Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Holden]

SportNRL
NRL 2021 teams: Josh Aloiai to Manly, Joe Ofahengaue to Wests Tigers
Michael Carayannis
November 28, 2020 - 6:09PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

NRL: The Knights have re-signed young winger Starford To'a till 2023.
The fallout has been swift and public but the Josh Aloiai saga is over - see how the Tigers and Sea Eagles packs stack up in 2021.

The Josh Aloiai saga is over with the representative prop to officially join the Sea Eagles this week.

Aloiai could be at Manly training as early as Monday with paperwork delaying the official announcement. It caps the end to a turbulent month for the 25-year-old who went from a potential Tigers captain to wanting out of the club he played 90 top grade games for. Aloiai will sign a three year deal with the Sea Eagles as their replacement for Addin Founa-Blake, who quit the club to join the Warriors.

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Josh Aloiai wanted out of the Wests Tigers. Picture: AAP Image/Brendon Thorne
Josh Aloiai wanted out of the Wests Tigers. Picture: AAP Image/Brendon Thorne
An announcement could come as early as Sunday once the Tigers have the official release from Brisbane to secure Joe Ofahengaue. It is understood Ofahengaue’s deal with the Tigers is for two seasons and an option for the third. The Broncos will contribute about $200,000 for Ofahengaue – who had two years remaining on his contract – to play for the Tigers. Ofahengaue has already shown his hand by listing his social media profile as an “ex-Broncos player” and following the Wests Tigers on Instagram having unfollowed the Broncos earlier this month.

Aloiai has also recently started following Manly on Instagram.

The arrival of Ofahengaue avoids a potential embarrassing showdown between Aloiai and the Tigers. Aloiai was due to return to pre-season training with the rest of the Tigers squad on Monday and had been warned he faced being fined if he skipped the planned session. He was told he would have to mow the grass at Leichhardt Oval or paint the dressing sheds if he did not want to fulfil his contract but the standoff won’t eventuate with the Samoan international now a Sea Eagle.

The Broncos will pay a portion of Joe Ofahengaue’s salary to play at another club. Picture Annette Dew
The Broncos will pay a portion of Joe Ofahengaue’s salary to play at another club. Picture Annette Dew
The saga sets up a blockbuster round seven showdown between the two club’s on Anzac Day at Bankwest Stadium.

A planned player swap between Luke Garner and Curtis Sironen is now unlikely to eventuate although the Sea Eagles remain keen on Garner’s services for 2022 and beyond. Sironen is off-contract at the end of the season.

The Tigers will need to now turn their attention to securing crowd favourite David Nofoaluma who told The Daily Telegraph he was about to “explore all my options and weigh up what’s the best decision for myself and more importantly my future” after receiving a three-year contract extension from the club last week.

The Sea Eagles have remained active in the player market adding outside backs Jason Saab and Christian Tuipulotu to go with former Eels back-rower Andrew Davey and veteran half Kieran Foran.

HOW THE PACKS STACK UP

TIGERS

8 James Tamou

9 Jacob Liddle

10 Joe Ofahengaue

11 Luke Garner

12 Luciano Leilua

13 Alex Twal

Others: Stefano Utoikamanu, Zane Musgrove, Thomas Mikaele, Shawn Blore, Russell Packer, Jake Simpkin.

SEA EAGLES

8 Josh Aloiai

9 Cade Cust/Lachlan Croker

10 Martin Taupau

11 Jack Gosiewski

12 Curtis Sironen

13 Jake Trbojevic

Others: Andrew Davey, Taniela Paseka, Morgan Boyle, Sean Keppie, Toafofoa Sipley, Haumole Olakau‘atu, Manase Fainu (unavailable until at least

Potential tiger captain they had to slot that in hey

I for one wouldnt have liked that

As a side note , that manly pack looks horrendous .they are going backwards for sure next year .

I read somewhere once Manly had like smallest fan base, and Wests had the third largest, is that true?

 

[Russell]

James Maloney

James Maloney was never an option - said he would never play for us.

So did Lewis, Arrow and a few others - people keep saying we could have got them.

 

[Russell]

If we aren’t getting Siro from Manly not sure why we’re releasing Aloai for nothing in return.

Can’t keep releasing players for nothing in return. Either Manly give us a player or take another player we don’t want like Packer or Reynold or no deal. Can’t keep being a door mat.

2018 off season it was Ivan, 2019 offseason it was Matterson and now Aloai. We need to get a player off Manly or Josh can scrub toilets and mow.

Not exactly true - we got 250k for that scumbag Cleary, Matterson going allowed us to get Lucy and Joey.

Now Aloiai as well as a monetary compensation has allowed us to get Joe O (better off).

Hardly think these are doormat deals - they are if you want to think that way. I choose not to.

 

[Curly_Tiger]

In the tele today "Scott Sorenson has been linked with a move to the Tigers"- sorry cant post a link as its an actual paper im reading

Right position and good depth signing

Where did he play in 2020?

 

[tony soprano]

Scott Sorenson

Interesting, maybe looking as sirro fell threw.

Looks like been around for a while but yet to establish himself into a regular first grader hopefully not another che cam.

Anyone rate him?

 

[JC99]

In the tele today "Scott Sorenson has been linked with a move to the Tigers"- sorry cant post a link as its an actual paper im reading

Right position and good depth signing

Where did he play in 2020?

14 games for the sharks this year

 

[BAGNF05]

In the tele today "Scott Sorenson has been linked with a move to the Tigers"- sorry cant post a link as its an actual paper im reading

Right position and good depth signing

Sounds like the sort of nuffie we would sign

 

[Fletch]

Re Aloiai, Garner, Sironen, I’d like to think Wests are in a strong position to leverage an outcome to our liking.

We would be releasing two forwards in exchange for their one. That’s a pretty good two for one deal for Manly.

The Joe O deal has nothing to do with Manly, we don’t need cash, we foremost need to improve the roster, and a right edge forward of Sironen’s ilk is just the tonic.

 

[Rusty]

I’m not liking the amount of contracts coming up at the end of 2023. Blore, A.J., Doueihi, Stefano, Laurie, Brooks and most probably Joe O. They need to be careful not to sign many players to two year contracts next season

The next 2 years will sort the wheat from the chaff!! Performance vrs ability sometimes gets blurred by the hype

 

[pawsandclaws1]

In the tele today "Scott Sorenson has been linked with a move to the Tigers"- sorry cant post a link as its an actual paper im reading

Right position and good depth signing

Where did he play in 2020?

Sharks. He is a physically strong player and can break tackles. He is a Maguire type.

 

[TheDaBoss]

Rorters have signed that adam keighran bloke from warriors

 

[Tigersmurf]

In the tele today "Scott Sorenson has been linked with a move to the Tigers"- sorry cant post a link as its an actual paper im reading

Right position and good depth signing

Where did he play in 2020?

Sharks. He is a physically strong player and can break tackles. He is a Maguire type.

Reminds me a lot of Halatau in his build and ability to break tackles. I was wondering when we would start to approach some of the Sharks juniors.

 

[Rusty]

Scott Sorenson

Interesting, maybe looking as sirro fell threw.

Looks like been around for a while but yet to establish himself into a regular first grader hopefully not another che cam.

Anyone rate him?

27 years old, 100kg = second-rower (left) but played lock for Sharkies has a solid D.
Mcintyre and Gardner rolled into one given time/chance?? Handy depth player that can play middle / outwide

 

[Rusty]

Rorters have signed that adam keighran bloke from warriors

I like this kid, a diamond in the rough Munster 2.0. Halfback that will be a very good running 5/8
and can kick goals

 

[finnzo]

I’ve heard Sorenson is a very hard trainer and eats nothing but the best for his body would be a great depth signing

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

Hey guys >>

guess who?

Thanks Mrs Nofoaluma

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

I’m not liking the amount of contracts coming up at the end of 2023. Blore, A.J., Doueihi, Stefano, Laurie, Brooks and most probably Joe O. They need to be careful not to sign many players to two year contracts next season

it will turn out like when we had teddy woods Moses Brooks all off contract

 

[TigerWest]

I’ve heard Sorenson is a very hard trainer and eats nothing but the best for his body would be a great depth signing

So what are our starting forwards for next year?

Tamou
Liddle
Joe O ( I’ll have to learn to spell his last name😁)
LL
? Garner, Blore
Twal


Maybe one back rower short, he could be the one if he can tackle, imo Blore is still to young.

 

[compensate]

I’m not liking the amount of contracts coming up at the end of 2023. Blore, A.J., Doueihi, Stefano, Laurie, Brooks and most probably Joe O. They need to be careful not to sign many players to two year contracts next season

it will turn out like when we had teddy woods Moses Brooks all off contract

To be completely fair, we should be in the 8 by 2023 so players wanting out won’t be as common imo. Most the time players leave our club to play finals footy

 

[Fade.To.Black]

Not sure why people are falling over themselves hoping that we will sign Sironen.
Sure he had a handful of decent games this season but the bloke is so fragile he picks up long-term injuries buttering himself a piece of toast.
Not keen on that, we have more than our share of injury-prone blokes as it is.