The_Patriot
Well-known member
What's the point of a forum if we cant speculate
2022 Team
- Thread starter Hearse
- Start date
Harvey
Well-known member
1 Laurie
2 Nofa
3 Hoffman
4 Talau
5 Kenny M
6 AD
7 Broooks
8 Stef
9 Liddle
10 Stef
11 Luci
12 Blore
13 Joe O
14 Twal
15 Garner
15 Simpkins
17 Musgrove
18 Simpkin
19 Seyfarth
20 Kepoa
21 $1.3m worth of cap space
2 Nofa
3 Hoffman
4 Talau
5 Kenny M
6 AD
7 Broooks
8 Stef
9 Liddle
10 Stef
11 Luci
12 Blore
13 Joe O
14 Twal
15 Garner
15 Simpkins
17 Musgrove
18 Simpkin
19 Seyfarth
20 Kepoa
21 $1.3m worth of cap space
Viking Warrior
Well-known member
@willow said in [2022 Team](/post/1423458) said:
Oh well dream's are free, where's your line up
G
Guest
Guest
@viking-warrior said in [2022 Team](/post/1423489) said:
I'll wait until the season is done.
Viking Warrior
Well-known member
@willow said in [2022 Team](/post/1423490) said:
How much cap space are you thinking we will have?
G
Guest
Guest
@viking-warrior said in [2022 Team](/post/1423497) said:
In excess of 2 mil. The problem is the lack of quality available.
Viking Warrior
Well-known member
@willow said in [2022 Team](/post/1423500) said:
Wow that's a lot of money, slim pickings at the moment
The_Patriot
Well-known member
@harvey said in [2022 Team](/post/1423481) said:
So no Mikaela Gildart or Hastings. Seems totally unrealistic.
@willow said in [2022 Team](/post/1423500) said:
A bigger problem is that when quality players do become available they don't want to come to our club. I suppose a possible silver lining may be that if some of our juniors stay and we start to win games then we will have money to keep them.
Harvey
Well-known member
@the_patriot said in [2022 Team](/post/1423543) said:
I reckon Mikaele will go. Gildart will not be up to NRL standard & Hastings will likely get a bench spot.
My thoughts on the matter of team selection in 2022.........
All of the actual signed 2022 players in these lists have had their moments of looking good. The issue is, they have also looked very poor at times and are terribly inconsistent. Seems to me, that if this group is the future reality, then we need to concentrate our focus on how we make each and every one of them play to their potential every week. How do we turn this bunch into a hungry, 110% effort driven, passionate and confident squad of “winners”.
Can this even be done? Maybe many just don’t have the character or qualities to be “winners”, but realistically there is no other choice.
One option is to try and bring in a few true “winning” players, guys who you identify as “influencers” that bring these qualities to your group. Historically, however, it seems we can’t attract these players to the Wests Tigers, so that option isn’t working for us.
The only way it seems is to keep building a strong culture and a club that is respected and looks after its players. We must identify and develop winning qualities in young players and nuture them with the aim that they will not want to go elsewhere. This road is the way to long term success for us.
In the meantime, for short term success, we need to forget the distractions and put our efforts into what Madge has been saying- making every guy in our squad “become the player his teammates want to play with”!
All of the actual signed 2022 players in these lists have had their moments of looking good. The issue is, they have also looked very poor at times and are terribly inconsistent. Seems to me, that if this group is the future reality, then we need to concentrate our focus on how we make each and every one of them play to their potential every week. How do we turn this bunch into a hungry, 110% effort driven, passionate and confident squad of “winners”.
Can this even be done? Maybe many just don’t have the character or qualities to be “winners”, but realistically there is no other choice.
One option is to try and bring in a few true “winning” players, guys who you identify as “influencers” that bring these qualities to your group. Historically, however, it seems we can’t attract these players to the Wests Tigers, so that option isn’t working for us.
The only way it seems is to keep building a strong culture and a club that is respected and looks after its players. We must identify and develop winning qualities in young players and nuture them with the aim that they will not want to go elsewhere. This road is the way to long term success for us.
In the meantime, for short term success, we need to forget the distractions and put our efforts into what Madge has been saying- making every guy in our squad “become the player his teammates want to play with”!
BalmainJnr
Well-known member
Hard to make a team list some 8 months out.
Lots of permutations to occur yet.
Lots of permutations to occur yet.
G
Guest
Guest
Madge wants ‘men’ to drag Tigers out of the dark. A $1.5m coup has struck the match
Andrew Jackson from Fox Sports
Tevita Pangai Jr is off to the Bulldogs and with it the spotlight is once again on the Wests Tigers’ recruitment and retention.
Foxsports.com.au first reported the news in late May that the Tigers hierarchy had flown to Brisbane in a bid to lure Pangai Jr to the club.
Within the space of last three weeks though the Tigers had both moved into another direction and then held fresh talks in a new attempt to sign the ex-Broncos forward.
The mixed messaging proved costly.
You could argue that the ill-disciplined Pangai Jr is not the type of player the Tigers need to go after anyway given both James Roberts and Joey Leilua have failed to find consistency at the club.
The 25-year old Pangai Jr was not guaranteed to find that either at Concord.
But once again the Tigers missed their man, like they have so many times before.
Pangai Jr said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Heraldthat he opted to sign with the Bulldogs because their “roster and coaching staff” best suited him.
It then begs the question - what sort of roster and coaching staff can the Tigers build to make sure future targets are confident in joining the club?
In terms of coaching staff, while questions may be asked of Maguire’s coaching style there are even bigger concerns over members of the playing group not buying in.
After all, it is easier to sack the coach than address a more widespread issue.
The return of former premiership-winning coach Tim Sheens should help both on the field and off it with negotiations.
“This might be where a man like Tim Sheens could really prove to be an asset for Michael Maguire in that negotiating position with new players coming to the club,” the Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley said on Fox League’s ‘NRL 360’ on Tuesday night.
“The fact of matter is no matter what the Tigers are doing when they sit down at the table with players they potentially want to recruit, it is just blowing up in their face.”
Maguire said after a loss to the Rabbitohs this year that he “needs to find men” and Paul Kent argued previous recruitment decisions have not always aligned with that.
“They [Roberts and Leilua] are not Maguire players,” he said.
“They are not head down, work hard, high-percentage players. I know what he tried to do. He needed some strike in attack but I don’t think it is worked. They’ve got to figure out what their identity.
“They still don’t know what success looks like, they don’t know what Tigers football looks like and they’re still figuring it out.”
But even in a year when once again the Tigers appear destined to miss the finals, the breakout performances of a few select players has shown the way forward in recruitment and retention.
Look at Daine Laurie and Stefano Utoikamanu.
Laurie is on a deal worth $140,000 this year that will go up towards $300,000 in 2022 and 2023, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
Utoikamanu signed a three-year contract worth around $800,000 over three years.
Together that would place the duo at round $1.5 million over the next three seasons.
You can even add Shawn Blore to that list, who has impressed with his aggressive playing style off the bench since joining from Penrith.
The Tigers did not have to break the bank for any of those three and none were big names like Pangai Jr but now all will play key roles in the club’s future.
All three were also highly-rated prospects coming through the Panthers and Eels systems, pointing towards a need for the Tigers to continue to invest in pathways.
Sheens too will be able to help there, with his role specifically focusing on using his experience around development and talent identification.
The club has also gone to the market already to secure the signatures of already-established talent but will need to make calls on a host of other big names.
Here foxsports.com.au takes a look at how the Tigers’ roster is shaping up for 2022.
HALVES/HOOKERS
Incoming: Jackson Hastings (2023)
On the books: Luke Brooks (2023), Adam Doueihi (2023), Jock Madden (2022), Moses Mbye (2022), Jake Simpkin (2024), Jacob Liddle (2023)
Off contract: N/A
The Tigers don’t have any of their halves or hookers off-contract but that does not mean there will not be movement.
Moses Mbye is certain to be moved on after seeking permission earlier in the year to start afresh at a new club in 2022. There is still a possible mid-season switch to the Dragons on the cards otherwise.
There is also uncertainty surrounding the future of halfback Luke Brooks. He is contracted at the Tigers until 2023 but Fox League’s James Hooper has linked the Tigers halfback to both Cronulla and Canberra in recent weeks. Maguire told 2GB last week in no uncertain terms that Brooks will be at the club next year.
Even if he was to move though, the Tigers would be well-stocked to cover his absence with Jackson Hastings on the way over in 2022.
The only certainty is that Adam Doueihi will remain in the five-eighth jumper. His decision-making in defence may be a work in progress but Doueihi’s ball-playing skills and short-range kicking game make him an ideal option. He is also quickly emerging as a genuine leader at the club.
In the hooking department the Tigers are all set with Jake Simpkin and Jacob Liddle wrapped up long-term.
BACKS
Incoming: Oliver Gildart (2023)
On the books: Ken Maumalo (2023), Asu Kepaoa (2023), Daine Laurie (2023), David Nofoaluma (2025), Tommy Talau (2022), Reece Hoffman (2022), William Kei (2022)
Off contract: Zachary Cini, Joey Leilua, James Roberts, Kiah Cooper, Junior Pauga
Both Joey Leilua and James Roberts are off-contract at the end of the year with the club having an option in its favour as to whether it extends the two. It is highly unlikely either will be offered another deal.
The arrival of Oliver Gildart from overseas is set to bolster the outside back stocks and hopefully offer a more consistent option in the centres. He will likely be partnered by Tommy Talau, who has been in and out of first grade.
The injured Asu Kepaoa, new recruit Ken Maumalo and veteran David Nofoaluma then shape as the starting wingers the Tigers can choose from. Reece Hoffman and Zachary Cini (off-contract) are solid depth options who boast NRL experience.
Junior Pauga certainly impressed in his NRL debut on the weekend having come back from a broken femur, ACL and MCL injuries during his young career. Both he and Kiah Cooper are on week-by-week training contracts. They were originally signed on Cup contracts before being invited to train with the first-grade side.
There are few options on the market worth pursuing for the Tigers. They would be best to go after a young player with upside. Murray Taulagi and Harley Smith-Shields shapes as the two strongest candidates.
FORWARDS
Incoming:
On the books: Shawn Blore (2023), Luke Garner (2022), Luciano Leilua (2022), Zane Musgrove (2024), Joe Ofahengaue (2022 + MO), Tukimihia Simpkins (2023), James Tamou (2022), Alex Twal (2022), Stefano Utoikamanu (2023)
Off contract: Tom Amone, Michael Chee-Kam, Thomas Mikaele, Russell Packer, Alex Seyfarth, Kelma Tuilagi
At the moment the club does not have any forwards joining next year. The Tigers were linked to off-contract Melbourne lock Dale Finucane but have since dropped out of the race with six clubs linked to the Storm skipper.
Looking at the current crop on the books there is definitely something to build with there.
Utoikamanu and Blore, as mentioned, are exciting prospects while Alex Twal and James Tamou combine for a strong starting front row.
The latter has had mixed performances in 2021 but started to lift recently and offers invaluable experience and leadership on and off the field.
Zane Musgrove has also shown glimpses of his enormous potential amid crushing injury setbacks.
Luke Garner has formed a dangerous combination running lines off Brooks while Tukimihia Simpkins has impressed in the lower grades and was rewarded with his NRL debut on the weekend.
Contracted until the end of 2023, Simpkins will be a more permanent fixture in the first-grade side in years to come.
Alongside Luciano Leilua the Tigers have a strong second row to work with.
Looking at their off-contract players, Thomas Mikaele and Alex Seyfarth shapes as the priorities to lock down.
Once again there are few options on the open market that look worth targeting with Newcastle’s Connor Watson the exception given his versatility.
The Tigers though were looking to use Hastings at lock so if Brooks stays put there it would decrease Watson’s value to the club.
Andrew Jackson from Fox Sports
Tevita Pangai Jr is off to the Bulldogs and with it the spotlight is once again on the Wests Tigers’ recruitment and retention.
Foxsports.com.au first reported the news in late May that the Tigers hierarchy had flown to Brisbane in a bid to lure Pangai Jr to the club.
Within the space of last three weeks though the Tigers had both moved into another direction and then held fresh talks in a new attempt to sign the ex-Broncos forward.
The mixed messaging proved costly.
You could argue that the ill-disciplined Pangai Jr is not the type of player the Tigers need to go after anyway given both James Roberts and Joey Leilua have failed to find consistency at the club.
The 25-year old Pangai Jr was not guaranteed to find that either at Concord.
But once again the Tigers missed their man, like they have so many times before.
Pangai Jr said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Heraldthat he opted to sign with the Bulldogs because their “roster and coaching staff” best suited him.
It then begs the question - what sort of roster and coaching staff can the Tigers build to make sure future targets are confident in joining the club?
In terms of coaching staff, while questions may be asked of Maguire’s coaching style there are even bigger concerns over members of the playing group not buying in.
After all, it is easier to sack the coach than address a more widespread issue.
The return of former premiership-winning coach Tim Sheens should help both on the field and off it with negotiations.
“This might be where a man like Tim Sheens could really prove to be an asset for Michael Maguire in that negotiating position with new players coming to the club,” the Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley said on Fox League’s ‘NRL 360’ on Tuesday night.
“The fact of matter is no matter what the Tigers are doing when they sit down at the table with players they potentially want to recruit, it is just blowing up in their face.”
Maguire said after a loss to the Rabbitohs this year that he “needs to find men” and Paul Kent argued previous recruitment decisions have not always aligned with that.
“They [Roberts and Leilua] are not Maguire players,” he said.
“They are not head down, work hard, high-percentage players. I know what he tried to do. He needed some strike in attack but I don’t think it is worked. They’ve got to figure out what their identity.
“They still don’t know what success looks like, they don’t know what Tigers football looks like and they’re still figuring it out.”
But even in a year when once again the Tigers appear destined to miss the finals, the breakout performances of a few select players has shown the way forward in recruitment and retention.
Look at Daine Laurie and Stefano Utoikamanu.
Laurie is on a deal worth $140,000 this year that will go up towards $300,000 in 2022 and 2023, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
Utoikamanu signed a three-year contract worth around $800,000 over three years.
Together that would place the duo at round $1.5 million over the next three seasons.
You can even add Shawn Blore to that list, who has impressed with his aggressive playing style off the bench since joining from Penrith.
The Tigers did not have to break the bank for any of those three and none were big names like Pangai Jr but now all will play key roles in the club’s future.
All three were also highly-rated prospects coming through the Panthers and Eels systems, pointing towards a need for the Tigers to continue to invest in pathways.
Sheens too will be able to help there, with his role specifically focusing on using his experience around development and talent identification.
The club has also gone to the market already to secure the signatures of already-established talent but will need to make calls on a host of other big names.
Here foxsports.com.au takes a look at how the Tigers’ roster is shaping up for 2022.
HALVES/HOOKERS
Incoming: Jackson Hastings (2023)
On the books: Luke Brooks (2023), Adam Doueihi (2023), Jock Madden (2022), Moses Mbye (2022), Jake Simpkin (2024), Jacob Liddle (2023)
Off contract: N/A
The Tigers don’t have any of their halves or hookers off-contract but that does not mean there will not be movement.
Moses Mbye is certain to be moved on after seeking permission earlier in the year to start afresh at a new club in 2022. There is still a possible mid-season switch to the Dragons on the cards otherwise.
There is also uncertainty surrounding the future of halfback Luke Brooks. He is contracted at the Tigers until 2023 but Fox League’s James Hooper has linked the Tigers halfback to both Cronulla and Canberra in recent weeks. Maguire told 2GB last week in no uncertain terms that Brooks will be at the club next year.
Even if he was to move though, the Tigers would be well-stocked to cover his absence with Jackson Hastings on the way over in 2022.
The only certainty is that Adam Doueihi will remain in the five-eighth jumper. His decision-making in defence may be a work in progress but Doueihi’s ball-playing skills and short-range kicking game make him an ideal option. He is also quickly emerging as a genuine leader at the club.
In the hooking department the Tigers are all set with Jake Simpkin and Jacob Liddle wrapped up long-term.
BACKS
Incoming: Oliver Gildart (2023)
On the books: Ken Maumalo (2023), Asu Kepaoa (2023), Daine Laurie (2023), David Nofoaluma (2025), Tommy Talau (2022), Reece Hoffman (2022), William Kei (2022)
Off contract: Zachary Cini, Joey Leilua, James Roberts, Kiah Cooper, Junior Pauga
Both Joey Leilua and James Roberts are off-contract at the end of the year with the club having an option in its favour as to whether it extends the two. It is highly unlikely either will be offered another deal.
The arrival of Oliver Gildart from overseas is set to bolster the outside back stocks and hopefully offer a more consistent option in the centres. He will likely be partnered by Tommy Talau, who has been in and out of first grade.
The injured Asu Kepaoa, new recruit Ken Maumalo and veteran David Nofoaluma then shape as the starting wingers the Tigers can choose from. Reece Hoffman and Zachary Cini (off-contract) are solid depth options who boast NRL experience.
Junior Pauga certainly impressed in his NRL debut on the weekend having come back from a broken femur, ACL and MCL injuries during his young career. Both he and Kiah Cooper are on week-by-week training contracts. They were originally signed on Cup contracts before being invited to train with the first-grade side.
There are few options on the market worth pursuing for the Tigers. They would be best to go after a young player with upside. Murray Taulagi and Harley Smith-Shields shapes as the two strongest candidates.
FORWARDS
Incoming:
On the books: Shawn Blore (2023), Luke Garner (2022), Luciano Leilua (2022), Zane Musgrove (2024), Joe Ofahengaue (2022 + MO), Tukimihia Simpkins (2023), James Tamou (2022), Alex Twal (2022), Stefano Utoikamanu (2023)
Off contract: Tom Amone, Michael Chee-Kam, Thomas Mikaele, Russell Packer, Alex Seyfarth, Kelma Tuilagi
At the moment the club does not have any forwards joining next year. The Tigers were linked to off-contract Melbourne lock Dale Finucane but have since dropped out of the race with six clubs linked to the Storm skipper.
Looking at the current crop on the books there is definitely something to build with there.
Utoikamanu and Blore, as mentioned, are exciting prospects while Alex Twal and James Tamou combine for a strong starting front row.
The latter has had mixed performances in 2021 but started to lift recently and offers invaluable experience and leadership on and off the field.
Zane Musgrove has also shown glimpses of his enormous potential amid crushing injury setbacks.
Luke Garner has formed a dangerous combination running lines off Brooks while Tukimihia Simpkins has impressed in the lower grades and was rewarded with his NRL debut on the weekend.
Contracted until the end of 2023, Simpkins will be a more permanent fixture in the first-grade side in years to come.
Alongside Luciano Leilua the Tigers have a strong second row to work with.
Looking at their off-contract players, Thomas Mikaele and Alex Seyfarth shapes as the priorities to lock down.
Once again there are few options on the open market that look worth targeting with Newcastle’s Connor Watson the exception given his versatility.
The Tigers though were looking to use Hastings at lock so if Brooks stays put there it would decrease Watson’s value to the club.
BalmainJnr
Well-known member
@willow said in [2022 Team](/post/1424230) said:
I struggle with articles where one journalist quotes another journalist and paints them as a subject matter expert.
Especially when Crawley is quoted.
That being said the article is correct to highlight our young blokes as the way forward.
We have potential, it’s crucial we develop them.
tigerforlife777
New member
The numbers got all mixed up and I don’t know how to delete
Harvey
Well-known member
After watching tonight I would be looking to take any first grade standard edge players.
I would not get in a bidding war for Mikaele, he looks to be nothing special. Mbye needs to be moved on.
I hope I am wrong but Maumalo seems to be a complete dud.
I would not get in a bidding war for Mikaele, he looks to be nothing special. Mbye needs to be moved on.
I hope I am wrong but Maumalo seems to be a complete dud.