Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Jeral Skelton spent most of last season in NSW Cup getting used to his transition from rugby union, scoring plenty of tries along the way.
Watching bits and pieces of his games in NSW Cup so far this season, he looks to have gained confidence and gone to another level. He’s now regularly using his size and speed to advantage,
I believe we desperately need a big bodied winger to replace Junior Tupou and have been keen on us recruiting Seni Valemai who I’m certain is a good quality regular NRL standard winger given the opportunity, but it seems Jeral Skelton has more x-factor and upside.
I hope we are looking closely at either one of these 2 as neither will remain free agents for much longer,
 
Vicious said:
Jeral Skelton spent most of last season in NSW Cup getting used to his transition from rugby union, scoring plenty of tries along the way.
Watching bits and pieces of his games in NSW Cup so far this season, he looks to have gained confidence and gone to another level. He’s now regularly using his size and speed to advantage,
I believe we desperately need a big bodied winger to replace Junior Tupou and have been keen on us recruiting Seni Valemai who I’m certain is a good quality regular NRL standard winger given the opportunity, but it seems Jeral Skelton has more x-factor and upside.
I hope we are looking closely at either one of these 2 as neither will remain free agents for much longer,
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I think dollar wise as well as what you've mentioned, he'd be an astute signing.

Money ball >
He'd provide some serious value.
 
Demps said:
I think dollar wise as well as what you've mentioned, he'd be an astute signing.

Money ball >
He'd provide some serious value.
Click to expand...
His highlights from last weekend are off the charts. Scoring tries, creating havoc with his yardage carries, regularly running the ball at top speed and agile stepping for a big man.
Very surprising he’s not be called up to the Bulldogs NRL squad, surely now is the perfect time to pounce and sign him for 2025, even some chance we could get him for the remainder of this season.
 
Vicious said:
Jeral Skelton spent most of last season in NSW Cup getting used to his transition from rugby union, scoring plenty of tries along the way.
Watching bits and pieces of his games in NSW Cup so far this season, he looks to have gained confidence and gone to another level. He’s now regularly using his size and speed to advantage,
I believe we desperately need a big bodied winger to replace Junior Tupou and have been keen on us recruiting Seni Valemai who I’m certain is a good quality regular NRL standard winger given the opportunity, but it seems Jeral Skelton has more x-factor and upside.
I hope we are looking closely at either one of these 2 as neither will remain free agents for much longer,
Click to expand...

Skelton has something right.
Don’t get why he is still in reggies must be defensive or training reasons.
Valemai is an interesting one he did have bad defensive reads like Nofo (don’t know this year if it’s changed).

We need to make sure the big bodies can accelerate fast and can hold their defensive position also. If they don’t then the big bodies just won’t give us the value we need.
 
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Vicious said:
His highlights from last weekend are off the charts. Scoring tries, creating havoc with his yardage carries, regularly running the ball at top speed and agile stepping for a big man.
Very surprising he’s not be called up to the Bulldogs NRL squad, surely now is the perfect time to pounce and sign him for 2025, even some chance we could get him for the remainder of this season.
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Apparently he's not well rated at the Dogs.

Looks decent from the cup games I've seen though.
 
Demps said:
Apparently he's not well rated at the Dogs.

Looks decent from the cup games I've seen though.
Click to expand...
Skelton and Schiller to sure up the outside backs. I know Richo has said we are after a “cream” outside back not sure where that will come from.

To strengthen the forwards sign Fineifikau or Sua. Going with what we have and Luai coming thats a top 8 roster minimum.
 
Demps said:
I think dollar wise as well as what you've mentioned, he'd be an astute signing.

Money ball >
He'd provide some serious value.
Click to expand...

I'm a bit undecided on him, Looks OK in cup for the Dogs....
2 games in 3 years for an ordinary Union Side and a few games at the Dogs since.

Reckon we've got that kinda Player covered - To'a, Kepaoa, Faatape - Even Staines....
I'd be heading for the top shelf in the Outside Backs.

For all the glory our also rans have been getting for the last few years,
the contrast is more than a little apparent when you stack em all up against an
'old, busted' Player of the level of Olam.
 
Conbat07 said:
A fit Schuster at 400k a year would add something off the bench in my opinion
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Agreed, with any signing though the price must be right. There are also plenty of reports that lead me to believe that he is not actually lazy
or unmotivated. Struggles with weight yes but not lazy.
He has regularly been a training the house down story and often dropped a lot of weight in a short time post injury related w
eight gain. He knocked back the World Cup for an extended preseason. This isn't a lazy demotivated player.
He needs to accept he will never have the body of a 6 and commit to a move to the forwards. He has already proven he can handle the physicality there having excelled there in his rookie season.
He needs education and special attention with regards to nutrition and non weight bearing exercises. His weight gain has always been when suffering lower leg injuries. A bit of professionalism from him and those around him should minimise this.
He is too young and too talented to be thrown in the scrap heap at the moment.
 
Oldman said:
It all comes down to the price $
Schuster could end up a great pick up IF the penny finally drops for him he would be a very dangerous edge forward.
I thought benji was keen to get him here for this season so he might be able to get him at a much cheaper price than what they were talking about before he resigned with Manly.
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I think Fulton was keen but Benji wisely knock it on the head
 
I've been very critical of Schuster because he's got a fat head like Mitchell and he's just as lazy, but like Mitchell he has got talent and from what I've seen of him so far I don't think he is a grub, so for the right price he could be handy.

But when it comes to $800k . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Dreaming.jpg
 
gregjm87 said:
Agreed, with any signing though the price must be right. There are also plenty of reports that lead me to believe that he is not actually lazy
or unmotivated. Struggles with weight yes but not lazy.
He has regularly been a training the house down story and often dropped a lot of weight in a short time post injury related w
eight gain. He knocked back the World Cup for an extended preseason. This isn't a lazy demotivated player.
He needs to accept he will never have the body of a 6 and commit to a move to the forwards. He has already proven he can handle the physicality there having excelled there in his rookie season.
He needs education and special attention with regards to nutrition and non weight bearing exercises. His weight gain has always been when suffering lower leg injuries. A bit of professionalism from him and those around him should minimise this.
He is too young and too talented to be thrown in the scrap heap at the moment.
Click to expand...

If a club was prepared to take a large gamble at about 350k it could pay off,however he would have to drop his price massively for anyone to take that brave decision.He is young enough to turn it around but my doubts remain as to wether he is prepared to do so.Going to Rugby Union is far more likely imho where his surname will go a long way
 
jadtiger said:
If a club was prepared to take a large gamble at about 350k it could pay off,however he would have to drop his price massively for anyone to take that brave decision.He is young enough to turn it around but my doubts remain as to wether he is prepared to do so.Going to Rugby Union is far more likely imho where his surname will go a long way
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At 350k though it is not a large gamble. At 800k it is and not worth taking.
 
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Demps said:
www.zerotackle.com

NRL Players Off Contract 2024 | NRL Contracts

A complete list of NRL players who are off contract at the end of the 2024 rugby league season.
www.zerotackle.com www.zerotackle.com

JOSIAH KARAPANI (Broncos, centre)
JAMES SCHILLER (Raiders, wing)
TREY MOONEY (Raiders, lock)
JERAL SKELTON (Bulldogs, centre)
KAYAL IRO (Sharks, centre)
KULIKEFU FINEFEUIAKI (Cowboys, backrow)
SEMI VALEMEI (Cowboys, wing)
SUNIA TURUVA (Panthers, utility back)
ALEC TUITAVAKE (Dragons, Prop)
JAYDN SU'A (Dragons, backrow)

These are some names we should be looking at. Obviously we can't sign them all, but se should be seriously considering some of them.

Karapani was supposed to be the next big thing at South's then left to the Broncos and has been playing Q cup.

I'd love us to sign Suruva & Valemei, both walk into our backline and improve us. Fiji connection with Api and Bula, as well as the family link with Api and Suruva.

Rest of this list are quite formidably, a few I think are probably unlikely, such as Iro (he'll probably re sign with the sharks) and the weapon backrower from NQ (they'll do everything to keep him) but we should still throw our hats in the ring even if just to bring their prices up.

I think Tuitavake and Karapani would be good players we could pick up without breaking the bank, strengthen our cup squad and push for top 17. Very impressed with Tuitavake when watching him play cup recently.
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Didn't realise J.Sua was off contract, he looks real fit this year, would be a great one to jag but I think getting him would mean far too much money spent on 3 back rowers and none of them would be happy about swapping positions or sitting on the pine
 
Conbat07 said:
Skelton and Schiller to sure up the outside backs. I know Richo has said we are after a “cream” outside back not sure where that will come from.

To strengthen the forwards sign Fineifikau or Sua. Going with what we have and Luai coming thats a top 8 roster minimum.
Click to expand...

Why not both?

We need a starting backrower and lock at least (probably 2 pending Papa staying).

Sua would be a massive uplift on Bateman or at lock would allow us to move Pole back to prop and start him with Stefano ahead of Kelm leaving.

Pole/Stef could be our starting prop rotation for years.
 
AdelaideTiger said:
Didn't realise J.Sua was off contract, he looks real fit this year, would be a great one to jag but I think getting him would mean far too much money spent on 3 back rowers and none of them would be happy about swapping positions or sitting on the pine
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It’s all supercoach talk end of day but way I look at it is

Papa & Kelm are both off contract end of next year (players can shift clubs early) + Bateman I would be surprised if he stays another 2yrs

We need to plan for 5yrs given the kids commitment and Luai coming onboard. So if we can grab one of these with other contracts winding up you do whats needed.
 
Demps said:
www.zerotackle.com

NRL Players Off Contract 2024 | NRL Contracts

A complete list of NRL players who are off contract at the end of the 2024 rugby league season.
www.zerotackle.com www.zerotackle.com

JOSIAH KARAPANI (Broncos, centre)
JAMES SCHILLER (Raiders, wing)
TREY MOONEY (Raiders, lock)
JERAL SKELTON (Bulldogs, centre)
KAYAL IRO (Sharks, centre)
KULIKEFU FINEFEUIAKI (Cowboys, backrow)
SEMI VALEMEI (Cowboys, wing)
SUNIA TURUVA (Panthers, utility back)
ALEC TUITAVAKE (Dragons, Prop)
JAYDN SU'A (Dragons, backrow)

These are some names we should be looking at. Obviously we can't sign them all, but se should be seriously considering some of them.

Karapani was supposed to be the next big thing at South's then left to the Broncos and has been playing Q cup.

I'd love us to sign Suruva & Valemei, both walk into our backline and improve us. Fiji connection with Api and Bula, as well as the family link with Api and Suruva.

Rest of this list are quite formidably, a few I think are probably unlikely, such as Iro (he'll probably re sign with the sharks) and the weapon backrower from NQ (they'll do everything to keep him) but we should still throw our hats in the ring even if just to bring their prices up.

I think Tuitavake and Karapani would be good players we could pick up without breaking the bank, strengthen our cup squad and push for top 17. Very impressed with Tuitavake when watching him play cup recently.
Click to expand...
I’d take Su’a only.

Possible swap for Bateman.

No to Turuva. Too little.
 
Mighty_Tiger said:
Why not both?

We need a starting backrower and lock at least (probably 2 pending Papa staying).

Sua would be a massive uplift on Bateman or at lock would allow us to move Pole back to prop and start him with Stefano ahead of Kelm leaving.

Pole/Stef could be our starting prop rotation for years.
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t complain if we signed Su’a, however our cap won’t allow us to sign any back rower valued at 500k plus unless we move on either Bateman or Papali’i.
You know my thoughts, I think Papali’i provides us much more value than what Bateman does.
I still think Angus Crichton would be the ideal left edge back rower for us.
He hits holes hard & fast all day long, hits hard in defence and is a mobile big bodied player that would make our left sided attack very dangerous alongside Justin Olam.
 
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