Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Does anyone else remember what was happening when the "Big 4" talent decided to leave?
Anyone...? Let me refresh.

We were punting our club hooker. A player who was the soul of the club. A club junior...
The players realised it was all about money and gave up. Why would we do this again?

Api is a player who stayed with us through the Spoons. Several games, he was the only player with heart in the team. We loose TDS, meh Galvin ain't going to miss him. We loose Api and we loose an 80 minute worker (ok should be 60) and a player that has stuck with us for 3 spoons.

Lets not be Easts.
I also think Api performances have made him as good as any wests tigers players ever signed. Nobody can know if TDS is going to be better than Api in 12 months , personally he's not even close so why would you consider it. I don't see what alot of others do but they probably watch more footy than me . I'd take Api all day. Close to our best ever signing.
 
Next to latrell… they could car pool
Yea, ah ...

Are we talking about Selwin Cobbo?

Surely he would land a job with Fins or Titans.
The difference between him and Sloan is Selwin would be an upgrade.. although looking at their stats, it's pretty close:

Selwin clearly edging out as the better player.

and... Turuva kicks both their arses!
 
Jesus we could not possibly be that myopic. Heywood could be a lock, a 7 , a 6 ,,anything.. he is similar to his brother Bailey from the dogs 😉.. Tallyn is a local that would bleed for the club, you do not trade that away just because you have another good junior .. you manage the roster, you fit them all in and get them to feel a part of something .. this mercenary approach to players is exactly why the club struggles .. culture and working for the man next to you starts with showing loyalty and that you value a person for who they are..Tallyn is player that grew up dreaming to play for this club… that means something
Unfortunately, Ned, that's old school thinking. Money and results are all that matters.
 
After hearing Benji in his presser, this is how I feel it is playing out …

-Club happy to release TDS from 2026 given his salary is a reported $400k.

-Plan for Api to be #1 hooker until the end of 2028 with a transition to Jared Haywood.

-Part of TDS salary savings in ‘26 to frontload Api.

-Club would also sign a fulltime hooker into top 30 in ‘26, probably Tristan Hope on say $200k.

-Club would develop Heath Mason’s dummyhalf skills in pre-season to become our #14 and provide cover for Api.

-Club also sign Charlie Murray to a top 30 deal on $200k as purely a lock backup in NSW Cup who can also play dummyhalf.

-Chance that Josese Lanyon lands a dev or T&T contract so provides another dummyhalf option.
An Api injury away from Hope and Mason playing 9 would be enough to derail season 2026.

Can understand the club letting him go if there was adequate coverage but man, we will be short there next year if Hope is next man up. What do we get out of this apart from (more) salary to assign to some underperforming players? And (another) top 30 place to fill?
 
Up to Benji to sell a competent back up the vision I suppose. I know this has been done but it really surprises me we would be letting him go now with zero contingency for 2025 and a pretty loose plan for 26.
I don't think it's Benjis fault. Entirely.

Api is the captain and a great hooker.
TDS wants to be that guy, right now.
We simply cannot offer it to him.

He's gone and we move on.
We need to continually make moves to improve our team from here on out.
 
Not at all. We’ll still have a war chest. But it’s strategic …

Hope would be happy to take a cheap 1 year deal & is an ok backup hooker. Then he is replaced in 27 in the top 30 by Haywood who we have to have a spot for as he has a guaranteed upgrade then.

Murray is the same. Then his spot is used for another guaranteed upgrade then - Taupau-Moors or Godinet.

By 2027 hopefully Josese Lanyon becomes another upgrade option as a lock/hooker utility.

And back to our war chest, hopefully a top notch lock and/or strike edge.
What happens if Api gets a long term injury? We already have limited back row and prop depth and this will now extend to hooker.

We should already have a war chest with Olam’s medical retirement and Galvin’s $1M contract that he didn’t take. I don’t think there is the quality on the market to sign a quality lock.

We are relying on something to fall out of the tree which they only seem to be falling from our own tree.
 
It doesnt look like anyone else is coming to help the rest of this season ,,,
We ain't trending towards a finals run anyway.

Get the reps in and move to improve the 30.
Hopefully we can do better next year.

2025 another year of dramas and nonsense.
Weed out the goofs who don't want to be here.
Continue to build a culture and a tight knit playing group.

The struggle continues.
 

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