Season 2024 - Round 2 Team

[innsaneink]

He will summon the power of the Shamrock bro 🙏🏼

St Patrick is always with him. 🍀

 

[Snidest 0]

Is that an In Memoriam?

True to form sir!

Still snarkily death-riding the team you purport to support before a ball has been kicked in even a trial game...

But still need to compulsively engage in a forum for a team you have no love for or loyalty to - just vainly seeking some form of meaningful human connection...

 

[innsaneink]

So based on training reports - first team looks like this????
1. Bula
2. Staines
3. To’a
4. Olam
5. Tupou
6. Sullivan
7. Sezar
8. Stefano
9. Api
10. Klemmer
11. Papalii
12. Bateman
13. Seyfarth
14. Pole
15. Twal
16. S. Fainu
17. TDS/Kapeoa/anyone else?

It comes down to the new halves and 'new' coach... It's a must we improve we cannot go backwards... Hopefully stay injury & suspension free for the first third or half of the year and the some stanity & combos going... It will Take time & I know we're all sick of waiting
Sezars kicking and passing game looks pretty good,. Hoping Olam needs a fresh start with some people backing him...Bula needs to continue IP and not plateau and Api just needs to do his thing... Love the bloke been a great buy for us.

Benji - how that goes remains to be seen I wish him all the best,.he can get very emotional he will need a lot of support when things get tough, Richo the man here... A. Bit of an improvement 13th - 15th my guess hoping for better

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

It comes down to the new halves and 'new' coach... It's a must we improve we cannot go backwards... Hopefully stay injury & suspension free for the first third or half of the year and the some stanity & combos going... It will Take time & I know we're all sick of waiting
Sezars kicking and passing game looks pretty good,. Hoping Olam needs a fresh start with some people backing him...Bula needs to continue IP and not plateau and Api just needs to do his thing... Love the bloke been a great buy for us.

Benji - how that goes remains to be seen I wish him all the best,.he can get very emotional he will need a lot of support when things get tough, Richo the man here... A. Bit of an improvement 13th - 15th my guess hoping for better

We have a tough / physical starting 1st few rounds to test us out - Raiders, Sharks & Eels then hit a should win few rounds (if we have improved).

It could set us up well if we nab a win & get close results in others or the heads can get down quickly. Having the bye and not seeing us last for a few rounds could actually be a good thing.

I expect the knives of unrealistic expectations to be out early from some of the fan base.

 

[Vicious]

It comes down to the new halves and 'new' coach... It's a must we improve we cannot go backwards... Hopefully stay injury & suspension free for the first third or half of the year and the some stanity & combos going... It will Take time & I know we're all sick of waiting
Sezars kicking and passing game looks pretty good,. Hoping Olam needs a fresh start with some people backing him...Bula needs to continue IP and not plateau and Api just needs to do his thing... Love the bloke been a great buy for us.

Benji - how that goes remains to be seen I wish him all the best,.he can get very emotional he will need a lot of support when things get tough, Richo the man here... A. Bit of an improvement 13th - 15th my guess hoping for better

Some good points raised.
I am concerned that Sezer could be too old, his fragile body may not stand up to the defensive requirements or have what it takes to run the ball effectively.
Similar with Olam, we have to hope he’s not a defensive liability and still has enough speed to be an attacking threat.
Is Sullivan the right halves partner for Sezer, considering defence is also the major concern with him. We certainly cannot afford to have both halves as defensive liabilities.
Will Bula continue to improve and does he have the necessary speed to inject himself into the attack and make us a dangerous attacking team like good fullbacks do.
Will Tupou have the mindset to put 💯 into each remaining game he plays in a Wests Tigers jersey.
Do we have the necessary attacking threat in our back row.
Will we have enough impact from our bench, particularly from our interchange forwards.

 

[jrtiger]

Its primarily the same side that has picked up consecutive wooden spoons.

I'm not sure about that. there has been a lot of upheaval.

 

[rugbygoated]

On top of that, one of Sullivan or Fainu probably gets shopped around.

Which is why I'm secretly hoping it turns out to be Fainu/Luai halves, Sullivan 14, and Galvin second row in 2 years time similar to how Wade Graham transitioned. Otherwise, it would have been a waste of money and competition

 

[batboy]

Yep. There’s some real basics like diving on a loose ball or having soft hands when running a line that seem beyond him.

What about him taking 15m to stop running in the Wrong direction after he realises he's dropped the ball....
Like someone is going to stop the game, grab it and give it back to him.

Has zero desire (Until it comes to mouthing off)
- I can't wait to see the back of him.... Been a horrible signing.

Those here somehow convinced he's a star back rower - Should look to the rest of the comp..
If we need a star backrower, We should buy one
- Not live in hope that a bloke who's beyond ordinary everywhere else can turn into one.

 

[AdelaideTiger]

I'm not sure about that. there has been a lot of upheaval.

Agree, there's 10 players remaining from the 30 player squad of 2022 (3 of those were development contracts).

 

[Lestronge]

I just think players have either shown you what they are or you put them back into reserve grade to work it out.

I rate Kepaoa! Hits hard in defence , gets his arms free in attack and when he does run the right line can break a line open.
The issue isn’t that isn’t a good footy player , the issue is we used him at , centre , wing , 2nd row , and wherever else . Tell him he’s a back rower , and follow Bateman around like a bad smell . Because the only reason Bateman is even a first grade footballer , let alone a potential star on his day , is because he’s learnt all the things that AJ is lacking early .

 

[Lestronge]

Its primarily the same side that has picked up consecutive wooden spoons.

How is it ?
Bula wasn’t there the year before , neither was Tupou , Toa - yep I’ll give you that , Olam - no , Staines - no , Sullivan - no , Sezer -no, Bateman -no , paps-no , seyfarth -yes , klemmer -no , api-no , Stef- yep . That’s 3 players who were there for both out of the starting 13 .
And the ones who were there last year were either stars , or showed real glimpses of potential .
Of the bench just named - twal -yes , Pole -no , Fainu- no , and everyone else -no .
There’s 4 players in the whole squad who were there for both .
And I’m not counting people who debuted , because all of them only played sparingly in 22 and were kids .

 

[GNR4LIFE]

How is it ?
Bula wasn’t there the year before , neither was Tupou , Toa - yep I’ll give you that , Olam - no , Staines - no , Sullivan - no , Sezer -no, Bateman -no , paps-no , seyfarth -yes , klemmer -no , api-no , Stef- yep . That’s 3 players who were there for both out of the starting 13 .
And the ones who were there last year were either stars , or showed real glimpses of potential .
Of the bench just named - twal -yes , Pole -no , Fainu- no , and everyone else -no .
There’s 4 players in the whole squad who were there for both .
And I’m not counting people who debuted , because all of them only played sparingly in 21 and were kids .

You’re really stretching.

 

[jrtiger]

Some good points raised.
I am concerned that Sezer could be too old, his fragile body may not stand up to the defensive requirements or have what it takes to run the ball effectively.
Similar with Olam, we have to hope he’s not a defensive liability and still has enough speed to be an attacking threat.
Is Sullivan the right halves partner for Sezer, considering defence is also the major concern with him. We certainly cannot afford to have both halves as defensive liabilities.
Will Bula continue to improve and does he have the necessary speed to inject himself into the attack and make us a dangerous attacking team like good fullbacks do.
Will Tupou have the mindset to put 💯 into each remaining game he plays in a Wests Tigers jersey.
Do we have the necessary attacking threat in our back row.
Will we have enough impact from our bench, particularly from our interchange forwards.

I think we can all agree that there are a lot of 50/50s in this side. some are likely to come off, some are not.

I do see Bula improving on last year's showing. second year syndrome is typically for attacking players who are analysed by the opposition in video sessions. while showing glimpses in attack, Jahream's best assets were his instincts and his ability to never die on the play. you can't coach against that. I do think his ballplaying will improve considerably over the offseason as well.

Olam I believe will be a revelation. if he was plagued by injury all of last year and still managed to score that try in a preliminary final then I think we've got a player on our hands. he also has a point to prove. that is scary for the entire league. Tupou will do his job. not worried about that. Papali'i will have a good year as well.

the biggest question is around the halves.

as you say Sezer isn't really a runner of the ball in his twilight years. I hope that he is enough of a running threat to at least put his opposite in two minds, a little like Adam Reynolds. his organisational skills do have to come into question as well. he was the halfback of the "Faders" the team that consistently lost games in the dying minutes. a year later that team made a grand final. I'm not sure which Aidan we're going to get.

defensively like you say there are huge major question marks. I hope that Bateman and Papali'i will marshal the edges and assist Sullivan and Sezer. I actually think Bud is solid defensively, Sezer not so much. I think in attack Marshall's structures will assist them both, and both can play off the cuff to a decent degree. you just have to cross everything that Bomber has worked hard with the side over the preseason to sort our defensive deficiencies.

 

[Lestronge]

You’re really stretching.

What reality ? lol they’re literally the facts . Alright I’ll change tact then . would you punt / did they play crap last year / weren’t here ;
Bula - no way
Staines - good winger . Was injured last year - so no .
Toa- showed he can rip a defence apart on his day , but super inconsistent - maybe
Olam - n/a
Tupou - signed with the dolphins and there was 2-3 days of wrist cutting afterwards . Says it all
Sullivan - n/a
Sezer-n/a
Seyfarth - squad depth player on min. Wage . Wouldn’t be in my 17 , but a great depth player to have on the cheap - depends .
Bateman - killed it the first 13-15 rounds then ran out of puff - no I wouldn’t point him
Paps- was signed as the best 2nd row in the game , but had a down year - no
Klemmer - a forward workhorse , who got us downfield all year , even when he was tired - no
API- lol no
Stef - could be anything , should be everything - no
Pole - a rising star who has done. Nothing but prove his worth since he debuted - no
Fainu- n/a
Twal - if he’s your best forward and your spoon feeding him try opportunities in the red zone , your team is screwed , but as a bench workhorse who will maintain the rage , perfect - no
Rest of the squad - either haven’t debuted yet , did debut as a kid , or has been moved finally to thier right position so the jury’s out completely .
I see 2 players in there who you could at a stretch blame for the 2 spoons .
The issue in 22 was the mercenary / transit lounge tigers policy , after years of this strategy , finally fell into a heaps , and 23 we trusted the wrong half , didn’t have a fullback re. Round1 (until we did ) ,and had no halves backup once the top 2 went down . Runnning at times a reserve grade spine in the nrl . It was shit list management .
I think your stretching big time with your generalisations

 

[Tucker]

Forget about 22. It’s been discussed and dissected to death why we got the spoon that year. It was inevitable.
Understanding why we got it last year is the key to improving this year. We have a strong pack, but our backs as a group have MASSIVE question marks over them. I hope the focus this off season has been on working with them in both attack and defence. They are very clearly the weak link.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

What reality ? lol they’re literally the facts . Alright I’ll change tact then . would you punt / did they play crap last year / weren’t here ;
Bula - no way
Staines - good winger . Was injured last year - so no .
Toa- showed he can rip a defence apart on his day , but super inconsistent - maybe
Olam - n/a
Tupou - signed with the dolphins and there was 2-3 days of wrist cutting afterwards . Says it all
Sullivan - n/a
Sezer-n/a
Seyfarth - squad depth player on min. Wage . Wouldn’t be in my 17 , but a great depth player to have on the cheap - depends .
Bateman - killed it the first 13-15 rounds then ran out of puff - no I wouldn’t point him
Paps- was signed as the best 2nd row in the game , but had a down year - no
Klemmer - a forward workhorse , who got us downfield all year , even when he was tired - no
API- lol no
Stef - could be anything , should be everything - no
Pole - a rising star who has done. Nothing but prove his worth since he debuted - no
Fainu- n/a
Twal - if he’s your best forward and your spoon feeding him try opportunities in the red zone , your team is screwed , but as a bench workhorse who will maintain the rage , perfect - no
Rest of the squad - either haven’t debuted yet , did debut as a kid , or has been moved finally to thier right position so the jury’s out completely .
I see 2 players in there who you could at a stretch blame for the 2 spoons .
The issue in 22 was the mercenary / transit lounge tigers policy , after years of this strategy , finally fell into a heaps , and 23 we trusted the wrong half , didn’t have a fullback re. Round1 (until we did ) ,and had no halves backup once the top 2 went down . Runnning at times a reserve grade spine in the nrl . It was shit list management .
I think your stretching big time with your generalisations

You can dress it up as nicely as you want. Doesn’t change the fact the only difference to last year is Olam, who I grant is an upgrade. And our halves, which no matter how much anyone wants to claim are an upgrade, the jury is out.

 

[Tucker]

We can only comment on information at hand currently as further data is not yet available. To me, as it stands currently, GNR is correct that our side has not been significantly improved.

That’s not to say that this off season hasnt been a major success and the squad will surprise the comp:
Maybe the new halves will click.
Maybe the centres will work really well with these halves, running superior lines.
Maybe our back 3 will carve up out wide.
Maybe our edges will work together in defence.
Maybe our middles will win the ruck consistently.
Maybe all breaks will be supported.
Maybe all our kicks will be chased properly.
Maybe all opponent kicks will be defended appropriately.
Maybe our defensive lines will communicate effectively.
Maybe our discipline will improve.
Maybe our ballhandling will match first grade standard.
Maybe our errors will decrease.
Maybe our bench will consolidate our position.
Maybe our depth has gotten deeper.
Maybe we are better coached.
Maybe the group are happier and stress free.

I’m actually interested in finding this stuff out this year. For once, I feel like I don’t already have the answers.

 

[jrtiger]

I rate Kepaoa! Hits hard in defence , gets his arms free in attack and when he does run the right line can break a line open.
The issue isn’t that isn’t a good footy player , the issue is we used him at , centre , wing , 2nd row , and wherever else . Tell him he’s a back rower , and follow Bateman around like a bad smell . Because the only reason Bateman is even a first grade footballer , let alone a potential star on his day , is because he’s learnt all the things that AJ is lacking early .

I agree. while he is terribly inconsistent, he possesses so much game breaking ability and for that reason he is an asset. I think a permanent move to the back row, plus the fact that he'll hit the 50 game threshold in the first half of the season should see him improve a fair way.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

I agree. while he is terribly inconsistent, he possesses so much game breaking ability and for that reason he is an asset. I think a permanent move to the back row, plus the fact that he'll hit the 50 game threshold in the first half of the season should see him improve a fair way.

I think Benji will give Kepaoa every chance to excel in the backrow this season, either off the bench of if one of IP & Bateman go down.

If he is a revelation, he could earn another contract with us & may see us NOT recruit another backrower.

If he continues to be an IQ spud, he won't be re-signed & we'll shop for a decent backrower me thinks.

 

[twentyforty]

We have pretty much the same team as 23 with an injured Olam plus a couple of low cost halves that need to prove their value.
This puts the ball firmly in the hands of our coaching staff to make the difference. I’m not expecting too much but getting more excited as the season opener gets closer. 😜