Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[tigerballs]

Hohepa Puru from the Raiders, Mat Croker from the Knights & go get Jack Hetherington from the Knights as well.

Or, if the Frizzell rumours have any basis, bring him in for either Croker or Hetherington & let Sam Fainu rotate into the middle during games as well.

Knights & Raiders forwards = no frills, get the job done types.

I'd be good if Kobe Hetherington came in, but I prefer Puru.

Low cost fliers on Joe Stimson & Jacob Alick-Wiencke.

3 or 4 of those names would strengthen the squad nicely.

I think you could play Puru in the centres at a pinch. He's fast enough, has a lot of skill and nous and defensively would be a big improvement.

 

[Fish88]

There is only one way next year goes , we either make the finals or go close , if we don’t u can say good by to Galvin , pole and god nose how many more will walk .
If we don’t sign 2 more quality forwards , there will no hope and our club will never improve

I do feel like 25 is male or break for the club. We’ve been horrible for so long and have some good players coming for the first time in a long time. If we can’t improve with luai and co (including Richo) then I don’t know how we ever will.

 

[426Tlgerland]

I think Pole will sign once we sign on another 1 or 2 big forwards , he loves the club but is from Melbourne has a house down there so we need to be all over this , he is a keeper .
Klemmer , he has done his job , his defence is great , he still runs hard and has a go , he has experience to help others , 2 solid young props coming on board he will help and he would be happy to play off the bench or start with a young buck coming on , klemmer is a team player also , stop bagging him out he was better than Stef who we all wanted to stay at $ 800k please what a joke

 

[balmain boy]

Pole was offered a contract, though his agent deemed it as a low ball so rejected it a couple of months ago. The back and forth continues... Now the season is over talks should ramp up after end of season trip.

 

[Juice]

What if Pole does want to return to Melbourne for whatever reason. Richo would get an inkling I’m sure in his current extension negotiations. Like with Stef he would probably ask Pole to make a decision as soon after Nov 1 whether he’s in for the crocodile roll or not. That way we can try to get some sort of benefit out if it and I’m thinking negotiate with Storm to swap Tui Kamikamika for ‘25. Whilst he’s 30, he doesn’t have the same footy years in his body, can play 40+ mins, strong defence & PCM and would straight away become another forward leader. Anyway this is just a what if as we’ve just been burnt by marshmallow man!

Yep if he was 100% certain he wanted to leave in 26 I agree it would be the smart thing to trade him with someone next year before the contract expires 👌

 

[Tito Santana]

NRL 2024: Every player currently off-contract and available to sign | Sporting News Australia

There remains some NRL players on the market and available to ink new deals as the market rumbles on.

www.sportingnews.com

If this is correct, I’d be looking at Dean Ieremia and Jack Williams.

 

[Vicious]

And the people suggesting Saifiti obviously haven't watched many Knights games this year. He's playing no better than Klem. He's miles from the player who played origin

I have watched Saifiti very closely, he was the best forward on the field against Melbourne about a month ago, he regularly dominates in the tackle, opponents very rarely get an offload when he is involved in the tackle and all his ball carries are strong.
I don’t know what is not to like, he is playing as well as ever.
If we want a dominant forward pack we need either Saifiti or RCG to add size and authority up front and we also need either Kobe Hetherington or Jack Williams who both provide high energy, a great work rate, rock solid defence and a bit of ball playing as a 13.
This would mean we would have the likes of Twal, Seyfarth, Sione Fainu and Tim Johanssen competing for one NRL bench spot when we are full strength.
That is very good depth and competition for positions.

 

[just old magpie]

I think Pole will sign once we sign on another 1 or 2 big forwards , he loves the club but is from Melbourne has a house down there so we need to be all over this , he is a keeper .
Klemmer , he has done his job , his defence is great , he still runs hard and has a go , he has experience to help others , 2 solid young props coming on board he will help and he would be happy to play off the bench or start with a young buck coming on , klemmer is a team player also , stop bagging him out he was better than Stef who we all wanted to stay at $ 800k please what a joke

Miller should kick on next year after a hard preseason and a year older he turns 20 in February

 

[just old magpie]

I have watched Saifiti very closely, he was the best forward on the field against Melbourne about a month ago, he regularly dominates in the tackle, opponents very rarely get an offload when he is involved in the tackle and all his ball carries are strong.
I don’t know what is not to like, he is playing as well as ever.
If we want a dominant forward pack we need either Saifiti or RCG to add size and authority up front and we also need either Kobe Hetherington or Jack Williams who both provide high energy, a great work rate, rock solid defence and a bit of ball playing as a 13.
This would mean we would have the likes of Twal, Seyfarth, Sione Fainu and Tim Johanssen competing for one NRL bench spot when we are full strength, that is very good depth and competition for positions.

Vicious have you given up on Miller for the bench next year

 

[Vicious]

Vicious have you given up on Miller for the bench next year

I think he’s developing well, but needs to get himself in his best possible physical condition which would see him drop about 8-10kgs and be at a playing weight of around 118-120kgs.
I reckon he needs another year of developing his game in NSW Cup before being ready for regular NRL game time.
He will only benefit from having to work hard to get more NRL game time and learning off some experienced high profile forwards.

 

[Buttface]

Miller should kick on next year after a hard preseason and a year older he turns 20 in February

I reckon he’s a five year investment. We need to be prepared for 3 years of development, disappointment, mediocrely, and some flashes of what’s to come amongst it, before we start to see an NRL prop.

 

[just old magpie]

I think he’s developing well, but needs to get himself in his best possible physical condition which would see him drop about 8-10kgs and be at a playing weight of around 118-120kgs.
I reckon he needs another year of developing his game in NSW Cup before being ready for regular NRL game time.
He will only benefit from having to work hard to get more NRL game time and learning off some experienced high profile forwards.

I think he will drop the weight anbe ready for fg by say round 10 but he needs a raudonicus slap around if you get my meaning 😉

 

[TSP]

Woofy now sleeps with his pet membership secured after I tried to rip it off him after spoon bowl.

 

[Buttface]

View attachment 15405
Woofy now sleeps with his pet membership secured after I tried to rip it off him after spoon bowl.

He’s got the year facing up so you can see it’s up for renewal. I bet he’s loyal.

 

[balmain boy]

I think he’s developing well, but needs to get himself in his best possible physical condition which would see him drop about 8-10kgs and be at a playing weight of around 118-120kgs.
I reckon he needs another year of developing his game in NSW Cup before being ready for regular NRL game time.
He will only benefit from having to work hard to get more NRL game time and learning off some experienced high profile forwards.

You've got to remember he's already down to about 124kgs. A good offseason and should be in the high teens next year

 

[Needaname]

Pole looks like will be following Stephanie out the door, can not blame him 3 wooden spoons in a row.

Make a big offer for Leo Thompson!!

If this is true, I’m not surprised by this too be honest. His development has reached its ceiling with us. There’s so much more to him but we just can’t get it out of him.

 

[The Chad]

Always a good way to open a sentence.

If you want to see Tiger middles who 'never dominate and get rolled through' in defence, don't look any further than Stefano and Seyfarth (as a middle), those two are the most gumby, tangled-up, ruck-losing peanuts in the club. And, to a lesser extent, Pole.

The first-impact and wrestling technique of these three, in particular, is woeful.

Klemmer makes his tackles and covers his a) or b) closing duties adequately.

All the more reason to look at Jack Hetherington...

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Only 2 months ago ..

How this Victorian product became the most underrated player in the NRL

In the hyper-focused world of the modern NRL, it's hard for any player to be truly underrated. Still, Fonua Pole, the sterling young forward the Wests Tigers found at the edge of the rugby league universe, is finding a way to do it.

amp.abc.net.au

"I love it here. If Tigers want me to stay here, I'd gladly stay, but I'll see about that when the time comes," Pole said.

“(Benji) believes I can be more than I am, that I can be one of the best front-rowers in the game."

Pole counts Utoikamanu as one of the biggest influences on his career.

"We train a lot together, I've picked up on his habits and we're building a good combination," Pole said.

"We do a lot of extras and we focus on details. Everything we do, on the field or in the gym, we always compete against each other and that gets the buzz going.”

 

[weststigerman]

Only 2 months ago ..

How this Victorian product became the most underrated player in the NRL

In the hyper-focused world of the modern NRL, it's hard for any player to be truly underrated. Still, Fonua Pole, the sterling young forward the Wests Tigers found at the edge of the rugby league universe, is finding a way to do it.

amp.abc.net.au

"I love it here. If Tigers want me to stay here, I'd gladly stay, but I'll see about that when the time comes," Pole said.

“(Benji) believes I can be more than I am, that I can be one of the best front-rowers in the game."

Pole counts Utoikamanu as one of the biggest influences on his career.

"We train a lot together, I've picked up on his habits and we're building a good combination," Pole said.

"We do a lot of extras and we focus on details. Everything we do, on the field or in the gym, we always compete against each other and that gets the buzz going.”

Very similar to this one on Stef in February.

‘I want to stay’: Why Utoikamanu’s committed to Tigers despite get-out clause

NSW representative is free to leave the Tigers at the end of the season if the club fails to make the finals, but insists he’s in for the long haul.

www.smh.com.au

“I’m trying to focus on making the top eight, that’s what I want to do – I want to stay at the Tigers,” Utoikamanu told this masthead.

“I’ve loved every minute I’ve been here. They’ve given me my big opportunity to become the player I am now.

“I want to give back to the club. We’ll see what happens. I haven’t listened [to speculation]. Benji is big on ‘team first’, and putting others before yourself, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

------

Moral of the story, ignore everything players say in the media.

 

[Fainu Brothers]

Only 2 months ago ..

How this Victorian product became the most underrated player in the NRL

In the hyper-focused world of the modern NRL, it's hard for any player to be truly underrated. Still, Fonua Pole, the sterling young forward the Wests Tigers found at the edge of the rugby league universe, is finding a way to do it.

amp.abc.net.au

"I love it here. If Tigers want me to stay here, I'd gladly stay, but I'll see about that when the time comes," Pole said.

“(Benji) believes I can be more than I am, that I can be one of the best front-rowers in the game."

Pole counts Utoikamanu as one of the biggest influences on his career.

"We train a lot together, I've picked up on his habits and we're building a good combination," Pole said.

"We do a lot of extras and we focus on details. Everything we do, on the field or in the gym, we always compete against each other and that gets the buzz going.”

Stephanie said he wanted to captain the club also, i wouldn’t believe everything they say.

“But i will see” he is testing the open market and he will get good offers to leave.