2026 squad - still not good enough

[weststigers]

would probably be an unpopular opinion but leniu would be a miss for me… output is one of the lowest in the nrl for the price he would probably be chasing.

maps or hiroti would be excellent depth

You're the stats chick that sits in the box ey? 🤣

Seriously though, you're right. Averages 85m a game over about 40 minutes. Not bad, but price tag rules it out...if he plays 80 and maintains those stats then yeah.

 

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

With regards to our squad, both now and moving forward, I look at Souths season and think to myself, how would we have gone with similar bad luck.

I reckon we’ve done quite well on the injury front this year. We lost Bula for a while, Pole for a few weeks, Skelton etc ... but imagine if like the Bunnies we’d lost pretty much every senior player on the books.

All the planning in the world can be cruelly snuffed out
when the injury Gods conspire to do you in. I know that’s probably stating the bleeding obvious, rugby league is a contact sport etc etc ... but it does make ya think 🤔

Let us all give thanks to the injury Gods !

 

[Tom Shines]

I’m hoping there are a couple of starting middles still to come in the 2026 team

 

[Spartan117]

We are starting from a 3 spoon baseline.

Our squad is not top 8 in 2026 yet...

What we do have is a improved culture and a group of players that are playing for Benji and each other.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Big Tino come on down

Dragons & Bulldogs in for Tino now, according to Buzz Rothfield. Dogs throwing Laundy pubs at him.

 

[Tom Shines]

Dragons & Bulldogs in for Tino now, according to Buzz Rothfield. Dogs throwing Laundy pubs at him.

Bulldogs 😂…. Just have to laugh if they get him

 

[426Tlgerland]

Prop and Centre we be ok , but must be rod experienced or jammed behind quality , no more Geyers and Maddens that’s covered
Mooney and Simmonson would do

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Bulldogs 😂…. Just have to laugh if they get him

Yep the new sombreros it seems

 

[Tom Shines]

Yep the new sombreros it seems

Or clickbait…

 

[tigahhh]

Dragons & Bulldogs in for Tino now, according to Buzz Rothfield. Dogs throwing Laundy pubs at him.

get in richo

 

[tigertragic]

Dragons & Bulldogs in for Tino now, according to Buzz Rothfield. Dogs throwing Laundy pubs at him.

Was it Tino they tried to throw shares in a pub to last time he was on the market ? Or someone else
And the NRL knocked it on the head
Would have to use more of the dark art thus time

 

[tigahhh]

Was it Tino they tried to throw shares in a pub to last time he was on the market ? Or someone else

it was Tino

 

[Westoz]

we aren’t getting Tino, don’t have the TPA’s to match Roosters and Doggies if he chooses Sydney

I think he goes back to the storm though

 

[twentyforty]

With regards to our squad, both now and moving forward, I look at Souths season and think to myself, how would we have gone with similar bad luck.

I reckon we’ve done quite well on the injury front this year. We lost Bula for a while, Pole for a few weeks, Skelton etc ... but imagine if like the Bunnies we’d lost pretty much every senior player on the books.

All the planning in the world can be cruelly snuffed out
when the injury Gods conspire to do you in. I know that’s probably stating the bleeding obvious, rugby league is a contact sport etc etc ... but it does make ya think 🤔

Let us all give thanks to the injury Gods !

We’ve used 29 players Rabbitohs 30.
Top of the table Raiders have used the lowest number at 24.

 

[Betterdays22]

We’ve used 29 players Rabbitohs 30.
Top of the table Raiders have used the lowest number at 24.

Mate souths have had a shocker. We are no comparison.

 

[Spartan117]

2 things to ask ourselves as the Tigers about each new recruit.

1. Will this player make the other top teams??
2. Who are we competing with for their recruitment??

This will help us get the right player for the right Salary.

Bring in 2026

 

[Tom Shines]

Mate souths have had a shocker. We are no comparison.View attachment 26563

We have the second best injury record and we still have had to pick guys like Charlie Murray, Mason and Hope multiple times …

You could argue they have been lucky this season that they never had a worse injury record … could have been real ugly

 

[TIGERS]

we aren’t getting Tino, don’t have the TPA’s to match Roosters and Doggies if he chooses Sydney

I think he goes back to the storm though

Pretty sure we don't have the Bondi to match the Roosters either. We are not getting outgunned financially like the old days. A lot of players have accepted a lower net income by not joining or not extending with our club.

 

[Tucker]

I think you’ve gone a bit over board with the elite column.
Both captains are very good dependable players. Neither are elite.
Bula is our closest player to that level.

 

[Chunk]

Hello,

So after thinking about how you can structure a salary cap, I figured it was worth looking at our 2026 squad to see how it matches up (based the "how many players ideal" on the calculation in this thread: https://weststigersforum.com/threads/managing-the-salary-cap.36713/#post-2168078).

Long story short - as things stand - our 2026 squad is definetly an improvement on this year, but still too "bottom heavy". Have assumed Jayden Sullivan is moving on, and we are resigning Taylan May. The rest of the names I've taken from the NRL website. The ratings is based on how they rate compared to other players in their respective position. Room for debate on that front I appreciate.

4 players left by this calculation - ideally all four would be average NRL players or above, but that's probably a tall order.

View attachment 26515

Yes good analysis, we live in hope and it's hope they all go up a notch or two.