Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

It's an overpay but given where the cap is going and the fact we've got 2 more teams coming in, the reality is a lot of signings will look like overpays.

Anyway you're better off overpaying guys who can become stars than overpaying average guys or guys who have peaked.
 
orange&black said:
When you watch teams with elite edge players you can see the value they bring to their respective squads and it accentuates what we are missing. Katoa, Kikau, Olakoatu, Kolamatagi, Nanai, Martin, Crighton, etc. These guys are match winners. Seriously our squad is so weak, until we get some elite quality players in these key positions we will struggle to play finals football - doesn’t matter who the coach is!
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💯
 
orange&black said:
When you watch teams with elite edge players you can see the value they bring to their respective squads and it accentuates what we are missing. Katoa, Kikau, Olakoatu, Kolamatagi, Nanai, Martin, Crighton, etc. These guys are match winners. Seriously our squad is so weak, until we get some elite quality players in these key positions we will struggle to play finals football - doesn’t matter who the coach is!
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Absolutely correct.
 
TigerBurnsy said:
for what its worth i did ask chatGPT plus this prompt: how would you fix wests tigers if you took over as ceo
and this is what i received:
Fixing the Wests Tigers as CEO is a massive but not impossible task—it would require strong leadership, ruthless honesty, long-term vision, and short-term accountability. Here’s a structured plan for turning the club around:



🔧 STEP 1:​


1.​


  • Clean out ineffective board members and streamline decision-making.
  • Appoint a Head of Football with premiership experience, not ex-players on sentiment.
  • Rebuild a functional front office with data-driven executives (see Penrith or Brisbane models).

2.​


  • Are we Balmain or Western Suburbs? Decide.
  • Rebuild a unified culture—new mission, values, and identity.
  • Commit to being either a development club (Penrith-style) or an aggressive recruitment club (Roosters-style). Not both.


🏋️ STEP 2:​


1.​


  • Hire a modern tactical coach—someone who understands man management and analytics.
  • Back the coach fully with non-negotiables: no interference, but performance benchmarks must be hit.

2.​


  • Appoint an elite head of recruitment with runs on the board.
  • Fix the pathway leaks. Too many juniors leave (e.g., Josh Addo-Carr, Ryan Papenhuyzen).
  • Stop overpaying for average players. Tear up the old contract culture.

3.​


  • Clean out toxic elements.
  • Identify future leaders (e.g., Apisai Koroisau, if he buys in) and build around them.


🌱 STEP 3:​


  • Partner heavily with Western Sydney schools and clubs.
  • Invest in junior coaching, mentorship programs, and education.
  • Build a West Sydney Centre of Excellence for juniors.
  • Make staying at Tigers the dream—create a Penrith-style loyalty pipeline.


💰 STEP 4:​


  • Rebuild trust with transparency: regular CEO updates, open fans forums.
  • Fix Leichhardt and Campbelltown split—play strategically at both but push for a long-term home base.
  • Target new sponsorship via Western Sydney business networks.
  • Improve game-day experience (cheap tickets, family zones, fan interaction).


🧠 STEP 5:​


  • Invest in sports science, recovery, analytics, and mindset coaching.
  • Players must meet strict fitness, discipline, and off-field standards.
  • Build a winning mentality—reward effort, not just talent.


⏳ Measurable Goals​


  • Year 1: Off-field reset, talent pathways realigned, recruitment improved.
  • Year 2: Outside finals but with clear signs of improvement (10–12 wins).
  • Year 3: Play finals footy.
  • Year 5: Become a top-4 club with stable leadership and elite pathways.


❌ No-Go Tactics​


  • No ex-players coaching without credentials (nostalgia is killing the club).
  • No panic signings.
  • No blaming the media or fans—take accountability.


TL;DR: Rebuild leadership, define identity, overhaul recruitment, develop juniors, reconnect with fans, and build a culture of elite standards.
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Love it - sounds pretty simple when it is laid out in that format. Now add the people you would hire in key positions to see if it makes sense.
 
No one will like this but the reality is we will continue to loose our juniors until we win and win consistently.

We need to give them a reason to stay and future they can see and believe in.

Dose anyone thinks Melbourne retains all of their talent after 3 spoons in a row. Successful clubs can stockpile talent because they are successful.

It's a harsh reality but it's true, until we win consistently get used to them walking out the door ......
 
How can the club expect fans to rock up to the Roosters game next weekend; it will be a bloodbath. Management have closed the book on yet another season; preferring to pad the bank account and look profitable rather than get results on the field. The next month will be a disaster and at the end of it we will be in our rightful position at the bottom of the ladder. It is so frustrating as every season starts with hopes and dreams and ends in the same old proverbial....
 
Roar_Power said:
How can the club expect fans to rock up to the Roosters game next weekend; it will be a bloodbath. Management have closed the book on yet another season; preferring to pad the bank account and look profitable rather than get results on the field. The next month will be a disaster and at the end of it we will be in our rightful position at the bottom of the ladder. It is so frustrating as every season starts with hopes and dreams and ends in the same old proverbial....
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Forget the Roosters game, what about at LO the week after against the only side who can compete with us as the worst side in the comp. They’ll be flooding Mary Street that day.
 
Vicious said:
Do you think it’s the middle forwards or the edge forwards letting us down ?
My theory is it’s more our edge forwards letting us down and it doesn’t seem to matter who we select to play there.
They are all doing their best, but lack the speed and athleticism to be quality edge forwards.
I know our starting middles got outplayed on Friday night, but I thought we held our own if not got slightly ahead once our replacement middles come on and Pole’s 2nd stint was much better than his first.
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Both middle & edge are issues I reckon, mate. The absolute best we ever do is to hold our own. We never dominate and run riot over the opposition. Sam Fainu has so much potential, but not being used optimally wide. Many think he's more suited to the middle. Pole has the build & athleticism to be a wrecker through the middle, but imo lacks any mongrel. The rest are all workers, grafters. Like May, they'll grind away but we need much more impact to bend the defence back, have them scrambling to hold us & get to marker. That's what we see from our mob every game. Imagine Latu, Luai,etc, playing with much more time & space.
 
Bud Sullivan has a broken leg as reported this morning in the DT.

The question is will the Rabbits continue on to sign him for next year as previously reported.

Or will this change things now & he’ll come back reluctantly to his $500k+ contract with us?
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
Bud Sullivan has a broken leg as reported this morning in the DT.

The question is will the Rabbits continue on to sign him for next year as previously reported.

Or will this change things now & he’ll come back reluctantly to his $500k+ contract with us?
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Beautiful to look at
Nice to behold
But if it's broken
Consider it sold.
 
I would hope Richo announced TDS gone and at least 2 players joining us now even if it for the rest of the season , he has had ample time to dig around , do deals even with Parra and co , wiping this year out is a poor look and poor effort , only one way Richo and Benji save face would be having 2 guns arrive in 2025 on top of KPP as he wound save us he will help but not by much .Team Tuesday will be very interesting , so I throw this out select Lobb at Fullback , give him a crack against a team most likely to give it to us see what he can do , have a solid game of capitulate
 
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