Tiger Stripes
Well-known member
Yes, but not reliable. Needs a lot more practice and hopefully will then be OK?
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
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BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Thanks @jrtiger you are spot on. Fair dinkum I don't know why the club can't communicate this & player numbers. There is also an U18 development game on today at 1:30pm on Bar TV for those interested - WT v Sharks. I'll try to watch both games at some point & provide some notes in the pathways thread if I can make out the players.
jrtiger
Well-known member
you're a legend BWG.
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
I've DMed the WT pathways account on Insta to pull their finger out and communicate this stuff.
There’s no rush really. I reckon Api will be announced just prior to the Titans game at Leichhardt
tigahhh
Well-known member
it drives me nuts. without your contributions i wouldn’t have a clue about games being played and dev players etc
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Well the club are not far off appointing a new Head of Communications so hopefully a lot of this can be rectified for next season.
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
He may not be worth 900k at present, but it would really hurt to lose Bula.
He looks threatening everytime he gets the ball and to me, even a Bula who doesn't reach his full potential is going to be a very good player. To me he has still developed this year, we are learning to use him off a kick chase with his height, and we have been unlucky not to have better results with that (Dragons, Souths, Penrith...he leapt through and took a bomb only to be taken inches short).
His touches look class and 'hopefully' a few more class players around him give him a bit more space in the future. A few of the tries he set up this year (Galvin v Parra, and the line drop out try v Dragons) are freakish and not many players in the competition could pull out.
I guess the one thing we would all love is a more hungry to get the ball fullback, and you noticed that with Turuva hanging off the ruck last week. Is he worth 800-900k? Probably not at this point, but would I stuff around for 100k? I don't think so as we might not get a #1 with that ceiling for a long time.
He looks threatening everytime he gets the ball and to me, even a Bula who doesn't reach his full potential is going to be a very good player. To me he has still developed this year, we are learning to use him off a kick chase with his height, and we have been unlucky not to have better results with that (Dragons, Souths, Penrith...he leapt through and took a bomb only to be taken inches short).
His touches look class and 'hopefully' a few more class players around him give him a bit more space in the future. A few of the tries he set up this year (Galvin v Parra, and the line drop out try v Dragons) are freakish and not many players in the competition could pull out.
I guess the one thing we would all love is a more hungry to get the ball fullback, and you noticed that with Turuva hanging off the ruck last week. Is he worth 800-900k? Probably not at this point, but would I stuff around for 100k? I don't think so as we might not get a #1 with that ceiling for a long time.
UnderTheBus
Well-known member
Does he though? He refused to listen to Richo's Galvin offer and if what we're led to believe would have cost Galvin 250k a year
tigahhh
Well-known member
penrith are bout to run through da Silva this weekend good luck eels
weststigers
Well-known member
I think you've got Bulas deal wrong.
The club simply has to activate the clause negotiated by the previous manager. Moses doesn't get a cent of that deal. It's our choice totally. Only we can stuff it up unless we want to roll the dice and see if Bula wants to activate for 800k instead, but why would we do that to save 100k at the risk of losing him?
It's the contract after that Moses would be involved in.
If we activate, he stays with us on 900k until the end of 2027. Moses has no control in this situation.
Need a goalkicker? Why? Why would you not keep AD?
He is big, fairly quick, we know that he can play: wing, center, fullback, 5/8, halfback and probably lock.
Plus he is quite a good goalkicker. Problem solved.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
For one year yes … I’m thinking longer term …
Also Moses supposedly doesn’t earn his 6 percent for 2027…so expect him to be scheming to get out from under
BAGNF05
Well-known member
I like the use of Bula and Tito as a bit of a tandem in the FB role going forward. Mini did it a bit later in his career with RTS.
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Here are my current predictions for the 8 available spots in the top 30 we have + 2 available development spots for 2026. And subsequent depth chart for each position underneath.
Spot 1 (left centre): Taylan May (contingeny – Dane Gagai)
Spot 2 (utility): Bud Sullivan (contingeny – Siliva Havili)
Spot 3 (depth centre, backline utility): Krystian Mapapalangi (consider Brent Naden or Adam Doeuihi)
Spot 4 (depth wing): Izaak Tu’itupou (consider Charlie Staines)
Spot 5 (depth hooker): Tristan Hope
Spot 6 (depth lock): Charlie Murray
Spots 7 & 8 (depth props x 2): Jaxson Rahme, Peter Taateo
Development (locked in): Broederlow (backrow, middle), Haywood (hooker, halves), Taupau-Moors (middle), Godinet (backrow)
Dev spot 1 (backline): Tino Tavana
Dev spot 2 (utility): Josese Lanyon
NOTE: 1 year contracts for Rahme, Taateo, Hope & Murray as Godinet, T-M & Haywood are upgrades to top 30 in '27. I'd also just do 1 year deals for Mapalangi & Tu'itupou with the likes of Tavana, Brookes, Kanaan, Taotua putting themselves in the frame for '27.
DEPTH CHART:
Highlights that Mapapalangi, Tu'itupou, Rahme, Saukuru & Taateo can be paid close to minimum as they would be unlikely to get a call-up with 3 others above them in each respective position. Also highlights the importance of the versatility of Makasini, Luke Laulilii, Mason, Seyfarth & Sukkar as depth players.
| Jahream Bula | Turuva | Luke Laulilii | Mason |
| Jeral Skelton (lhs) | Makasini | Laulilii | Izaac Tu’itupou |
| Taylan May (lhs) | Haemasi Makasini | Laulilii | Krystian Mapapalangi |
| Starford To'a (rhs) | Makasini | Laulilii | Mapapalangi |
| Sunia Turuva (rhs) | Makasini | Laulilii | Tu’itupou |
| Latu Fainu | Sullivan | Mason | Mapapalangi |
| Jarome Luai | Sullivan | Mason | Mapapalangi |
| Alex Twal | Alex Seyfarth | Bird | Murray |
| Kai Pearce-Paul (rhs) | Tony Sukkar | Bird | Seyfarth / Solo Saukuru |
| Samuela Fainu (lhs) | Tony Sukkar | Bird | Seyfarth / Saukuru |
| Terrell May | Si Fainu | Seyfarth | Jaxson Rahme / Peter Taateo |
| Api Koroisau | Tristan Hope | Sullivan | Murray |
| Fonua Pole | Si Fainu | Seyfarth | Rahme / Taateo |
| Jack Bird | Seyfarth | Sukkar | Murray |
| Royce Hunt | Seyfarth | Kit Laulilii | Rahme / Taateo |
| Sione Fainu | Seyfarth | Sukkar | Rahme / Taateo |
| Bud Sullivan | Heath Mason | Charlie Murray | Mapapalangi |
Interesting! Spent 10 years in Darwin and played Rugby over the summer - wet season in the 80’s. Kick off was either 1.30pm, 3 or 5. It was always better getting the late game. The humidity is up there and the heat is constant but it is actually a really good time to be there. The rain is cooling not cold and the water falls etc are really pumping. Ind you there was also no air conditioning in most of houses, work places etc
Coastie_Tiger
Well-known member
We’ll activate Bula’s clause or renegotiate better terms for us so Moses gets a cut anything other than better terms Moses can get stuffed. We simply can’t afford another recruitment loss, for the club and how it looks from the outside.
If this kid Tavana is the real deal he’s probably ready to look at in 28 and we can decide Bula or him
If this kid Tavana is the real deal he’s probably ready to look at in 28 and we can decide Bula or him
weststigers
Well-known member
Well Jahream is not yet elite status...we might want to flick him then. On a philosophical level, I have been thinking this over since contracts started becoming worth toilet paper and what benefit does a club have by signing a 4 or 5+ year deal? If the player is going great, their manager can just agitate and get them out anyway. If they are going like a busted, you have to pay freight to get rid of them if you even can which throws your cap outta whack.
It's not like a club can do a good deal anymore. A bit like the Roosters or Storm, if they want to stay, they'll stay for a price the club can afford, otherwise they're unhappy and they want to leave for a pay rise. Faced with that scenario, what's the difference in the scheme of things? It's not like the manager respects the anti-tampering rules anyway. As long as you have a suitable backup, much like the Galvin/Fainu situation, I think that's where you can avoid it destroying your club. Otherwise, the manager has huge leverage to bend you over whenever a situation like this arises.
Jolls
Well-known member
Because, in my opinion, AD won't get us into a premiership window. He is a mid-table centre at best - we need some real strike.
If we keep him he should be a utility player as backup so we can't rely on his goal kicking except in Cup.
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