Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[earl]

1. Daine Laurie
2. David Nofaluma
3. AD (rough patch but great player)
4.
5. Ken Mamalolo
6.
7.
8. Stefano Utoikamano
9. Api
10. Joffa
11.
12. Isiah Papalili
13. Jackson Hastings

14. Shawn Blore
15. Fonua Pole
16. Alex Twal
17. Justin Matamua

Fill in the gaps of some quality players and we can compete imo

I don't see centre as a problem. We have To'a, Naden, Kepaoa, Junior Tupou and even Talau. That edge backrow position is a massive concern.

Is Laurie really good enough ?

Imagine if that team had:-

1. Tom Trbojevic
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jackson Hastings

And find another middle forward to fill that 13 role. It's easy as well Matamua or Twal or Blore could all do the job.

The problem is that it's really hard to sign marquee players.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

Or Nofo is free. Let's see if Brooks stays or not and if he performs.

The only spine players we have that ideally we retain are Api (we already have him for 3 season) and Hastings. Brooks, Laurie and Douieihi all failed to perform up to the required standard of first graders this season. Doueihi was the worst out of the lot but he was coming back from an ACL and he probably has the most upside out of all of them.

It's tempting to low ball all of them and if they stay at least we are getting value for money. For instance Doueihi should probably be offered a contract as a decent NRL centre. $650k sounds too much for Doueihi and too much for Brooks and Laurie as well.

Is Hastings even worth that money ?

I'm actually fine with our forwards (excluding an edge backrower) and outside backs. Sure if we can get a good deal or recruit marquee talent in those positions we should do it.

I think our big problem is our spine and the players in those positions were in general poor.

Brooks under a good coach is what is required, under cleary he was halfback of the year 2018 and Sheens is a better coach than cleary. Not many halves on the market hence Newcastle are desperate to sign Brooks.
Wingers are a dime a dozen let nofo go if you have to, to only have 200k of Brooks salary on the books from 2024 onwards would be very very good and sound cap management

 

[851]

The "Sheens walks on water brigade" will blame Madge and everybody else rather than admit it was his ineptitude which allowed players to leave mid season and not replace them.Sheens has his paws all over the wooden spoon as do many others.2023 will probably be the biggest manure fight our club has ever had,in some ways i wish that i was not around to see it but i support and love my club and will still be there despite my expectations

I wanted Madge sacked last year, a well run club would have pulled the trigger even before that, I also was not a fan of Sheens coming back, and so far he has delivered nothing, lets hope he has something up his sleeve

 

[Glenji95]

Munster and Moses halves combination??

We have heavy heavy salary to throw - may as well hunt for the big fish

Problem is though 99% will reject the Tigers no matter how much money we throw at them as we are the worst club in the competition unfortunately and not saying that because we’re the spooners. We are a poorly run club from top to bottom and its a miracle that Api and Papali’I (although probably regretting) are the 1% that have wanted to come to the club. I understand why people are saying that we should go after the big fish as that’s how you recruit or try to in our case but no player in their prime are willing to come to the Tigers hence why the talk of looking to juniors. We don’t have a chance of signing anyone real big for a long long time.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

RTS from rugby ? it seems a Sheens type of thing to try and do I reckon. Not too sure how the rugby contract will go
1. RTS
6. Laurie
7. Brooks
9. Api
13. Hastings

 

[markgr64]

Getting the spoon could be the best thing that ever happened to us. It’s part of the cycle and sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to improve and for attitudes and process to actually change in the club. The good news is there isn’t a massive difference between the worst and the bottom half of the 8 in a comp like the NRL. We have some good pieces to the puzzle at good ages and two more coming next year. IMO you add a fit big body front rower who lands on his front to partner Steph in the starting side. A left side second rower and a genuine left side half/five eight and you have a very competitive team

 

[tigerap]

Joe Stimpson off to the Titans...I thought he'd be a good pickup for the WT...

 

[teddy23]

Problem is though 99% will reject the Tigers no matter how much money we throw at them as we are the worst club in the competition unfortunately and not saying that because we’re the spooners. We are a poorly run club from top to bottom and its a miracle that Api and Papali’I (although probably regretting) are the 1% that have wanted to come to the club. I understand why people are saying that we should go after the big fish as that’s how you recruit or try to in our case but no player in their prime are willing to come to the Tigers hence why the talk of looking to juniors. We don’t have a chance of signing anyone real big for a long long time.

Our downfall has been our recruitment - but I don't buy this whole no one will join us thing

The Wests Tigers are a prestigious club with a large supporter following and history... yes the last decade has been upsetting but let's not let that take away the history of both the Balmain Tigers/Wests Magpies

Unfortunately.... Jason Taylor, Mick Potter, Michael Maguire are not coaches with our track record who can recruit exciting marquee players - always been tight with our salary cap which has limited the amount we can offer excluding our Latrell pursuit (which was close)

Only once did we have a clear salary cap with a respectful coach (Ivan) - and recruiting players wasn't difficult even though they turned out shocking Packer, Reynolds, Mbye and Matalino back then were good players in there systems

A new coaching system with both Sheens and Benji (strong recruitment traits with there connections in the league), largest cap space in the league, new state of the art facilities and both Api/Papalili will be coming with them too along with the junior system we have on top of that - promoting the idea of a marquee player to be the one to lead us to the finals after a decade could be intriguing

For halves like Munster, Moses and Dylan Brown - playing with a hooker like Api and an edge forward like Papalili next to them could have some pulling power

 

[Glenji95]

Our downfall has been our recruitment - but I don't buy this whole no one will join us thing

The Wests Tigers are a prestigious club with a large supporter following and history... yes the last decade has been upsetting but let's not let that take away the history of both the Balmain Tigers/Wests Magpies

Unfortunately.... Jason Taylor, Mick Potter, Michael Maguire are not coaches with our track record who can recruit exciting marquee players - always been tight with our salary cap which has limited the amount we can offer excluding our Latrell pursuit (which was close)

Only once did we have a clear salary cap with a respectful coach (Ivan) - and recruiting players wasn't difficult even though they turned out shocking Packer, Reynolds, Mbye and Matalino back then were good players in there systems

A new coaching system with both Sheens and Benji (strong recruitment traits with there connections in the league), largest cap space in the league, new state of the art facilities and both Api/Papalili will be coming with them too along with the junior system we have on top of that - promoting the idea of a marquee player to be the one to lead us to the finals after a decade could be intriguing

For halves like Munster, Moses and Dylan Brown - playing with a hooker like Api and an edge forward like Papalili next to them could have some pulling power

Not as much history as you think man. Yes both are originally foundation clubs that merged to form the Wests Tigers and managed to win a premiership. But that’s about the only good history the rest is bad. Currently the only team in the NRL era going through and the longest no finals drought in the history of the club and competition. Changing coaches every few years and failure to sign and retain the good players the club manages to sign. There’s a lot of reasons why players aren’t keen to come to the club because unfortunately its where most careers have come to die and fail.

 

[426Tlgerland]

RTS at fullback and Laurie at 6 with Brooks at 7 , Hastings at 13 , Appi at 9. JedI should be coach. , I like it

 

[markgr64]

I like this, a bit of controversy I know

8 Steph
9 API
10 Lodge
11 Blore
12 Papali
13 Hastings

1 Laurie
2 Nofo
3 Naden
4 Douhi
5 Maumalo
6 Dylan Brown
7 Luke Brooks

14 Fa Brown
15 Jo Ofa
16 Pole
17 Twal

 

[markgr64]

Two left foot halves I know but three other guys can kick

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

I don't get the ground hog day comments when we've tried the other coach approach the past 10 years.

Sheens Marshall is a different approach.

Wouldn't it be ground hog day if they keept going through coaches?

Groundhog day is we are going through 4 coaches within 3 years and trying a rookie coach approach.

Granted this time round Benji is going to be playing a significant role before he takes over unlike other coaches (although Sheens did before he was appointed) + he hasn't got any runs on the board coaching wise yet which is different.

Another difference is this time we have money to spend and the coach that will eventually reap those rewards will have zero inherited contracts during his tenure so his roster will be 100% his.

 

[Needaname]

Our downfall has been our recruitment - but I don't buy this whole no one will join us thing

The Wests Tigers are a prestigious club with a large supporter following and history... yes the last decade has been upsetting but let's not let that take away the history of both the Balmain Tigers/Wests Magpies

Unfortunately.... Jason Taylor, Mick Potter, Michael Maguire are not coaches with our track record who can recruit exciting marquee players - always been tight with our salary cap which has limited the amount we can offer excluding our Latrell pursuit (which was close)

Only once did we have a clear salary cap with a respectful coach (Ivan) - and recruiting players wasn't difficult even though they turned out shocking Packer, Reynolds, Mbye and Matalino back then were good players in there systems

A new coaching system with both Sheens and Benji (strong recruitment traits with there connections in the league), largest cap space in the league, new state of the art facilities and both Api/Papalili will be coming with them too along with the junior system we have on top of that - promoting the idea of a marquee player to be the one to lead us to the finals after a decade could be intriguing

For halves like Munster, Moses and Dylan Brown - playing with a hooker like Api and an edge forward like Papalili next to them could have some pulling power

Worthwhile to go back and look at the signings and suggestion rumours in 2017 for season /23.
We had Cleary a decent coach,
A bucketload of cash,
A chance for a new beginning
But we missed out on quite a few first choice targets.

 

[Needaname]

Two left foot halves I know but three other guys can kick

D Brown is a right footer

 

[Stevec]

I don't see centre as a problem. We have To'a, Naden, Kepaoa, Junior Tupou and even Talau. That edge backrow position is a massive concern.

Is Laurie really good enough ?

Imagine if that team had:-

1. Tom Trbojevic
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jackson Hastings

And find another middle forward to fill that 13 role. It's easy as well Matamua or Twal or Blore could all do the job.

The problem is that it's really hard to sign marquee players.

You don't see center as a problem because we have Toa ,Kepoa and Junior Tupou ? Please tell me one game where they played great and ill rewatch it
I must be missing something .Toa made the odd line break but all of them were turnstiles in defence .
Got to admit priority 1 is a pack that doesn't get steamrolled
Laurie is small but he puts in effort while his other backs just stand there
Cant get over the 31 tries conceded in last 4 games

 

[Stevec]

We seem to be discussing past coaches and who was to blame for our situation. Cant see much relevance to season 2023 but I'll throw my 2 cents worth in .Who decided to recruit Packer on 900k ? Donf know but that goes on our long list of dud deals

 

[markgr64]

D Brown is a right footer

Perfect!

 

[tony soprano]

Groundhog day is we are going through 4 coaches within 3 years and trying a rookie coach approach.

Granted this time round Benji is going to be playing a significant role before he takes over unlike other coaches (although Sheens did before he was appointed) + he hasn't got any runs on the board coaching wise yet which is different.

Another difference is this time we have money to spend and the coach that will eventually reap those rewards will have zero inherited contracts during his tenure so his roster will be 100% his.

Yep they're trying something different instead of going through coaches. Yes it has its risks.

 

[Roar_Power]

I like this, a bit of controversy I know

8 Steph
9 API
10 Lodge
11 Blore
12 Papali
13 Hastings

1 Laurie
2 Nofo
3 Naden
4 Douhi
5 Maumalo
6 Dylan Brown
7 Luke Brooks

14 Fa Brown
15 Jo Ofa
16 Pole
17 Twal

I thought Nu Brown signed with the dogs...