Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

If Manase is allowed to play NRL once released from jail then good, I’m sure we will give him an opportunity, we would be mad not to, but if he’s not allowed than there is nothing Wests Tigers can do about it.
We need 2-3 quality players in addition to re-signing Douehi and Taylan May ASAP, well before we need to worry about the Manase situation.
Talakai ticks a lot of boxes, he would be my choice to prioritise as our number 15 to cone on and make a positive impact, but also apply pressure for a starting position in the back row or centres.
We then should be making a choice of who we want out of Trey Mooney, Davvy Moale, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Jack Hetherington as our likely number 17.
The final recruit should be an outside back as potentially an upgrade on the constantly injured To’a.
 
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Vicious said:
If Manase is allowed to play NRL once released from jail then good, I’m sure we will give him an opportunity, we would be mad not to, but if he’s not allowed than there is nothing Wests Tigers can do about it.
We need 2-3 quality players in addition to re-signing Douehi and Taylan May ASAP, well before we need tj worry about the Manase situation.
Talakai ticks a lot of boxes, he would be my choice to prioritise as our number 15 to cone on and make a positive impact, but also apply pressure tjo a starting position in the back row or centres.
We then should be making a choice of who we want out of Trey Mooney, Davvy Moale, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Jack Hetherington as our likely number 15.
The final recruit should be an outside back as potentially an upgrade on the constantly injured To’a.
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He is 27 now. He could be released as early as 2026, but then there is the parole period. He might be 30.

If he ever signs, he will be at the very backend of his career...people mentioning a possible 2026 return are dreaming.
 
2041 said:
It's pretty hard to say at this stage that the team hasn't improved. Obviously the cattle is better but I think an honest assessment of the squad's quality at the start of the season would have pegged us round about where we are now: clear of spoon danger but just as far from finals. FWIW I have it on decent authority that the powers that be within the club weren't expecting finals this year - it was always down as a progress season and there will be more expectation next year.

What I keep coming across at the moment is the idea that NRL is not a game about your star players but about the mid-to-bottom level of the roster. The 17th best player on your roster is going to play even when everyone is fit and with injuries you're going to need to rely on players 20-30, a lot. As we've seen, when we can put close to our best 17 on the park we're pretty competitive. We fall in a heap when we need to use the bottom end of the roster - and we haven't even been particularly unlucky with injuries this year.

That's why I think a big focus of Richardson's was getting rid of the dead wood, and why I think we'll focus in this off-season on turning over more of the bottom 10-15 players. With KPP, Taylan May and Makasini, and - hopefully - a better year out of Pole there shouldn't be an obvious weakness in the first choice side. But we need proper, first-grade standard depth: better options to come in than Staines, Hope, Sukkar (who could improve but clearly isn't there yet), Fa'atape and so forth, and a bit more reliability out of the backup middles.

What this also means is that we're only going to become competitive in the long run when we are producing first-grade quality juniors, year in year out, as a matter of course. These players, 20-30 on the roster, are going to be on low salaries (especially when you're relying on the free agent market, and thus paying overs, for your stars). Yes, there are occasional diamonds that can be picked up from the discard pile - but it's not reliable.
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This theory is so true, the players 20-30 need to be able to step up to NRL level without a big drop of skill, positional play, team harmony.
That is why Jock Madden, with his experience and skills ( just lacked speed) will be able to direct Javon Andrews and the forward pack of KOE to be more NRL capable.
The overall, big picture plans, are in progress.
Need some forwards now and move on the deadwood to make it happen.
Sentiments need to be overruled if we want to progress. Not an easy task, but looking much better.
 
hank37w said:
So, just playing devil's advocate here but, someone is released from jail and his prior occupation is professional football player, should the NRL have the right to refuse him to make an honest living as part of his release and rehabilitation.

Would it happen if he was a builder, plumber or electrician?

Would the Master Builder's Association or relevant industry association say that he could not work in that industry until the time that his full prison term has expired?
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A good point for the NRL to consider.
 
Vicious said:
If Manase is allowed to play NRL once released from jail then good, I’m sure we will give him an opportunity, we would be mad not to, but if he’s not allowed than there is nothing Wests Tigers can do about it.
We need 2-3 quality players in addition to re-signing Douehi and Taylan May ASAP, well before we need tj worry about the Manase situation.
Talakai ticks a lot of boxes, he would be my choice to prioritise as our number 15 to cone on and make a positive impact, but also apply pressure tjo a starting position in the back row or centres.
We then should be making a choice of who we want out of Trey Mooney, Davvy Moale, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Jack Hetherington as our likely number 15.
The final recruit should be an outside back as potentially an upgrade on the constantly injured To’a.
Click to expand...
I'd like to see that.Lock up AD and Taylan and then add Talakai,Mooney and Hamlin-Uele with KPP to
our pack.
 
Vicious said:
If Manase is allowed to play NRL once released from jail then good, I’m sure we will give him an opportunity, we would be mad not to, but if he’s not allowed than there is nothing Wests Tigers can do about it.
We need 2-3 quality players in addition to re-signing Douehi and Taylan May ASAP, well before we need to worry about the Manase situation.
Talakai ticks a lot of boxes, he would be my choice to prioritise as our number 15 to cone on and make a positive impact, but also apply pressure for a starting position in the back row or centres.
We then should be making a choice of who we want out of Trey Mooney, Davvy Moale, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Jack Hetherington as our likely number 17.
The final recruit should be an outside back as potentially an upgrade on the constantly injured To’a.
Click to expand...

Big difference between working towards earning a T&T deal, then getting one and then playing NRL.

I think it’s smart move from him and like the approach, earn his way back rather than just expect a deal. If he is hungry have no doubts he will nail it.
 
coivtny said:
I can remember Canterbury fans from the old days i.e 60s and 70s. They were good people like fans of Wests, Balmain and Newtown at the same time. The demographic changes to that whole area out to Bankstown and beyond have led to the current situation where some of their fans behave atrociously. I have mates from the old days who only follow them on TV now because they feel uncomfortable at games.
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A guy I know was at the Canberra game this year when the Canberra fans got abused it was horrendous he said

He's a Roosters guy and won't wear a jersey at the Canterbury games
 
Nonotmeagain said:
They don't register it - simple - and you have to be registered to play. They are allowed to determine who plays in their competition and under what rules. They are not restraining his trade as there are other avenues to allow him to earn a living playing football ( Super League for instance) they are enforcing the rules of THEIR competition. Similar to the rules they enforce on how old you can be, who can play SoO, what the conditions are to represent a country etc.
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Then by that theory they could reimplement a draft. Terry Hill won the supreme court case for a restraint of trade, but perhaps if we revisit it the N.R.L could argue the players not willing to participate could ply their trade overseas.
 
weststigers said:
Imagine if you started a company and a court told you that you must hire people coming out of prison because they used to do the same thing your new company does?

The NRL is a private organisation. They do not have to register every contract just because it falls under the cap. They can reject anyone on any basis provided it's not based on unjust discriminatory grounds such as those protected in Australia (race etc.).

For example, they wouldn't register Folau for a simple insta post...different, but he also didn't go to prison either.
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But the company or employer in this instance would be Wests Tigers. If the N.R.L refused to register the contract as he was in prison, just wonder if he would have a legal avenue to challenge it. I'm not saying we should or shouldn't try to sign him, just curious how he could attempt it.
 
weststigers said:
The players have a duty to not bring the game into disrepute.

The fans have no such contract.

Seems unfair, but you really want the NRL to start controlling what fans can and can't say and do at games?
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They do. If you say a stupid racial remark, you could be banned for life. I don't agree with doing it, iv never done it. But seriously you say a few words, and it gets you banned for life.
 
liltiger said:
But the company or employer in this instance would be Wests Tigers. If the N.R.L refused to register the contract as he was in prison, just wonder if he would have a legal avenue to challenge it. I'm not saying we should or shouldn't try to sign him, just curious how he could attempt it.
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Sure. The Tigers can employ him, but not as a player. The NRL decides which contracts to register.

For example. If at work, your manager wanted to hire someone, they do a background check at HR and they find he has a criminal conviction and pull thenjob offer based on character, can that person pursue legal remedies?

The NRL are the governing body of the game. They are a private institution. They have every right to reject any contract they please so long as it doesn't fall under the legal definition of discrimination which does not extend to ex-criminals. There's nothing in our laws that says ex-crims cannot be discriminated against.

There's also nothing in our laws that guarantees you a job at a certain employer just because you've done the job before or have worked there before.

The thinking is too shallow on this. If people believe his rights are being infringed upon, why don't we extend the example to, say paedophilia? Are the NRL allowed to block that contract from being registered? Or can the nonce pursue legal action?

There are 2 parties with rights in this situation. The NRL has the right to refuse as well. He has the right to apply. The government has no place in this interaction.
 
liltiger said:
Then by that theory they could reimplement a draft. Terry Hill won the supreme court case for a restraint of trade, but perhaps if we revisit it the N.R.L could argue the players not willing to participate could ply their trade overseas.
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What is forgotten was that Terry Hill had already signed a playing contract with Wests prior to the draft and his initial appeal was overturned. He was not allowed to honour his existing contract with Wests and was made to play with Easts. This formed one basis of the appeal in that he already had an existing contract to play and the draft violated his rights under that contact ( his contract with Easts was supposedly at a lower rate).
 
hank37w said:
So, just playing devil's advocate here but, someone is released from jail and his prior occupation is professional football player, should the NRL have the right to refuse him to make an honest living as part of his release and rehabilitation.

Would it happen if he was a builder, plumber or electrician?

Would the Master Builder's Association or relevant industry association say that he could not work in that industry until the time that his full prison term has expired
Click to expand...
 
Nonotmeagain said:
What is forgotten was that Terry Hill had already signed a playing contract with Wests prior to the draft and his initial appeal was overturned. He was not allowed to honour his existing contract with Wests and was made to play with Easts. This formed one basis of the appeal in that he already had an existing contract to play and the draft violated his rights under that contact ( his contract with Easts was supposedly at a lower rate).
Click to expand...
So in theory there may be a way over time for the N.R.L to adopt an A.F.L style draft and player trading system. Without any legal issues.
 
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