Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Wearyfan22 said:
I'm as happy to see the emergence of Bula as a potential top class fullback as anyone. But does anyone else think we need to put the breaks on the whole this kid is a superstar we need to build out team around thing?
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WTs did well with the Dolphins entering the NRL to assemble a squad with Pole, Tupou, Utoikamanu, Bula plus experienced players Koroisau, Klemmer, Papali'i' and Bateman. Add to that Twal and Nofoaluma are going well and Staines looked good before injury. If Fa'agutu and Feledy can bridge the gap with one or two others you can see a team is building.
 
pawsandclaws1 said:
WTs did well with the Dolphins entering the NRL to assemble a squad with Pole, Tupou, Utoikamanu, Bula plus experienced players Koroisau, Klemmer, Papali'i' and Bateman. Add to that Twal and Nofoaluma are going well and Staines looked good before injury. If Fa'agutu and Feledy can bridge the gap with one or two others you can see a team is building.
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Agreed. It's building nicely. I'm just aware of how much hype there is around Bula from the media and the fan base. If players don't live up to the expectations of fans they quickly become public enemy no 1
 
liltiger said:
No I ment, Belchar, Tedesco, Mullins, Bowen, Hodgeson and others he's uncovered.
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Give Tim credit where due - but he did no identify or even sign Belcher!

He also didn't identify Hodgo obviously - but he did bring him home!

One of the best you didn't mention was Ken Nagas - who was a better fullback than he was a winger - but played second fiddle to Mullins!
 
Snidest 0 said:
Give Tim credit where due - but he did no identify or even sign Belcher!

He also didn't identify Hodgo obviously - but he did bring him home!

One of the best you didn't mention was Ken Nagas - who was a better fullback than he was a winger - but played second fiddle to Mullins!
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Belcher u may be right about, but Hodgeson was all Sheens. He was playing at halfback for Wests at times. When we signed him at Parra he was in reserve grade. Sheens got the best out of him.
 
liltiger said:
Belcher u may be right about, but Hodgeson was all Sheens. He was playing at halfback for Wests at times. When we signed him at Parra he was in reserve grade. Sheens got the best out of him.
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Mate - with all due respect - you have no clue!!

He played fullback for NSW Origin in 2002 after playing in the losing Grand Final for Parramatta at Fullback in 2001!!!

While he played wing in his debut year 1997 - Hodgo started for Wests in RD.1 1998 at Fullback - going on to play most of 1998 & 1999 at Fullback for a crap Wests side before moving to Parra!!

In 2003 (his last year at Parra) he played Fullback all year until he got injured in July (with Ash Graham filling in at #1)!

The bloke in reserve grade at Parra was Pat Richards!!

Sheens brought Hodgo home as an established top class former-Origin fullback - don't try to re-write history and do some research if you don't actually remember!!

As you can see below - he only played 12 games in the halves in his entire career - which was in those early years at Wests when Tommy was shuffling the deckchairs in one of the worst squads to be assembled in the NRL era!

1685100335541.png
 
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liltiger said:
Belcher u may be right about, but Hodgeson was all Sheens. He was playing at halfback for Wests at times. When we signed him at Parra he was in reserve grade. Sheens got the best out of him.
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As for Belcher - maybe the fact that he was already reigning DALLY M Fullback of the year in 1987 - Qld Origin Fullback and Australian rep since 1986 when he first joined Canberra under Don Furner - before Tim moved to the Raiders in 1988 may give it away....

Fair dinkum - do some book reading lad!!
 
liltiger said:
Belcher u may be right about, but Hodgeson was all Sheens. He was playing at halfback for Wests at times. When we signed him at Parra he was in reserve grade. Sheens got the best out of him.
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We all watch footy at different era's. I have the same memory as liltiger
 
tony soprano said:
We all watch footy at different era's. I have the same memory as liltiger
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It's called not having an actual memory - or having a false memory!!

If you were too young to remember the time - don't act like you do and try to correct people who've been following the game for many more years is my suggestion!

Too many people conflate recollections of being told something by someone once - with actually remembering that event and knowing what happened!
 
In 2003 Hodgeson was dropped to reserve grade before his injury. He was in and out of reserve grade with Richards, it was well documented he had a falling out with Smith.
 
liltiger said:
In 2003 Hodgeson was dropped to reserve grade before his injury. He was in and out of reserve grade with Richards, it was well documented he had a falling out with Smith.
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And that is how Sheens discovered him..... because the famously cantankerous Brian Smith dropped him for a couple of games the year after he played Origin!

Clutching at straws....
 
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Snidest 0 said:
And that is how Sheens discovered him..... because the famously cantankerous Brian Smith dropped him for a couple of games the year after he played Origin!

Clutching at straws....
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Yes we jumped on him because he wasn't happy. We offered him the 250k that O'Donnell wanted. I know Hodgeson played origin in 2002, but I stand by my opinion that Sheens got the best out of him.
 
I can stand to be corrected, but my memory of the 2004/2005 squad was:

Hodgson on the outer at Parra
Richards from reserve grade at Parra
Prince from reserve grade at the Broncos (recovering from a busted ankle)
Phatueira was a starting centre from Penrith
Elford was in reserve grade at Penrith
Payten was a bench forward at the Roosters at the time
Galloway was added as an emerging player from the Sharks with a handful of games under his belt.
Moodie was at the end of his career from (I want to say the Knights, but there was some Parra time in there)
Beuttner was reserve grade at Parra
Senter was reserve grade from the Dogs (he was signed under Lamb though, I think)

Either way- point is, Sheens found value in players that didn't fit at other clubs or hadn't reached their potential. Then developed the bulk of the squad through our juniors. It was amazing recruiting.

I think his Canberra success stories were Mullins, Nagas, Nadruku, Laurie Daley, Clyde, Stuart, Todd, Ponga etc. He inherited a strong squad & turned into into an immortal squad.
 
You guys make a good point that players that were seen as un needed or unwanted in one system can be brought togeather under the right system and find success. Once we start kicking on and moving up the ladder it will be really interesting to look back and see who the biggest improvers of our current squad turn out to be.
 
Snidest 0 said:
Give Tim credit where due - but he did no identify or even sign Belcher!

He also didn't identify Hodgo obviously - but he did bring him home!

One of the best you didn't mention was Ken Nagas - who was a better fullback than he was a winger - but played second fiddle to Mullins!
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Yep, Hodgo came through under Tommy and although debuted at FB play mostly wing for the first 12 months before getting the full time gig at FB, and was definitely a good FB at pwarra. Sheens bought him home and helped improve his game.
One of my favourites even when he defected.
 
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