JAC

[voice_of_reason]

I'm bemused by the crucifixion of management over this.

It ignores the fact JAC is contracted to Melbourne for 2021 and we were always at the mercy of them offering a release. All the machinations and media reports are pure speculation.

I doubt anyone here (perhaps POM excepted) has any idea whether we offered players, which players, rejected approaches or matched offers.

Making claims that we wouldn't trade player X, or somehow mishandled the contractual side of things is like believing a Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon press conference,

 

[facepalmer]

This appears to me that.

a) Josh wanted to move back to Sydney. Melbourne really really did not want to lose him because he is a very good player for them and it would be bad business to just let the best winger in the game walk.
b) Josh proceeded to demonstrate said quality for the entire time since this whole saga began, just making Melbourne even more reluctant to let him walk.
c) The Tigers won the contract. They literally were the only club in the running and there was an agreement signed specifically to ensure that it was legally above board.
d) Since the signing of the HOA everything has been about negotiating a release with Melbourne. Melbourne trying to get compensation for the best winger in the NRL. The literal only way they ever do this as good business is to get David Nofoaluma's contract, the current Dally M winger of the year.
e) The Wests Tigers chose to keep David because he's also really good, wants to be here, supplies no drama and we need to show loyalty to that. Also he probably didn't want to move to Melbourne.
f) Melbourne decided to make one last attempt to bury the issue after seeing him absolutely tear up in Origin and gave him a pay bump to just put it off one year. Addo Carr's advisors tell him that there's probably no other option if Melbourne won't release him, so he accepts.

If this is how it played out. Then i fail to see how our club did anything wrong or what everyone is whining about.

What evidence is there to suggest that this isn't hat happened?

 

[earl]

which is the club just doesn’t have the smarts to beat the other clubs on a commercial level.

I'm not sure about this. Players don't want to come here because they want a glamour club that means something to them. I think JAC just wants to go to Souths because his friends are there and they are seen as an indigenous club. I don't know this for a fact.

We aren't successful on the park and that is a key to signing players but there are other pathways to success. The storm never sign established star players from other clubs. They are as bad at it as us if not worse.

I think we have to keep trying to get quality talent but at the same time continue our current approach of looking for talent not getting opportunities at their current clubs.

 

[The_Patriot]

Whats more we need to stand for something, and that something needs to be providing pathways to our good young players. Letting them develop and become something at this club.

Exactly. There is no way we should release any players to get JAC unless it suits us.

I also think the idea that we didn't come up with a trade and the deal has fallen through because of that is complete and utter nonsense. This is JAC's decision and probably because he wants to play with Latrell and Kody and at redfern. I'm fine with that decision.

If JAC went to the meeting today and said I really want to be at the Tigers next year and I won't be playing at Melbourne then we wouldn't have released that official announcement.

He has a valid contract at the Storm. He doesnt hate the club and would never treat them like that.

 

[tony soprano]

Look on the bright side, another year we won’t be impacted by origin.

Probably another few years.

And finals

 

[earl]

Whats more we need to stand for something, and that something needs to be providing pathways to our good young players. Letting them develop and become something at this club.

Exactly. There is no way we should release any players to get JAC unless it suits us.

I also think the idea that we didn't come up with a trade and the deal has fallen through because of that is complete and utter nonsense. This is JAC's decision and probably because he wants to play with Latrell and Kody and at redfern. I'm fine with that decision.

If JAC went to the meeting today and said I really want to be at the Tigers next year and I won't be playing at Melbourne then we wouldn't have released that official announcement.


He has a valid contract at the Storm. He doesnt hate the club and would never treat them like that.

I think he might if he was going to Souths but I don't know.

 

[supercoach]

Love the clubs spin on the wrap up of the JAC saga. Basically we had him over the line but the Storm would not give him a release so our binding agreement went out the window.

I think in reality, JAC management have gone to the Storm and said...if you give Fox a few more dollars he will hang in for another year and than he will head back to Sydney without any legal ties to the Tigers.

It was a total sugar coat of a media release, but I guess what could they say, two years in a row they have come up totally empty. Don’t know what’s the answer is but maybe some changes are needed at the top. At least find someone at the club that can work with the media

 

[Moh]

Maybe we can go hard for Suaali now

 

[Moh]

I'm bemused by the crucifixion of management over this.

It ignores the fact JAC is contracted to Melbourne for 2021 and we were always at the mercy of them offering a release. All the machinations and media reports are pure speculation.

I doubt anyone here (perhaps POM excepted) has any idea whether we offered players, which players, rejected approaches or matched offers.

Making claims that we wouldn't trade player X, or somehow mishandled the contractual side of things is like believing a Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon press conference,

You're not wrong, but whats stopping JAC signing for 2022?

 

[facepalmer]

Tigers should just try to land him for 2022. We're probably still best placed to do so, he just now has more options to weigh up. Go after Laurie and Crichton. Meh.

 

[Celtic_Tiger]

If nothing else we’ve introduced a new term to the lexicon of rugby league terminology. A “heads of agreement “ has never been spoken of before.

Innovators we are.

 

[The_Patriot]

Whats more we need to stand for something, and that something needs to be providing pathways to our good young players. Letting them develop and become something at this club.

Exactly. There is no way we should release any players to get JAC unless it suits us.

I also think the idea that we didn't come up with a trade and the deal has fallen through because of that is complete and utter nonsense. This is JAC's decision and probably because he wants to play with Latrell and Kody and at redfern. I'm fine with that decision.

If JAC went to the meeting today and said I really want to be at the Tigers next year and I won't be playing at Melbourne then we wouldn't have released that official announcement.


He has a valid contract at the Storm. He doesnt hate the club and would never treat them like that.

I think he might if he was going to Souths but I don't know.

There is a report today saying he will commit to the Tigers for 2021 and honour the agreement if he is released by the Storm.

Thats his intentions. its pretty clear cut.

He has put it back on the Storm to release him to OUR CLUB!

 

[Bones]

Oh well, Josh can go along with Latrell, and Ma’a Nonu as the best players we almost signed.

 

[TonyTiger]

Only Wayne Bennett knew the outcome before it became an outcome - JAC to Souths in 2022. Well orchestrated with denials ala Latrell Mitchell last season. you’ve got to hand it to Bennett he is as shrewd as he is dishonest, well played. The HOA gave us false hope, without that in place he would be heading to the Bunnies in 2021.
Onward and upward for us, no point dwelling on things, these protracted negotiations that that go on forever rarely reach a favourable conclusion.
I hope we don’t get desperate and take on Mansour, he drops the ball too often.

 

[Tim Sheens]

Que sera sera. The next star winger wannabe fullback is out there, WT just need to get him and reckon Asu will hold his own in the meantime.

 

[OzLuke]

Oh well, Josh can go along with Latrell, and Ma’a Nonu as the best players we almost signed.

you forgot about the Rona......

 

[Moh]

Tigers should just try to land him for 2022. We're probably still best placed to do so, he just now has more options to weigh up. Go after Laurie and Crichton. Meh.

Not a chance, would've been done today if it was. Otherwise they wouldn't release that embarrassing non-announcement.

It was a backflip.

 

[Elderslie_Tiger]

I'm bemused by the crucifixion of management over this.

It ignores the fact JAC is contracted to Melbourne for 2021 and we were always at the mercy of them offering a release. All the machinations and media reports are pure speculation.

I doubt anyone here (perhaps POM excepted) has any idea whether we offered players, which players, rejected approaches or matched offers.

Making claims that we wouldn't trade player X, or somehow mishandled the contractual side of things is like believing a Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon press conference,

You're not wrong, but whats stopping JAC signing for 2022?

WT'S should put a deal on the table now for 2022 may be an offer to good to refuse at least it will put other clubs on notice what they have to come up with to sign him and with the WT'S players off contract 2021 we should be in a good position to stir things up early .

 

[gallagher]

They brought in Farah to negotiations.......
Bloody hell Pascoe has a hard one for him

 

[jirskyr]

I'm fine with how this turned out.

It is confirmed JAC signed a HoA with us to join if Storm released him. It means we had the best and most palatable offer at the time. It means we can attract talent.

Whether or not he's decided to backflip and stay in Melbourne (because they'd upped his deal, or otherwise), or whether he's now treading water waiting for a "better" offer for 2022 is irrelevant in the context of 2021.

For 2021, Tigers put themselves in a position to be the only club that can secure JAC should he obtain a release, then Melbourne have tried to hardball us to make that release. We have set our terms and not budged. We have covered ourselves legally to block out other clubs whilst this current employer deliberated.

If JAC is truly biding his time to join another club in 2022, we'll find out soon enough and then it will show his rationale to request a release on family grounds is hogwash, because he could have just seen out his Melbourne contract in the first place, without the whole malarkey about family concerns. Questionable whether you want a player like that in your side, if he's going to pull Mitch-Moses style sympathy cards to pull out of contracts.

I like that Tigers have refused to deal with Melbourne on their terms. I don't want to return to the old Ivan and pre-Ivan era where we desperately entered into risky deals, many of which have backfired.

E.g. imagine if we release Tommy Talau and he becomes an Origin-level centre, imagine the furore on here.

Consider also that Melbourne were reportedly happy to receive Talau or Nofo as trades for JAC's release. The premiers were willing to take them in trade.

It's a new way of doing deals for Tigers - make a competitive offer, wait a little while, then close the issue. Even with Latrell, it was splashed all around the media but the actual fact of it all is we made a strong offer, we met with Latrell and realised he wasn't serious about joining, and we withdrew our offer.

It might mean we missed out on Latrell and JAC, but in that same period we signed Luciano, Kepoa, Tamou, Stefano, Blore, Kelma Tuilagi... looks now like we have young Daine Laurie too. That's smart cap management - juniors-focused, buying low, up-skilling the player and getting better value. No Packers in that lot, no Josh Reynolds or Moses Mbyes.