Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

yeahcaz said:
While I’d certainly prefer Bateman doesn’t return, I don’t think it’s the end of the world. He’s probably still the best option we have at right back row and I’d like to think he goes better with better players around him. He just needs to tone down the hot head acts and nail down that spot and stop getting moved
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He’s still registered as my favourite player on the membership records lol.

I’m probably going to switch to Samuela. Huge future ahead like tds
 
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BlackWhiteGold said:
SMH / Michael Chammas:

John Bateman’s agent has contacted Shane Richardson to inform the Wests Tigers boss of his client’s intention to return to the club for the next two seasons.

The Tigers had been privately hoping Bateman, who still has two years to run on his deal worth close to $600,000 a season, would remain in England or join another NRL club to free up a roster spot and salary cap space.

It comes as an irate Richardson lashed out at a group of injured and fringe NRL players in the aftermath of last week’s defeat to Parramatta in the “spoon bowl”.

Richardson noticed a number of players sitting in the stands laughing after the defeat consigned the Tigers to a third consecutive wooden spoon, prompting an angry response from the CEO.

Sources with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity in order to speak freely told this masthead that Richardson, who was also sitting in the designated Tigers dugout to the side of the tunnel, told players they should be embarrassed and at least pretend to care about the plight of the club.

The players who were sitting behind the Tigers’ bench included Brent Naden, Aidan Sezer, Justin Olam, Jayden Sullivan and Tallyn Da Silva. The fans sitting nearby allegedly heard the exchange between the CEO and the players.

A visibly angry Richardson also demanded the players make their way around the ground to thank the fans who had turned out to watch their team earn the dubious honour of finishing bottom of the ladder for the third year in a row. Richardson declined to comment when contacted on Friday.

In the days immediately after the team’s poor showing against the Eels at Campbelltown, the club received a phone call from Bateman’s agent, Isaac Moses, to clarify misconceptions around the veteran back-rower’s future given the widespread impression the Tigers did not want him next season.

Bateman, who signed a four-year deal at the start of 2023 when Tim Sheens was head coach of the Tigers, has struggled to live up to his price tag since returning to the NRL.

He was granted permission to leave the Tigers mid-season to play under former England teammate Sam Burgess at Warrington in the Super League.

Richardson has a close relationship with Burgess from their time together at the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Under the terms of the release, the Tigers had to terminate Bateman’s existing contract. Under NRL rules, any payouts would have had to go into this year’s salary cap.

The Tigers and Bateman then drew up a new contract to replicate the final two years on his deal. The NRL would not have approved the contract termination-renewal unless Bateman went into the salary cap for 2025 and 2026 at the value of the original deal.

The Tigers, who were willing to release Bateman to free up salary cap space this year, were hopeful he would decide not to return to the club after his stint in England.

But Moses this week contacted Richardson to confirm his client’s intention to see out the remaining two years of his contract.

Several Tigers players have been told they are free to explore options at rival clubs – including Sullivan, Naden and Charlie Staines – but are yet to secure deals elsewhere.
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Another of the terrible Sheens signings seems to be continuing to bear poisonous fruit.Bateman is massively overpaid and for far too long
 
king_sirro said:
Can you see the difference here? Also, where does Bennet take a break, overseas or a quiet road trip for a few days?
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Bennett does what he wants. He is all over the place. He doesn’t go to Fiji because he doesn’t have young kids. What difference? The fact that we suck and the media worked out Benji had 6 nights instead of 4 in a place suited to young kids? Don’t get it. Whether he was in Brisbane or Hamilton Island, doesn’t matter. Media beat up. And we love it here.
 
Robbo to issue a contract on Nate’s head tonight.

No other way through.

A bloodbath starring the roosters and Penrith may help take the edge off the ongoing pain and horror of spoon bowl.
 
Year_of_the_Tiger said:
Bennett does what he wants. He is all over the place. He doesn’t go to Fiji because he doesn’t have young kids. What difference? The fact that we suck and the media worked out Benji had 6 nights instead of 4 in a place suited to young kids? Don’t get it. Whether he was in Brisbane or Hamilton Island, doesn’t matter. Media beat up. And we love it here.
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If you see no difference between Wayne Bennet taking a short local break mid year and Benji Marshall taking an overseas holiday mid year when running last then I don't know what to say. Agree to disagree
 
Now back Richos trip to England, did anyone see Bevan French play last weekend , the bloke is a freak , has all the skill and heaps of pace , yet Richo came back empty handed , we really need another class centre with pace
 
Tucker said:
Well firstly, no other coach was starring down the barrel of a potential third spoon in a row.
…and yes, without the players there he could have gotten tonnes of work done. Instead they all had a week off then returned and performed the same crappy way….a 40 point flogging to the Dragons.
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What gets me is early in the season after the cronulla win .they went downhill .they had a blueprint on how to win and win well
 
Benji had 5.5 months of the off season to get away.

It will be interesting to see if he jets out again next year at the same time as a kind of self justification exercise.

It’s still haunting him as it is.

Feeding his critics as it were.

Even if it had no actual adverse impact, we don’t quite know, we didn’t need another own goal.
 
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Lestronge said:
Nope . Betsy pretty much gave it away , in the BTR podcast . Said we weren’t strong enough , led to retreating defenders which led to poor play , like infinite penalties / sin bins , lazy defence etc .
Said they’d figured out to quantify effort areas , and that when the guys were hitting thier targets on the effort areas , we’re winning or putting in good performances .
If that’s not a shot across the bow , towards the high performance team , than I’m not here .
And he’s 💯 right . We looked too weak at times , and because of that we were getting tired out earlier than most teams . We couldn’t stay in the arm wrestle because we weren’t strong enough .
I also know I heard a player give an interview where they alluded to the fact that the reason we play soo expansive out of our end was because we didn’t have the thrust and power in the back 3 , so we had to manufacture ruck speed .
There’s that word again Power / strength . I think they got it wrong this year . That’s Peter Moussa and his team . South’s by the way , suffered from the same thing . They looked to be outmatched physically .
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Sorry, who is Betsy?
 
Lestronge said:
Wtf is going on today ? Is there something in the air ? Like I’m surrounded by people saying and doing the most mind boggling shit ! He got knived for a reason . Tiger town is exhibit A . The prosecution rests ! He tried hard , but I’ve never seen a group of more detached people than the players were when was delivering info .
You could say it was the culture that was created by the fedora and friends , yea sure probably … but that doesn’t change his inability to connect with playing group , Jackson Hastings not included …
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Previous management couldn’t identify character if it bit them on the anus. They signed a bunch of overpaid Prima Donnas who never wanted to win footy, they wanted to line theirs and their managers pockets.

We always passed over guys like Finucane and Bromwich etc. who win wherever the go. Standards setters. It could be years to fix the rot Pascoe and co created.

Good on Richo for calling it out.
 
king_sirro said:
It's not under 6's where you turn up at 5pm to run some kids around. The players being off was a great opportunity for Benji to get a lot of work done in regards to countless things.
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If I suggested to you that the staff did do some video sessions up until midnight and then back at it at 5am the next day would you believe me? Benji and Morris wasn’t and isn’t the problem. Both got through plenty during their “holiday”.
 
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