Fifita

[Goose]

Morris is playing better now,Lima,DeGois,Rhino, Everingham,Halatau,Laffranchi,Bronson Harrison,Richards and Hodgson didn't go backwards,Rangi Chase,Matt Ryan at Parra ,Luke ODonnell,Willie Manu, Corey Payne,

14 enough for you without thinking too hard

I cant give you too many of them….

De Gois and Morris stuck behind the games best hooker. Lafranchi was a star here and mony talks, couldnt afford him.

Heighnington is only going average, we got his best years.

Harrison realised his potential after he left, but has now played 3 years of ordinary football.

3 went to the UK.

Manu, Payne and Ryan are only average. You cant keep all of those type players, Im pretty sure not to many of us have wished we had any of them in our team.

Lima was a work in progress here, and took about 4 years to become a first grader after he left.

O"Donnell never worked it out here, very frustrating, always knew he'ds be a star, but kept on getting suspended.

Happy to give you O"donnell and Harrison just.

 

[jirskyr]

Morris is playing better now,Lima,DeGois,Rhino, Everingham,Halatau,Laffranchi,Bronson Harrison,Richards and Hodgson didn't go backwards,Rangi Chase,Matt Ryan at Parra ,Luke ODonnell,Willie Manu, Corey Payne,

14 enough for you without thinking too hard

The only player that's excelled since leaving is Fifita. The other players you mentioned really havent done anything. Laffranchi went on to SOO but he always wanted to leave so he could be closer to home, there was nothing else anyone could do about that. DeGois had to leave because of Farah and has been average at best. Hodgson, Richards and Chase have excelled in a competition that is NSW Cup standard. The others have been pretty bland IMHO.

I dont know about anyone else but I am so over hearing people cry about how we were dumb to let Fifita go. It's happened, time to get over it and move on. I'm just over hearing about it everyday.

Thats true just move on thats the mistake we did but now we have to look for the future there will be lots of gun players that are going to come from the under 20s in years to come.

Totally agree with you both. Fifita is the only player I can think of who we were luke-warm about keeping, who turned out to excel. All the other guys we tried to keep, including Te'o. When it comes down to limited $$$ you obviously have to make some tough calls.

Fifita wasn't playing footy like this last year, it has taken him 12 months at another club to reach this level of sustained quality. And good for him, maybe he just needed a change in scenery. We should recall his chequered past, where he moved from Blacktown to Griffith to keep himself out of the trouble he was starting to get in; he clearly a guy who needs certain conditions to bring out his best.

If we recall Fifita in his last season for us, Sheens dropped him because of weight and consistency issues, and nobody on here really had a problem with that. He was reknowned as a damaging but often sideways running prop. We know Sheens loves energetic trainers and dislikes blokes who take shortcuts, so perhaps Sheens and his group just couldn't get the most out of Fifita.

Indeed Folkes was the strength/condition/assistant back then, whom many magically credit with our improved mentality/fitness across 2010/11, yet Fifita did not play to his potential. I think you could almost say the same thing about Luke O'Donnell, who couldn't quite get the penalties and suspensions out of his game until he went to the Cowboys.

Anyone who has ever left a job can attest that a simple change of scenery can make all the difference.

So we certainly stuffed up, we shouldn't have let Fifita go. We also shouldn't have signed Adam Blair. But in the overall scheme of retention, I feel we are still on the positive side of the ledger - what has happened to David Gower, Junior Moors, Dean Collis, Stuart Flanagan, Moses Pangai, Rob Lui etc.

If there was a recruitment group out there that always made the correct decision, they would be in amazing demand and probably not affordable by the Tigers anyway. Either that, or they'd be out buying lottery tickets, such would be their clairvoyance.

 

[Knuckles]

I seem to remember watching Ryan Hoffman playing but that was in the lower grades.

Yes, hindsight is a wonderful thing. If a player doesnt want to be there, or won't put in then
why keep him. I am sure there are two sides to every argument. There is a risk to signing players and a risk to letting them go …...... almost like playing the stock market or the races on a Saturday afternoon. Everyone is wise after the event.

 

[Zaibatsu]

I have to agree with what a few others here have said, I don't really blame the club too much on this one.

Fifita always had plenty of ability but I don't think many people would have expected him to take off like he has just recently, and to be honest I don't think it would have happened here at the Tigers, at least not to the extent it has at the Sharks anyway.

In a perfect world we'd keep every young player that shows promise but the nature of the game is clubs need to take risks and in hindsight now it appears to be a massive blunder to let him go, but you win some and you lose some.

We have ended up on the good end of such luck in the past ourselves, with an example being Princey, I wonder how a few of the Broncos fans were feeling in 2005 when he was wearing the clive churchill medal after the Broncos gave up on him after 2003…

Sh*t happens.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I have to agree with what a few others here have said, I don't really blame the club too much on this one.

Fifita always had plenty of ability but I don't think many people would have expected him to take off like he has just recently, and to be honest I don't think it would have happened here at the Tigers, at least not to the extent it has at the Sharks anyway.

In a perfect world we'd keep every young player that shows promise but the nature of the game is clubs need to take risks and in hindsight now it appears to be a massive blunder to let him go, but you win some and you lose some.

We have ended up on the good end of such luck in the past ourselves, with an example being Princey, I wonder how a few of the Broncos fans were feeling in 2005 when he was wearing the clive churchill medal after the Broncos gave up on him after 2003…

Sh*t happens.

Sorry, but to me this is just head burying stuff. It was clear as day that Fifita had potential coming out of his backside and with the right nurturing he could have been anything. He had that x-factor early on that you just knew he was going to be a star.. The club stuffed up, it was a monumental blunder that has the potential to go down as the biggest recruitment/retention stuff up in the clubs history

The funny thing about it is, there were so many people saying good riddance and that he wouldn't amount to anything, well how wrong they were. So his attitude may have stunk, so what, he was 21, want to shoot him for being a kid who suddenly had the spot light put on him?, his attitude seems fine now with a bit of maturity. Obviously all he needed was a bit of guidance, something this club clearly wasn't interested in giving him

I don't know which blunder is worse, punting Fifita who has gone on to play Origin and will most likely get a call up for Australia at the end of the yr, or keeping Matt Groat, a guy who has played about 5 top grade games in 18 months and looked out of his depth in the NYC Origin game. Seriously, if you don't laugh you cry when you think about it.

 

[tigermaniac]

GNR4LIFE

Sorry, but to me this is just head burying stuff. It was clear as day that Fifita had potential coming out of his backside and with the right nurturing he could have been anything. He had that x-factor early on that you just knew he was going to be a star.. The club stuffed up, it was a monumental blunder that has the potential to go down as the biggest recruitment/retention stuff up in the clubs history

The funny thing about it is, there were so many people saying good riddance and that he wouldn't amount to anything, well how wrong they were. So his attitude may have stunk, so what, he was 21, want to shoot him for being a kid who suddenly had the spot light put on him?, his attitude seems fine now with a bit of maturity. Obviously all he needed was a bit of guidance, something this club clearly wasn't interested in giving him

I don't know which blunder is worse, punting Fifita who has gone on to play Origin and will most likely get a call up for Australia at the end of the yr, or keeping Matt Groat, a guy who has played about 5 top grade games in 18 months and looked out of his depth in the NYC Origin game. Seriously, if you don't laugh you cry when you think about it.
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Mate I have to agree completely with your post. People change their opinions like the wind.

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I was one who thought we could do without him. I felt he had a poor attitude and his size read to me he was also a poor trainer. He was moved on for that basis. He has gone on to another club, looks leaner, seems to have matured and realised his potential, and as a result is reaping the rewards. Good on him.

Yes it's a blunder, but we're not the first club to have made one like this. I'm over it to be honest, and am happy with the fact that he knuckled down and realised his potential.

EDIT: Furthermore, the only thing I hope that comes of this is that it isn't repeated.

 

[pHyR3]

Yep GNR, listen to that Farah interview with Triple M the other day. I think it's said there that he scored 28 tries or so in the NYC AS A PROP. if that doesn't shout 1st grade then i dunno what does…

 

[tig_prmz]

I have to agree with what a few others here have said, I don't really blame the club too much on this one.

Fifita always had plenty of ability but I don't think many people would have expected him to take off like he has just recently, and to be honest I don't think it would have happened here at the Tigers, at least not to the extent it has at the Sharks anyway.

In a perfect world we'd keep every young player that shows promise but the nature of the game is clubs need to take risks and in hindsight now it appears to be a massive blunder to let him go, but you win some and you lose some.

We have ended up on the good end of such luck in the past ourselves, with an example being Princey, I wonder how a few of the Broncos fans were feeling in 2005 when he was wearing the clive churchill medal after the Broncos gave up on him after 2003…

Sh*t happens.

Sorry, but to me this is just head burying stuff. It was clear as day t/hat Fifita had potential coming out of his backside and with the right nurturing he could have been anything. He had that x-factor early on that you just knew he was going to be a star.. The club stuffed up, it was a monumental blunder that has the potential to go down as the biggest recruitment/retention stuff up in the clubs history

The funny thing about it is, there were so many people saying good riddance and that he wouldn't amount to anything, well how wrong they were. So his attitude may have stunk, so what, he was 21, want to shoot him for being a kid who suddenly had the spot light put on him?, his attitude seems fine now with a bit of maturity. Obviously all he needed was a bit of guidance, something this club clearly wasn't interested in giving him

I don't know which blunder is worse, punting Fifita who has gone on to play Origin and will most likely get a call up for Australia at the end of the yr, or keeping Matt Groat, a guy who has played about 5 top grade games in 18 months and looked out of his depth in the NYC Origin game. Seriously, if you don't laugh you cry when you think about it.

how do u know it was "good guidance" and not a change of scenery?
you're right MOST people thought fifita moving on was a good thing- you can hardly blame the club for that

fifita is a hypocrite- when he left, he was criticising the club.. when woods played with him he was going on about how good mates they are.

in hindsight, MOST people thought buying blair was a good thing as well, where did that get us?

to some people, good management is only when they buy people like mason/utai and they turn out to be stars, but decisions like these are made on a regular basis.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I have to agree with what a few others here have said, I don't really blame the club too much on this one.

Fifita always had plenty of ability but I don't think many people would have expected him to take off like he has just recently, and to be honest I don't think it would have happened here at the Tigers, at least not to the extent it has at the Sharks anyway.

In a perfect world we'd keep every young player that shows promise but the nature of the game is clubs need to take risks and in hindsight now it appears to be a massive blunder to let him go, but you win some and you lose some.

We have ended up on the good end of such luck in the past ourselves, with an example being Princey, I wonder how a few of the Broncos fans were feeling in 2005 when he was wearing the clive churchill medal after the Broncos gave up on him after 2003…

Sh*t happens.

Sorry, but to me this is just head burying stuff. It was clear as day t/hat Fifita had potential coming out of his backside and with the right nurturing he could have been anything. He had that x-factor early on that you just knew he was going to be a star.. The club stuffed up, it was a monumental blunder that has the potential to go down as the biggest recruitment/retention stuff up in the clubs history

The funny thing about it is, there were so many people saying good riddance and that he wouldn't amount to anything, well how wrong they were. So his attitude may have stunk, so what, he was 21, want to shoot him for being a kid who suddenly had the spot light put on him?, his attitude seems fine now with a bit of maturity. Obviously all he needed was a bit of guidance, something this club clearly wasn't interested in giving him

I don't know which blunder is worse, punting Fifita who has gone on to play Origin and will most likely get a call up for Australia at the end of the yr, or keeping Matt Groat, a guy who has played about 5 top grade games in 18 months and looked out of his depth in the NYC Origin game. Seriously, if you don't laugh you cry when you think about it.

how do u know it was "good guidance" and not a change of scenery?
you're right MOST people thought fifita moving on was a good thing- you can hardly blame the club for that

**fifita is a hypocrite- when he left, he was criticising the club.. when woods played with him he was going on about how good mates they are.**

in hindsight, MOST people thought buying blair was a good thing as well, where did that get us?

to some people, good management is only when they buy people like mason/utai and they turn out to be stars, but decisions like these are made on a regular basis.

I don't know how that makes him a hypocrite. For example if i got shafted by the company i worked for and i was bitter about it but still remained friends with some employees, i don't know how that would make me a hypocrite. What reason does he have to resent Woods? it was wasn't Woods fault he was treated so poorly.

 

[innsaneink]

Morris is playing better now,Lima,DeGois,Rhino, Everingham,Halatau,Laffranchi,Bronson Harrison,Richards and Hodgson didn't go backwards,Rangi Chase,Matt Ryan at Parra ,Luke ODonnell,Willie Manu, Corey Payne,

14 enough for you without thinking too hard

Nigel Plum

 

[tig_prmz]

how was fifita mistreated? he signed a contract extension then his form went south. we said sharks want you so we gave him. it's not like we ruined his career or gave him less money?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

how was fifita mistreated? **he signed a contract extension then his form went south**. we said sharks want you so we gave him. it's not like we ruined his career or gave him less money?

He wanted to stay and he was under contract. Besides i don't remember his form ''going south''.

 

[tig_prmz]

i remember him getting dropped.

we dont have a right to just send a player elsewhere if they are under contract- the final decision has to be his whether he goes or not

 

[MacDougall]

I seem to remember him falling out of favour and being selected on extended interchanges behind BMM or Groat or something. Did he ever get dropped?

 

[LaT]

how was fifita mistreated? **he signed a contract extension then his form went south**. we said sharks want you so we gave him. it's not like we ruined his career or gave him less money?

He wanted to stay and he was under contract. Besides i don't remember his form ''going south''.

It did go down hill.

You could argue is was disillusionment or resentment from the contract hooha, but he played like crap for the last half of the year. Groat was making more metres.

 

[tig_prmz]

speaking of hindsight

http://www.weststigersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7164

 

[GNR4LIFE]

how was fifita mistreated? **he signed a contract extension then his form went south**. we said sharks want you so we gave him. it's not like we ruined his career or gave him less money?

He wanted to stay and he was under contract. Besides i don't remember his form ''going south''.

It did go down hill.

**You could argue is was disillusionment or resentment from the contract hooha**, but he played like crap for the last half of the year. Groat was making more metres.

Yeah lets go with that.

 

[southerntiger]

speaking of hindsight

http://www.weststigersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7164

You didnt need hindsight. He was always going to be a very good player. The issue was attitude and that the club wanted to shift the culture of its players. Fifita had a shocking attitude and the club was concerned how that would effect other players. The club also wanted to keep Woods, Groat and Begovich from reports at the time.

 

[Flippedy]

I remember feeling sick in my stomach when I knew WT were letting Fifita go, moreso than Gibbs. I agree it was blatantly obvious that he had enormous potential and I thought the decision to let him go would eventually come back to haunt us, while desperately hoping that it wouldn't.

Thing is I thought the same about losing Daine Laurie as well. He also had enormous potential. Fifita is realising his potential, Laurie never did - win some, lose some I guess.

In all honesty, apart from Fifita and Teo in the NRL and Hodgo and Richards in the ESL, I don't think that any of our discards are faring much better now than when they played with us. Payne had 1 good year at the Bulldogs, now he's gone, same with Harrison - 1 good season and then Canberra didn't want him - now no one is talking about him. Halatau and Heighington had their best years with WT. Ryan is nowhere near last season's form, Gibbs and Morris are solid as usual, but they were just as solid with us. I'll concede DeGois has fared a bit better, but one word - FARAH - I know who I'd prefer. Rangi Chase, Jeff Lima, Luke O'Donnell, Willie Manu & Matt Ryan all left too long ago to be worried about and none of them have set the world on fire. I wouldn't want any of them back at WT.

Like I said win some, lose some and I reckon we've won more than we've lost. That's just my opinion of course.