Jahream Bula #269

[Jolls]

While the Bula $900K or not debate is interesting from the sideline the real issue has nothing to do with $. It is to do with setting us up to have a crack at the title. That is not going to happen without a settled and stable spine - just look back at the premiership winners over the last 20 years.

Benji and Richo have made a decision on the spine and how it is going to look. They need to make a decison now on Bula and once that decision is made (and I believe it has) then the $ aren't really an issue - it is about building the roster to make the most of the spine. If the $ to keep Bula are an issue in 27 we should let him go now and buy in who we want because in 27 we should be in the first year of the premiership window - changing the spine then pushes us back two years at least.

Going in to 26 we have decent depth across the park. What we lack is a couple of needle moving forwards as starters and, potentially, a strike centre (if May doesn't cut it).

 

[TIGERS]

After watching Turuva from the sideline last game should be all the motivation he needs to raise to a new level, he knows that there is someone else in the team who can play fullback.

That should get the competitive blood flowing.

The extra responsibility from playing in that position brought the best out in him. I think @GNR4LIFE often mentions "who has Benji made better??" -- I think he has done really well with Turuva.

 

[Furious1]

ryan paps won’t be too far off my guess he’s on the dogs & sharks radars

Yeah Dogs have already had one crack, no reason why they wont again.

 

[tigahhh]

The extra responsibility from playing in that position brought the best out in him. I think @GNR4LIFE often mentions "who has Benji made better??" -- I think he has done really well with Turuva.

turuva, starford, may, sione

 

[mtd#2]

turuva, starford, may, sione

Latu for all we know

 

[TIGERS]

turuva, starford, may, sione

Don't let the spoon counters hear you say that.

 

[426Tlgerland]

Personally I think they’re interchangeable Kennedy and Bula . Kennedy is a victim of his halves deciding they’re off to Bali early this year . Trying hard , probably too hard .

Kennedy on say $ 700 and Bulla on $ 900 I take Kennedy all day , $ 200 k towards another player , simple , plus we rid the mosses factor unless he also has Kennedy and if that’s the case , Turuva to fullback go buy a wing man

 

[magpies forever]

I was just pondering with the Bula / Turuva ability at fullback- maybe we can actually show some cunning / flexibility at FB in as much as depending on how the opposition is playing we can switch FB between these 2 to suit our attack needed at the time.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

turuva, starford, may, sione

Agreed with these players. Pole prior to injury was in excellent form and our front row was considered by some to be the best in the NRL at the time. Sukkar is performing well in the 2nd row despite being inexperienced.

 

[Lestronge]

Kennedy on say $ 700 and Bulla on $ 900 I take Kennedy all day , $ 200 k towards another player , simple , plus we rid the mosses factor unless he also has Kennedy and if that’s the case , Turuva to fullback go buy a wing man

You’re not going to ever be rid of him . He’s Sukkars manager and most importantly , he’s Phoenix Godinets .
It was inevitable that he would do this with Bula , regardless of his opinion of the tigers and Benji . He’s not getting a single cent from Bula .

 

[Oldman]

The only reason I could imagine Bula taking up the players option (him) would be if the club (wests tigers) didn’t want to extend him and no other club offered him a decent contract.
Which I can’t see happening.

 

[twentyforty]

Agreed with these players. Pole prior to injury was in excellent form and our front row was considered by some to be the best in the NRL at the time. Sukkar is performing well in the 2nd row despite being inexperienced.

Pole would be one of the fastest front rowers in the game.

 

[twentyforty]

The only reason I could imagine Bula taking up the players option (him) would be if the club (wests tigers) didn’t want to extend him and no other club offered him a decent contract.
Which I can’t see happening.

Not sure how this contract is written, but it sounds like the first to blink loses $100k? Or does the club need to advise the player either way prior to a deadline?

 

[Oldman]

Not sure how this contract is written, but it sounds like the first to blink loses $100k? Or does the club need to advise the player either way prior to a deadline?

If the club want him they will probably offer him an extended contract at least to the $900 or more.
If no extension comes from Wests Tigers and Bula doesn’t receive any offers from anyone else,
He either leaves or sticks around for a measly $800.
His choice.

 

[twentyforty]

Did Bula’s agent sell off or hand over his player register to Moses prior to joining the Bulldogs?
Don’t think IM will be happy to have him on the books without getting paid, so there’s every chance he could be linking up with Galvin?
There’s about 50,000 reasons weighing in on this outcome.

 

[twentyforty]

If the club want him they will probably offer him an extended contract at least to the $900 or more.
If no extension comes from Wests Tigers and Bula doesn’t receive any offers from anyone else,
He either leaves or sticks around for a measly $800.
His choice.

Yes, that’s the way I read it too, Club has first option at $900k, but it must be time sensitive just as Bula’s option is? Otherwise it’s a stalemate.

 

[Moh]

FWIW - Bula is 100% worth 900k.

Someone else mentioned it in another thread, you realise how much he does and how much you miss him when he's not out there - if you didn't already.

Almost as important as Luai, Api and May to our squad IMO.

 

[twentyforty]

FWIW - Bula is 100% worth 900k.

Someone else mentioned it in another thread, you realise how much he does and how much you miss him when he's not out there - if you didn't already.

Almost as important as Luai, Api and May to our squad IMO.

You left out Latu. It’s a great spine. Bula is now a 50 gamer and Latu been in a game about 15 times and think he’s played 2 x 80min games. With the experience of Luai and Api this spine could be anything with some game time together.

 

[tig_prmz]

FWIW - Bula is 100% worth 900k.

Someone else mentioned it in another thread, you realise how much he does and how much you miss him when he's not out there - if you didn't already.

Almost as important as Luai, Api and May to our squad IMO.

I usually judge fullbacks by how much I see them in the frame.

Maybe it's the close up shots, but I always find Bula out of the picture both in attack and defence.

I think he has tremendous fitness, finesse with the ball, speed and agility. But, he lacks anticipation, game awareness and positional awareness. Unfortunately, in 50 games, I haven't seen him improve in that either. The other thing is reliability under the high ball in defence as well as making cover tackles, both he has definitely struggled with.

I'm worried that he may end up as another Sloane or Matt Dufty etc. Maybe, it's just the paranoid in me thinking that.

 

[tigahhh]

I usually judge fullbacks by how much I see them in the frame.

Maybe it's the close up shots, but I always find Bula out of the picture both in attack and defence.

I think he has tremendous fitness, finesse with the ball, speed and agility. But, he lacks anticipation, game awareness and positional awareness. Unfortunately, in 50 games, I haven't seen him improve in that either. The other thing is reliability under the high ball in defence as well as making cover tackles, both he has definitely struggled with.

I'm worried that he may end up as another Sloane or Matt Dufty etc. Maybe, it's just the paranoid in me thinking that.

my only nitpick would be his support play, too many times I’ve seen us make a linebreak and there’s no one in support to pass the ball too. that’s the job of bula is it not?
he will need to fix that especially with latu being in the side he can break the line open very easily.