lachlan Lam, Sean O’Sullivan, Pasami Saulo, Blake Brailey, Thomas Mikaele, Brodie Jones, Josh Curran, Sean Keppie, Dean Blore, Reece Robson, Payne Haas, Michael Tupou

 

[batboy]

If luai gets us to a top 8 , I will walk bare foot around Australia, and I say this , at present, we don’t have the forward power to set a platform for luai , Galvin or api , should we sign 3-4 forwards who have some mongrel in them I would say yes we would have a shot at the top 8 . But. Can’t see any forwards coming in only ones leaving

Truth....

Funny thing is,
The pack is better than it's been in 10 years now, But somehow that was the halfbacks fault?

 

[SwervinMervin]

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.

Ha Ha. Roosters and cap space are mutually exclusive.

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

Here is the list

List of Australia Schoolboy rugby league team players - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Not sure what the % is. I didn't have the time or attention span to run through it that forensically. But I would say 40-50% for sure have gone on to have at least respectable first grade RL careers.
Just a snapshot of the 2015 and 2016 teams, the age group that should now be prime time NRL age bracket, shows a pretty solid alumni. At least 17-18 out of the 34 listed are regular NRL first graders.

2015 Australian Schoolboys
Ryan Papenhuyzen, Tyronne Roberts-Davis, Curtis Scott, Reuben Garrick, Tre Williams, Nathan Cleary, Scott Drinkwater, Jye Challenor, Blayke Brailey, Jayden Butterfield, Cameron Murray, Adam Keighran, Reuben Cotter, David Fauid, Ray Stone, Bayley Faull, Daniel Vasquez.

2016 Australian Schoolboys
Nic Cotric, Mawene Hiroti, Zac Lomax, Tuimavave Afualo, Campbell Graham. Lachlan Lam, Sean O’Sullivan, Pasami Saulo, Blake Brailey, Thomas Mikaele, Brodie Jones, Josh Curran, Sean Keppie, Dean Blore, Reece Robson, Payne Haas, Michael Tupou

Seems like the backs have an easier time making a transition than the forwards do.

 

[weststigerman]

Seems like the backs have an easier time making a transition than the forwards do.

Yep, outside backs have a good strike rate while halves and forwards are hit and miss.

 

[crazycat]

No argument from me.
How about getting Harley Davison tattooed on your neck like that and it's spelt as I have typed it?

Man a dragons fan spent like a double period in school writing his team name on his hat...

As the teacher said "hey <bill> if you are going to waste all your time hear writing on your hat, at least you could learn how to spell correctly".

Bill "wha, where... oh".

I call them the Dagons from now on.

 

[The Chad]

Sorry you took it so personally Chad, but it seems like the only ego that's bruised here is yours. You've carried it for a couple of days now. Maybe it's time to let it go?

For the record, I don't think anyone fears Horsburgh. Fake enforcer. Another guy that had half a good season in his career. Don't know what you see in him.

Hetherington is wildly inconsistent apart from being a total psycho that probably won't stay on the field long enough to have an impact.

But what would I know? I'm just a man...with a keyboard. A man with an opinion, like yours....and a keyboard. Written just once...don't miss it.

Just remember, don't reject the mud, as without the mud, the Lotus cannot grow. You too will grow...but you need mud my son.

Agree to disagree- my hurt feelings are highly overstated.

I don't agree with your assessment, particularly of Horsburgh, but that is ok. The years that both these guys have started a majority of games have been highly effective as well as winning seasons for their clubs.

Without putting names to it, my idea is simply to field forwards that intimidate, the same way the Roosters pack do. Watching our forwards get manhandled by guys that, in reality are no more skilled than ours, was quite eye-opening. I think a 'wild' pack of forwards that have the intent to hurt in defence, at least feels to me like a tough day at the office for the opposition. At the same time, I don't think it's in the club's best interest to invest long term into players at the peak or over the peak of their career when we have so many younger guys coming through. A couple of roughnecks, for a year or two, just to get the transition for the juniors into grade, sounds about right.

Chasing a guy like Royce Hunt, as seems to be a board favourite, feels like trying to replicate Utoikamanu on a budget. He's not as good, but won't come as cheap as people expect. Seems like a bad investment.