Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

TigerSJ said:
At the moment Pole seems to look better coming off the bench rather than starting. We need an aggressive hard running starting prop to work with either Klemmer or Twal in the rotation. We need to find a scary edge runner who can play decent minutes and defend well. We can manufacture a lock from within. Buy a proper NRL centre - that makes 3 new guys for 2025. That’s all we need next season and build further on that in 2026. Shore up coaching staff with experience.
I believe the right guys for us are out there on the market and also believe we can make this happen.
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Either upgrading the second row spot over Seyfarth, or an big upgrade at #13 is smart business. There is an opportunity to spend money on a centre upgrade too, while adding 1-2 bench options.

A combination of Isiaih Tass, Jack Bird, Kleese Haas, Corey Horsburgh, Jack Hetherington, Mat Croker & Dylan Walker for starting spots.

Then if you can add a Joe Stimson, Liam Knight type of player to sit behind the top 17 (both would be possible) so that if injuries strike, form drops etc- you have 1st grade tested depth to compete.

All these players are available & I believe all would upgrade our overall squad quality.
 
Buttface said:
I think everyone is well aware what mighty boy can do and that is why we get a little annoyed when he gets dominated so easily and now signs elsewhere. His best and worst are way too far apart, it’s obvious if he pulls his finger out he will be one of the best props in the game.
Every team needs one Twally.
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I think there's a genuine argument that NAS could provide similar results to Utoikamanu. But, in the same breath, Pole & Klemmer combined provide significant post contact numbers. Utoikamanu might break tackles, but that is all well & good if he does nothing with that. I'd rather the post contact metres & then strong defence.
 
One player we have been linked with in the past that might actually be a surprisingly good get- Toafofoa Sipley from the Sea Eagles.

He's 29, so short term contract suits.

He's an irregular starter/bench player in a fairly solid pack.

But when he plays (13 appearances), 24 tackle breaks, 461.9 post contact metres & averages 9 hit-ups per game & with a 95.8% tackle efficiency. On top of that- 4 of the 5 games he has started were wins.

He's under contract, but I wonder what it would take to get him? As a bench player, I think he provides everything we look for, while not holding back the development of any junior players.
 
The Chad said:
As a I love a good stat..

2024-
Utoikamanu - 23 Appearances, 96 tackle breaks, 970 post contact metres, 9.9 avg hit-ups
Oregon Kaufusi- 21 Appearances, 29 tackle breaks, 698 post contact metres, 7 avg hit-ups
NAS- 15 Appearances, 33 tackle breaks, 562.3 post contact metres, 9.1 avg hit-ups
Alex Twal- 17 Appearances, 28 tackle breaks, 549.1 post contact metres, 8.5 avg hit-ups
Daniel Saifiti- 19 Appearances, 27 tackle breaks, 820.5 post contact metres, 8.7 avg hit-ups
Royce Hunt- 13 Appearances, 20 tackle breaks, 392.8 post contact metres, 5.1 avg hit-ups
David Klemmer- 19 Appearances, 15 tackle breaks, 824.9 post contact metres, 9.6 avg hit-ups
Fonua Pole- 22 Appearances, 43 tackle breaks, 961.3 post contact metres, 9 avg hit-ups
Sione Fainu- 11 Appearances, 9 tackle breaks, 338.7 post contact metres, 6 avg hit-ups

Yeah, I know- stats lie, blah, blah.

However- over the course of the season- stats DO tell a story.

We will lose one of, if not the most destructive tackle breaking props next season. Interestingly, Pole has very similar post-contact metres, however. And Klemmer is right in line with Daniel Saifiti for post-contact as well. NAS has significantly less appearances than Pole & Utoikamanu & it could be argued his tackle busts might rival at least Pole if he played more. What I find interesting though is just how close NAS, Oregon Kaufusi & our very own Alex Twal are on overall impact.

There are posters that would jump all over Kaufusi as a signing, but how much better does he perform to Alex Twal?

Also, how far behind in performance is Royce Hunt to a number of our guys already? He's marginally more effective than Sione Fainu over the course of the season.
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Stats....
Half way thorough Wayne Pearce's rookie year, I asked him his opinion on a few players... Brett Kenny, Steve Mortimer etc. Junior was never one to concede anyone was fantastic. I asked him about Terry Randall and he said "if you know he's there and you brace yourself, it's not that bad...". That was basically saying when you're playing Manly, don't run at Randall. There's stats and there's the reality of getting tackled or smashed. That's why you get players like Olokulatu, JWH, the Penrith front row. Every team needs a player that the other team is going to avoid, that unsettles the rhythm. Seyfarth is the only player we have at WT that's trying to be that guy and I think we need one better. You don't sign Oregon Kafusi because he made 29 tackle breaks, you sign NAS because he smashed an opposite prop twice and that prop doesn't want to run at him anymore.
 
tigerballs said:
Stats....
Half way thorough Wayne Pearce's rookie year, I asked him his opinion on a few players... Brett Kenny, Steve Mortimer etc. Junior was never one to concede anyone was fantastic. I asked him about Terry Randall and he said "if you know he's there and you brace yourself, it's not that bad...". That was basically saying when you're playing Manly, don't run at Randall. There's stats and there's the reality of getting tackled or smashed. That's why you get players like Olokulatu, JWH, the Penrith front row. Every team needs a player that the other team is going to avoid, that unsettles the rhythm. Seyfarth is the only player we have at WT that's trying to be that guy and I think we need one better. You don't sign Oregon Kafusi because he made 29 tackle breaks, you sign NAS because he smashed an opposite prop twice and that prop doesn't want to run at him anymore.
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So, like Jack Hetherington? 🙂
 
The Chad said:
So Wayne Bennett rates him, but the message board does not....
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Wayne Bennett also rates Kodi Nikorima, and the entire message board (including me) probably wouldn't be chuffed if we signed him.

Wayne can get things out of his players that other coaches can't. Are you unable to see that?

Edit: Also just wanted to add that it is painfully obvious that both squads need 2 different things

Souths have gamebreakers and they need squad players
We have squad players and need gamebreakers
 
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The Chad said:
I think there's a genuine argument that NAS could provide similar results to Utoikamanu. But, in the same breath, Pole & Klemmer combined provide significant post contact numbers. Utoikamanu might break tackles, but that is all well & good if he does nothing with that. I'd rather the post contact metres & then strong defence.
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Offload stats. I’ve always wondered how they are recorded? If you offload and it costs the team ten metres or makes ten but still recorded and usually looked on favourably. What if you offload and it’s knocked on bcoz it was a poor pass. Do you get rewarded for the offload and poor old mate gets recorded as an error?
I remember Dora had good post contact metres from running backwards into the defence all year. Hardly inspiring or dominating, but he had good post contact metres. Same as running the ball from the kickoff to up your overall meterage.
Don’t get me wrong I love a good stat.
If you’re holding pockets you hit the flop 1:8.
 
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