weststigers
Well-known member
**Wests Tigers launch $3 million fire sale in bid to sign Kiwi captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak**
**June 8, 2019 11:35am**
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/wests-tigers-launch-3-million-fire-sale-in-bid-to-sign-kiwi-captain-dallin-watenezelezniak/news-story/55faad3773c18f1a497394f8ec877e84
The Wests Tigers are in the midst of a $3 million fire sale as new coach Michael Maguire attempts to create room to sign Kiwi Test captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
While the Bulldogs are also chasing the signature of DWZ, Maguire and the Tigers are in the box seat given the head coach is also the New Zealand Test coach.
Watene-Zelezniak has agreed to terms with the Tigers but cannot sign anything until the club first moves a player.
Which opens up a far deeper issue at the club.
Premiership-winning coach Maguire has now had seven months at the Tigers to pore over the club’s salary cap predicament and the roster primarily created by Ivan Cleary.
The Tigers have been unofficially shopping some of the biggest names on their roster who are on long-term contracts for months.
Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer, Elijah Taylor, Chris McQueen and even Ben Matulino and Moses Mbye have all been mentioned at rival clubs.
The bigger issue is Reynolds, Packer and Matulino are all signed until the end of 2021 on the back of inking four-year deals.
The same goes for captain Mbye, who was shifted from fullback to the centres for last night’s loss to the Raiders.
Cleary was the one who ticked off on signing them to the big money, long-term contracts.
Remember the vision about getting on the bus?
So Maguire has inherited a salary cap mess which is none of his own doing.
Then there was also the salary cap punishments on the back of CEO Justin Pascoe’s handling of the Robbie Farah exit from the club back in 2016.
Of the other players the Tigers are looking to move, McQueen has one year to run but has been told he can look elsewhere.
This has nothing to do with his playing ability but simply the fact the Tigers need to try and resolve the salary cap mess.
Former Kiwi Test backrower Taylor is another player who Cleary ticked off on signing on good money but has failed to make an impression on Maguire.
Reynolds is on a $3 million deal but has only managed to play nine games since joining the Tigers at the end of 2017.
A big part of the problem with the players the Tigers are trying to shop is no rival NRL club is prepared to pick them up for anywhere near the money they are on.
It’s another unwanted headache for Maguire as he attempts to fix a scenario where several players are overpaid. All of which was none of his doing.
In the meantime, the Tigers coach is also trying to win games.
**June 8, 2019 11:35am**
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/wests-tigers-launch-3-million-fire-sale-in-bid-to-sign-kiwi-captain-dallin-watenezelezniak/news-story/55faad3773c18f1a497394f8ec877e84
The Wests Tigers are in the midst of a $3 million fire sale as new coach Michael Maguire attempts to create room to sign Kiwi Test captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
While the Bulldogs are also chasing the signature of DWZ, Maguire and the Tigers are in the box seat given the head coach is also the New Zealand Test coach.
Watene-Zelezniak has agreed to terms with the Tigers but cannot sign anything until the club first moves a player.
Which opens up a far deeper issue at the club.
Premiership-winning coach Maguire has now had seven months at the Tigers to pore over the club’s salary cap predicament and the roster primarily created by Ivan Cleary.
The Tigers have been unofficially shopping some of the biggest names on their roster who are on long-term contracts for months.
Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer, Elijah Taylor, Chris McQueen and even Ben Matulino and Moses Mbye have all been mentioned at rival clubs.
The bigger issue is Reynolds, Packer and Matulino are all signed until the end of 2021 on the back of inking four-year deals.
The same goes for captain Mbye, who was shifted from fullback to the centres for last night’s loss to the Raiders.
Cleary was the one who ticked off on signing them to the big money, long-term contracts.
Remember the vision about getting on the bus?
So Maguire has inherited a salary cap mess which is none of his own doing.
Then there was also the salary cap punishments on the back of CEO Justin Pascoe’s handling of the Robbie Farah exit from the club back in 2016.
Of the other players the Tigers are looking to move, McQueen has one year to run but has been told he can look elsewhere.
This has nothing to do with his playing ability but simply the fact the Tigers need to try and resolve the salary cap mess.
Former Kiwi Test backrower Taylor is another player who Cleary ticked off on signing on good money but has failed to make an impression on Maguire.
Reynolds is on a $3 million deal but has only managed to play nine games since joining the Tigers at the end of 2017.
A big part of the problem with the players the Tigers are trying to shop is no rival NRL club is prepared to pick them up for anywhere near the money they are on.
It’s another unwanted headache for Maguire as he attempts to fix a scenario where several players are overpaid. All of which was none of his doing.
In the meantime, the Tigers coach is also trying to win games.
