Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Tiger Stripes]

I watched whatever podcast he mentioned this on (might've been a couple, think he was on the JAC/Mansour one too) - it was very much a that was his goal/intention and even what was discussed, but it definitely didn't come across locked in.

It will very much depend on who does enough to get a centre spot. Wouldn't be surprised at all if Taruva ends up on the wing, even if its after an unsuccessful transition to centre.

He's playing fullback for Fiji!!!!! Certainly knows how to pass.

 

[Vicious]

He's playing fullback for Fiji!!!!! Certainly knows how to pass.

What can Turuva possibly offer as a centre ?
He’s not big enough or powerful enough to run over opponents or make tackle busts and he’s not fast enough to run around or beat opponents for speed.
All he offers is someone who is willing to do a lot of ineffective hit ups each game, he’s dependable under the high ball and is a proven good finisher given the opportunity.
Not a player that is capable of digging us out of a hole on his own, that’s for sure.
The upside is he’s still very young and we can hopefully see the best of him in Wests Tigers colours, the downside is he looks to already be over the young and fearless stage and has already transformed into a player who plays with a bit of self preservation.

 

[2041]

Again - You missed the bit, where I said Outside Luai...
But you do you.

When another club recruits your Players (some while still under contract) - It's recruitment,
Goes both ways.
Are re-signings considered recruitment?
- Because you've (Conveniently) overlooked those in your list.
Like the Titans re-signing Brimson, Foran, Haas and Fifita....

Like I said, You do you....
Come back and tell me hoe fantastic the recruitment is / was after next year.

Mate, if you exclude the best player every club has recruited they all look bad. You're making up parameters to defend a ridiculous argument. Point me to a club whose second best recruit is better than Turuva.

And your definition is just outright wrong. It's called recruitment *and retention*. My last comment covered retention.

Keep moving them goalposts...

 

[Demps]

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

There's quite a few teams that are looking quite ordinary for 2025

 

[GNR4LIFE]

. Point me to a club whose second best recruit is better than Turuva.

Penrith - Blaize Talagi

 

[balmain boy]

Only thing is, does that move jahream to centres or Sua? Hopefully papi re-signs and we can bargain a loan option which then turns into a opportunity to buy him when his contract is up

Bula. He can focus on just running his lines at centre and has the athleticism to make a go of it.

Sua is faster and far more skilled. Perhaps not as strong defensively yet.

 

[boonboon]

Penrith - Blaize Talagi

The worst defender in the nrl isn't a great recruit - imo very overrated

 

[GNR4LIFE]

The worst defender in the nrl isn't a great recruit - imo very overrated

People would be salivating if he was coming here

 

[balmain boy]

Sure, but equally we can only sign what’s available. There’s no “you’re bad so you can have players who are contracted elsewhere” rule. I think that’s my point, actually: unfortunately, getting out of the hole this club has dug itself into Is a multi-year job. That’s reality. So denying positive progress just because it hasn’t fixed everything overnight is daft.

That's actually not true, and it surprises me people still think like this.

Each year most of the players who change clubs are under contracted and released early. It happens a lot. Clubs changings coaches, tactics or players needing a fresh start and a club happy to offload them.

 

[2041]

Penrith - Blaize Talagi

First being Papali'i? Hmm, maybe. So we're going with: our recruitment has been better than any club with the possible exception of the best club in the comp. I mean: I'll take it.

 

[balmain boy]

3 off them are backs the other two are fringe players at best , weather u like it or not ice and stepho are better than the two we got , wait till u see them preform in there new teams , and again what have we got to fall back on , OUR great nsw cup players , our club never learns , we let players walk whenever they like , even when contracted . The answer is get a coach like Bennett no matter what it costs and see the club go forward, he was available but we stick with rookie coach , no wonder players are walking out the door

None of them are fringe, all walk into our top 17 with ease.

 

[balmain boy]

Reality.

Who are Manly realistically going to swap to take Bateman off our books for us?

I believe Sipley is undervalued as well.

We don't need a pity swap from them. We're the ones offloading trash. If they take him and pay anywhere near half his salary it's a huge win for us.

Us freeing up a roster spot is what's paramount.

 

[balmain boy]

Laulili'i unequivocally earned his way into the first grade side. You do not debut an 18 year old who hasn't earned it.

Naden has tremendous natural ability. Ditto for Sullivan.

2024 Tigers showed plenty of examples of those earning spots through either performance in lower grades, 'coachability', effort areas or training professionalism.

Laulili'i, Johannssen, Faataape, Seyfarth

Conversely, there are many examples of talented or gifted footballers who were held back because they hadn't earned it.

Naden, Sullivan, Matamua

'Earning it' can and does mean more than simply doing time in Cup.

He actually didn't earn it. Not at all. A handful of NSW Cup matches where he was error prone and found out physically. That and some part time training sessions.

He has a much higher potential ceiling than any of the others, but he was picked purely on that potential, not on merit or performance.

I'm not saying he won't get there but he was extremely raw and shouldn't have been thrown in like that

 

[2041]

That's actually not true, and it surprises me people still think like this.

Each year most of the players who change clubs are under contracted and released early. It happens a lot. Clubs changings coaches, tactics or players needing a fresh start and a club happy to offload them.

Some players who are under contract move but you can't just demand the signing of contracted players. You see people on here saying we should sign, say, Payne Haas and Liam Martin on the basis that "contracted players move all the time". That's not how it works.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

First being Papali'i? Hmm, maybe. So we're going with: our recruitment has been better than any club with the possible exception of the best club in the comp. I mean: I'll take it.

Weren’t you just accusing someone else of moving the goalposts? 😅

You made that challenge quite matter of factly my man.

 

[balmain boy]

Some players who are under contract move but you can't just demand the signing of contracted players. You see people on here saying we should sign, say, Payne Haas and Liam Martin on the basis that "contracted players move all the time". That's not how it works.

Obviously, you can't just say we'll take XX player, thanks. But most clubs will have several players they're happy to move on. To suggest that we can only sign free agents is absurd.

 

[batboy]

That's actually not true, and it surprises me people still think like this.

Each year most of the players who change clubs are under contracted and released early. It happens a lot. Clubs changings coaches, tactics or players needing a fresh start and a club happy to offload them.

Blore wasn't available this year, Neither was Papalii...
Matterson in 2020, Aloiai before that....

Offer a player a reason and money, Most are available.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Parra told Gutho he could pound sand. Happens every year.

 

[Telltails]

We won't know how good anyones recruitment has been until next season.
Not many predicted the Bulldogs to finish top 5 after recruiting what we're mostly considered second string utilities, and plenty joked when Manly took Tommy T off our hands who was close to the best recruit of the season.

 

[2041]

Weren’t you just accusing someone else of moving the goalposts? 😅

You made that challenge quite matter of factly my man.

No it's not. In order to take Talagi as the second best signing one has to accept Papali'i as the best. That's a "hmm" from me - it means assuming his time at Parra is his true ability rather than his time at the Warriors or Tigers. That's not moving the goalposts, it's questioning your premises.

And I said I'd take it. Then you have to accept that Talagi is a better signing than Turuva - which is unproven. But I'll give you that, too. And then you get to: our recruitment may be very slightly less good than the best club in the comp. Which is a pretty long way from worse than everyone else's, which is where this nonsense began.