Apisai Koroisau #263

crazycat said:
That is the best news I have read in ages.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nrl/comments/18lxe7b
Sadly it looks like Kristian Woolf has his eyes on Latu. Since he poached Tupou off us, Latu may go that way.

that said, same article:
Wests Tigers’ halves conundrum

Jarome Luai (Joinin 2025-2029)

Latu Fainu, Jayden Sullivan (2027)

Lachlan Galvin (2026)

Adam Doueihi (2024), Aidan Sezer (has a mutual option for 2025)

I can't believe people think we will be keeping Doueihi with 5 halves on the books already.
Even if we drop Sezer and Doueihi after 2024 were going to be massively crowded.
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Agree I think we will see Adam and Sezer depart leaving just the 4 young guys , one will become our 14 i Feel so 3 are in the team every game , If Sullivan doesn’t fire this year he could be another to depart , Gavin , Luai , Fatu are keepers ( Sezer , Sullivan , Adam brings 3 roster spots plus the one we have left now , total 4 , 3 juniors and another class player
 
Lauren said:
Koroisau begged Luai to join the Tigers after ‘taxing’ first year as skipper
Adam Pengilly

By Adam Pengilly​

March 11, 2024 — 6.45pm
Save

Late last year, the man in charge of leading the Tigers couldn’t help himself when the club was courting his old teammate, Jarome Luai.
Api Koroisau picked up his phone and told Luai, in not too subtle terms, what he thought about the Panthers star weighing up a club record offer to join the Tigers.

“At the end of the day, I just kept asking him, ‘Are you coming? Are you coming? Are you coming?’ I think [coach] Benji [Marshall] put in the hard yards there.”
Luai is coming.
Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau.

Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau.CREDIT:GETTY

He will do so on five-year deal worth more than $6 million, and none are more pleased than the Tigers captain, who will be reunited with his old friend at Penrith in 2025. But that’s then, and Koroisau is about the now.
“Everyone is excited about Romey coming, obviously the calibre of player he is,” Koroisau said. “We’re all excited. But at the same time we’ve been trying to not think too much about it.”

Koroisau left the Panthers after back-to-back premierships in 2022 to join the Tigers. Try as he might, couldn’t lift them off the bottom of the ladder last year.
Without question, he was the club’s most influential player in a rotten season which saw them lose their first seven matches, their coach Tim Sheens by the end of the campaign and their entire board and chief executive before Christmas. That the captain was spared wasn’t a coincidence.
He knew he was going to have to shoulder a big responsibility, but never did Koroisau think that would include playing halfback and kicking goals in the final rounds of 2023.
“It was tough,” Koroisau says. “By the back end, you can’t say or do any more. “The hardest thing was the boys were trying. It had nothing do with effort areas. For me, it was just about doing what I can do and trying to be positive. We knew early on it wasn’t going great. By the back end it was really taxing. I just tried to be there for everyone.
“I enjoyed halfback. You don’t have to do as much tackling, but I don’t think I like the responsibility of trying to call the plays. That’s not me. Pass the ball off the deck is a super easy job for me.”

The Tigers’ long and slow climb back up the NRL ladder will begin in Canberra on Saturday when Koroisau leads Marshall’s team in their first competition match of 2024 against the Raiders. They had the bye in the opening round.
Over summer, Koroisau has already been enthused by the Tigers’ young talents Lachlan Galvin, Heath Mason and Tallyn Da Silva. And a rookie coach in Marshall.
“He’s very honest,” Koroisau says. “That’s just how his personality is. He’s very up front and doesn’t beat around the bush. If he thinks something is up, he will tell you how it is. That’s even if he’s not your coach. That’s a very good quality to have. Everyone knows exactly where they stand with Benji.”

​

www.brisbanetimes.com.au

Koroisau begged Luai to join the Tigers after ‘taxing’ first year as skipper

In a disastrous year which cost the club their board, chief executive and coach, only the captain is still standing. He knew an old teammate was crucial to the Tigers’ renaissance.
www.brisbanetimes.com.au www.brisbanetimes.com.au
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This is why Api's signing meant so much to our club.He really was who we needed at the club to change our poor attitude,thank you Madge for getting him for us
 
Problem is Api needs to play for 80 as we can’t carry a second 9 on the bench. We need that position for another strong forward at the moment otherwise our bench is too small and weak.
 
TigerSJ said:
Problem is Api needs to play for 80 as we can’t carry a second 9 on the bench. We need that position for another strong forward at the moment otherwise our bench is too small and weak.
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Which comes to another problem. Api is a gutsy player, but he is likely not going to be able to play for 80 or play for 80 at peak ability.

To be honest, I don't think we want him too anyway. Tallyn Da Silva is Api's replacement + we have Fainu/Galvin waiting. Giving Api an occasional break and throwing whomever in at Hooker makes some sense. Even move Api for an occasional short stint at lock if we are not getting pounded.

Because it's not just Api and it's not just our forwards. Marshall is going to coach a team for speed and trick plays. Yet our team seems slow and sluggish. This doesn't work well together.
 
TigerSJ said:
Problem is Api needs to play for 80 as we can’t carry a second 9 on the bench. We need that position for another strong forward at the moment otherwise our bench is too small and weak.
Click to expand...
And has he got 80 in him ( with all due respect). We don’t want to burn him out.
Or maybe Sezer could play 9 ?
 
stevied said:
What more can you say that hasn't already been said? An out and out champion who puts his body on the line and gives 100% every minute of every game. His commitment to the Tigers is enormous and his captaincy style is to lead by example.
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The king 👑
 
You see a charging opponent get there legs ripped off and you know it is Api.

Deserves to be in the conversation for best front on tacklers in the game today.
 
Has come a long way from the joke he made after the GF. I don’t think players from the Penrith system know how to half arse it, and it gives me a lot of confidence that Luai will come with the same will to win attitude that Api has. Having two guys in our spine with that much talent and heart will do us wonders. Galvin and Bula are just icing,
 
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