Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

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
 
Glenji95 said:
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.
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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
 
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teddy23 said:
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
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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.
 
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
 
tony soprano said:
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?
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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.
 
teddy23 said:
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
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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.
 
Earl said:
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.
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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
 
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
 
Mighty_Tiger said:
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.
Click to expand...

Yep they're trying something different instead of going through coaches. Yes it has its risks.
 
Needaname said:
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.
Click to expand...
To defend the club just because we have interest in someone doesn't mean they'll automatically come - there's plenty of clubs who miss out on big targets it happens

That year I don't recall anyone who we approached aggressively and missed barring RTS who was happy in NZ at the time....
 
teddy23 said:
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
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I got confused and thought you meant we’d take the field with 9 players . Lol.
All ok, got it now !!
 
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