Stefano Utoikamanu #241

[Tiger_heart]

But you never met him

AHX - There is something about anonymity that creates monsters in us all. Unfortunately as we “support” something we also feel they owe us for that support, hence the hate toward something you love can be worse than the hate for something you… genuinely hate.

 

[Sully]

So who signed off the blore deal , he’s let players leave with no replacements, and bugger all info , and I don’t want names just , hey everything will be all good , nearly every other team recruits before letting players go , but not us

Blore was let go under Pascoe not Richo. I agree we should have replacements before releasing players early even for salary cap benefits.
We have to spend the same percentage as other teams, so I would prefer quality over cap space. I know ICE has not lived up to expectations here but when you listen to him he has a point with no consistent halves like he had with Moses and Brown at Parramatta would not see him hitting gaps like he did there. I would have liked to see him with Luai next year, however he will excel at the Panthers.

I am disappointed to see Stef leave as I think he will improve as he gets older, however his is not worth $800k as a prop at present and we have been burnt by these deals in the past.
We need Pole to re-sign with us along with some good young props ( Sharks, Raiders ) that know how to hit it up, play the ball quick and tackle. The spine next year looks solid we just need to hold the middle and get a couple of backs ( Centre and Wing ) with size and pace Sam Stonestreet 193cm 97kg and fast . Hopefully Olam can have his knee fixed as he has been very good for us when he has played and just needs to be on the field more.

 

[Garrry]

Bulldog's had Thompson on $850k for another 2 years gus easily got rid of him and TPJ lol say no more lol, richo should go all out for Broncos players Willison, staggs

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

AHX - There is something about anonymity that creates monsters in us all. Unfortunately as we “support” something we also feel they owe us for that support, hence the hate toward something you love can be worse than the hate for something you… genuinely hate.

Yes. I guess we can hide behind someone else's faults to eradicate any responsibility from within ourselves. Well written Tiger Heart. On song.

 

[king_sirro]

AHX - There is something about anonymity that creates monsters in us all. Unfortunately as we “support” something we also feel they owe us for that support, hence the hate toward something you love can be worse than the hate for something you… genuinely hate.

I was joking. Of course I don't hate the guy. I don't even hate Bateman. Cameron Smith is the only player I have genuinely hated.

 

[craigtob]

Gus is in a league of his own, way ahead of what we have.

 

[Blocker1963]

You could tell that the whole contract saga has affected his form, but I agree he is not worth 850 k per year. I can understand both sides of it, wanting to be in a side that wins, but not a side that is working towards being a winner, as the old saying goes, nobody is irreplaceable. Best luck to him and his family, hope we can sign a great replacement and upgrade POLE.

 

[Bigscreentv]

I was joking. Of course I don't hate the guy. I don't even hate Bateman. Cameron Smith is the only player I have genuinely hated.

Add Kyle Feldt that list…

 

[HUNT 101]

Move on. As with that other one last year, dead to me.
I judge good/great players as ones who, through adversity, with hard work and determination and character/will, lift and help drag an underperforming team up to be competitive (eg in our case Api) - he ain't one of those. He is the forward version of a down hill skier.
Focus on retaining guys who bust a gut and can be seen making a difference; Pole, Samuela etc.

Don't play him again in first grade to this year.
Reserve is all he deserves

 

[Bigscreentv]

As much as I’m disappointed he’s leaving, he’s not worth the money that’s being thrown around for him. Maybe in a better environment he’ll achieve better form, but for the tigers it hasn’t happened.

The one thing we can’t do is crap the bed and overpay for a player, then screw our cap for years to come. Richo is an experienced administrator who’s won a few premierships, so I trust he knows what he’s doing. It will take time but he’ll get there as he’s always done.

One other thing - you can’t have players here that don’t want to be here. It’s bad for the group.

 

[Travisbickle]

Massive loss... Sets us back another couple of years on the rebuild...

 

[Harvey]

On the bright side front rowers are replaceable. Just need someone with a bit of size and aggro. I am sure there are options in Super league & NSW and Qld cup as well as fring first graders

 

[Bigscreentv]

I blame all this on Richo , he came here as the big white hope and what have got bugger all . And here’s why we told blore he was free to leave because of his injured pass , SO what do we do trade him for a one legged centre , so who came out on top from that deal RICHO
We then tell papa he can go too , if I am stepho I would thinking things are going south .
Then we realise Bateman , for me that would be the straw which broke the camels back .
This part I have no idea if it happened, but if I was CEO , before letting everyone walk I would have called a meeting and invited our new half back to speak about how changes next year will bring a different outcome. I would have laid out who we were chasing to strengthen the side , little things came make a big difference.
But all Richo and benji have done is weaken the team , I think him leaving will tigger a landslide of players wanting out

Yes, a little annoying but props don’t win you games. Stafsno was unhappy well before richo got here. We now have a load of cash to buy someone who wants to come.

 

[Bigscreentv]

He's a cat. His signature move is finding hookers
And halfbacks in the D-line and running at them.

I agree - he’s not a genuine hard head or leader in a pack. Hopefully we can find that guy soon.

 

[Speed2burn]

Who?

Just another parra scum to me .. did nothing for us

 

[tig_prmz]

People don't hate Stefano.

People are tired of an experienced player and a pack leader shirking his responsibility in the side, then taking the first train out of town.

It's not Stef making desperate cover tackles in defence or chasing kicks in the 78th minute.

It's young players like Galvin, Samuela and Pole.

If Stef had half the desperation during his time here, Tigers' fans would have nothing but adoration for him.

Easy option on the field, now easy option off the field.

Shouldn't guys like Klemmer, Papali'i, Bateman and Twal be pack leaders?
Paps took the frist train out as well
Bateman did too
Twal has been given permission to leave but no one wanted him
Klemmer... the less said the better.

We can't always just keep blaming players. We are clearly not giving them the support they get elsewhere.

The common denominator is the club. Many of the guys who make it to the top 1% of the profession don't have issues with doing it the hard way but the writing is on the wall that doing it the hard way isn't going to get you anywhere.

He has another guy called Luke Brooks ahead of him who stayed with the Tigers for 10 years and got nowhere.

He asked for the option and the club gave it to him. It's on the club, not him. If the option wasn't there, he may have only signed on for 2 years or he may have signed elsewhere, then he is not a cat?

Completely understand that he didn't play well last 2 months but we can't be shitting on the guy who did what Galvin, Pole and Fainu etc are doing now for 2 years before that and often without support.

Stef isn't what we need at 800K and we are not what Stef needs. He probably took a pay cut to go elsewhere, that's not taking the easy way out in my books.

 

[426Tlgerland]

Well it’s official he’s going
I’m not to disappointed as he is playing very very poorly and will take a bit to get some solid form up .
we could not afford to keep him while he recovers form , he had left us long ago anyway .
where will he Go , my tip storm but not on $ 800.k my prediction
Storm on $ 650 x 3 years

Now Richo needs to pull his finger out and start signing players as it was him who pulled the contract offer on AFB.
Richo we now need 2 props , 1 back rower , 1 lock , 1 centre , 1 wing
good luck

 

[Dennisspicer1]

I would drop him for the rest of the season from all grades.
If he is no longer interested in us.
Then show him the same.
We are no longer interested in him. Let him go know.

In other words, I'm a firm believer in when a player tells me he has no further interest in my club, then I have no further interest in him, he could be a destabilising factor in influencing the other NRL players within the Club.

So I would want those possibilities removed from my Club, and all my other players protected from this possibility.
We will still have to pay him out at the end of the season, so it's not going to cost us any more, But we will have all this over & done with, it's called peace of mind. But if we play him and in the next month or so, and we win the spoon, but in 3 or 4 of those last games, Stef's missed numerous tackles and had only a few hitups
then it will be in our minds that he SHAFTED US, SO WE WIN SPOON. ????

 

[Wiz]

Even though we’ve been “rebuilding” for the last decade, the real rebuild hasn’t even started yet. It won’t start until Benji is gone.

 

[Tiger Stripes]

Sounds like people hate him on here anyway, so the clauses might even be a blessing in disguise,

I think $800,000 for 5 years was risky and too long!