Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[tony soprano]

I just watched the reggies replay and we need to picking Blore and Matamua on the bench this week.
In fact any of the reserve grade pack offer more off the bench than Joffa.
Give Simpkin the flick as well and just embrace the power game with Blore, Matamua Twal and Kepoa as our bench.

Like it apart from kepoa his defence on the edge scares me.

 

[weststigerman]

Hunt needs to be the priority over Johnson if he is allowed to leave the Dragons. Hunt's a better player at halfback, can fill in at hooker at an elite level (he's probably a top 5 hooker in the league too) and he rarely misses games nor has he had dips in form like Johnson has.

With that said, if we could somehow land both, that would be amazing. I suspect it's one or the other though.

Put yourself in Hunt's shoes. He's at a troubled merger club with bad management guaranteed big money, if he were to leave do you think he we want to come here?

IMO if Hunt leaves the Dragons, he's going to a successful club.

Johnson on the other hand is at a club with Te Maire Martin, Volkman, Metcalf all competing for NRL positions, and they've just signed RTS.

I think if we prioritise Hunt we end up with neither.

 

[Todd Packer]

Also, Israel Ogden should never be allowed near a Wests team ever again.
Go down the local park , pick the first person you see and put them on the wing and they'll do a better job than Israel Ogden.

 

[Kelce68]

Like it apart from kepoa his defence on the edge scares me.

Kepaoa is a non-negotiable over Talau whilst Naden is out though.

He makes less poor defensive reads, is quicker both on the attack and laterally in defence and doesn't burn his winger for opportunities.

 

[Kelce68]

I just watched the reggies replay and we need to picking Blore and Matamua on the bench this week.
In fact any of the reserve grade pack offer more off the bench than Joffa.
Give Simpkin the flick as well and just embrace the power game with Blore, Matamua Twal and Kepoa as our bench.

Blore was massive in that game. Matamua looks to be growing in physicality every week. Aitasi James continued to run the ball hard.

Blore has to be picked this week.

He's a better 2nd rower than Kepaoa.

Kepaoa is a better centre than Talau.

 

[Kelce68]

Also, Israel Ogden should never be allowed near a Wests team ever again.
Go down the local park , pick the first person you see and put them on the wing and they'll do a better job than Israel Ogden.

Saukuru made some costly errors as well. That whole three-quarter line has its moments, but they really know how to make a meal of a game.

 

[tigers4ever 0]

I think Brooks will become the next Andrew Johns over the next couple of years.

We should definitely give him a 5 year extension, with more money as an incentive to play better, just incase he does start to play like the next Andrew Johns 🤭

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

I just watched the reggies replay and we need to picking Blore and Matamua on the bench this week.
In fact any of the reserve grade pack offer more off the bench than Joffa.
Give Simpkin the flick as well and just embrace the power game with Blore, Matamua Twal and Kepoa as our bench.

I agree with your first two sentences. However, while we definitely lose intensity when Api is off the field(same could be said for Klemmer), giving him a rest with Jake has helped tremendously towards the back end of the game. Also, giving Jake the game time is only going to do good things for him, especially if he has to cover when Api plays origin.

Honestly before this week our subs were poorly managed:

• Pole playing long minutes only to eventually get rotated out for Twal who had already played about 40 straight.
• Jake and Api swapping immediately after half time, Jake was coming out against fresh men and Api doesn't need 2 breaks.
• Stefano / Klemmer starting & Offa / Twal off the bench doesn't work. We put 2 passive men on for 2 aggressive ones. This is why I think we fall off massively. I will say Twal has added another dimension to his game and does look more aggressive, but its not enough with Offa as his partner.
• We need a 13 that can ball play. I honestly think Twal has thrown more passes this year than Pole (That's not saying Twal is a 13, that is me giving perspective on why I think Pole isn't)

I have been thinking for weeks our pack should be.

8. Stefano
9. Api
10. Klemmer
11. Papali'i
12. Bateman
13. Matamua

14. Simpkin
15. Twal (Sub for Stefano)
16. Pole (Sub for Klemmer)
17. Blore (Either sub for Matamua, or come in at one of the second row spots and shift Bateman mid game.

 

[Tiger Tarl]

On a purely business/salary cap level, Johnson on $600k and Brooks resigned on $500k (both reported as on the table), would be value for money.

SJ currently on $500k at Warriors and likely will not get resigned there so very possible. Plus his love for Benji. This could allow us to buy a Lomax or another game-breaking centre...

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

On a purely business/salary cap level, Johnson on $600k and Brooks resigned on $500k (both reported as on the table), would be value for money.

SJ currently on $500k at Warriors and likely will not get resigned there so very possible. Plus his love for Benji. This could allow us to buy a Lomax or another game-breaking centre...

I have heard Johnson on 600K for 2 years (300k p.a.)

I have not heard the Brooks report, but our 2 halves on 800k wouldn't be the worst business when you also have to factor in 500k for Doueihi as well.

We don't really need the money for Lomax though. He is only on 600k a year and the salary cap goes up by 2.5 million next year + I am sure we do not retain Staines at 500k, Laurie at 300k and Brooks at 1.1 million. Tommy also wasn't exactly a cheap reserve grader, we paid him on potential.

Edit: Just want to add that I am sure that Dragons are not paying full freight for Mybe, who will also be off contract this year.

 

[innsaneink]

It was a joke. If you can't handle a joke you have issues.

Hard to tell your intent t..I love a joke but that's hardly amusing. Especially when you start to make a habit of posts like this... Nothing personal early just some friendly insight from this end

 

[weststigerman]

Why do people want Lomax here?

He clearly has attitude issues, he's not in great form and still has 2.5 years left on his contract worth about 700k per year we'd have to cover.

 

[InBenjiWeTrust]

I agree with your first two sentences. However, while we definitely lose intensity when Api is off the field(same could be said for Klemmer), giving him a rest with Jake has helped tremendously towards the back end of the game. Also, giving Jake the game time is only going to do good things for him, especially if he has to cover when Api plays origin.

Honestly before this week our subs were poorly managed:

• Pole playing long minutes only to eventually get rotated out for Twal who had already played about 40 straight.
• Jake and Api swapping immediately after half time, Jake was coming out against fresh men and Api doesn't need 2 breaks.
• Stefano / Klemmer starting & Offa / Twal off the bench doesn't work. We put 2 passive men on for 2 aggressive ones. This is why I think we fall off massively. I will say Twal has added another dimension to his game and does look more aggressive, but its not enough with Offa as his partner.
• We need a 13 that can ball play. I honestly think Twal has thrown more passes this year than Pole (That's not saying Twal is a 13, that is me giving perspective on why I think Pole isn't)

I have been thinking for weeks our pack should be.

8. Stefano
9. Api
10. Klemmer
11. Papali'i
12. Bateman
13. Matamua

14. Simpkin
15. Twal (Sub for Stefano)
16. Pole (Sub for Klemmer)
17. Blore (Either sub for Matamua, or come in at one of the second row spots and shift Bateman mid game.

8. Twal (not an impact player, can play 80)
9. Kurosau
10. Klemmer (our best prop)
11. Papali'i
12. Bateman (our best 2nd rower)
13. Pole (out best player)

14. Ofahenguae/Fainu (sub for Klammer)
15. Utioikemanu (impact Sub for Twal)
16. Matamua
17. Blore

 

[Westsboi2019]

Hook getting hooked. Pursue Hunt, will great for the players we have now but importantly, the young halves we have coming through

 

[batboy]

Edit: Just want to add that I am sure that Dragons are not paying full freight for Mybe, who will also be off contract this year.

Mbyes' Tigers contract finished last year - So they'd be certainly paying full freight for him this year.

 

[Curaeus]

Excerpt from Danny Wielder's column today:

Knight shifts?​

Bradman Best and Daniel Saifiti are two of the Knights’ biggest names, but rival clubs have heard whispers they could be available.
The Knights are not pushing them out the door, but the feeling is if someone came knocking, they’d listen to what they had to say.

Rival teams have heard Newcastle are open for business as they need to overhaul a roster heavily influenced by the mammoth salary of superstar Kalyn Ponga. Some say he may be on more than $1.5 million next year, which would make him the highest-paid player in the game. You have to wonder if he was an option in their roster reboot.

I would take a punt on Bradman if he can stay fit...

Bradman Best for sure. Good young player.

 

[tony soprano]

Looks like fulton finding out everyone issue with the club in that nobody wants to come here.

 

[GCfan]

Kepaoa is a non-negotiable over Talau whilst Naden is out though.

He makes less poor defensive reads, is quicker both on the attack and laterally in defence and doesn't burn his winger for opportunities.

The whole not passing to your winger is a massive issue with Talau. He did some great things on the weekend but some really dumb things that cost us points too.

 

[Yossarian]

Bradman Best for sure. Good young player.

Could be a false perception but he always seems to be injured.

 

[jadtiger]

Could be a false perception but he always seems to be injured.

He would still be worth the risk