Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

gregjm87 said:
Yeah. I'll add his defensive issues have been there his whole career. It isn't to blame on being in a poorer team, though he has on the odd occasion been left stranded by his inside men. He is approaching the stage in his career where he really should be improving an obvious weakness.
I was going to write as yet I haven't seen any improvements, but that wouldn't be quite true. The opening month I was praising him and saying I'd judged him wrong as a player. Since then he has fallen back to old habits. So I don't think there is no hope he can improve this aspect but I do think it will be a continual concern.
I also think he has physical limitations that mean he will always need those inside him to create for him. He doesn't have the physical attributes to change games himself.
He is pretty quick but not a genuine speedster. He is pretty strong but not a genuine power runner. He is pretty agile but not a genuine mover. And he is no aerial threat.
The elite wingers can change the course of a game with one of the above. Turuva can not. I understand he isn't being paid elite money but he is on the next tier down money wise. As such I think he needs to improve his actual weaknesses to perform to that level, given he doesn't have that little bit extra to his game to offer.
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He is very good at beating the first defender which makes him a classy outside back in the NRL. Rarely misses an opportunity for a try.

On D - It’s up to our coaches to develop defensive structures that don’t rely on your winger being asked to make too many critical decisions. I don’t know if I’ve seen many great defensive wingers, they’re normally playing there because they’d let you down in another defensive position.

Very happy with this guys contribution to our club and feels like he’s one of the guys who can help change the culture.
 
gregjm87 said:
Yeah. I'll add his defensive issues have been there his whole career. It isn't to blame on being in a poorer team, though he has on the odd occasion been left stranded by his inside men. He is approaching the stage in his career where he really should be improving an obvious weakness.
I was going to write as yet I haven't seen any improvements, but that wouldn't be quite true. The opening month I was praising him and saying I'd judged him wrong as a player. Since then he has fallen back to old habits. So I don't think there is no hope he can improve this aspect but I do think it will be a continual concern.
I also think he has physical limitations that mean he will always need those inside him to create for him. He doesn't have the physical attributes to change games himself.
He is pretty quick but not a genuine speedster. He is pretty strong but not a genuine power runner. He is pretty agile but not a genuine mover. And he is no aerial threat.
The elite wingers can change the course of a game with one of the above. Turuva can not. I understand he isn't being paid elite money but he is on the next tier down money wise. As such I think he needs to improve his actual weaknesses to perform to that level, given he doesn't have that little bit extra to his game to offer.
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This is just off the top of my head, but Im not sure I remember him failing to convert a try scoring opportunity? Has he been bundled into touch going for the corner? Hes a pretty strong finisher, shrugging off cover defence quite easily.
 
Just my take on things at the moment, I am no expert, only a long standing Tigers and Wests Tigers supporter, have followed this club through good and bad times, be it very few good times at that. Everyone is expressing the view that we will be recruiting a replacement half, or 5/8 following the departure of Galvin. I personally think that Shane Richardson has no intentions of recruiting anyone to play in those positions, to do so will destabilize our team even further, with Latu asking for a release. We have sufficient backup players once Galvin departs, namely Latu, Bud Sullivan, Mason and even a rotation of Api in the halves and TDS at hooker, which in my mind solves a few issues regarding TDS asking for more play time.

That being said, I think management will concentrate on positions of vital need, namely second row and center, maybe even a front row forward.

Throw in those 3 new players and we look much more formidable moving forward. If I was Shane Richardson that's where I would be concentrating to strengthen the team.
 
TTTiger said:
Just my take on things at the moment, I am no expert, only a long standing Tigers and Wests Tigers supporter, have followed this club through good and bad times, be it very few good times at that. Everyone is expressing the view that we will be recruiting a replacement half, or 5/8 following the departure of Galvin. I personally think that Shane Richardson has no intentions of recruiting anyone to play in those positions, to do so will destabilize our team even further, with Latu asking for a release. We have sufficient backup players once Galvin departs, namely Latu, Bud Sullivan, Mason and even a rotation of Api in the halves and TDS at hooker, which in my mind solves a few issues regarding TDS asking for more play time.

That being said, I think management will concentrate on positions of vital need, namely second row and center, maybe even a front row forward.

Throw in those 3 new players and we look much more formidable moving forward. If I was Shane Richardson that's where I would be concentrating to strengthen the team.
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If Latu’s injury run continues that effectively leaves us with Heath Mason in the halves. He’s played no first grade there and been fount out defensively when he has defended in the front line. We have to be thinking about another option (and we definitely are given the Reynolds comments)
 
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BAGNF05 said:
If Latu’s injury run continues that effectively leaves us with Heath Mason in the halves. He’s played no first grade there and been fount out defensively when he has defended in the front line. We have to be thinking about another option (and we definitely are given the Reynolds comments)
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It may well be the case that Latu has ongoing issues with his hamstring, no one can predict. But we still have Bud Sullivan who has played first grade both with us and Souths, and more importantly under Wayne Bennett. And Bud has never made negative comments about our club.
Question is what do we do for the remainder of the season, with Latu still not 100%, who plays 5/8. Do we go out and buy a new player and risk loosing Latu in the process?
I think we should improvise with either Mason or Api. This gives Latu time to heal and recover. How many back up halves do we need? And more importantly, wouldn't it be better to spend this money on positions of need.
 
Tucker said:
This is just off the top of my head, but Im not sure I remember him failing to convert a try scoring opportunity? Has he been bundled into touch going for the corner? Hes a pretty strong finisher, shrugging off cover defence quite easily.
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Pretty sure that he was bundled into touch the other week, though most of the blame should be apportioned to Staines who gave it too early.
 
TTTiger said:
It may well be the case that Latu has ongoing issues with his hamstring, no one can predict. But we still have Bud Sullivan who has played first grade both with us and Souths, and more importantly under Wayne Bennett. And Bud has never made negative comments about our club.
Question is what do we do for the remainder of the season, with Latu still not 100%, who plays 5/8. Do we go out and buy a new player and risk loosing Latu in the process?
I think we should improvise with either Mason or Api. This gives Latu time to heal and recover. How many back up halves do we need? And more importantly, wouldn't it be better to spend this money on positions of need.
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Don’t get me wrong, I’m giving Latu first crack but if that doesn’t pan out I’m not happy with anything we already have, including bud.
 
user118245 said:
Immediate 3.5 year deal, Galvin to bulldogs
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The questions now are who do we fill that spot with and wtf does $165k actually do for us?

I suppose the transfer fee can be used to pay out a player somewhere else to come across to us or pay out a Tumeth or Matamua.

Our halves are now Latu and Luai, Douehi backup and then Heath Mason or Api 😔
 
A comment from the broadcast in the Parra-Manly game the other night that got my attention was that Jason Ryles has changed a few of their forwards body shapes since taking over.
Something that I think the Tigers have to many of is lean forward compared to other teams.
We have
Twal
Sam Latu
Seyfarth
T.May
All with bodies look like they could could compete in triathlon’s
(Ok maybe exaggerated)
To me it’s a reason why our pack struggles early in games.
Sione Fainu, Pole & Hunt have the power body shape but unfortunately haven’t got the endurance needed at this point in their careers and Hunt will never get it so will always be a 20 minute player.
 
rihannafan1 said:
The questions now are who do we fill that spot with and wtf does $165k actually do for us?

I suppose the transfer fee can be used to pay out a player somewhere else to come across to us or pay out a Tumeth or Matamua.

Our halves are now Latu and Luai, Douehi backup and then Heath Mason or Api 😔
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The money doesn’t go to players. It goes to the club’s operating costs.
 
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