TheEnz
Well-known member
Excitement
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
weststigers
Well-known member
Sometimes, the stories we deem important to share with others, in actual fact, no one cared even a fraction of what we thought they would. This is just a random thought of course, seeing as this seemed like a good spot for it.
Nothing to do with your excellent description of the time you were taken to the 1981 grand final.
ShanghaiCharlie
Active member
Seriously mate, don’t want to be rude but who gives two shits. This is a rumours and signings thread. Take your random thoughts down to your local RSL and dribble them into the bottom of a schooner.
crazycat
Well-known member
Ok Jack bird... fair point. St George then us experimented with him in the "front row". It's a failed experiment. Of all the Fringe graders we have, and I will say he is a fringe grader as we are looking to punt him... Jack Bird offers the most Utility value of any player.
The titans Stuffed up!
Clearly punting/loosing Sexton was a mistake. They have a roster that should be middle comp and one of the best forward packs in the comp. Yes, it did not work there. Whatever Des did, it did not work there.
Yet...
He won 2 premierships and had Manly at the top of the ladder.
He got the Dogs to the finals (with cheating... ) Yes the Stephen Dank stuff is more on him then Flanno who's first year as NRL coach got caught!
Ricky guided the Sharks to a wooden spoon after 15 straight losses.
Just throwing it out there, is there a world where we look at Jonah Pezet? Probably not given the $$$ he will command but what the team currently needs is an out & out 7. Besides us, Dragons for sure, Titans maybe pending Campbell, Knights have signed Brown & Smith. Souths probably but have too many halves on their books. Cowboys maybe as they need a partner for Dearden. You could say the same for the Eels & the Chooks but Moses & Walker are definitely a 7s.
It'll be interesting where he goes but for us it would make us a very versatile team.
Add him & Davy Moale it's a pretty good side.
Bula, Turuva, Toa, TayMay, Makasini, Luai, Pezet, Twal, Korosaui, TeMay, SaFainu, Pearce-Paul, Doueihi,
LaFainu, SiFainu, Pole, Moale
Skelton, Seyfarth, Hunt, Geyer
It'll be interesting where he goes but for us it would make us a very versatile team.
Add him & Davy Moale it's a pretty good side.
Bula, Turuva, Toa, TayMay, Makasini, Luai, Pezet, Twal, Korosaui, TeMay, SaFainu, Pearce-Paul, Doueihi,
LaFainu, SiFainu, Pole, Moale
Skelton, Seyfarth, Hunt, Geyer
crazycat
Well-known member
Yea, but your friends misses should be off limits.
It's not smart... But hey it's footballers. Yes some are really smart, but some are Ben Hannant.
I think that's a lot of what Wayne Bennett does, just a old man stare "was that a really wise thing to say". Heck we need that on social media.
I know this is realistically no chance of happening, but I think it’s a valid question to ask would Jonah Pezet at 7 and Latu Fainu at 6 be a better halves pairing than Latu and Luai ?
I believe it would certainly be a more balanced better halves pairing and would have the benefit of a natural, confident 7 with a good kicking game, which would free up Latu to do what he does best, running the ball and challenging the opposition similar to how Ethan Strange plays for the Raiders.
Not only would it be a better long term halves pairing, it would also save us money to spend on upgrading other positions as we could surely sign Pezet for 1 million dollars per season if not slightly less ?
As I say it will not happen while Benji is our coach as he will want to show loyalty to Luai, but if we were serious about becoming the best team possible, we would at least consider it.
I believe it would certainly be a more balanced better halves pairing and would have the benefit of a natural, confident 7 with a good kicking game, which would free up Latu to do what he does best, running the ball and challenging the opposition similar to how Ethan Strange plays for the Raiders.
Not only would it be a better long term halves pairing, it would also save us money to spend on upgrading other positions as we could surely sign Pezet for 1 million dollars per season if not slightly less ?
As I say it will not happen while Benji is our coach as he will want to show loyalty to Luai, but if we were serious about becoming the best team possible, we would at least consider it.
king_sirro
Well-known member
Would also allow Latu to play kn his preferred left side
I think we should be very wary of signing spine players from good systems. Don't forget that Luai looked like he could be a game managing 7 with a kicking game at Penrith last year. At the moment Pezet is untested and throwing big money at him is a risk we can't really take when Luai and Latu are doing fine. It's our forwards that are the problem
From last nights Storm v Bulldogs game, what 2 forwards could we take and what current players would they replace to ensure we are a much better team ?
Many supporters keep blaming our forwards, but I have not seen us struggle to get into our attacking zone very often, it’s what we do with the ball when we are in our attacking zone which is a much bigger problem.
A large part of that is not being able to build any pressure due to poor last tackle options.
Add the lack of a decent long kicking game and it’s quite clear that poor halves play is putting unnecessary pressure on our team, particularly our forwards.
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crazycat
Well-known member
Are we building culture or a team?
I think we are right to ask if Luai is a 7. He really does seem a 6. Sure he wants to be Batman, well Cam Munster is Batman at 6 for the Storm.
If your saying "lets punt Luai for a better halves pair in Pezet/Fainu" or whatever flash bang Halves come along. Please don't.
We have banked on Luai staying with us. 4 year deal, signed and delivered. Sure if he says he is leaving in 2027 or makes stupid noises... bye bye.
But a top tier player signs with us, we can't look flakey.
After the Shemozle that was Klemmer, Bateman and those signings. We look Super Flakey!
Really Flakey.
We offered Klem 1 year into his 4 year deal. We reneg'd on a bunch of players and I have no idea why Luai signed with us after that performance. If we get seen as that club that signs 4 year deals but breaks them after 6 months...
We look crap
Our culture looks crap!
Seriously not knocking Pezet, and he is a good player. But he is in an excellent team (Storm) with an excellent coach. That said, I would take Jerome Hugues ahead of Pezet because we need an experienced halfback that can deal with a crap team. Not a newbie halfback.
The Fainu's are family and I am glad to have them here. If Latu moves to Lock (or Luai), hey lets do it. If Latu is cool with being 14 and we need a gun halfback. BOOM, sign a 7.
We can't be a flight deck. We are building culture, we will ruin it if we treat players like objects.
TheEnz
Well-known member
I didn't see Pezet set the world on fire last night, had some great kicks that dropped within 2m of the tryline. Other than that he never got a decent kick in to his wingers and there were many opportunities to do it. I also noticed massive gaps down the middle when they were attacking the dogs red zone and he went wide or took the wrong option. I thought the storm attack was well below par and they were lucky to get away with that one. It was basically a suicide run from wishart and a brain explosion from kikau that got them the win.
liltiger
Well-known member
In theory we could get away with just a lock if they're a specialist lock who can punch out 80 mins a week. We should have the depth to cover the forward rotation. We lose a bit having to constantly cover lock. Ideally a specialist lock and 50 min prop to help May carry the load would be awesome.
You make some valid points, all I am saying is we need Luai to play with a bit more common sense and step up a level in 2026 if he is to provide true value for money on his 1.25 million per season contract and if we are to be a realistic chance of making the top 8.
I have serious doubt Luai has the confidence and ability, particularly in his kicking game and 5th tackle options to deliver this, but I hope I’m wrong.
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crazycat
Well-known member
I see your talking spine, but I don't think it's straight "good" or "bad" systems.
Every player we have signed from Parra, has been decent. Twal, Stef, etc. Likewise Easts, every player we have signed has improved here.
Flip it, no Dragons player has gone well here.
Dogs, very mixed bag. Storm, usually goes worse bar Harry Grant (who they weren't trading). Canberra/BJ never worked here.
We do need to think "positions" and which coaches focus on forwards and which focus on backs. I really don't think it's a "good" systems vs "bad" systems, but a "do these systems improve stuff we can't train?" kinda question.
True and that is why we will keep Luai at all costs, even if he asks for a pay rise to stick with us after next season.
The million dollar question is will we get genuine star quality value out of him in 2026 and beyond ?
Time will tell, but the pressure is on him to step up to the plate and be in our top 3 players nearly every week, not just occasionally.
Agree the accolades are a bit over the top. He was solid but their attack was dreadful for most of the game - lacked direction and organisation apart from the first try. Nothing like what they play like when Hughes is there. Kicked a great 40/20 when they needed it.
TheEnz
Well-known member
Agree he has to step up , what you say is correct. I would be working on making Latu, and maybe AD as a more dominant 7 and have a similar set up to the storm with Hughes and Munster. Luai is not best utilised getting us to points on the field and kicking us out of trouble. His skillset should be more focussed on attack, putting players into gaps and scoring points, playing off the cuff to scramble defensive lines, attacking kicks etc.. there is enough there that if he executes well he would deliver value. The whole idea of putting him at 7 or expecting him to be the game managing half is counter-productive and smothers his x factor.
As of 2027 I believe Jahream Bula via his honourable manager Isaac will be asking for 1 million per season to stay with us long term.
I know some of our supporters disagree and think it will be as easy as honouring his 800k or 900k deal, but the recent talk is re-signing him to a long term deal and I’m near certain they will be asking us to pay him 1 million per season starting ASAP if he is to extend with us.
If he is worth 1 million per season is very debatable as we certainly have nobody better within our current roster, BUT if we are trying to put together the best team possible would or should we consider Jaxon Purdue who is also currently available from 2027 ?
Is Purdue a better quality more explosive fullback option for what would likely be the same contract value ?
I know some of our supporters disagree and think it will be as easy as honouring his 800k or 900k deal, but the recent talk is re-signing him to a long term deal and I’m near certain they will be asking us to pay him 1 million per season starting ASAP if he is to extend with us.
If he is worth 1 million per season is very debatable as we certainly have nobody better within our current roster, BUT if we are trying to put together the best team possible would or should we consider Jaxon Purdue who is also currently available from 2027 ?
Is Purdue a better quality more explosive fullback option for what would likely be the same contract value ?
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Canadian Club
Well-known member
Pezet will stay at the Storm. Munster will go to the Bears in 27’.
