Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Tom Shines]

Melbourne turned Dane Nielsen into an origin player, and after he left Melbourne he was an actual meme player 💩 tier. They could probably make Alex Seyfarth an origin player, it's just what they do.

We should probably try to do that … that making guys Origin players thing

 

[hank37w]

Nah we deliberately hold 'em back because we don't want to lose them for any of the regular season games during the origin period.

 

[Buttface]

We should probably try to do that … that making guys Origin players thing

They don’t want to pick us.
You could argue in the past that we didn’t have any players of that level, but last year we had at least one, if not 3 and still crickets not cockroaches.

We will be leading the comp come origin this season so if will be interesting to hear the excuses.

T4L.

 

[Odessa]

Re Melbourne stealing Pole...

Because Melbourne will train consistency IN.

Yet I don't think they will get him because they will have bigger/different targets. Best if we poach his brother here.

So Bellamy will ride the Pole consistently to get him up to preform better

 

[Tom Shines]

They don’t want to pick us.
You could argue in the past that we didn’t have any players of that level, but last year we had at least one, if not 3 and still crickets not cockroaches.

We will be leading the comp come origin this season so if will be interesting to hear the excuses.

T4L.

Who …Terrell May ?

I think it’s debatable…he is a grinding machine that plays big minutes … I don’t think he brings impact and punch which you need for Origin …particularly off the bench where he would have been picked …just my opinion … although Max King is cheeks and he got picked at least for one game ..

Who are the other 2? Assume you aren’t including Luai who was an Origin player long before he came to us

 

[Buttface]

Who …Terrell May ?

I think it’s debatable…he is a grinding machine that plays big minutes … I don’t think he brings impact and punch which you need for Origin …particularly off the bench where he would have been picked …just my opinion … although Max King is cheeks and he got picked at least for one game ..

Who are the other 2? Assume you aren’t including Luai who was an Origin player long before he came to us

I have my Tigers bias but Api makes me happy too. Yeah it was more about it doesn’t matter who we produce they won’t get picked. I was having a grumble.
But I’m a bit more chipa now I’ve had a swim.

 

[Odessa]

I have my Tigers bias but Api makes me happy too. Yeah it was more about it doesn’t matter who we produce they won’t get picked. I was having a grumble.
But I’m a bit more chipa now I’ve had a swim.

API is past it for origin he just looks young because he has great skin no wrinkles

Even last year you could see it he's a 55 minute player no more than that hopefully Haywood will be ready to Play 25 -30 minutes in season 27

But need a good replacement to come on when he goes off

 

[batboy]

So Bellamy will ride the Pole consistently to get him up to preform better

Might get him to at least take his Ear Rings out when he's training?

I don't see anyone getting around like that when they're supposed to be
ripping in at Training for a Full Contact Sport taking it quite as seriously as they maybe should be?

Might sound like not a lot,
But I think it speaks volumes to where his head is at and why he's dipped off the last couple years.

 

[gregjm87]

They picked a the guy out of a form team. Didn’t really see any games of king to compare myself. You look at the rep game Terrell played at the end of the year didn’t move the needle. Yes he was coming off an injury but looked uninterested. That could have been a game to receive recognition. He has the ability but lacks drive at times. Being on the field too long has it’s detriment.

King is a significantly better defender. I expect someone to look at tackle efficiency stats and argue with me (though the difference is minimal). King is by far the better wrestler and better disciplined when it comes to 6 agains and penalties.
They both make their metres but with minimal effect though I think May probably slightly has an edge here.
I think King over May for his defensive discipline is a perfectly fine selection but there is one final consideration which is personality. Now May seems like a decent enough bloke to me but he also seems a bit of a different character. He also obviously had some sort of falling out at the Roosters which we don't know the details of. You've only got a week to meld all those personalities so if there are questions about one bloke fitting in compared to the alternate option that would also influence the decision.

 

[gregjm87]

Many times last year Melbourne's last tackle play was horrendous Hughes rushing the kick a bad kick or Munster shanking the kick and sometimes just running the ball they would come in and out of games all brilliant players individually but no one to control the team

If they had Sean O'Sullivan as Half but with a brilliant 1 6 9 they would have won the comp

Disagree. The brilliance of the individuals in their spine won them far more games than it lost them. They made a GF and only lost to the individual brilliance in the opposition. Though I do think their pack wasn't quite at the same level as some of the other top sides including the Broncos in the GF.
I'd agree that they can lack direction at times. I disagree that it has cost them.

 

[bptiger 0]

Just on another note , has anyone wondered how the rabbits can afford there roster , just look at there pack and there backline , maybe there the new roooters

 

[Tom Shines]

I have my Tigers bias but Api makes me happy too. Yeah it was more about it doesn’t matter who we produce they won’t get picked. I was having a grumble.
But

Api … I’ll just be happy if he plays well for us …gotta manage his minutes better to conserve his impact on the game …. Looks like they are going with AD at 7 so maybe Latu can spell him for 20 mins ……they gotta get some more value out of him …

 

[Tom Shines]

Just on another note , has anyone wondered how the rabbits can afford there roster , just look at there pack and there backline , maybe there the new roooters

It’s one of the world’s great mysteries …how all the teams spend the same amount of money but you end up with such a variance in playing talent .,,we are supposedly broke but the Rabbits can bid for everyone ..

As I’ve said before …make the player payments public … the US sports seem to manage it..

 

[batboy]

King is a significantly better defender. I expect someone to look at tackle efficiency stats and argue with me (though the difference is minimal). King is by far the better wrestler and better disciplined when it comes to 6 agains and penalties.
They both make their metres but with minimal effect though I think May probably slightly has an edge here.
I think King over May for his defensive discipline is a perfectly fine selection but there is one final consideration which is personality. Now May seems like a decent enough bloke to me but he also seems a bit of a different character. He also obviously had some sort of falling out at the Roosters which we don't know the details of. You've only got a week to meld all those personalities so if there are questions about one bloke fitting in compared to the alternate option that would also influence the decision.

May doesn't have the leg speed for Origin Footy, He'd have been swallowed in that Arena.
That said, Neither does the likes of Jurbo or King.

I like Terrell, But he seems to have the attitude that he's owed more than he is.

Telling people to burn rep Jerseys and the like after he's finally got his head on in his mid 20's
and played 18 months of good footy - Game doesn't owe him anything,
Blokes play a whole career of good footy and don't get a start.

If he wants it that bad - Double down, Back it up and make it impossible not to pick him...
But he has a bit to work on.

 

[batboy]

It’s one of the world’s great mysteries …how all the teams spend the same amount of money but you end up with such a variance in playing talent .,,we are supposedly broke but the Rabbits can bid for everyone ..

As I’ve said before …make the player payments public … the US sports seem to manage it..

Even paid a fair whack for the likes of the little fullback (Without considering all that top end)
Blokes like Arrow on close to a Mill... They're running it better than we are.

 

[Nonotmeagain]

They don’t want to pick us.
You could argue in the past that we didn’t have any players of that level, but last year we had at least one, if not 3 and still crickets not cockroaches.

We will be leading the comp come origin this season so if will be interesting to hear the excuses.

T4L.

Didn't Luai play 2 of the 3 games ?

 

[Odessa]

Disagree. The brilliance of the individuals in their spine won them far more games than it lost them. They made a GF and only lost to the individual brilliance in the opposition. Though I do think their pack wasn't quite at the same level as some of the other top sides including the Broncos in the GF.
I'd agree that they can lack direction at times. I disagree that it has cost them.

I watched alot of Melbourne last year and them going in and out of matches and Bellamy in the press conference losing it and couldn't answer the questions about what was happening

 

[TheEnz]

King is a significantly better defender. I expect someone to look at tackle efficiency stats and argue with me (though the difference is minimal). King is by far the better wrestler and better disciplined when it comes to 6 agains and penalties.
They both make their metres but with minimal effect though I think May probably slightly has an edge here.
I think King over May for his defensive discipline is a perfectly fine selection but there is one final consideration which is personality. Now May seems like a decent enough bloke to me but he also seems a bit of a different character. He also obviously had some sort of falling out at the Roosters which we don't know the details of. You've only got a week to meld all those personalities so if there are questions about one bloke fitting in compared to the alternate option that would also influence the decision.

I think at the end of the day the roosters were stacked with good forwards coming through the ranks, as much as I love Terell I would probably pick Nofahu Whyte before him based on second half of 2025 and rep form. Roosters knew they could easily get Terell off the books without having to chip in a cent because he had a solid season and there was a shortage of decent middles on the market. They then used his $$ to top up the younger boys they knew they had coming through...I hate to say it, but very smart business on their part. It probably also had a bit to do with his personality as well, however I don't think that was the main reason.

 

[gregjm87]

Just on another note , has anyone wondered how the rabbits can afford there roster , just look at there pack and there backline , maybe there the new roooters

Probably the cheapest spine in the comp and id guess Murray the only forward on more than 700k.

 

[gregjm87]

I think at the end of the day the roosters were stacked with good forwards coming through the ranks, as much as I love Terell I would probably pick Nofahu Whyte before him based on second half of 2025 and rep form. Roosters knew they could easily get Terell off the books without having to chip in a cent because he had a solid season and there was a shortage of decent middles on the market. They then used his $$ to top up the younger boys they knew they had coming through...I hate to say it, but very smart business on their part. It probably also had a bit to do with his personality as well, however I don't think that was the main reason.

Don't disagree with this take at all, prioritising Whyte as well as the likes of Steep and Wong is fair enough. But weren't there comments around "made some calls" when explaining why he was overlooked? I may be misremembering but I thought there was a blowup on the forum about the calls were to Roosters staff and not Tigers staff or something like this.