Heamasi Makasini #303

[Wezt]

No, he signed a 3 year deal in late 2024, which would be for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

So he’s available November 1st?

Hope we have him signed up before then…

 

[GNR4LIFE]

when people question his loyalty to the tigers, i direct them to his jersey presentation with his parents. he's a tiger through and through, you better believe it. look at how close knit the group is currently. and we've not even gone on a winning streak yet, imagine what they will be like when we're winning games.

Lovely. Let’s see how he goes when he has 10 clubs and Super Rugby chasing him.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

rugby will throw the cheque book at him

 

[Merlot]

Lovely. Let’s see how he goes when he has 10 clubs and Super Rugby chasing him.

your not a 1/2 glass full personality are you

 

[GNR4LIFE]

your not a 1/2 glass full personality are you

I’m not saying anything.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Lovely. Let’s see how he goes when he has 10 clubs and Super Rugby chasing him.

Don't be a sad sack G, he might want to hang around with his bros, especially if they start to get that winning feeling.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Don't be a sad sack G, he might want to hang around with his bros, especially if they start to get that winning feeling.

In another 3 years or so, a million dollars will be standard for players of the calibre that he’s on the trajectory of being. You get thrown that sort of money and weigh it up playing with your mates and tell me what you’d value more.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Do you know how many players would leave their club if they didn’t want to leave their mates? The transfer market wouldn’t exist.

 

[Oscar Martinez]

All players move for money, even the one's who pretend it's to join a winning "culture".
Fair enough too, they're all only one major injury away from it all ending.
If you believe all the media guff about why players leave I've got a large bridge in Sydney to sell you.

 

[Tiger-ferret]

Do you know how many players would leave their club if they didn’t want to leave their mates? The transfer market wouldn’t exist.

Agree. Look at all the smiles and laughs between the opposition after games.

 

[Vicious]

In another 3 years or so, a million dollars will be standard for players of the calibre that he’s on the trajectory of being. You get thrown that sort of money and weigh it up playing with your mates and tell me what you’d value more.

It may be premature and very risky to offer a massive money, long term contract to an 18y.o who has only played one NRL game and one NRL trial game, but I think he has already shown what he’s capable of and is a player who will hopefully be the face of our club for many years to come.
I think you are dead right in saying Rugby Australia will already be plotting his return to a game he played throughout high school and every NRL club would love to have him on their books if they could find a way to do so.
So it’s hard to put an exact figure on his value this early, but we need to be doing all we can to lock him up for a minimum of 5 years.
Makasini’s x-factor along with our forward pack showing signs they will be much better than what I thought it would be a few months back have made me change my way of thinking from highly doubting we have the quality to make the tol 8 in 2026, to now being highly confident we will make the top 8 in 2026.

 

[twentyforty]

It may be premature and very risky to offer a massive money, long term contract to an 18y.o who has only played one NRL game and one NRL trial game, but I think he has already shown what he’s capable of and is a player who will hopefully be the face of our club for many years to come.
I think you are dead right in saying Rugby Australia will already be plotting his return to a game he played throughout high school and every NRL club would love to have him on their books if they could find a way to do so.
So it’s hard to put an exact figure on his value this early, but we need to be doing all we can to lock him up for a minimum of 5 years.
Makasini’s x-factor along with our forward pack showing signs they will be much better than what I thought it would be a few months back have made me change my way of thinking from highly doubting we have the quality to make the tol 8 in 2026, to now being highly confident we will make the top 8 in 2026.

RA have already tried to sign him haven’t they? He has said he prefers NRL. Anyway, I’m just happy we were able to lure him away from the Magpies and into the top 30.

 

[Vicious]

RA have already tried to sign him haven’t they? He has said he prefers NRL. Anyway, I’m just happy we were able to lure him away from the Magpies and into the top 30.

I think we currently have him contracted until the end of the 2028 season on a contract I believe to be around 375k per season, I’m not sure if it increases each season or not ?
So we have him locked up for the next couple of seasons which is great, but I’m sure most would agree, we ideally want him locked up even further than that, ideally until the end of the 2030 season if we can.

 

[wstigers11]

He’s signed til 2027 free agent November

 

[Vicious]

He’s signed til 2027 free agent November

Extending him is even more urgent in that case.

 

[twentyforty]

I think we currently have him contracted until the end of the 2028 season on a contract I believe to be around 375k per season, I’m not sure if it increases each season or not ?
So we have him locked up for the next couple of seasons which is great, but I’m sure most would agree, we ideally want him locked up even further than that, ideally until the end of the 2030 season if we can.

Yep we should get a good idea of his value by mid season and have an upgraded contract? I think Richo signed him back in October 2024 on that 3 year deal, which means he can talk contract details with any club after 1/11/27.
Do you know if he has played any other positions other than wing /centre?

 

[InBenjiWeTrust]

We never lose young talented juniors

We never lose "talented players" like Seyfarth and Sukkar.
But the players we need e.g. Tedesco, Papenhuyzen, Koroibete, N Brown

 

[twentyforty]

In an exclusive interview with Zero Tackle earlier this year, Makasini revealed he came "pretty close" to making the permanent switch to playing in the 15-man code.

"I was pretty close because I played schoolboys last year and a few clubs were interested in me from union, but I stayed with league," Makasini told Zero Tackle.

"I played rugby union first, and I didn't start playing league until I was ten with Campbelltown City as my junior club.

"(Wests Tigers Pathways and Junior Recruitment Manager) Shannon Gallant was the coach at the time, and he pretty much started my rugby league journey and my love for the game.

"That's pretty much where my league journey kicked off. That's my heart of passion."

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

We should sign this kid til 2031 now!

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

In another 3 years or so, a million dollars will be standard for players of the calibre that he’s on the trajectory of being. You get thrown that sort of money and weigh it up playing with your mates and tell me what you’d value more.

Yes mate money changes everything, can't believe I just quoted Cyndi Lauper again, guess it comes down to where the team's level is at that time.

If and it's a big if we are top 4 and are in the hunt for a premiership every player wants to win one so that would be a leveler.

Another thing to consider is when the timing is, if an extension comes to fruition that could take him out past Luai's deal and a juicy TPA could come into play for around the time you are predicting.