Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[FrodoTBaggin]

You better get used to it as I’m 💯 certain they will be on the field at the same time regularly in 2025.

And I'm 100% certain that Twal and Klemmer will rotate for eachother, as will Pole and Hunt.

 

[Vicious]

If that's some peoples dream pack then we are in for a longgggggggg off season

You like what we currently have better ?

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

Even if it is other players, the point is you can rotate second rowers throughout a game without effecting the middle forward rotations.

You act like it's a genius suggestion.. yet it's literally what we did with Blore the last few seasons and then Samuela at the start of the year?

Coaches have been doing it.. why are you acting like it's never been done 😂

 

[Vicious]

And I'm 100% certain that Twal and Klemmer will rotate for eachother, as will Pole and Hunt.

Geez that will scare our opponents.

 

[Vicious]

You act like it's a genius suggestion.. yet it's literally what we did with Blore the last few seasons and then Samuela at the start of the year?

Coaches have been doing it.. why are you acting like it's never been done 😂

It wasn’t done by Benji in 2024, we often had our edges out on their feet, but still playing 80 minutes.

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

You like what we currently have better ?

I think if your dream pack at 100% consists of:

*A Broken down duo of RCG and Klemmer starting.
*2 impact props who struggle defensively on field at the same time.
*Jack Bird as your starting second rowers.
*Latu Fainu as your interchange 13

Then you have had way too many beers at 11am on a Saturday

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

It wasn’t done by Benji in 2024, we often had our edges out on their feet, but still playing 80 minutes.

Sorry remind me what Benji did with Samuela, Papali'i & Bateman at the start of the year?

Maybe it wasn't done when Papali'i got injured and Bateman [This word has been automatically removed]ed off to England because we literally didn't have any other quality second rowers.

 

[gregjm87]

Liam Martin runs the ball kamikaze style and is a genuine attacking threat and menace to his opposition every time he gets the ball.
The way Liam Martin runs the ball compared with John Bateman is worlds apart.
Kalomatangi is a big unit and a quality player with super human strength which makes him so effective, but he too has started to stop and jink rather than running hard like he used to.
Souths and the Eels are nearly as ineffective on their edges as what we are and guess where they finished ?

That hard running really only works off quick play the balls. When has Bateman had the chance to run onto the ball against retreating defence or an isolated half?
I don't think he is providing value for money but agree with Telltails above in that the criticism he receives is over the top.

 

[TSP]

also mate -- i should say i loved benji the player - he gave us so many amazing memories ... and benji the person seems like a great guy.... i'm just knocking the coach bc of how we have been performing both when he was coach last year with sheens in the background and this year. We have won two wooden spoons with Benji the coach. Everyone said benji was coaching the team last year with sheens.

I will admit that without benji we dont sign luai that's for sure.

I am PRAYING that he proves me wrong and we start strong next year so we can extend galvin and he's our next coach for the next ten years. that would be a dream. I just dont think it will happen. IMHO

Im pretty sure Jerome will settle Galvin down and they will become great friends.

If Galvin wants a way into rep footy and reach the games heights, there’s simply no better tutor or role model in the game.

Plus we know JL has an electric and engaging personality.

The club will probably change a lot of the footy staff and hopefully a lot of associated things to give Benji more support and guidance.

More signings to come as well.

Losing spoon bowl should deliver a lot of impetus, if not, we are surely lost.
Surely it represented the final plunge into the fires of rugby league Hell?

 

[Vicious]

I think if your dream pack at 100% consists of:

*A Broken down duo of RCG and Klemmer starting.
*2 impact props who struggle defensively on field at the same time.
*Jack Bird as your starting second rowers.
*Latu Fainu as your interchange 13

Then you have had way too many beers at 11am on a Saturday

A prop rotation of Klemmer/Pole/Twal/Hunt does not have enough intimidation or fear factor to regularly get the team on the front foot. They are all decent players, but will not be enough to help a team who does not have any lethal strike or genuine superstars from 1-5.
As some have mentioned an up and comer such as Leo Thompson would be great. If we are being realistic every team in the NRL would be keen on him, so we are 1000-1 of getting him, therefore we have to settle on players we are a realistic chance of getting and an ageing RCG or Daniel Saifiti both offer size, aggression and intimidation factor that we are badly lacking.
If that means we have to somehow push out Klemmer or Twal, then so be it.
As for the back row, the available stocks are virtually non existent and we will not improve unless we have someone on the right edge that can at least threaten the opposition with ball in hand. Jack Bird can certainly do that, but it is a concern asking him to defend as a back rower and possibly make 40 plus tackles each week, therefore the only realistic solution is to minimise his game time with someone such as Seyfarth who always plays with energy and defends strongly coming off the bench.
Not forgetting that gives the team balance in allowing Bird to shift the the backs if required and Seyfarth can play in the middle if required.
Who knows, we may well have signed Bird to play in the centres, I’m purely suggesting I believe we need him as our right edge back rower for at least parts of each game as there is nobody better we have or can potentially sign for 2025 and that includes Bateman who I am still certain will not wear Wests Tigers colours again.

 

[The Chad]

I reckon if Bateman is coming back, it probably ends the chances of Montoya signing.

Bateman resumes on the edge- Bird goes to centre.

The dislike for Bateman I get. Apparently the players are using our hard earned savings as play money or something.

But, if you leave the contract value out of it- he was literally our best wide defender. And his attacking stats are nowhere near as poor as many would have you believe.

Losing Bateman & Papali'i was a problem that the club, I don't believe, had sorted out appropriately. Bird is not a full time forward. He's simply not strong enough. Bateman, however, despite his size, is one of the more capable one-on-one defenders in the squad.

Having Bateman return also adds Seyfarth back into the middle rotation, and potentially a position at #13. I'm not against it. But then, I was never down on Bateman the way some of us are.

Unless the Bateman thing is a ruse- 1 more middle player & then 2 or 3 KOE guys. How strong is the club if Sione Fainu or Twal are not guaranteed a top 17 spot every week? (I believe Twal would be ahead of that battle)

In 12 games, Bateman topped 100m 6 times. Additionally, he's really the only player to rival Api for tackles in a match with 3 games in the 40+ tackles range.

You might not like him, or the money he's on, or his accent, or his twitching...but he is an effort player in a team low on effort plays. He's the opposite of Utoikamanu- guilty of probably trying too much.

 

[Vicious]

That hard running really only works off quick play the balls. When has Bateman had the chance to run onto the ball against retreating defence or an isolated half?
I don't think he is providing value for money but agree with Telltails above in that the criticism he receives is over the top.

So a young inexperienced player such as Samuela Fainu found ways to run onto the ball at speed most games, but a seasoned International in Bateman couldn’t ?

 

[TSP]

Was poor on the Tedesco try on his left wing. Clutched at air. WT already have plenty of those types defending on the edge. Luai blew up deluxe.

Both of been great this season especially JL.

 

[weststigerman]

Im pretty sure Jerome will settle Galvin down and they will become great friends.

If Galvin wants a way into rep footy and and the games heights, there’s simply no better tutor or role model in the game.

Plus we know JL has an electric and engaging personality.

The club will probably change a lot of the footy staff and hopefully a lot of associated things to give Benji more support and guidance.

More signings to come as well.

Losing spoon bowl should deliver a lot of impetus, if not, we are surely lost.

Good points here.

We will have the spine to score points. All the focus in the off season should be about winning the middle in defence and attack.

IMO this is a mix of roster, and low strength and conditioning standards at the club. The second one is easier to fix.

 

[The Chad]

So a young inexperienced player such as Samuela Fainu found ways to run onto the ball at speed most games, but a seasoned International in Bateman couldn’t ?

You can't cookie cutter every player & expect the same style of play.

Bateman isn't built like Fainu, or Garner who was mentioned before. He's never played like those guys. That doesn't make him ineffective. I think the impact of Luai on our wider players is being overlooked. Luai is going to create more opportunity for guys like Bateman to create with. What we need is players to follow Bateman when he does run- he often looks to pass. He's more Liam Fulton than Sam Fainu

 

[TSP]

So a young inexperienced player such as Samuela Fainu found ways to run onto the ball at speed most games, but a seasoned International in Bateman couldn’t ?

Samuela is my smokey for our best forward in the future. He could be anything this kid. He wants it too.

 

[Kelce68]

Geez that will scare our opponents.

Im more interested in winning football games than scaring opponents.

 

[Kelce68]

I think if your dream pack at 100% consists of:

*A Broken down duo of RCG and Klemmer starting.
*2 impact props who struggle defensively on field at the same time.
*Jack Bird as your starting second rowers.
*Latu Fainu as your interchange 13

Then you have had way too many beers at 11am on a Saturday

In fairness, there's no such thing... 😏

 

[The Chad]

He's given away sin bins and penalties, but that's him using his experience at trying to slow the ruck down because the the team is so young, raw, small and is dominated regularly. Unfortunately, these dark arts are obvious in a team like WT because opposition teams can play so fast against them. In a team like Penrith or Melbourne who use it to get that extra second advantage, rather than 3 seconds, it would go unnoticed.

I never thought we were losing because of Bateman.

 

[Kelce68]

I reckon if Bateman is coming back, it probably ends the chances of Montoya signing.

Bateman resumes on the edge- Bird goes to centre.

The dislike for Bateman I get. Apparently the players are using our hard earned savings as play money or something.

But, if you leave the contract value out of it- he was literally our best wide defender. And his attacking stats are nowhere near as poor as many would have you believe.

Losing Bateman & Papali'i was a problem that the club, I don't believe, had sorted out appropriately. Bird is not a full time forward. He's simply not strong enough. Bateman, however, despite his size, is one of the more capable one-on-one defenders in the squad.

Having Bateman return also adds Seyfarth back into the middle rotation, and potentially a position at #13. I'm not against it. But then, I was never down on Bateman the way some of us are.

Unless the Bateman thing is a ruse- 1 more middle player & then 2 or 3 KOE guys. How strong is the club if Sione Fainu or Twal are not guaranteed a top 17 spot every week? (I believe Twal would be ahead of that battle)

In 12 games, Bateman topped 100m 6 times. Additionally, he's really the only player to rival Api for tackles in a match with 3 games in the 40+ tackles range.

You might not like him, or the money he's on, or his accent, or his twitching...but he is an effort player in a team low on effort plays. He's the opposite of Utoikamanu- guilty of probably trying too much.

I'd say if Bateman does return, it'd be he and bird in the 12 and 13.