Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Please let me emphasise this before you read below, THIS IS A SPECULATION AND THEORY

I’m sure by now we’ve all either seen or heard some stuff about Jordan Miller, and the potential situation he is leaving. I would like to bring light to Fonua Pole’s brother Suli who has very very high wraps on him. In Sydney today training with Fonua and Sua Faalogo. You might ask how this is relevant, he was training in a WT shirt. Potentially something cooking there since he is contracted to the Melbourne Storm but in WT gear when fonua isn’t, or just a supportive brother who either got given bc he forgot a shirt to train it or chose to wear his brothers team as a joke.

Check Sua faalogo story to see it from 6 hours ago
Fonua could’ve also flown to Melbourne today but was as jahreams wedding yesterday so 🤷‍♂️
 
Please let me emphasise this before you read below, THIS IS A SPECULATION AND THEORY

I’m sure by now we’ve all either seen or heard some stuff about Jordan Miller, and the potential situation he is leaving. I would like to bring light to Fonua Pole’s brother Suli who has very very high wraps on him. In Sydney today training with Fonua and Sua Faalogo. You might ask how this is relevant, he was training in a WT shirt. Potentially something cooking there since he is contracted to the Melbourne Storm but in WT gear when fonua isn’t, or just a supportive brother who either got given bc he forgot a shirt to train it or chose to wear his brothers team as a joke.

Check Sua faalogo story to see it from 6 hours ago
What story ?
 
If we wanted to do this we had to hold off on releasing Large until they agreed to take Bateman.

It's basic stuff. We have something they really want, if they want it that bad we force them to take someone we don't want.

If we've already given them what they want then they're under no obligation to do anything we ask.

Negotiation 101, we couldn't have possibly fumbled this that bad.
Maybe it isn’t all that silly.
Maybe if Bateman is wanted by a few clubs maybe we hold the cards and can shift someone else on as a package deal.
 
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It doesn't matter how often this is pointed out. People will still insist Bird will play centre and Turuva wing. The actual word of these players mean nothing to some, they know better.
Even the word of the player doesn’t mean much when they haven’t even arrived at the club yet. Players always have their preferred positions, but it doesn’t mean that’s where they end up playing. Bird playing in the middle with a body as banged up as his seems like an unnecessary risk when he is also a capable centre. A position we are also weak in.
 
I'd say it has more to do with the fact we have 3 young locks and should probably move one on.

Edit: Especially because any squad prediction i see on here for next year doesn't include a single one of them in the 17. We can't have 10% of our top 30 be young locks that are lucky to get 5 games between them all season.
Keep 1 maybe 2 but not 3.
...
Although we may need front row depth... I think we have made a massive mistake with our development in keeping such a super young squad. It just means newbies learning off newbies.

Yes young players are good because they come in cheaply on the cap. We need experience and club culture.
 
They have proven in the past they can play at a high level and are trusted to do so again.
It’s far easier to blame the player rather than the toxic environment that allowed or maybe even caused the form to drop.
I think anybody who is blaming someone , else for thier own poor performances need only look in the mirror.
If everybody at this club , including the coaching staff , was concentrating on thier own performances and being honest with evaluations , then the club would be in a far better position .
And John Bateman spent most of this past season blaming everyone but himself for his own performances , including the coach for not praising our 31 year old 650k international , for being sent to the bin again and giving away a million penalties at key moments in the game .
Or praising Klemmer for running at 80% pace and backing into the defensive line for 7m and a 40 sec play the ball .
For me if I was coach I would have 1 very simple message . It would simply be “
“do your Fudging job “ .
That’s in the weights room . You’re maxing out get a spot and do 2 more . You’re in recovery , that means stay in that ice bath for the whole time .
Youre studying film , you pay attention and absorb .
Youre doing never ending fitness / defence drills . You’re up and ready to go in the spot you’re supposed to be in the time you’ve been allocated.
You’re eating healthy , you’re focused and executing as close to a 💯 as you possibly can .
And most importantly you’re not worried about what anyone else is doing because you’re doing ;
You’re Fudging Job !
Because if you’re doing your job and the bloke next to you either side is doing thier job , then the work is getting done . And the results will speak for themselves .
 
I think anybody who is blaming someone , else for thier own poor performances need only look in the mirror.
If everybody at this club , including the coaching staff , was concentrating on thier own performances and being honest with evaluations , then the club would be in a far better position .
And John Bateman spent most of this past season blaming everyone but himself for his own performances , including the coach for not praising our 31 year old 650k international , for being sent to the bin again and giving away a million penalties at key moments in the game .
Or praising Klemmer for running at 80% pace and backing into the defensive line for 7m and a 40 sec play the ball .
For me if I was coach I would have 1 very simple message . It would simply be “
“do your Fudging job “ .
That’s in the weights room . You’re maxing out get a spot and do 2 more . You’re in recovery , that means stay in that ice bath for the whole time .
Youre studying film , you pay attention and absorb .
Youre doing never ending fitness / defence drills . You’re up and ready to go in the spot you’re supposed to be in the time you’ve been allocated.
You’re eating healthy , you’re focused and executing as close to a 💯 as you possibly can .
And most importantly you’re not worried about what anyone else is doing because you’re doing ;
You’re Fudging Job !
Because if you’re doing your job and the bloke next to you either side is doing thier job , then the work is getting done . And the results will speak for themselves .

What evidence do you have that these blokes weren’t doing their job off field?
 
If Turuva is indeed playing centre, but the club has also told Charlie Staines he is free to go if he can secure a contract elsewhere- who plays wing other than Skelton?

Luke Lualili'i? Naden?
 
And what would that be , hunt yes good pick up but not a noted worker horse , bird I think will be slotted into a centre spot , he also is a good signing but again not a game breaker , the club will again be a joke if we roll out all those blokes u put up , there not up to it against must of those other forward packs . Surely after this year u got to realise this , we how have a very very good back line but it will mean bugger all with a crap pack
I'd say our forwards look significantly worse than they actually are due to the supporting cast of outside backs from the previous seasons.

There are teams with forwards that do less hard work than the Tigers simply due to starting positions on the field. Yet those teams forwards are praised and ours is ridiculed.

Don't get me wrong- that doesn't mean I think we are a dominant forward pack.

But I think it's serviceable, if they are not under extreme duress 78 of 80 minutes.
 
I'd say our forwards look significantly worse than they actually are due to the supporting cast of outside backs from the previous seasons.

There are teams with forwards that do less hard work than the Tigers simply due to starting positions on the field. Yet those teams forwards are praised and ours is ridiculed.

Don't get me wrong- that doesn't mean I think we are a dominant forward pack.

But I think it's serviceable, if they are not under extreme duress 78 of 80 minutes.
Compare the Tigers forwards to ANY other side and we look weaker e.g. Titans
 
all I’m going to say is go back and watch the last game , and watch how when stef comes back on , it’s a freeway through the middle . He straight up quit on his mates . Quit on himself , and quit on the club .
You can say it’s the last game . Sure ! But take that game and the obvious lack of mental toughness .
And now transpose that to any game where we went into that game with the “if stef plays like he did last week/ against them X , we will win this “. And most of those types of games , eg . Against the roosters , he wasn’t up for it .
I honestly do not see that player as a loss . If it means his spot is up for grabs , good . So it should be . and should be a turnstile until some young prop , goes , I’m going to go out there and absolutely give it to the best props in the game .
There is 1 player I did see that in last year , and his name was Tim Johannson . His issue was he needs an nrl offseason in the gym to help his body match his intent .
He was most definitely up for the fight . And what was clear in all the games i saw of him, when he was on the field you knew it . He affected the outcome .
I don't disagree.

Pole isn't a downgrade. I actually think we will miss Bateman more, unless Seyfarth can continue to grow in the 2nd row.

I'm not sold on Bird at #13. But, I get why the club would put him there if it then becomes a position to be 'won' by Matamua, Sione Fainu, Fa'agutu or Kit Lualili'i through performance.

Bird can then shift to the centres, where I think he is better served. Then Turuva to the wing- where again, I think he is better served.

What happens at #13 can affect a number of positions.

Or, the club could just take my suggestion & play Latu Fainu in the centres.
 
Bateman certainly wasn't doing his job on the field, plus the fact he didn't bother to turn up for preseason two years in a row makes it pretty evident he wasn't committed off the field either
I wonder if Sheensy promised him the “veteran treatment” to get him to sign and then Benji wasn’t having it when his form dipped.
 
Compare the Tigers forwards to ANY other side and we look weaker e.g. Titans
Dolphins.
Bulldogs
Dragons
Raiders

I know you're going to tell me these forwards are significantly better.

I completely disagree.

And other than maybe 1 name forward, I don't think the Tigers are too far away from 2-3 other packs either.

Now, if you could tell me what those 4 teams I named have in common, you might see the point a few are making.
 
Compare the Tigers forwards to ANY other side and we look weaker e.g. Titans
Also- I will say that I think the Titans actually have one of the strongest forward packs in the competition, with depth through the lower grades as well.

Their issues are not all that different to the Tigers.
 
Does anyone think Toa could be an option on the wing? I’m not necessarily saying he is but maybe a bit like Lomax the shift could bring out something?? Reasonably strong runner so could focus on yardage, and defending at wing maybe a bit easier than centre. Not sure what he’s like under a high ball?

Either way I think we have too many centres in our top 30 and ideally need to shift 1-2 for squad balance.
 
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