Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

The Butcher brothers are rare Roosters juniors, they won’t let them go.

Rare Roosters juniors who played junior reps for Souths 🥴
https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/s...s/news-story/287cf2e7f7daa0b4679b588bccdae13d

 

[Demps]

Javon Andrews seems like a good prospect. I was interested to read that he is keen to come to WTs because of Marshall. Well done.

Also, looking at the Titan's under 20 team, one of the players on the bench is Oscar Laffranchi. Our Laffranchi if my memory is correct was from Northern NSW?

He's on the coaching staff at the Titans.
You can see him blowing up at the Penrith trainer behind JC

Edit: Google says he's the GM Of Football @ the Titans

 

[Buttface]

Ryles planning to name Dylan Brown in the centres this week.

Always felt this would be his best position.

Has Bailey Simonsen upset though, as mentioned.

Will be an interesting watch.

Yes, a few dynamics going on there. 👀

So Brown has been playing cup since signing the Knights million+ dollar deal?

For those who see a lot of cup, has brown been killing it at that level?

 

[hodgo]

Terrell May should be the player of the year by the length of the straight ….AD has never won it…. The last two winners are Bula and Sam F…two players you have been critical of plenty of times… now the award means something ?

AD had had injuries sure but he has disappointed on field plenty of times he has been here ..it’s the consistency that’s been in question, and hence why he has only one other team interested in him

jebus i hope as a fan base we dont belittle the absolutely gi-normous impact May has had. He IS our forward pack, others contribute a bi,t but week in week out he plays huge minutes, huge impact, carries us without a doubt.
Easily player of the year

 

[hodgo]

Same with NAS. But id say middles are a priority now?
Gotta be targeting Tino, surely.

I think NAS is perfect. Big impact, scary and takes the pressure off TDM. He could be what we wanted hunt to be. Long shot but if we got him and hunt back to decent form that would turn our pack around. I know its a big if. NAS for 20 hunt for 20 then fill the rest with our workers like twal pole and big red

 

[Demps]

Canberra has so many outside backs and just added the young gun, Sione Finau from the Dragons...

I'd be asking questions - Chevy Stewart is the one exploring his options... but, I'd be asking about Sav Tamale who dates one of our NRLW players. He's a really good player.

 

[JB9918]

I'm unsure if the above is your opinion or you have insight into what the club is actually planning, but that looks absolutely shithouse. Naden and Staines offer more value on 1 yr deals than that squad.

To'a - same old To'a, will play 2 or 3 great games, but be a passenger, even a liability if the injury isn't bad enough to force him to miss games.
Mason - confidence is shot, his development has been handled poorly
Lualilii - still has a way to go, and another midget like Mason and Turuva
Makasini - see Mason and Lualilii above - is young needs a full NRL preseason and games playing reserve grade for development.
Saukuru - I watch the lower grades, he is not a centre or winger anymore and the club has realised this shifting him closer to the ruck as an edge forward. Can be lazy and a tonne of improvement required in defence.
Bird - this club still has massive issues if he lines up anywhere but on the bench in reserve grade in 2026, and even that's a waste of a spot. Name him in Massey so he can ask for a release.

Tu'itupou - is a strong ball carrier, but he has defensive brain fades which is why souths let him go and he was way behind in the pecking order in Canberra during pre-season.
Mapapalangi - he's one to persist with. Has been outstanding in the halves for reserve grade, but has been named in the centres recently. Seems to be able to cover a few positions.

Fair enough.

You can't argue with who has a contract for next year though.

So we will have to work with what we have unless a few others a moved on.

 

[tigahhh]

Sounding out a few according to an agents brother.

Sounds like our guys are switched on to improve the squad.

Positive

thanks spartan

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

you sure? I’d heard Development 2026, Top 30 2027-28, similar to Haywood and Moors.

I doubt Roberts is top 30, Andrews won't be. We should be looking to extend saukuru urgently, he'll be our player of the season in flegg.
I imagine we'll try release Bird, Sullivan obviously too. Porter Naden and Staines all goneski

Andrews is top 30. If it was development, then the club would have just said it like they have with our 5 other dev players. We only get 6 dev spots, the club would also announce that theyre now full if he took the last one.

The announcement said Andrews joins Benjis squad in 2026.. no mention of dev. Same as Madden and Geyers announcements.

Roberts is also top 30 at Roosters next yet, I dont imagine he leaves for less

 

[jrtiger]

Just the info I was given.

If that's the case, that'd be the final development spot taken. Which I've heard they're promised to Taateo already.

Perhaps some truth to the Charlie Murray info?

could easily be correct as well.

really unsure on what’s going on because we’re nearly at 30/30. someone’s likely being shopped.

 

[hank37w]

Sullivan is not coming back not in 2026 at least wants to stay at Souths, and Wayne Bennett wants him to stay.

Maybe we can get Lewis Dudd.

Would be the only time we've ever been successful in getting a player exchange. 🤣🤣

 

[Demps]

could easily be correct as well.

really unsure on what’s going on because we’re nearly at 30/30. someone’s likely being shopped.

Yep, top 30 and dev is loading up quick.

Few people asking to release Bird but he's only got 2026 remaining and isn't the worst squad option.

Starford Toa, will be the one to leave imo.

 

[Buttface]

Adam Doueihi is staying put after informing St George Illawarra that he plans to accept a revised two-year deal from the Wests Tigers.
Doueihi never wanted to leave the Tigers but he was dangerously close to parting ways with the club after they tabled an initial one year extension and the Dragons weighed in with an extra year,

However, the Tigers came back to the table with a revised offer after Doueihiu starred for the club in their win over the Bulldogs at the weekend.

It is understood the Tigers deal is close to $400,000 a season, short of the Dragons’ bid but enough to convince Doueihi to spurn the Dragons’ offer to secure his signature.

Now that kind of contract is ideal for us, allows us to keep a local junior who wants to stay.
I know I’ve been critical of Doobs, but for me it is always about the deal. At <$400, that is a deal that won’t be putting a lot of pressure on the cap if he doesn’t perform. But also allows room for improvement. If Doobs continues on his current trajectory and unseats Nath in next year’s SoO then we can extend again next year.

The big positive for me is length of contract, we only have to wait one season before it’s a contract year, and really he can sign with someone from Nov 26, so effectively both years are contract years.

This sort of deal will also endear him to the fans and team a bit more too, as he hasn’t dragged it in to long, and he’s taking the lower offer to stay.

Ok, I’m gunna say it now, when I get the official email confirmation, I will deduct 2x games from his crap game tally and make him my favourite player for the entire bye week.

@Demps
This is the sorta deal that will get me back on the Doobs Express!!! So stick ya hand back out I might be looking to jump back on. Choo Choo Dempsy!!!

T4L 😎

 

[1eyedmel]

Charlie Staines off to super league next year.

 

[hank37w]

However, the Tigers came back to the table with a revised offer after Doueihiu starred for the club in their win over the Bulldogs at the weekend.

It is understood the Tigers deal is close to $400,000 a season, short of the Dragons’ bid but enough to convince Doueihi to spurn the Dragons’ offer to secure his signature.

Hopefully spurning Isacked Moses in the process. 🙏

 

[2041]

I think NAS is perfect. Big impact, scary and takes the pressure off TDM. He could be what we wanted hunt to be. Long shot but if we got him and hunt back to decent form that would turn our pack around. I know its a big if. NAS for 20 hunt for 20 then fill the rest with our workers like twal pole and big red

It's not 2019 anymore, though. Asofa-Solomona will be 30 by the time next season starts, he's missed more than half this season and hasn't played a full season since 2022. Signing him on any money at this stage is a huge, massive, red light flashing risk - he could easily be a guy who barely gets on the park at all. I really, really hope the club is no longer in the business of giving dumb contracts to players who are incredibly obviously past their best like Olam and Bateman.

Edit: as an aside, dear God that Bateman contract was an abysmal decision. We'll still be paying him to "play" elsewhere next year FFS. And it was screamingly obvious when we signed him that he was on a fast downhill slide. He should be an object lesson in why you don't sign people based on what they did half a decade ago.

 

[hank37w]

Doueihi staying along with a few other Moses clients.

Moses is a germ, but maybe Galvin and his dad were the problem with him. Moses just undertook the dirty tactics to get his client what he wanted.

Best part was screwing over his Nephew Mitch and Parramatta in the process. 🤣

 

[hank37w]

I’d say we are looking to keep Bula, Luai, Api, upgrade May. KPP wouldn’t be cheap. Few of those guys are on overs. Then we have historically overpaid our average backs. And paying a few guys to play elsewhere. Don’t see how we ever had a war chest.

Wests Tigers don't have war chests, more like a Pandora's Box.

 

[hank37w]

Yeah there is a bit of wastage there.

Just struggle to fathom Burton, Kikau, Galvin, Crichton, Thompson (next year) who would all be on more than $800k when they signed.

At least after next year Bateman’s contract will be a memory.

There's enough hotels for everyone. 🤣

 

[hank37w]

No way we’re keeping Naden.

He can be our media guy.