Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Betterdays22]

Moving players out the challenge. Ideally you would have a spare roster spot or 2 over the offseason/into next year. Meaning we need at least 4 players gone.

Have to assume Tumeth out, Bateman out and one of Feledy or Naden, Sezar or Sullivan. I hope Faagutu stays and they have decided to give him the year in Flegg to taste a bit of success, rather than because he is not in the plans.

I'm giving up my NAS dream. It's looking like it will be Royce Hunt, which im ok with.

Hoping for a hardworking, consistent backrower to replace Bateman. Not sure Jack Bird really cuts it.

Sit on the last 2 spots and significant cap space over the off season, hoping for a Brian To'o shaped apple to fall out of the tree.

 

[Roar_Power]

- Reinforced looking at 2 middles to replace Stef & an outside back.
- More depth T&T/Cup signings to come.
- Changes/additions on & off the field.

Cheers for the audio.

Sounds like the back they are looking to recruit may only be for 1st grade depth; thats how I took it anyway.

 

[Tucker]

“I’ve won just as many wooden spoons as I have won premierships”: Why Tigers CEO isn't worried about potential wooden spoon

The Tigers host the Parramatta Eels in the final round of the season in a battle to avoid last place.

www.sen.com.au

I dont get what his point is here.
Coming last is an indication of how the entire club has fared during the year. If we revell in the praise of securing the title as he has done on 2 occasions, then we have to cop some shit for securing the spoon which he has also done twice.
Both matter.

 

[851]

4:58 - Error Heath Mason
5:19 - Ruck Infringement Sam Fainu
5:22 - Set Restart
5:23 - Set Restart
5:23 - Inside 10- Papali'i
6:06 - Linebreak Saab
6:06 - TRY Saab


8:41 - Error Heath Mason
9:13 - Line Dropout Koroisau
9:14 - Penalty Alaimalo
10:24 - Linebreak Hopoate
10:24 - TRY Hopoate


19:51 - Interchange Klemmer off Pole on
20:44 - Error Faataape
21:43 - Interchange Bullemor on Aloiai off
22:07 - Linebreak Bullemor through Pole not covering gap
22:13 - TRY Turbo


Wasn't the middle getting beat until Pole came on.

I have said this numerous times, Pole gets beat regularly, and more often than not it results in a try against us

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

I have confidence Richardson will not allow WTs to go down the path of desperation buys as we have done in the past. What I mean is signing players towards the end of their careers looking for WTs' superannuation; a few have been mentioned in this thread. There are also players on inflated contracts which clubs are wanting to move on. With AFB joining the Sharks, they have a number of props who play significant portions of the game. I doubt whether they will need all of them.

Yep as much as the Sharks play the 'high and mighty' game with not releasing on-contract players without getting something in return, they just have to release a prop. Otherwise they will have these under contract:

AFB
Hamlin-Uele
Kaufusi
Rudolph
Hazelton
Hunt
Colquhoun
Hau Tapuha
Max Bradbury (Development in '25)

How can a club have 8 props in its top 30 + 1 also available to play from R1? AFB, Hamlin-Uele, Kaufusi, Rudolph would all be on decent $$$ so how can they retain all 4.

To me, I reckon they'll allow 2 props to leave next season - 1 on decent coin & 1 of their depth props.

Richo should definitely be talking to Kaufusi's manager about his mutual option!!!

 

[851]

Is that right though? I seem to recall the Bulldogs had like 33 players signed at one point towards the end of last year.

Gus is like uncle Nick, the rules don't apply to them

 

[twentyforty]

I dont get what his point is here.
Coming last is an indication of how the entire club has fared during the year. If we revell in the praise of securing the title as he has done on 2 occasions, then we have to cop some shit for securing the spoon which he has also done twice.
Both matter.

It looks better if he adds a timeline into his point. If he went to clubs which already had a hand on the spoon. Wouldn't be surprised if Richo and Benji have been using it as fear factor motivation?

 

[Yossarian]

This mornings paper suggests we are targeting Bird, Hunt and big red from Canberra. Who knows.

They must read this forum.

 

[Vicious]

Yep as much as the Sharks play the 'high and mighty' game with not releasing on-contract players without getting something in return, they just have to release a prop. Otherwise they will have these under contract:

AFB
Hamlin-Uele
Kaufusi
Rudolph
Hazelton
Hunt
Colquhoun
Hau Tapuha
Max Bradbury (Development in '25)

How can a club have 8 props in its top 30 + 1 also available to play from R1? AFB, Hamlin-Uele, Kaufusi, Rudolph would all be on decent $$$ so how can they retain all 4.

To me, I reckon they'll allow 2 props to leave next season - 1 on decent coin & 1 of their depth props.

Richo should definitely be talking to Kaufusi's manager about his mutual option!!!

What are the terms of a mutual option ?
My understanding is the player is free to leave if wanting to based on the mutual option meaning both parties have to agree for the contract to stand.

 

[balmain boy]

His agent

There are also rumours his family are not happy with his agent and are wanting to dump him.

 

[bptiger 0]

How much spare money have the Broncos got ?

Under what bed 🛌, come on if he wants to go home they will fine 1/2 million in 3rd party money and they will pay $800 thousand for him

 

[balmain boy]

What are the terms of a mutual option ?
My understanding is the player is free to leave if wanting to based on the mutual option meaning both parties have to agree for the contract to stand.

Yep, if both parties don't agree to take up the extension then the extension contract essentially doesn't exist.

 

[balmain boy]

Cheers for the audio.

Sounds like the back they are looking to recruit may only be for 1st grade depth; thats how I took it anyway.

Actually Richo has been on the record for saying we have plenty of cash to spend and we're looking to add quality. We already have a squad full of depth players, many of whom are miraculously starting.

 

[balmain boy]

I still think Starford To’a is worth persevering with
He has looked good at times, there was that night where he embarrassed Val Holmes and seems to have a bad run with injuries
Can’t imagine he’s on a fortune, I’d keep him

He's had 4-5 good games throughout his career. He super erratic, he's lazy, slow, dumb. We should offload him in a heartbeat if we can. He's had his chance and proven that he's injury prone, error prone and unable to perform to a high standard in first grade. He wouldn't be top 17 at any club, he would be a train and trial at most clubs, or a no 30 contract, minimum wage experienced backup. For 2 more years at 350k it's awful value for us and we need to be ruthless and eliminate him.

 

[balmain boy]

Plus we have to make roster spots available or NRL won’t approve

You can sign as many players to contracts as you want. You can't register it with the NRL until you have the top 30 spots free. Dogs couldn't technically sign Kikau until almost 6 months after he actually signed. Easier to move players on in the offseason than mid way through the season and have players moping around angry all the time.

 

[balmain boy]

18yo hollding the club to ransom..haha.....if he doesn't want to be the face of WT rebuild,p**s off

Everything he's ever said is that he's loving life and wants to be the face of the club.

That may not be what his agents says, but i'd trust the player not the agent.

 

[hammertime]

Actually Richo has been on the record for saying we have plenty of cash to spend and we're looking to add quality. We already have a squad full of depth players, many of whom are miraculously starting.

If we consider the remainder in the cap as perpetual, we'll need to save at least some cash to upgrade juniors. So Pole and Galvin may take a chunk out of that.

 

[balmain boy]

I'm starting the 'give Ronald Philitoga a T&T contract' bandwagon. The Jeral Skelton of Qld Cup!

Another 200m & 86m PCM for Easts Tigers yesterday earning MOM honours. Missed last season with an ACL.

Richo will have his finger on the pulse with his links to the Easts Tigers, could he be the next Faataape, Hope?

https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2024/08...-reigning-premiers-end-season-with-gutsy-win/

https://www.qrl.com.au/players/qrl-premiership/brisbane-tigers/ronald-philitoga/

As @balmain boy mentioned is a Balmain junior & Shannon Gallant has a charter to bring promising WT pathways players who left back to the club (i.e. Tom Fisher, Jaxson Rahme).

Makes sense to give him a train and trial. Is he a better prospect than Ngutlik? He's not as fast as Jimmy, but is all around more developed than him too.

 

[Vicious]

He's had 4-5 god games throughout his career. He super erratic, he's lazy, slow, dumb. We should offload him in a heartbeat if we can. He's had his chance and proven that he's injury prone, error prone and unable to perform to a high standard in first grade. He wouldn't be top 17 at any club, he would be a train and trial at most clubs, or a no 30 contract, minimum wage experienced backup. For 2 more years at 350k it's awful value for us and we need to be ruthless and eliminate him.

This is true and in a perfect world we do offload him, but the cupboard is virtually bare in regards to decent or better NRL centres, especially ones that play on the right side.
The only half dec t NRL centre I can see available is Reimis Smith. I can’t say I’m really a fan of his, but he’s a big, tall body, faster than average and is a decent be Pugh defender.
Taking all that into consideration he is probably a player we should be looking at signing for 2025.

 

[batboy]

Makes sense to give him a train and trial. Is he a better prospect than Ngutlik? He's not as fast as Jimmy, but is all around more developed than him too.

I honestly can't see how the club hasn't got Jimmy signed up for a couple years - Train and Trial at least....
Kid was making waves in the media as a part timer, Get him training full time and re-habbed properly and get him around the top squad....

The calibre of most of the development players we've signed up and have no room for this fella is stupidity....
I'd be buying him before the likes of Tumeth, Matamua, Cini, Hoffman and upteen other wasted development deals.