Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Sam Fainu has got me worried, I know it has only been one round of the comp so far but what he has shown in that game and the trials is concerning.

So far I have not seen any of the impact or potential that he displayed last season and it doesn't even look like that is him out there with that hair.

Hopefully he fires up real soon.
Not much ball and looked a bit under weight from last year need 3 or 4 kg added to his size , he will come good once he gets the combo going with Luai or Galvin , my concern is Seyfarth he also looks 5 kg down on last season , I thought Alex was good 2 nd half last year but was not great round one , again maybe add some kg and get combos going , must say the team looked like they had not done any combo work or attacking plays in the off season , I would bring in Billy slater as he was the mastermind of storm moves , he come up with a lot of plays
 
i agree but im hoping its just that he hasnt got good ball. I thought we tried to play through the middle too much (if that is a thing) and the ball we gave the edges was pretty ordinary. With api straightening the play up and hopefully a bit of depth i am hopeful both he and big red get some ok ball.
I saw it a bit that way as well. With Api providing time and space for the halves and middles I expect that to translate into straighter play for our halves. If we can also get some urgency into our PTB the defence will be more compressed and have less line speed - this should mean Galvin is less sideways on his side of the field and Luai will have space to set up his edge/centre. So much in the modern game revolves around ruck control (or lack of it).

We are chosing to play a flat attack, but that shouldn't mean Sam and the Baby Giraffe have no depth. There are only two choices for them; they run a spaces not faces, or Luai/Galvin shift a player so they can go through where they were. Everything else for them is variations on those themes; ie cutting back against the grain , running a X or Y line etc.
 
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With a contract clause that stated Klemmer would activate a contract extension of up around 800k for season 2026 if he played 12 or more games for Wests Tigers in 2025, nobody could argue that was an outrageous contract and the club had no option other than to advise Klemmer we would not be playing him for anymore than 12 games in 2025 as we were not happy with the contract clause for 2026.
Klemmer obviously would not have been happy about it, but it was better for us to be honest and give him a chance to move on which he has now done.
As myself and Rock Hopper Steve have previously stated, the concern is now our lack of depth in the forwards if we get any injuries.
I don’t believe we have any middle forwards or edge forwards outside of our top 17 that you could currently call NRL ready and have proven it with regular strong performances for our NSW Cup team.
Therefore common sense should be telling us it is not possible to go a full season without a few injuries to our forwards and therefore plans should already be in place to sign at least 1, but preferably 2 players from outside the club who can provide adequate cover to our NRL forwards and that’s in addition to the hopeful signing of Taylan May.
Keep a watch on Jayden Tanner and Charlie Murray both playing for our Wests Magpies NSW Cup team this week as they are both potentially players who could help our NRL team in the back half of 2025 once they are NRL eligible if they play to their potential.
Where do you get those numbers?
For starters the report was 14 games.
Was he really on 800,000 next year if the option kicks in?
 
I had someone argue with me that he gives 100% every game, will chase every kick and dive on every loose ball… that’s all well and good but pointless if you have the impact of a wet tissue. At som

You want to avoid last playing contracts but think signing a 33yo Sorenson would be alright … 🤔
Is he 33 already? Id take a 31 year old Sorensen after 58 missed tackles last week.... Still a couple of good years left and strong defender, which is one glaring weakness in our current squad.
Prob wont break the bank either.
 
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No argument.

And it hurt me to say suggest it.

But we are proper short in the back row.

If we lose Samuela and cop even one more injury, we're in deep, deep trouble.
Yes we are.
In fact Sam isnt playing the same as he was last year either at the moment.
What a terrific idea it was to let Papali'i and Bateman go....
 
Sam Fainu has got me worried, I know it has only been one round of the comp so far but what he has shown in that game and the trials is concerning.

So far I have not seen any of the impact or potential that he displayed last season and it doesn't even look like that is him out there with that hair.

Hopefully he fires up real soon.
This - have said the same thing. Seems out of sorts big time. We need him to fire
 
Yes we are.
In fact Sam isnt playing the same as he was last year either at the moment.
What a terrific idea it was to let Papali'i and Bateman go....

Heard Gus talking Squad Numbers the other day,
Mentioned allocating 6 Spots from Props, 6 Spots for Back Row and so on.
We've got 4!
2 of them have 30 mins First Grade between them,
1 is Alex Seyfarth (If you can make that Stretch)
Letting 2 internationals walk (For any reason) was just dumb.
 
Sam Fainu has got me worried, I know it has only been one round of the comp so far but what he has shown in that game and the trials is concerning.

So far I have not seen any of the impact or potential that he displayed last season and it doesn't even look like that is him out there with that hair.

Hopefully he fires up real soon.
My recollection of him receiving the ball from Galvin is; he has 2 guys waiting to smash him. Flashbacks of Lawrence hitting the line. He needs to be a decoy for a double pump, or cut out pass to someone else. Galvin is still on training wheels ATM.
 
Tigers players that hit the open market November 1 2025:

Api Koroisau, Jack Bird, Justin Olam, Kit Laulilii, Lachlan Galvin, Sione Fainu, Solomone Saukuru, Starford To'a, Tallyn Da Silva, Tony Sukkar, Jarome Luai, Jeral Skelton

Who from this lot do we NEED to resign??
 
Didn't get much good ball. He'll be fine. Still such a baby.

It's up to his halves to bring him into the game a bit more.
Hope you are right, but would have expected that there would be some sort of combination being worked on at training with Luai on that left side.

I know there has been no game time together but it doesn't really look like there has been much work on combinations at training right across the park, what do they actually work on at training?

Hope things start coming together pretty soon because if it doesn't happen real soon it feels like it's just another season slipping by.

We have the next 3 games coming up against teams that currently look just right for the picking at the moment, Parra-sites, Dolphins and Worriers.

If we don't pick up at least 2 wins there before we go to Brisbane for the Broncos we are well on the way to throwing another season away.

It all starts on Sunday, go the Wests Tigers!
 
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