Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Tiger Stripes]

His demands apparently show this, hence why he wants to go if Api extends.

We have Haywood coming through as a rated hooker [but I haven't seen why the big wraps?]
What I did see was when Haywood went to the half position , Josese Lanyon came on as hooker and scored 3 tries.

 

[Vicious]

people criticising latu’s kicking game in 55 minutes of play

Did you see his bomb late in the game, it nearly went backwards.
He needs a lot of work on his kicking game trust me, but he’s so good in other areas you can forgive and give him time to hopefully improve his kicking game.

 

[Telltails]

He has indicated that Api is blocking the pathway from 27 onwards, if resigned.
Obviously this about earning potential from then on.

If he wanted to stay I have no doubt he would have been well remunerated and quite likely if he progresses as well as some anticipate would have forced his way into the starting role naturally ahead of Api at some point.
Disappointed as anyone but if his decision is to leave have to accept it.

 

[Telltails]

Well.. I’m sure TDS will make what he thinks is the best decision for himself

That's usually the case.

 

[Tucker]

Marshall confirms plan for Latu Fainu after difficult Raiders loss​

MSN

Nothing new in this

 

[Vicious]

If he wanted to stay I have no doubt he would have been well remunerated and quite likely if he progresses as well as some anticipate would have forced his way into the starting role naturally ahead of Api at some point.
Disappointed as anyone but if his decision is to leave have to accept it.

What you say is correct, but don’t forget the influence of Benji’s actions is also seemingly playing a part.

 

[watersider]

I increasingly feel players like Twal are holding us back. I've always liked his consistency and I think back to our dark days when he was one of few who could actually tackle. But I just question his competitiveness. Just always seems happy to do his work, never fussed. I think a player who is perhaps less consistent but who cares more might be better for us, someone who is a bit hungrier to be more in the NRL. Surely Kit can be given some minutes and we can start to build him up? Luai, Api, May, Pole, Latu, Bula all seem to have that hunger.

He gets stripped yesterday, that happens sometimes. But fire up and really try to hit someone the next time they run at you and make up for it, turn it into a positive. Not just more vanilla. I don't think you really lift with players like that plodding along.

I suppose I'm just frustrated with him. I always expect him to be so much better and for him to start seeing it as his team and taking more ownership. But he's well in the Tamou-Klemmer-Stefano school of show up, do your minutes and get paid.

 

[Tucker]

I increasingly feel players like Twal are holding us back. I've always liked his consistency and I think back to our dark days when he was one of few who could actually tackle. But I just question his competitiveness. Just always seems happy to do his work, never fussed. I think a player who is perhaps less consistent but who cares more might be better for us, someone who is a bit hungrier to be more in the NRL. Surely Kit can be given some minutes and we can start to build him up? Luai, Api, May, Pole, Latu, Bula all seem to have that hunger.

He gets stripped yesterday, that happens sometimes. But fire up and really try to hit someone the next time they run at you and make up for it, turn it into a positive. Not just more vanilla. I don't think you really lift with players like that plodding along.

I suppose I'm just frustrated with him. I always expect him to be so much better and for him to start seeing it as his team and taking more ownership. But he's well in the Tamou-Klemmer-Stefano school of show up, do your minutes and get paid.

100%.
Its hard to knock his game as it is perfectly fine. He does whats asked of him to a certain degree.
This makes him a very trustworthy and reliable backup.
However we need our starters to be more dynamic. More aggressive in defence and more dangerous with the ball.

 

[Tom Shines]

I increasingly feel players like Twal are holding us back. I've always liked his consistency and I think back to our dark days when he was one of few who could actually tackle. But I just question his competitiveness. Just always seems happy to do his work, never fussed. I think a player who is perhaps less consistent but who cares more might be better for us, someone who is a bit hungrier to be more in the NRL. Surely Kit can be given some minutes and we can start to build him up? Luai, Api, May, Pole, Latu, Bula all seem to have that hunger.

He gets stripped yesterday, that happens sometimes. But fire up and really try to hit someone the next time they run at you and make up for it, turn it into a positive. Not just more vanilla. I don't think you really lift with players like that plodding along.

I suppose I'm just frustrated with him. I always expect him to be so much better and for him to start seeing it as his team and taking more ownership. But he's well in the Tamou-Klemmer-Stefano school of show up, do your minutes and get paid.

Twal is what he is … they let him test the market a year or two back … he wasn’t seemingly in a lot of demand and he signed a modest deal…seems a good club man who does his best …he needs to move down the pecking order a little bit in his remaining time here if they can strengthen his position within the squad

 

[The Chad]

If the Tigers do lose TDS, and with the wraps on Heywaood coming through- the club cannot go into the season with Tristan Hope being the back-up to Api with no cover.

Don't get me wrong- I think with enough gametime, Hope could be functional.

An option I would look at is getting a multi-role player into the club, so we don't carry a strictly dummy half player on the bench.

Billy Walters has been mentioned a couple of times.

I'd actually prefer Karl Lawnton from the Cowboys. Plays second row but played large portions of seasons at #9 for the Sea Eagles.

Having him on the bench allows Api to rest as well as flexing Sam Fainu or Seyfarth into the middle rotation as the team needs. Add him to Bird, Sione Fainu etc on the bench...you don't have to have a small bench anymore. Probably balances the bench enough to put Royce Hunt back on it for his 10-20 minutes a game.

 

[Tom Shines]

If the Tigers do lose TDS, and with the wraps on Heywaood coming through- the club cannot go into the season with Tristan Hope being the back-up to Api with no cover.

Don't get me wrong- I think with enough gametime, Hope could be functional.

An option I would look at is getting a multi-role player into the club, so we don't carry a strictly dummy half player on the bench.

Billy Walters has been mentioned a couple of times.

I'd actually prefer Karl Lawnton from the Cowboys. Plays second row but played large portions of seasons at #9 for the Sea Eagles.

Having him on the bench allows Api to rest as well as flexing Sam Fainu or Seyfarth into the middle rotation as the team needs. Add him to Bird, Sione Fainu etc on the bench...you don't have to have a small bench anymore. Probably balances the bench enough to put Royce Hunt back on it for his 10-20 minutes a game.

Haha … they gunna start resting Api during games soon as TDS is out the door…

I guess we will get a look at how Hope goes as the backup and they can make a call later in the season… your alternate is not getting poached in the meantime I would suggest

 

[watersider]

Reflecting on our approach to signings recently and with Galvin and Stefano we swung big on players that we really shouldn't have. Replacing Stefano with May has been so big in our improvement this year. And while Galvin has talent, it never quite felt right and certain that he would be a great half, where Latu looks the better prospect.

What is the club seeing in Stefano and Galvin that we're not? It just seems to continue this pattern with Brooks and Nofo where we overvalue our mediocre players which cripples our club. Thankfully in this case both players rejected our offers, but we got better in each situation by accident and rejection rather than planning and insight. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here, but it just seems impossible from here to see how it is possible for Galvin to become a better half than Latu. And yet we were going to make that mistake.

I don't know where TDS fits in being a right or wrong move, but I'm not confident the club knows either.

 

[The Chad]

Haha … they gunna start resting Api during games soon as TDS is out the door…

Ideally, no.

But it covers the need if required while giving the option of carrying a backrower.

TDS on the bench is ONLY cover as a dummy half. lf he stays, you make do with a bench that carries a guy who only has 1 role.

But if he leaves, I'm suggesting you add a player that offers more diversity instead of bringing in another #9 to strictly play as Api's back-up.

 

[Tom Shines]

Ideally, no.

But it covers the need if required while giving the option of carrying a backrower.

TDS on the bench is ONLY cover as a dummy half. lf he stays, you make do with a bench that carries a guy who only has 1 role.

But if he leaves, I'm suggesting you add a player that offers more diversity instead of bringing in another #9 to strictly play as Api's back-up.

I guess they have the opportunity to first see how Hope handles the back up role the rest of the year

 

[Telltails]

What you say is correct, but don’t forget the influence of Benji’s actions is also seemingly playing a part.

What actions are they?

 

[The Chad]

Reflecting on our approach to signings recently and with Galvin and Stefano we swung big on players that we really shouldn't have. Replacing Stefano with May has been so big in our improvement this year. And while Galvin has talent, it never quite felt right and certain that he would be a great half, where Latu looks the better prospect.

What is the club seeing in Stefano and Galvin that we're not? It just seems to continue this pattern with Brooks and Nofo where we overvalue our mediocre players which cripples our club. Thankfully in this case both players rejected our offers, but we got better in each situation by accident and rejection rather than planning and insight. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here, but it just seems impossible from here to see how it is possible for Galvin to become a better half than Latu. And yet we were going to make that mistake.

I don't know where TDS fits in being a right or wrong move, but I'm not confident the club knows either.

To be fair- the Tigers paid $500k+ to bring Latu into a club that already had Galvin in it & had just brought in Bud on the same money.

Galvin was a Harold Matts 2nd rower with Heath Mason playing 5/8.

I'd say Galvin outperformed the clubs expectations of him.

Latu was always the guy the club actually invested in.

 

[king_sirro]

To be fair- the Tigers paid $500k+ to bring Latu into a club that already had Galvin in it & had just brought in Bud on the same money.

Galvin was a Harold Matts 2nd rower with Heath Mason playing 5/8.

I'd say Galvin outperformed the clubs expectations of him.

Latu was always the guy the club actually invested in.

This keeps getting repeated. The Tigers did not pay 500k for Latu. His contract ends up close to that but started closer to 250k

 

[The Chad]

I guess they have the opportunity to first see how Hope handles the back up role the rest of the year

Which is exactly what I'm suggesting they don't do- don't pigeon hole a bench spot on a guy that ONLY gets on the field to replace arguably your best player that you'd rather not take off.

One of the reasons I liked the idea of Brandon Smith. He could play #13. But if Api got hurt...you could slide him into #9 without having to carry another dummy half on the bench.

 

[The Chad]

Thos keeps getting repeated. The Tigers did not pay 500k for Latu. His contract ends up lose to that but started closer to 250k

Fine- they STILL went out & spent/invested way more into Latu than they put into Galvin, while Galvin was already at the club.

If they thought Galvin was all that- why pull out all stops for Latu?

 

[Vicious]

Ideally, no.

But it covers the need if required while giving the option of carrying a backrower.

TDS on the bench is ONLY cover as a dummy half. lf he stays, you make do with a bench that carries a guy who only has 1 role.

But if he leaves, I'm suggesting you add a player that offers more diversity instead of bringing in another #9 to strictly play as Api's back-up.

Kurt Donoghue is the perfect 14 as he’s a tough defender in the middle, tough enough and good enough to do a job as a ball playing 13, able to cover the halves which was his position coming into grade and has also played fullback and done well there in this seasons trial game.
From an internal point of view Lanyon from our Jeresy Flegg team is worth considering as he is big enough and strong enough to run the ball strongly, has some ball playing ability at 13, plus he does a solid job at 9.
Like a lot of young players he looks like he needs a bit of improvement with his fitness levels and overall defence, but it’s only minor improvements he needs to make to become a very valuable number 14.