Are Wests Tigers recruiting the right players?

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Are Wests Tigers recruiting the right players?
Jack Blyth - June 9, 2017 - 8:49 pm
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The Wests Tigers have announced the signings of former NRL backs Corey Thompson and Mahe Fonua on two-year deals this week, begging the question, are they signing the right players?

Fonua and Thompson join Josh Reynolds, Ben Matulino, Russell Packer, Chris McQueen and Tuimoala Lolohea at Concord in 2018 but almost all of the recruits have a common theme – inconsistency.

Russell Packer has genuinely revamped his career in 2017 following two years of controversy, while Chris McQueen has been solid since joining the Gold Coast last season.

But for the rest of the bunch, each and every player has struggled with consistency over their first-grade career.

Lolohea has spent the majority of this season in reserve grade before he joined the Tigers, while Matulino has also had stints in the Intrust Super Premiership in 2017.

Josh Reynolds is arguably the club’s biggest signing for next season, but he also asks the biggest questions.

There’s no doubting Reynolds enthusiasm and competitiveness, but more than anything, Wests need structure. Luke Brooks needs a structured halves partner. By signing Reynolds, coach Ivan Cleary is setting the black and gold up for the same conundrum Canterbury are currently heaped in.

Having two off-the-cuff halves in the form of Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye have impaired the Bulldogs heavily this year, scoring some amazing tries, but bombing the simplest of them.

The introduction of Matt Frawley into the NRL was a blessing to the Dogs, but even he couldn’t help Canterbury in last week’s 38-0 loss to Penrith.

One possible saviour to this Tigers conundrum rests on one current rumour doing the rounds. Rooster’s young gun Connor Watson is trapped behind in-form halves Luke Keary and Mitchell Pearce, while the signing of James Tedesco has blocked a possible move to fullback for the young prodigy.

Watson has been in hot demand after claiming the Auckland Nines Player of the Tournament earlier this year, and with the Tigers early favourites to snare his signature, it could open the door for Reynolds to move to hooker.

While youngster Jacob Liddle recently ‘got on the bus’ and re-signed until the end of 2019, there are doubts over his ability to play a full 80 minutes. Matt McIllwrick has been solid this season, but he doesn’t possess the X-factor required to really push the top teams.

All this begs the question – have the Tigers recruited smartly so far? Would throwing the player’s salary at Cooper Cronk have been a wiser move? It’s still a year until we’ll know, but the early signs aren’t great.

-Zero Tackle
 
".. early signs aren't great"! What signs? No one has strapped on a boot for 2018! Is this guy for real? What a waste of space.
 
Cooper Cronk is defiantly not the answer, even his year has been very inconsistent with form. I highly doubt he will play after this season, everything seems to point to a media spot at fox and leaving the door open just gives them something to talk about.

Even Ivan said in the Q&A that Cronk will be at fox and they share the same manager.

I think with the talent available Cleary is doing a great job.
 
@ said:
There's a lot of truth about the article , and I hope he's wrong, but there's a few there that look like "hope" signings

Every signing for every club is a hope signing. The Roosters will be hoping Teddy's legs hold up considering he cant train as much as the normal squad, Bulldogs will be hoping Foran doesnt go off the rails, Parra will be hoping Moses can gain consistency. Packer and Vaughen were signed by saints in the "hope" they can turn their careers around. You can find a hope alert for every sigining at every club for every single player.

The only player i see us possibly not getting any value out of is Lolohea. My gut tells me he wont aim up. His talent is unmatched, so in that regard he's worth the risk (hope).
 
Jack Blyth who is this no talent idiot with no consistancy?

Don't give up your brick laying job or whatever it is you do for real.

Because you know nothing about Rugby League. You are a waste of oxygen.
 
@ said:
There's a lot of truth about the article , and I hope he's wrong, but there's a few there that look like "hope" signings

Who do you suggest we should have recruited that was on the market?
 
@ said:
There's a lot of truth about the article , and I hope he's wrong, but there's a few there that look like "hope" signings

"Hope" signings maybe, but players like Packer, Matulino and McQueen are not inconsistent. And why the hell would Connor Watson be considered consistent. The best he's done is a good 9s.
 
We are building a better team with far more experience and consistency then we have now. Tigers will play a much better and tougher brand of football next year. A champion team will always beat a team of champions. Zero tackle author is an idiot
 
Let me see, I need to have a real good think about this. Do we listen to Zero Tackle or to Ivan Cleary? That article is a piece of trash. There is one thing that I do know, if players respect the coach they always rise to the occasion. I trust Ivan implicitly and without qualification and I am excited by the team he is assembling.
 
I wont lie, i've thought the same myself. Every signing is a risk and the signing that we've made as the artilces point out have struggled for consistency.

But with the signings, one thing is clear. No one will be a superstar in this team. It'll be a team effort.Either the whole team will struggle or each individual will lift the other up.

We know the skill set of most of these players, it's what's between the ears next year will count the most.
 
Some of those signings might have to fight other players for a spot in the team, something we don't have now, not every signing is a champion
 
@ said:
I wont lie, i've thought the same myself. Every signing is a risk and the signing that we've made as the artilces point out have struggled for consistency.

But with the signings, one thing is clear. No one will be a superstar in this team. It'll be a team effort.Either the whole team will struggle or each individual will lift the other up.

We know the skill set of most of these players, it's what's between the ears next year will count the most.

Good post
With our history of recruitment I can't help but be apprehensive too.

All new recruits are something of a gamble

Blyth doesn't seem to understand the concept of working to a common goal… Does he expect it all to click on day 1?
 

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