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Is he really on that much money? Surely props who only play 20-30 minutes a game aren't that expensive, even if their impact is significant.

But none of the things you're talking about would be solved by a draft. In theory, clubs can already negotiate whatever they want if another club tries to sign a player who is under contract - money, player exchange, whatever. The reason it doesn't happen isn't because there aren't draft picks...

It always amazes me to hear people talking about a draft as if that's something that would be positive for the Tigers - I assume it's just because we've been crap for so long that people start to assume any other system would have to be better. Literally the one advantage this club should have...

It's possible to develop good pathways and a production line of talent without being a destination club for established first graders, though. Penrith and Canberra are the most obvious examples, also the Warriors.

It's pretty hard to say at this stage that the team hasn't improved. Obviously the cattle is better but I think an honest assessment of the squad's quality at the start of the season would have pegged us round about where we are now: clear of spoon danger but just as far from finals. FWIW I have...

After round 18: - In 2023, we were 3-12 with a for and against of -155. - In 2024, we were 4-12 with a for and against of -151. - In 2025, we are 6-10 with a for and against of -82. I think it's pretty clear that we're better this year - by roughly a try a game according to the for and against...

People like flashy things - "big name" signings, especially ones with good attacking reputations. This doesn't apply in Young's case but the other one you see on here a lot are people advocating signing players who were really good years ago but clearly aren't any more. There were some who...

I had a chat with someone who I'll describe as a very, very senior decision maker at a very important sponsor of the Wests Tigers earlier this season, who told me that HBG are 100% letting Richardson get on with running the club without interference or even demands for constant flow of...

I read some interesting analysis in 2023 making the case that Fifita gets punished for high expectations - basically, if he doesn't run over the top of people for two tries in a game and also put in the type of base numbers you'd expect from an elite middle, people say he's not trying. At the...

I agree, but it's also worth noting that they really don't have anything anyone ought to want. If I'm running roster construction for the Perth Bears, who am I genuinely interested in out of Parra? Moses isn't going anywhere and Lomax has only just signed - really what else is there? Iongi is a...

If you're not sure how to pronounce it, remember that it sounds like "Nawaqanitawase".

The idea is that, over time, expansion franchises add talent to the comp by building pathways in places the game isn't currently reaching. It's going to take time, of course: the playing base in Perth is tiny and it'll be years before they are finding more players than they need to be signing...

This is where I don't think the "drop him immediately" view is accurate. Players aren't stupid (well, kinda). If the club offers someone five million bucks then drop him the next week it's pretty obvious that they didn't suddenly decide he's not up to first grade. If he was the best 5/8 at the...

100% agree with this. The other thing no-one ever thinks of is how much dropping Galvin out of spite would piss off the rest of the squad. Players think differently about these things to fans: they know that people leave and that nine times out of 10 their colleagues are going to take the best...

To be fair I imagine running a law firm also makes fairly serious demands on one's time.

Not so far as I'm aware. This is just what happens when both your first choice halves are injured and the guy you brought in from England turns out to be unplayably bad (and also suspended TBF). Latrell is starting at 5/8.

This is because going from being the worst team in the comp three years running to a finals contender doesn't happen overnight. I doubt anyone involved in running the club thought they'd have a finalised contender of a roster by the start of the 2025 season - these things take time.

Come on, let's be realistic: Luai is bang to rights and was always going to get sat for a week for that tackle. Maybe some other guy on another team should also have been charged but if Luai had got away with that he'd be well advised to buy some lottery tickets.

Ignored and blocked.

That would be funny: I mean, we all assume Newcastle are going to regret the 10-year deal before it ends but this way they have a chance to regret it before it starts.