Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Tim Sheens]

Bula is fast over long distances. His acceleration over 5 to 10m is only average.

He is fast alright, just lacking that explosive start which say JAC had up to 10m, but he rarely ran another fast player down in a long career.

 

[Wezt]

Could somebody please tell me why Api has played 80 minutes for the last 5 games of the season in games that mean absolutely nothing?

Do the club expect him to play 80 minutes throughout the whole season next year?

We really need to go the market for a hooker or rush Haywood through to first grade

 

[Tom Shines]

Could somebody please tell me why Api has played 80 minutes for the last 5 games of the season in games that mean absolutely nothing?

Do the club expect him to play 80 minutes throughout the whole season next year?

We really need to go the market for a hooker or rush Haywood through to first grade

I can tell you why he has played 80 mins …The backup is Tristan Hope … how many minutes do you want him playing ?

Yeah … we need someone else …

Hope really shouldn’t have been re-signed even at a minimum contract

 

[Vicious]

Could somebody please tell me why Api has played 80 minutes for the last 5 games of the season in games that mean absolutely nothing?

Do the club expect him to play 80 minutes throughout the whole season next year?

We really need to go the market for a hooker or rush Haywood through to first grade

Api should not be playing 80mins each week and Haywood is not even close to being ready for NRL just yet.
We have a dilemma as we ideally want both Douehi and Latu in our top 17 which means one of them will start as our number 14.
Latu can no doubt play 9 to allow us to give Api a rest, but he is so good with ball in hand and running the ball it just seems a waste to play him at 9.

 

[Vicious]

The backup is Tristan Hope … how many minutes do you want him playing ?

Yeah … we need someone else …

That’s another problem.
Tristan Hope is not as bad of a player as some people like to make out, but similar to Api he is a smaller body who opposing teams will target with him defending in the middle and he cannot play any other position, so he offers no versatility if used on our bench.
Add the fact that we will highly likely have and need either Doueihi or Latu as our 14 and it’s just not feasible to have either of them and a smaller body such as Tristan Hope on our bench at the same time.
We need a similar type of player to Havili at the Rabbitohs who is capable of playing as a 9 as well as a power forward when required.
Havili is getting too old and lazy, so he’s not the answer and he’s heading to the UK Super League in any case.
We do have someone iwho fits this playing description in Josese Lanyon, but he’s really untested above Jersey Flegg level at this stage, so it’s far from certain he will be capable of rising to the challenge.
We certainly know how to get ourself into dilemmas regarding our playing roster.

 

[Vicious]

One thing I think all us fans agree on is we lack physicality and the ability to dominate our opponents physically.
Taylan May brings a high level of physicality, we need to pray here-signs with us.
All 3 Fainu brothers generally play with plenty of physicality, however Sione was way down on what he generally brings us last night.
Royce Hunt definately offers us physicality and a point of difference when he brings the energy to allow it to happen.
For all of his critics Fonua Pole is no doubt our hardest running forward, BUT he has really struggled defensively this season. Being so young, powerfully built and very fit for a man of his size, there is no reason why he cannot make the necessary defensive improvements.
Other than that we ideally need 1 or 2 more players who bring plenty of physicality and aggression.
I’m not sure if it was just rumours and if it is true or not, but it was only about 2 or 3 weeks back when it was reported the Sharks were willing to offload Talakai and Hamlin-Uele due to salary cap constraints.
If true and they are available for 2026, surely we have do everything within our power to try and make it happen.

 

[The Chad]

Freddy Lussick, Zyon Maiu'u & Talakai would be the targets I'd look at.

If they could fandangle Jack Hetherington....

 

[innsaneink]

Build your wishlists, Santa is here

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Hes really only provided KPP.

Then theres Tiny ..he is great but i think his bro played more part in his recruitment than richo.

Then a rederve grade forward and a flegg forward

Hes been standing under a fruitless tree all winter

 

[426Tlgerland]

KPP will def add to our edge , Newcastle I don’t feel used him correct , he is a big running back rower who should be used exactly like Sam F , run hard , tackle hard , it’s simple , Newcastle used him as a decoy instead of a battering ram edge ,
Now we need to go and get middles , I feel Pole , Twal , did not stand up last night again , we need blokes that go forward and break the line , add them and we have the spine we go top 8 , if we go into next season with out adding middles Benji will suffer in the end and he will be gone

 

[tigahhh]

KPP will def add to our edge , Newcastle I don’t feel used him correct , he is a big running back rower who should be used exactly like Sam F , run hard , tackle hard , it’s simple , Newcastle used him as a decoy instead of a battering ram edge ,
Now we need to go and get middles , I feel Pole , Twal , did not stand up last night again , we need blokes that go forward and break the line , add them and we have the spine we go top 8 , if we go into next season with out adding middles Benji will suffer in the end and he will be gone

agree , they are gassed. Twal & May have done over time this year because our squad is so thin & we don’t have the bench to compete so left to pick up the slack

 

[Vicious]

KPP will def add to our edge , Newcastle I don’t feel used him correct , he is a big running back rower who should be used exactly like Sam F , run hard , tackle hard , it’s simple , Newcastle used him as a decoy instead of a battering ram edge ,
Now we need to go and get middles , I feel Pole , Twal , did not stand up last night again , we need blokes that go forward and break the line , add them and we have the spine we go top 8 , if we go into next season with out adding middles Benji will suffer in the end and he will be gone

I thought Pole ran the ball as strongly as anyone in our team last night, I can’t see how ball running is a problem for him ?
His issue is he is making it a habit of making at least one error each game and it’s also becoming a habit for him to be out of position or miss a tackle that leads to line breaks or tries each game.
Just say we did somehow manage to sign a starting prop and a 13.
That would leave us with Pole, Sione Fainu, Hunt, Twal, Seyfarth and Bird fighting it out for 3 bench spots with 3 of them missing out when we are full strength.
That sounds great in theory, but not realistic within the salary cap as they are all on contracts in accordance to top 17 players.
I’d say in this scenario we could possibly have one, possibly stretch it to two of them as a spare, but 1 or 2 would need to be offloaded full contract value if we somehow managed to find these upgraded replacement players.

 

[oldschooltiger]

KPP will def add to our edge , Newcastle I don’t feel used him correct , he is a big running back rower who should be used exactly like Sam F , run hard , tackle hard , it’s simple , Newcastle used him as a decoy instead of a battering ram edge ,
Now we need to go and get middles , I feel Pole , Twal , did not stand up last night again , we need blokes that go forward and break the line , add them and we have the spine we go top 8 , if we go into next season with out adding middles Benji will suffer in the end and he will be gone

If we don't make fhe finals in 2026 we will then have to make changes with the coaching.

 

[Tom Shines]

M

Just say we did somehow manage to sign a starting prop and a 13.
That would leave us with Pole, Sione Fainu, Hunt, Twal, Seyfarth and Bird fighting it out for 3 bench spots with 3 of them missing out when we are full strength.
That sounds great in theory, but not realistic within the salary cap as they are all on contracts in accordance to top 17 players.

Question - How do you expect them to improve this team then?

I hope it’s not an expectation of finding a NSW Cup player , signing him for minimum and then having that guy turn out to be the next Payne Haas …

They need improvement in the middle …if they don’t improve there then I do t know how you can reasonably expect better results next season

 

[Tiger Stripes]

Benji, Benji, Benji...............F.F.S........... When are you or your mates going to wake up up that "MASON" is NOT of NRL standard. Please watch the video replays.
Of all his deficiency's noted previously (the high ball his specialty) last night he showed he lacks SPEED as well .
Two tries scored because he couldn't tackle or catch the centres. No more excuses please. He is a Liability.
When I saw his name on the bench I thought, he must have trained during the week as a hooker to replace Api at some point. But NO, Api played the 80 again.
We had a 3 man bench plus the "liability". I do not see what he brings to the side in any position. He has NO outstanding attributes whatsoever, in any position?
I thought the forwards matched the Titans. They must be getting pissed working their butt off and then watching tries scored out wide.
Please sort this out during the off season.
Remember; Benches don't win games. But they CAN LOSE Games!

 

[Vicious]

M


Question - How do you expect them to improve this team then?

I hope it’s not an expectation of finding a NSW Cup player , signing him for minimum and then having that guy turn out to be the next Payne Haas …

They need improvement in the middle …if they don’t improve there then I do t know how you can reasonably expect better results next season

It’s a definite balancing act as I do agree we need something extra in the forwards as well as the backs.
As I keep saying the 2 Sharks players in Talakai and Hamlin-Uele would make a massive positive difference to us with their powerful ball running and aggression on both sides of the ball.
My salary cap calculation says both would command a minimum of 500k on the open market which would be very hard for us to accommodate, however if we managed to offload one or two of Bird, Twal or Seyfarth it would then be manageable.
I still think Bird could potentially fill the 1st receiver ball playing 13 role, however if we managed to recruit someone as powerful and destructive as Talakai, our 13 role would them be ideally filled by a combination of he and either Doueihi or Latu, so there would be no need for Bird.
Talakai would also give us coverage in the centres or edge back row.
Hamlin-Uele would add his powerful ball running and aggressive defence, similar to Royce but with a much better work rate and bigger engine.
Surely this scenario would also mean far less minutes per game and far better impact from Terrell.
It would make us go from a powder puff forward pack to an imposing forward pack.

 

[hsvjones]

So, what we need to hear in the next few weeks is the below:

Extensions for May x 2 / Bula before we lose them to other teams especially with Perth starting their recruitment come Nov1.

Couple of top forwards and a Lock would also be handy

 

[bbobb]

Tolerance is different for 4 time premiership winners compared to fringe first graders.

One thing I think all us fans agree on is we lack physicality and the ability to dominate our opponents physically.
Taylan May brings a high level of physicality, we need to pray here-signs with us.
All 3 Fainu brothers generally play with plenty of physicality, however Sione was way down on what he generally brings us last night.
Royce Hunt definately offers us physicality and a point of difference when he brings the energy to allow it to happen.
For all of his critics Fonua Pole is no doubt our hardest running forward, BUT he has really struggled defensively this season. Being so young, powerfully built and very fit for a man of his size, there is no reason why he cannot make the necessary defensive improvements.
Other than that we ideally need 1 or 2 more players who bring plenty of physicality and aggression.
I’m not sure if it was just rumours and if it is true or not, but it was only about 2 or 3 weeks back when it was reported the Sharks were willing to offload Talakai and Hamlin-Uele due to salary cap constraints.
If true and they are available for 2026, surely we have do everything within our power to try and make it happen.

Insightful post V. One question though - Do you think Terrel as a player with high physicality? I am not sure. At the moment, I think it is more activity than action.

 

[Tom Shines]

It’s a definite balancing act as I do agree we need something extra in the forwards as well as the backs.
As I keep saying the 2 Sharks players in Talakai and Hamlin-Uele would make a massive positive difference to us with their powerful ball running and aggression on both sides of the ball.
My salary cap calculation says both would command a minimum of 500k on the open market which would be very hard for us to accommodate, however if we managed to offload one or two of Bird, Twal or Seyfarth it would then be manageable.
I still think Bird could potentially fill the 1st receiver ball playing 13 role, however if we managed to recruit someone as powerful and destructive as Talakai, our 13 role would them be ideally filled by a combination of he and either Doueihi or Latu, so there would be no need for Bird.
Talakai would also give us coverage in the centres or edge back row.
Hamlin-Uele would add his powerful ball running and aggressive defence, similar to Royce but with a much better work rate and bigger engine.
Surely this scenario would also mean far less minutes per game and far better impact from Terrell.
It would make us go from a powder puff forward pack to an imposing forward pack.

Twal is ok to continue at the club I think …only $380-400k and has earned his keep this year …they love him so he isn’t going anywhere

I don’t know what Seyfarth is on …less I would guess …. I doubt they move him on either to be honest ..

Bird is the man to go … looks like he is already on the outer not even playing NSW Cup

Talakai and the other bloke would be in our Top 17 ….but not sure they are real needle movers …bench players around 30 mins a game …

I’d probably take one if they were the best they could do …but would be hoping someone else shakes free

 

[weststigerman]

I think we should sign Suosifa Talakai from the sharks. Apparently he’s available for 2026. Can play middle or edge, or in the centres. Would be a lock for a bench spot because of his versatility. Brings impact off the bench. Wouldn’t cost too much.

I think Talakai is more expensive than you think. Utility with impact that has played for NSW. I think he’s at least $500k given a lot of clubs want impact players.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

After watching this season I'm putting my 10 cents worth in on how to improve the team.

Lock: Terrell has been playing like he wants to play that position so move him there.

Prop: We are missing say two hard men, so this becomes the priority.

Hooker (back up): Don't think we can afford to get one from outside so train someone from in house over the summer.

Right centre: Beginning to think we have to go to market here Toa is starting to give me the shits, could we move Taylan over he's classy enough to adapt but that would mean Makasini plays left centre it could be too soon to expect him to play all season being so young.

Do we have the cap space, who knows, have the feeling that some more players might be getting tapped on the shoulder though.