Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

BlackWhiteGold said:
- All 6 development players only contracted to dev squad for 2025. Makasini promoted to top 30 in 2026. So 6 whole development spots up for grabs in 2026.
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Lachlan Broederlow has one of the development contracts for 2026 already which was confirmed by the club and Tim Johannssen sounds like he will either have another or move into the Top 30 (it mentioned he signed on a 2 year deal). However, it is good to have a bit of freedom on those spots even if it is 4 free ones to see how players progress over the next 12 months.

Bit disappointed we don't have 1 free spot this pre-season to see who can earn it through their train and trial contract.
 
user118245 said:
People will be moved throughout season
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Oh there will definitely be player movement throughout the season as is always the case. But I meant more along the lines of having 1 development spot available for all the train and trialists. Basically make it a competition for that spot over the pre-season or up until the new year at least. They all know it is there, know what they are competing for and go hard for it. Would help lift the standards at training even further in my opinion.
 
Tigers_Wests said:
Lachlan Broederlow has one of the development contracts for 2026 already which was confirmed by the club and Tim Johannssen sounds like he will either have another or move into the Top 30 (it mentioned he signed on a 2 year deal). However, it is good to have a bit of freedom on those spots even if it is 4 free ones to see how players progress over the next 12 months.

Bit disappointed we don't have 1 free spot this pre-season to see who can earn it through their train and trial contract.
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Zero Tackle can now reveal that Johannssen has been rewarded with a train and trial contract for the 2025 season.

He also has an option in his favour for the following year, which will see him either join the Wests Tigers Top 30 roster or move to a development contract for the 2026 season.
 
twentyforty said:
He’s definitely a Benji recruit. Benji had final say on players’ signings from day one. Or at least that was what the club wanted us to believe.
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All the talk at the time suggested he was most definately a Sheens signing as he kept on talking about how Bateman was our "X" factor that the club needed.No way do i believe that Benji pushed for his signature,certainly he possibly had the final decision but it was always Sheens that was pushing for it.
A terrible piece of recruitment.
 
coivtny said:
I’m getting sick of Manly taking our players like vultures eating flesh from a rotting corpse. They’ve become the new Cronulla. We should have leveraged off Onitoni Large.
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His contract was mutually terminated and he then signed with Manly - there was no leverage to be gained because he was able to sign with any club once the contract was terminated.
 
jadtiger said:
All the talk at the time suggested he was most definately a Sheens signing as he kept on talking about how Bateman was our "X" factor that the club needed.No way do i believe that Benji pushed for his signature,certainly he possibly had the final decision but it was always Sheens that was pushing for it.
A terrible piece of recruitment.
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I agree, Sheens was a driving force in Batemans recruitment and I recall him calling him the “lead domino” etc. Sheens and McDonell were also doing the horse trading with the agent. Moved our unwanted half to knights on big money, got Klemmer and bumped up Eels contract for Moses etc as you would expect with Benji being a newby.
I believed Sheens when he said no player will be signed that Benji doesn’t want. Benji has final approval. He’s the coach for the next 5 years.
I know it makes people feel good to blame the guy who doesn’t work here anymore, but it’s not my go.
 
kade7 said:
😂 if anyone has gone back and seen what i have posted would be quite easy to connect the dots on where some of the news comes from
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I’m not Sherlock Holmes, and don’t really care to be, or care where you get your information from, I just care that you post what you hear and I thank you for sharing.
You keep your sauce to yourself, unless he signs to play for the Tigers, then I wanna know. 👍🏻👍🏻
 
Roar_Power said:
Zero Tackle can now reveal that Johannssen has been rewarded with a train and trial contract for the 2025 season.

He also has an option in his favour for the following year, which will see him either join the Wests Tigers Top 30 roster or move to a development contract for the 2026 season.
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That sounds like a good contract structure. T and T, then Dev, or if you’re good enough NRL.
Only thing is it means we can’t play him in the NRL till round 11 even if he has a big off season.
 
hsvjones said:
I'm with you... If he doesn't want to pull the finger out and join the Croc roll ... 2 options..

1 stay and play reserve grade
2 find a club that will take you with us paying 200k max..

Balls in his court and I would say you have until this date or back to option 1 and expect you to arrive the 1st day your required for Pre-season.
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Noones stopping the sook from taking a paycut. Or doing what's expected of him and earning his full contract value
 
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jadtiger said:
All the talk at the time suggested he was most definately a Sheens signing as he kept on talking about how Bateman was our "X" factor that the club needed.No way do i believe that Benji pushed for his signature,certainly he possibly had the final decision but it was always Sheens that was pushing for it.
A terrible piece of recruitment.
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I can't hold Benji too the fire over Batemans deal. If I'm Benji and the bloke I trust to teach me to coach says we need a certain player I'd just go with it, how was Benji to know the bloke was delusional.
 
king_sirro said:
If you don't think Nikora is in the top 5 backrowers then you haven't watched him
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I don't know about Top 5, but he's quality, regardless.

Crichton
Olakau'atu
Martin
Eli Katoa
Kikau

Are probably the 5 for me for from this year. But I'm probably forgetting some other quality. I mean, Cam Murray played on an edge on the weekend just gone.
 
Releasing the young guy to manly may sound dumb but maybe Richo and Benji had a meeting and new if the kid didn’t get his way he would be a pain in he butt , Maybe they said this is what’s in stalled for you and he said no thanks , well move him on and give a kid who wants to be hear a go , Galvin I feel may have been right on the edge of going but thought better of it with Luai coming , he had time to improve and move on latter or maybe he enjoys playing with Luai and extends , what we do need to do is only use pathways for a couple of guns not 6,8 or 10 maybe kids , , 2 gun players can make a world of difference to a team that also has players who want to be there and try hard each and every week .
we need 3 more experienced players and we will compete and the kids coming along will just need to knuckle down and do what’s ask of them
 
Kelce68 said:
I don't know about Top 5, but he's quality, regardless.

Crichton
Olakau'atu
Martin
Eli Katoa
Kikau

Are probably the 5 for me for from this year. But I'm probably forgetting some other quality. I mean, Cam Murray played on an edge on the weekend just gone.
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I think Nikora comfortably outplayed all of those except Crichton in 2024.

Nikora has been consistently good for a long time now. He went to another level this year. It will be interesting to see of he can maintain that standard. He is very small and that can catch up with you.
 
king_sirro said:
I think Nikora comfortably outplayed all of those except Crichton in 2024.

Nikora has been consistently good for a long time now. He went to another level this year. It will be interesting to see of he can maintain that standard. He is very small and that can catch up with you.
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Comfortably outplayed Martin and Katoa (Dally M second rower of the year) in particular this year?

Fair enough. I don't.

But, I agree, he's high quality, consistent and has a lot of football left in him.

I fork out 750/800 for him every day of the week (I think... haha).
 
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