Are Fifita and Gibbs off to the Sharks?

[AmericanHistoryX]

Losing Fifita is a tragedy in the rugby league world. A future rep. But if he didn't want to stay with us than so be it. Otherwise sad news for our club. The last time I felt like this was when Scott prince left. Ricky Stuart I believe has Fifita earmarked for origin. That's life and the show must go on.

 

[happy_tiger]

Losing Fifita is a tragedy in the rugby league world. A future rep. But if he didn't want to stay with us than so be it. Otherwise sad news for our club. The last time I felt like this was when Scott prince left. Ricky Stuart I believe has Fifita earmarked for origin. That's life and the show must go on.

Maybe thats one of the reasons he is leaving . Might think that playing at the Tigers means less chance of representative honours

 

[philgood]

So what is the correct scenario here? Did Fifita not want to sign the contract extension, or did the club not go through with the contract extension because of salary cap pressure? It sounds as though the latter is what happened, and if so, the club is a disgrace!

 

[Kul]

Fifita > Blair

I know we are going off hearsay, but I'd much prefer to keep fifita than sign Blair. he has so much potential.

Add to that that rumoured $500,000 fee… Geez. For what will essentially be a swap, we come out with the smaller end of the stick me thinks.

Oh well, fingers crossed he ends up staying.
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[AmericanHistoryX]

I too would rather keep fifita than sign Blair. What is wrong with our club? How could they let this happen. Why couldn't Fulton go? I believe Kul that he has signed with cronulla. Being young I reckon he'll take the money on offer. But what can cronulla offer him? Semi final football? Young kid a future rep but doesn't think. A sad day for the club. Blair wasn't worth all this surely.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

I too would rather keep fifita than sign Blair. What is wrong with our club? How could they let this happen. Why couldn't Fulton go? I believe Kul that he has signed with cronulla. Being young I reckon he'll take the money on offer. But what can cronulla offer him? Semi final football? Young kid a future rep but doesn't think. A sad day for the club. Blair wasn't worth all this surely.

My understanding is the Club isnt releasing Fifita to sign Blair… They are releasing Gibbs to sign Blair, its just that Fifita has shopped himself around at the same time, and the Club is prepared to not hinder his career...

 

[MacDougall]

"What is wrong with our club" Wah wah wah.

The Sharks have thrown more money at Fifita than ANY club/sport on Earth would pay him ever.

He's played like 35 first grade games and he is being offered what is effectively Luke Douglas's contract. If we paid that much money for him it'd be laughable. It's incredibly unfortunate because it doesn't exactly free up much cap space for us since he was on peanuts, but there is NOTHING the WT could do about it short of terminating 2 or 3 other contracts to find space for him. Blair is the reason we're going to lose Gibbs and Fulton (+Payten retiring). Fifita leaving is just simply because we couldn't/wouldn't want to come CLOSE to matching their deal. If Heighington is being shopped elsewhere too then by my calculations we're still another signing or two short.

I can only imagine if Heighington is being moved on it's because Sheens has decided to make a play for a different front rower or a back for obvious reasons. As I've said in other threads the Knights have loads of players getting cut loose too. I suspect we'll end up with one or two of them. I suspect McDonnell will be one for obvious reasons and I am hoping that Keith Lulia and Wes Naqaima are among them too.

Another thing to note is that Bennett has effectively told 50% of the Knights top squad to go elsewhere and there aren't off contract players available to replace them. Is it possible do you think that Bennett has noticed the Tigers are having salary cap dramas and quietly said to McDonnell and Sheens "I like that Heighington, we'll take him if you need to drop a couple of hundred thousand".

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Signing with cronulla is hindering his career I believe. And Wests tigers letting him shop around is hindering our club. No maybe Fifita won't win a premiership with Cronulla but we will lose a rep front row forward. Cannot our club see this? It's a massive loss but I'm sure we'll survive without him. I just thought sheens was smarter.

 

[MacDougall]

Signing with cronulla is hindering his career I believe. And Wests tigers letting him shop around is hindering our club. No maybe Fifita won't win a premiership with Cronulla but we will lose a rep front row forward. Cannot our club see this? It's a massive loss but I'm sure we'll survive without him. I just thought sheens was smarter.

How would matching a $300,000 contract for a 35 game front rower be smart?

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Fifita Blair

I really really like Fifita but this is simply wrong.

Blair is an international quality player, one of the best forwards in the world. A mainstay in probably the best club side over the past decade. Won international comps, won premierships (yeah they were stripped, but still stands). We are not signing a dud here.

 

[jirskyr]

I would like to cast back a year or two when some people were annoyed about the lack of marquee signings and a stale team line up.

With the club now looking like making some major changes, we then change our tune and wish we could retain the current the roster, which is underperforming.

I say if Fifita is contracted here but looks elsewhere for a better deal, let him do so. We shouldn't be paying overs to retain our own players, it just becomes another Ben Te'o saga. If he can get a deal we aren't prepared to match, then so be it. I'm confused why we announced the contract extension activation if Fifita was exploring his options, but I figure it will be made public eventually.

Let's be frank, prop is now the position for which we appear to have the most junior depth. If they all play to their potential we are not going to be able to keep everyone.

 

[philgood]

I too would rather keep fifita than sign Blair. What is wrong with our club? How could they let this happen. Why couldn't Fulton go? I believe Kul that he has signed with cronulla. Being young I reckon he'll take the money on offer. But what can cronulla offer him? Semi final football? Young kid a future rep but doesn't think. A sad day for the club. Blair wasn't worth all this surely.

My understanding is the Club isnt releasing Fifita to sign Blair… They are releasing Gibbs to sign Blair, its just that Fifita has shopped himself around at the same time, and the Club is prepared to not hinder his career...

So why did the club come out in the media saying they had taken an option to extend his contract for a further year? It sounds as though the CLUB didnt follow through with this extension due to their salary cap bungle. Thats the impression im getting, and it wreaks of poor planning by the club.

 

[boonboon]

Lets look at the options for Fifita and Wests Tigers

At Tigers
180k a year next year and no longer term contract as its only an extension
Bench front rower behind Galloway, Woods, Blair - he wont play origin off the bench
Tigers also have BMM, Groat, Begovich coming through
Tigers forwards dont regulary make rep teams
Backs and back row focused team
Tigers would have had to loose Woods and probably one other to keep Fifita at Sharks Money
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At Sharks
3 year contract at 350k
Starting Front Rower
Playing in a pack with the Orin Captain and a team who play a forward orientated game
Ex club of the Origin coach

Seems the best option for both club and player was him going to Sharks

 

[Tigersmurf]

I have a feeling that Sheens may have juggled whether to keep Fifita or BMM. He seems to rate BMM very highly and as such has put his eggs in that basket. Hope this means we resign BMM for a longer term, might make people feel a little better.

 

[MacDougall]

Yep, precisely. Only thing I disagree with is that he could have cracked NSW playing off the bench. Look at Merrin. He beat his own starting props to the gig.

 

[TigersFan4Life]

If there was some sort of wage scale in the league which prevented inexperienced players from being offered this type of money we would not be in this predicament.

 

[IronTiger]

this is making me feel physically sick. My son will be absolutely devestated if this turns out to be true he just loves Fifita or the Big Fella as he calls him.

I just don't understand he is turnin gout to be one of the most destructive props in the game and could be one of the best. I'm just hopeful it's all crap and that the news we were promised this week comes soon and debunks this.

I would rather see Gibbs and Fults go, even Woods to be honest.

 

[MacDougall]

Yeah I'd rather one of them go. But at the cost he'll be after cuz of the Sharks deal we'd have to lose two, maybe three of them. But as has been said before, Gibbs and Fulton are going to make way for Blair.

I'm more concerned about losing Gibbs AND Fulton. They are our defensive rocks and the heart of the team. Juniors that bleed orange and black. Neither might be stars, but they are rocks/toilers, like every club needs and they would both take unders to remain here.

 

[Balmain_Bug]

Losing Fifita is a disaster. He is the best prospect we have. Heaps better than BMM. His loss is second only to losing Prince and not signing Hodgson.

 

[Muffstar]

Losing Fifita is a disaster. He is the best prospect we have. Heaps better than BMM. His loss is second only to losing Prince and not signing Hodgson.

Bug - I actually agree with you this time. He will be a big loss.

But if Fifita is being offered 300K, I dare say this would be heaps more than he would have been offered at the Tigers then good luck to him.

Likewise, if he has shopped himself around like Teo then good riddance to him - he did not want to hang around either.