Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Dr_Ice]

Probably not allowed to do this nowadays but I'd want to sign half a dozen recently retired front rowers to a 6 week train and trial. They then spend 6 weeks taking turns running at Pole. I assume we have a tackling/wrestling coach employed that can make minor adjustments to his technique over this 6 weeks.
Pole doesn't seem to lack a willingness to tackle, more so he just lacks execution. It has been the case since he debuted, which woud be fine except that it hasn't improved.
His physical attributes and willingness, he should be our best middle. Unfortunately outside of the odd good game he is usually one of our worst.

Apart from his poor defence, Pole makes some very bad mistakes. Just in the last 3 weeks;
Double movement vs Cows
Dropped ball over line vs Raiders
Unnecessarily touched the ball on the Titans last tackle when they were going nowhere giving them 6 more.

 

[upthetigers]

We really need to go the market for a hooker or rush Haywood through to first grade

I want a hooker who is quick off the mark on the bench that can give Api a rest and scoot from dummy half against fatigued players, a younger version of Liddle or Cook. If they have a kicking game, even better.

 

[weststigerman]

I want a hooker who is quick off the mark on the bench that can give Api a rest and scoot from dummy half against fatigued players, a younger version of Liddle or Cook. If they have a kicking game, even better.

That was TDS.

 

[upthetigers]

That was TDS.

He didn't want to stick around so we move on.

 

[crazycat]

IMO pre season focus should be:

Ruck control/winning wrestle
Support runners in yardage sets
Right side edge defence
Reps with Bula, Luai, Latu and AD in their 2026 positions

Individuals
Latu: general play kicking short and long
AD: playing 13 and bulking up a bit
Makasini: hit the weights
To’a: get healthy and then just focus on defence
Royce and Kit: drop 3-5 kg and have fitness targets to meet
Seyfarth and Bird: find another club
KPP: drop 2-4 kg

True, but I think it's more then the spine. It's left/right movement which we have lately gotten right. Passing the ball wide and seeing where the scoring opportunities are.

I honestly think the gell between Centers/Wing is more important then the gell with the spine. Particularly on defense, knowing when to trust your partners makes such a huge difference and we have seen such an improvement... Ofcourse it's not an either all. Better centers make a better spine, a better spine makes better centers. Good players impart attitude to other good players.

More on defense and gell. Our halves need good options to pass too.

 

[crazycat]

Mark Nawa at Easts wants more then his 500k py...

... I reckon we could give him something to think about....

 

[crazycat]

That was TDS.

no it wasn't.
ok:
who is quick off the mark -- yes
on the bench that can give Api a rest -- did not really do that. Ok maybe Benji's fault.
and scoot from dummy half against fatigued players -- Oh yea, he succeded there.
, a younger version of Liddle or Cook -- Nope. Definately not Cook, maybe Liddle but not even that hard.

Look maybe TDS muscles up and really runs through people, but right now he is no Damien Cook.
Issac Luke reminds me a lot of him... Quick of the mark, sure. Nothing on Api though.

 

[Needaname]

Spoke to someone who’s pretty in the know and very accurate with info.

He reckons Bula is set to re-sign but the plan is to be a Wests Tigers player for life. Expecting a long extension.

Watch this space.

Seems a very loyal bloke. I wouldn’t in his position, he could be elite at a top club but will just remain mid level with us.

 

[Needaname]

One of the reasons we’ve improved this year is because we have wingers that can actually start our sets well. Turuva and Skelton have been super underrated this year in their impact to start our sets well.

We no longer get to tackle 5 and are kicking from within our own 30m.

Not to mention they’re both elite finishers. One of the first times in an over a decade where we can give our wingers the ball 10m out from the line and be confident that they’ll be able to get to the try line and not over the sideline.

No your right we are kicking from our 40. Come on man we are still the poorest club in the league in getting out of our own end. Turuva gets us penalties but not post contact metres. Need more.

 

[cktiger]

We do..but he's not delivering.
Luai needs to have a good look at himself

We need an organising half.
Latu is nowhere near ready yet.
AD showed for a few weeks how it’s done… shame he copped an injury.

 

[bbobb]

We need an organising half.
Latu is nowhere near ready yet.
AD showed for a few weeks how it’s done… shame he copped an injury.

I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that when he went down against early against the Cows we didn’t win a game after that.

 

[The Chad]

I would absolutely taking Nelson if he was an option.

Ridiculous size, ridiculous amount of tackle breaks per game, ridiculous amount of offloads, tackles at 90% & averages 100m a game off the bench.

Will he play 24 games a season? Probably not. But the impact on the field is something nobody in the club currently offers.

Plus- if we are get bullied....nobody bullies Nelson.

 

[The Chad]

Hell, if we can possibly get Nelson, double down & get Tui as well.

Forward pack revised.

 

[crazycat]

I would absolutely taking Nelson if he was an option.

Ridiculous size, ridiculous amount of tackle breaks per game, ridiculous amount of offloads, tackles at 90% & averages 100m a game off the bench.

Will he play 24 games a season? Probably not. But the impact on the field is something nobody in the club currently offers.

Plus- if we are get bullied....nobody bullies Nelson.

I get where you are coming from...

Then how do we use Hunt?
Ofcourse we could punt him, but he seems to be a very low minute beast.
So:
Put Hunt + NAS, you could have one start one on the bench and rotate.
OR
have our usual Pole/May/etc... wait till people get tired, then Hunt + NAS at this point where they would ram through.

I like NAS, but very skeptical of Melbourne bearing gifts. Olam, if he was fit should have been a gun. Melbourne trainers/Physio's would have known he was done. NAS is being punted by Melbourne and I trust Bellamy to know when a player is done.

 

[Vicious]

I would absolutely taking Nelson if he was an option.

Ridiculous size, ridiculous amount of tackle breaks per game, ridiculous amount of offloads, tackles at 90% & averages 100m a game off the bench.

Will he play 24 games a season? Probably not. But the impact on the field is something nobody in the club currently offers.

Plus- if we are get bullied....nobody bullies Nelson.

NAS has been a great destructive forward over the years, but I’ve watched him closely this season and he has slowed down quite a bit.
His carries are not at high speed like they once were and he struggles to get back in the defensive line just as badly as what Royce does, particularly in the warmer weather.
I think it would be a defensive disaster to have NAS and Royce on the field in the same team at the same time.

 

[Telltails]

If Bellamy let's him go we know his best is done surely we don't get bitten twice.

 

[426Tlgerland]

Well I’m looking forward to the list of departures and I hope this list has a few who do have contracts but been told they are free to leave , this list should be available at 9.01 am today as both Benji and Richo absolutely should know who to punt by now , Parra dumped 8 in total including early releases this year we should be around the same
Galvin , TDS , Feledy , etc etc etc etc etc etc

 

[2041]

Thats my fear and in another 12 months another team enters the market making recruitment even harder...especially for teams like us a.non desirable destination...same thing the year after.
We could be stuck with the same old.same old for the next few seasons relying on juniors

Imagine having to reply on juniors - we could end up in the same situation as Penrith or Canberra. Who'd want that! Much better to build a roster around pricey free agent signings, like the Titans.

 

[Muffstar]

I would absolutely taking Nelson if he was an option.

Ridiculous size, ridiculous amount of tackle breaks per game, ridiculous amount of offloads, tackles at 90% & averages 100m a game off the bench.

Will he play 24 games a season? Probably not. But the impact on the field is something nobody in the club currently offers.

Plus- if we are get bullied....nobody bullies Nelson.

Dunno mate I'd give him a miss, from the Australian newspaper below.

STORM’S $860K LIABILITY​

Big Nelson Asofa-Solomona has now been charged 26 times for foul play since joining Melbourne Storm.

You name it, he’s done it - dropping knees, raised elbows, lashing out with his feet, attacking opponents’ heads, punching, crushers, a cannonball tackle and shoulder charges.

The 29-year-old prop is under contract until the end of the 2028 season on big bucks - $860,000-a-year according to the latest NRL Rich 100 list.

This is far too much cash for a serial offender, who, with his latest suspension, will have served 10 games in the last 12 months, missing two straight grand finals.

















NRL: The Melbourne Storm have been dealt a huge blow before finals with Hughes, Papenhuyzen and...
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You can understand if Storm officials now regard him as a liability.

Coach Craig Bellamy and Storm management will wait until the end of the season to make a decision on his future.

We expect the giant forward will be offered the opportunity to look elsewhere.

He’d be a handy heavyweight signing for a club like St George Illawarra if he can ever sort out his disciplinary issues.

Or there is the option to join the breakaway R360 rugby union competition.

 

[Needaname]

When Luai has the mindset of playing "through" the opposition he plays much better. This year there was way too much dancing and playing before the opposition. He would be well advised to just play through and play physical. Once he does that he will open up so many opportunities for that potent left side

This is luai playing outside of a non organiser.
We have a whole spine of non organisers. It’s light and day between him this year with our team structures and him last year within the Panthers team structures.
Ivan called it as he saw it and Luai through his actions have proven him right.
Luai could get there, but he has to spend far more time on building his game then I imagine he has done in his career.
He needs to channel the playing style of the older Benji Marshall, I have my doubts though as our team is family first not footy first.