Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Canadian Club]

There should be an annual Wests Tigers Forum award for the most over-hyped reserve grader of the off-season

2021 - Allan Fitzgibbon
2022 - Oliver Gildart/William Kei
2023 - Triston Reilly
2024 - Alex Lobb
2025 - Tim Johannssen (pending)

Any other nominations from years gone by?

 

[rihannafan1]

Short answer, yes, realistic or not, and particularly relating to the ever increasing prevalence of gambling's influence.

And who is a family club in the NRL then? Melbourne, maybe New Zealand? Any others?

 

[BAGNF05]

There should be an annual Wests Tigers Forum award for the most over-hyped reserve grader of the off-season

2021 - Allan Fitzgibbon
2022 - Oliver Gildart/William Kei
2023 - Triston Reilly
2024 - Alex Lobb
2025 - Tim Johannssen (pending)

Any other nominations from years gone by?

Forget who called it but Jet and BJ were going to be the best centre combination in the NRL.

 

[balmain boy]

People acting like it’s a done deal. The guy is a dead shit. The fact he was happy to risk throwing his career in the toilet while being apart of the best side of the modern era should be a huge red flag. No question of his talent. The guy is an absolute beast. But all the talent in the world is pretty useless if you are a maniac off the field.

The question is, has this process changed him? If he's found not guilty, and that's the first crucial step, then the question is can he show he's matured?

People make mistakes, some learn from them, others don't. And spend their lives in jail. See which path he chooses.

 

[Tim Sheens]

And who is a family club in the NRL then? Melbourne, maybe New Zealand? Any others?

You can decide for yourself.

 

[Merlot]

Forget who called it but Jet and BJ were going to be the best centre combination in the NRL.

Madge

 

[Canadian Club]

Forget who called it but Jet and BJ were going to be the best centre combination in the NRL.

That's a bit different, they were at least established NRL players who proved to be good players at some point in their career. Talking more about unproven reserve grade players who hadn't played more than a handful of NRL games.

 

[BAGNF05]

That's a bit different, they were at least established NRL players who proved to be good players at some point in their career. Talking more about unproven reserve grade players who hadn't played more than a handful of NRL games.

Personally I got carried away with the Gildart hype, then watched him play and he couldn’t draw and pass to save himself.

 

[balmain boy]

So a NSW Cup player who has never played backrow at any level in his juniors or seniors is suppose to turn into an NRL backrower in the space of a singular off season...

No one is saying he's going to turn into an origin player in an off season. No one is saying he'll be Ellis. He's just a very good young prospect, something which we have very little of in the forwards. And hopefully he can transition into a first grader next season.

First step is to get him on a development contract next year, cut faatape, and promote TJ. Make him full-time, and then see what he can do.

The prospect of him turning into a first grader is more likely than us signing a top prospect for our top 30. He was a standout in NSW cup, despite having no preseason with any team, and starting the year off in Ron massey...

 

[Tito Santana]

There should be an annual Wests Tigers Forum award for the most over-hyped reserve grader of the off-season

2021 - Allan Fitzgibbon
2022 - Oliver Gildart/William Kei
2023 - Triston Reilly
2024 - Alex Lobb
2025 - Tim Johannssen (pending)

Any other nominations from years gone by?

What was the PNG blokes name that people kept going on about?

 

[BAGNF05]

No one is saying he's going to turn into an origin player in an off season. No one is saying he'll be Ellis. He's just a very good young prospect, something which we have very little of in the forwards. And hopefully he can transition into a first grader next season.

First step is to get him on a development contract next year, cut faatape, and promote TJ. Make him full-time, and then see what he can do.

The prospect of him turning into a first grader is more likely than us signing a top prospect for our top 30. He was a standout in NSW cup, despite having no preseason with any team, and starting the year off in Ron massey...

Serious question. Is there a rule that says that development contracts must eventually result in a top 30 deal? Seems that’s the way WT have been structuring them anyway.

To me that’s not very logical, we think this guy requires work to get to FG level but we’re going to promise him a FG deal anyway. Providing a disincentive to get better.

 

[BAGNF05]

What was the PNG blokes name that people kept going on about?

Ngnutlick

 

[Tucker]

There should be an annual Wests Tigers Forum award for the most over-hyped reserve grader of the off-season

2021 - Allan Fitzgibbon
2022 - Oliver Gildart/William Kei
2023 - Triston Reilly
2024 - Alex Lobb
2025 - Tim Johannssen (pending)

Any other nominations from years gone by?

Liddle

 

[Canadian Club]

Liddle

Liddle has played 100+ NRL games. He is a legitimate NRL player. Definitely not a reserve grader...

 

[BAGNF05]

Liddle

The poor man’s Damien Cook. Whose about to be replaced by Damien Cook.

 

[weststigerman]

There should be an annual Wests Tigers Forum award for the most over-hyped reserve grader of the off-season

2021 - Allan Fitzgibbon
2022 - Oliver Gildart/William Kei
2023 - Triston Reilly
2024 - Alex Lobb
2025 - Tim Johannssen (pending)

Any other nominations from years gone by?

Spot on except for Gildart. He looked horrible in England the year we signed him.

In that year my vote is Rua the hooker who was to be the next Brandon Smith.

 

[Tucker]

Liddle has played 100+ NRL games. He is a legitimate NRL player. Definitely not a reserve grader...

When he was one he was overhyped to the shithouse…and beyond.
Isn’t that your point?

 

[Lestronge]

No idea how the magpies were the worst with all these ready made first graders mentioned.

Because the top 30 was weak as piss , we had a million injuries to the backline , so. Due to nature of attrition through the grades , we had NSW cup filling out the top squad , and Ron Massey , and Guys who started the season in SG ball and flegg , making up the majority of the cup teams.
The teams who dominate in cup usually are teams who field much older players .
That’s why cup , and more unfortunately flegg(when they had thier best players they were looking really competitive ) had shocking seasons .
But due to the strengthening of both the top 30 and the cup teams , and maybe a better year with the injury gods , we can have everyone in thier right grade .
If you think a team playing 38 players in the top grade isn’t going to be catastrophic to the lower grades , then I’ve got bad news for you .

 

[Lestronge]

Liddle has played 100+ NRL games. He is a legitimate NRL player. Definitely not a reserve grader...

We spent a lot of time trying to turn him into a schemer . The dragons have just bit the bullet , and let him play to his natural strengths and running game .

 

[Canadian Club]

When he was one he was overhyped to the shithouse…and beyond.
Isn’t that your point?

No the point is reserve graders who were overhyped in the off season and never really cracked first grade. Liddle made and stayed in first grade.

You look at all the players listed and all of them have either never played first grade or proven themselves as anything more than a fringe first grader.