Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Demps said:
Personally think he'd be better off finding a career and playing some part time park footy.
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If he can’t make our NSW Cup team…I can’t see anyone else wanting him … they should just pay him the $60k left on his contract and let him find a new gig somewhere else the rest of this season…
 
Demps said:
Our off contract players;

Adam Douihei - 1 or 2 year deal, I'd be pushing down the depth chart as a reliable backup option.
Solomona Fataape - NSW cup contract
Josh Feledy - released
Justin Matamua - released
Brent Naden - released
Charlie Staines - I'd like to keep as a back up option, fill in when needed.
Brandon Tumeth - released

Promoted from within:
Heath Mason - Genuine 6 and id like to see him developed further.
Krystian Mapapalangi - lots of utility value, can pay anywhere 1 to 6, type of player we need on the books. A better centre option than Naden, Feledy, etc.
Heamasi Makasini - he's into the top 30 next year.

Development Players:
Currently for 2026, we have some young guns on the list.
Christian Taupau-Moors ( FRF )
Jared Haywood ( Hooker )
Phoenix Godinet ( 2RF )
Lachlan Broederlow ( FRF / 2RF )

External Recruits:

This is always the hard part as not only do we need to strengthen our top 17, we also need to strengthen our depth. We need 18 - 30 players we can actually use, not Tumeths, Matamuas, etc. Taking up the spots.

Super league options;
Kaide Ellis - no nonsense prop playing for Wigan.
Aaron Pene, prop, played for Warriors and Storm, currently playing in the UK for Leigh.
Alec Tutavake - Prop who came through the Dragons, Currently playing for Leigh. Similar player to Isaia Papalii, good back up prop who'd push for a starting role
Tyrone May - currently playing half-back for Hull KR, good back up option for us, can play lock, backrow and centre.

Few off contract players at other clubs worth a look;

Villiami Fifita - prop, Dragons
Sione Finau, winger, Dragons
Harrison Hassett, backrow, Penrith
Haze Dunster, winger, eels
Wiremu Grieg, prop, Eels
Kai Pearce-Paul, backrow, Knights
Tom Ale, prop, NZ
Lazarus Vaalepu, prop, Melbourne
Ativalu Lisati, backrow, Melb
Tony Francis, centre, Gold coast

And there's some Q Cup and NSW cup players we could look at, to strengthen our cup team... we seem to be bringing in some East Tigers players, like Hope, Fataape and Murray.
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I'd like us to have a look at getting Alec Tutavake over.
He looks the goods.
And when we play the dogs , just get him to charge at galvin
every single time he gets the ball off the back fence.
 
Tom Shines said:
If he can’t make our NSW Cup team…I can’t see anyone else wanting him … they should just pay him the $60k left on his contract and let him find a new gig somewhere else the rest of this season…
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If they want him, they can have him.
Won't be one we regret.

I've said it earlier but I'll say it again,
We've had nobodies in our top 30 for years that are just a waste of spot.
Tumeth currently and previous guys like William Kei ( I know, who is he right !? ) and Dylan Smith.

Whoever is our list manager needs to put more thought into this. Every team manages their dev Players so much better than us as well as top 30, we need players that can actually benefit us through the year. They ARE out there, we just need to find them.
 
Demps said:
If they want him, they can have him.
Won't be one we regret.

I've said it earlier but I'll say it again,
We've had nobodies in our top 30 for years that are just a waste of spot.
Tumeth currently and previous guys like William Kei ( I know, who is he right !? ) and Dylan Smith.

Whoever is our list manager needs to put more thought into this. Every team manages their dev Players so much better than us as well as top 30, we need players that can actually benefit us through the year. They ARE out there, we just need to find them.
Click to expand...
Its been our problem for years now Demps , when ever it comes time
sign players , nothing happens.
And we sit here and see other clubs signing players , left , right and centre
and when theyre all done signing , our club decides to start signing , but
by that time there is nothing letf on the shelf and we end up with scraps.

Last year was probably the first year we did well in signing afew , so here's hoping
this can continue this time round and they replicate what they did last
year and bring in some better players that we need.
 
Demps said:
Rumour, yeah

was dropped a few days ago and then it was reported Melb were looking at him.

So id say, unlikely.

HOWEVER
We need a backup fullback and Heath has proved he's a 6 not a 1 so we need to continue searching

Tex Hoy, Bevan French & David Armstrong are options in the UK
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David Armstrong was killing it for the Knights before he unsuspectingly signed with SL.

Would be a great backup FB.

 
TigerTone said:
Its been our problem for years now Demps , when ever it comes time
sign players , nothing happens.
And we sit here and see other clubs signing players , left , right and centre
and when theyre all done signing , our club decides to start signing , but
by that time there is nothing letf on the shelf and we end up with scraps.

Last year was probably the first year we did well in signing afew , so here's hoping
this can continue this time round and they replicate what they did last
year and bring in some better players that we need.
Click to expand...
There's been a push over recent years for the "built, not bought" which is good. We've had a few really work out for us, as late...

Hoping that continues but we also need a balance of great imports and some experienced depth.

Seeing some very insightful posts around this lately from @BlackWhiteGold , @The Chad and some super league insightf from @Ron Brodrick's Spirit
 
TigerTone said:
Its been our problem for years now Demps , when ever it comes time
sign players , nothing happens.
And we sit here and see other clubs signing players , left , right and centre
and when theyre all done signing , our club decides to start signing , but
by that time there is nothing letf on the shelf and we end up with scraps.

Last year was probably the first year we did well in signing afew , so here's hoping
this can continue this time round and they replicate what they did last
year and bring in some better players that we need.
Click to expand...
That's not true.

Our signings have been really top class, for where we are we signed:
Luai
Skelton/Turuva

Paps/Bateman/Klemmer a few seasons back...
Api who has played in the finals for every club he has played for bar us.

One problem is we have missed top tier talent. You look at Latrell Mitchell and how he performs for souths now, we could really have used him. JAC likewise, but no club is going to get all their targets.... That said our inability to land the top of the top has hurt us. Yet we signed Luai, who arguably is a top 6. We have signed top talent and failed to make full use of it.

Our shooting for Moses/anyone wearing 7 at the start of Sheens tenure was total desperation.


TLDR: our signings have honestly been incredible considering that we own 3 spoons. It's our training, rebuild and fundamentals that ahve been crap. We need to earn our jersey.
 
Milky said:
Can someone tell me how hard it is to sign a few forwards til end of year? No matter how shit they are, they can’t be worse than having a winger in your backrow

This is getting absolutely ridiculous. Give a junior a go over a 30 year old winger playing backrow.

No offence, our club has been and continues to be poorly operated.

I’ll stick by them because I have to, but we aren’t anywhere near being a strong team.
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At this point I’d like us to try and get Fafita and Matterson on loan. Just see how we go with some guys who can impact the game.
 
Demps said:
If they want him, they can have him.
Won't be one we regret.

I've said it earlier but I'll say it again,
We've had nobodies in our top 30 for years that are just a waste of spot.
Tumeth currently and previous guys like William Kei ( I know, who is he right !? ) and Dylan Smith.

Whoever is our list manager needs to put more thought into this. Every team manages their dev Players so much better than us as well as top 30, we need players that can actually benefit us through the year. They ARE out there, we just need to find them.
Click to expand...
Agree, Demps. Before that, though, we need an overhaul of our entire recruitment set up. Scouting & identification has been terrible forever. Asylum mentioned, handing out development & top 30 spots like lollies. We're always backing the wrong horse when it comes to promotion, development, & retention.
 
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