Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Kaito]

👀👀👀

I'll shackle Hendrix bro

 

[Kaito]

 

[vlad]

So we had Terrell May on our books in 2020 when we were dying for good forwards.

yeesh.

Dragons v Magpies

St George Illawarra Dragons NSW Cup versus Western Suburbs Magpies match centre includes live scores and updates. Includes official live player and team stats. Run metres, fantasy points scoring.

www.nswrl.com.au

you can see him in this team list from 2020 in jersey 15

some interesting names in both teams

 

[BAGNF05]

Everything you have written here is correct; however, we don't know what metric Benji and Richo were using. Clearly the spoon wasn't in the plan, but blooding the youth and sticking with it was. I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with them and have a chat about the plan - without understanding it we are all second guessing.

If 2024 was a reset, a chance to look hard at what we have in the pipeline in order to set us up over the long term then perhaps it wasn't a bad thing. Clearly the brains trust has a higher opionion of our forward pack than us unwashed or 2025 is a cap roster balancing exercise with a view to having a balanced squad and a shot at the tile in the 26-30.

Richo and Benji refer to a plan that we know nothing about. I'm prepared to give them some rope; while we aren't moving at the pace I would like, I think we are definitely moving in the right direction.

Richo did a good podcast with James Graham shortly before joining us. He talked extensively about fixing up a roster and from memory, he’s following it here to a tee. Talked about needing to have the ‘cream players’ and then filling out your squad with reliable foot soldiers and emerging talent. Looking where we are, we need to offload some of the juniors in our top 30 who simply aren’t that great and replacing them with foot soldiers. That to me is his plan over the next 48 months.

 

[yeahcaz]

Tell your handlers they're wrong cazzy

I hope they are

 

[yeahcaz]

Buttt I’m pretty confident He’ll be a bulldog or stay at the roosters

 

[NZTiger]

What's the latest with Leo Thompson? He was a wrecking ball for the Kiwis the other day albeit v PNG of course.

 

[innsaneink]

Think what you like about Benji & his ability to coach.

The 2024 record was better than 2023 & 2022.

If there is improvement again in 2025, there's an argument to be made that we are seeing progress.

For mine, it's clear that the coaching staff needs to work on defence. In only 2 seasons since Ivan Cleary was here (including the Cleary season) the club has only scored more points than Benji's 2024 points tally twice.

Our defence was the worst it has been EVER, including the Terry Lamb years.

We cut the points scored by a third- we are off the bottom of the table. Cut it by half- we are talking the Golden Years of 9.

500 points against. The absolute focus should be on staying below 500 points against for the season.

I say it every year.... We concede an avg of 3 tries per game we give ourselves a shot.
It difficult when you have trouble winning two on the trot...

 

[Darty the winger]

Do we really need another clean out?
We have some good players here.
Train them. Coach them.

We will turnover a third of the 2025 team before 2026 starts !!

 

[Lestronge]

Everything you have written here is correct; however, we don't know what metric Benji and Richo were using. Clearly the spoon wasn't in the plan, but blooding the youth and sticking with it was. I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with them and have a chat about the plan - without understanding it we are all second guessing.

If 2024 was a reset, a chance to look hard at what we have in the pipeline in order to set us up over the long term then perhaps it wasn't a bad thing. Clearly the brains trust has a higher opionion of our forward pack than us unwashed or 2025 is a cap roster balancing exercise with a view to having a balanced squad and a shot at the tile in the 26-30.

Richo and Benji refer to a plan that we know nothing about. I'm prepared to give them some rope; while we aren't moving at the pace I would like, I think we are definitely moving in the right direction.

I don’t think blooding 39 players was the plan at all . I think with the way the senior players honestly , didn’t perform , he leaned more and more on the kids , to the point by the time Bateman blew up , Benji had all but checked out on half the playing group .
Especially in the backs . Sullivan , Naden , toa(got injured I know ) even AD , Sezer refusing to not hang off blokes in his tackles .
If you’d have told Benji or any coach that his realistically starting 7 of Bula , Staines , Naden , Olam , Tupou , Sullivan and Sezer , would eventually be Mason , Lobb , faatape , feledy , Alimalo , Galvin and Fainu … I mean what the hell .
That’s literally last years KOE backline . What should have been . Chuck Luke luallii as well . I mean it’s not good . I’m not defending Benji , but it’s pretty shit when you write it down .

 

[TigerNeddyK]

Its a weird story this one on May.
Been good on the field and done nothing wrong off it according to his coach.
Who have Roosters got in their sights?

Who bloody cares, Mabye thats a question for the Roosters forum signings and suggestions page ?

 

[Jolls]

Richo did a good podcast with James Graham shortly before joining us. He talked extensively about fixing up a roster and from memory, he’s following it here to a tee. Talked about needing to have the ‘cream players’ and then filling out your squad with reliable foot soldiers and emerging talent. Looking where we are, we need to offload some of the juniors in our top 30 who simply aren’t that great and replacing them with foot soldiers. That to me is his plan over the next 48 months.

I think you are right there and it sort of aligns with my observations. I agree that we need to offload some of the juniors in the short term; but I can't see where our cream forwards are coming from at the moment.

Letting Stef go based on his performances for us and the $ he was chasing made sense. Not sure why ICE did not fit in with the plans going forward. Benji and Richo have to have a plan - buggered if I can figure that part of it out though.

 

[Tucker]

Who bloody cares, Mabye thats a question for the Roosters forum signings and suggestions page ?

Obviously I do and those who responded, including you do.

 

[Yossarian]

View attachment 17397

And let's not forget the on-site barber...

 

[Jolls]

I don’t think blooding 39 players was the plan at all . I think with the way the senior players honestly , didn’t perform , he leaned more and more on the kids , to the point by the time Bateman blew up , Benji had all but checked out on half the playing group .
Especially in the backs . Sullivan , Naden , toa(got injured I know ) even AD , Sezer refusing to not hang off blokes in his tackles .
If you’d have told Benji or any coach that his realistically starting 7 of Bula , Staines , Naden , Olam , Tupou , Sullivan and Sezer , would eventually be Mason , Lobb , faatape , feledy , Alimalo , Galvin and Fainu … I mean what the hell .
That’s literally last years KOE backline . What should have been . Chuck Luke luallii as well . I mean it’s not good . I’m not defending Benji , but it’s pretty shit when you write it down .

I also doubt that the initial plan was to blood so many. There was definitley a focus on blooding youth though. While I don't agree with throwing some of the young guys to the wolves, I'm not sure any other coach would have reacted much differently. Between Bud stinking it up, Naden's brain farts, Stef's head not in the game, AD's attrocious defence and injuries what othr options were there. Play the kids or accept the "standard" being set by the more senior players.

I guess it all comes down to perception:

• Was it Benji setting standards or had he checked out on some of the playing group?
• Were we deliberately blooding juniors or were we forced into it by injuries and performance issues?
• Was 2024 a year of assessment to baseline the group with a view to understanding the foundation so we can build the squad or were we jumping around without a plan?
• ICE didn't fit where we were heading or we let him go without a plan?

If only we coudl sit down over a beer and have a candid chat with Benji and Richo.

 

[BAGNF05]

I think you are right there and it sort of aligns with my observations. I agree that we need to offload some of the juniors in the short term; but I can't see where our cream forwards are coming from at the moment.

Letting Stef go based on his performances for us and the $ he was chasing made sense. Not sure why ICE did not fit in with the plans going forward. Benji and Richo have to have a plan - buggered if I can figure that part of it out though.

Talks about recruitment around the 51 minute mark.

The cream he talks about is the spine. Seems to indicate he wants hard working reliable forwards to support them, mentions Twal specifically at one point.

 

[Needaname]

Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has personally pitched to Roosters forward Terrell May as the race for the Samoan prop’s signature turns into an all-Sydney shootout between the Tigers, the Bulldogs and St George Illawarra.

This masthead understands that May and Marshall met on Tuesday as the powerhouse forward completed his initial round of talks with the three clubs looking to sign him from the Roosters, having been granted permission to explore his options on the open market.

May has also spoken to Dragons coach Shane Flanagan and Dogs’ boss Cameron Ciraldo and is expected to make a final call on his future in the next fortnight.

It is understood May walked away from talks with Marshall impressed with his plans for the club and the Tigers have a significant factor in their favour in the form of Jarome Luai, who is close to the May family.

A tug of war for Terrell May has begun between the Tigers, Dragons and Bulldogs. Picture: NRL Imagery
Luai is yet to begin training with the Tigers but it is believed he spoke to May while they were in camp together in England with the Samoan team.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who called May in England to inform him of the club’s decision to let him leave, broke his silence on that decision on Tuesday as the club launched a record sponsorship deal with Chinese auto manufacturer BYD, believed to be worth close to $10 million over the next five years.

Robinson dismissed rumours that May’s character had played a role in the club’s decision to cut him loose.

“They’re difficult ones,” Robinson said.

“Terrell is a really, really good player. That’s why I played him in so many games this year. But it does give opportunities to some guys underneath that to play more.

Benji Marshall has met with May, who was reportedly impressed by the West Tigers coach. Picture: Getty Images

“Terrell is not going to have trouble finding a club, the quality he plays with. He is not of bad character, he has not done anything wrong.

“I think that has been thrown out there. He has been a value add to our group and there are just some small bits there around how we want to play and also the longevity of Terrell.

“We felt like it was time to move in a different direction and expressed that to Terrell. The difficult thing has been that people have questioned his character around that and that shouldn’t be the case.”

May played 27 games this year and was rewarded for his form with a contract extension, only to be told he was free to leave six months after inking that new deal.

“People go what is the reason?” Robinson said. “Sometimes there is a small two or three reasons and it does give an opportunity for some guys. There is 27 games there for someone to play,” Robinson said.

If the Tigers manage to secure his signature, it would represent a homecoming of sorts. May played pre-season trials for the club alongside the likes of Adam Douehi and Alex Seyfarth in the 2020 pre-season before finding a home in first grade at the Roosters.

Dragons v Magpies

St George Illawarra Dragons NSW Cup versus Western Suburbs Magpies match centre includes live scores and updates. Includes official live player and team stats. Run metres, fantasy points scoring.

www.nswrl.com.au

you can see him in this team list from 2020 in jersey 15

some interesting names in both teams

Last game of the year. Can’t believe we had Jordin Leui in our cup side as well.

 

[balmain boy]

Last game of the year. Can’t believe we had Jordin Leui in our cup side as well.

COVID meant that many of these players on semi-pro contracts couldn't train or play with NRL squads. Was a tough time and many of these players never kicked on..May was one of the lucky ones that did

 

[TigerBlood93]

Have you watched any football in the last four years?

I have, have you? Could of just sent a logical reply instead of wasting both of our time

 

[2041]

I have, have you? Could of just sent a logical reply instead of wasting both of our time

I’m not sure why this needs to be spelled out, but anyway: the single thing this Penrith team is most famous for is that its outside backs do a lot of the hard yards bringing the ball out of defence, thus leaving their forwards fresh for defensive work and attacking closer to the line.