Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[851]

Pretty simple really, in his first year he hadn’t gotten his poor game plans and antiquated coaching style inbedded in the squad.

I'm sorry, how long exactly does it take to teach a team poor game plans and antiquated coaching styles? You would have thought becoming a crap team quickly wouldn't be that hard if the coach tried hard enough.

What a dopey argument though - the players did ok until the coach trained them to do worse. Oh that must be why they drop the ball and miss tackles, because Madge has been coaching them to drop more and miss more since he started.

So this team that Madge has coached and assembled is far better than when he arrived, got it, and I am dopey, hello

 

[boonboon]

Im in 2 minds about Finucane. Yes he will be 30 and we have had some struggles signing older forwards however on the other hand Gallen, Parker, Blair, Hindmarsh, all maintained good footy till 34+ and played in the middle at lock so thier is a history of quality forwards playing good footy longer as you dont need to be quite as dynamic in the middle at lock.

I do though wonder what it means for Joffa as i dont see him as a prop and think we have an origin lock in Joffa and plenty of potential in Seyfsrth at lock so is it really the position we most need to strengthen.

We need a better 2nd rower like TPJ and we need a better spine

 

[BAGNF05]

Im in 2 minds about Finucane. Yes he will be 30 and we have had some struggles signing older forwards however on the other hand Gallen, Parker, Blair, Hindmarsh, all maintained good footy till 34+ and played in the middle at lock so thier is a history of quality forwards playing good footy longer as you dont need to be quite as dynamic in the middle at lock.

I do though wonder what it means for Joffa as i dont see him as a prop and think we have an origin lock in Joffa and plenty of potential in Seyfsrth at lock so is it really the position we most need to strengthen.

We need a better 2nd rower like TPJ and we need a better spine

Joffa and Seyfarth would form half of a strong bench rotation

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Im in 2 minds about Finucane. Yes he will be 30 and we have had some struggles signing older forwards however on the other hand Gallen, Parker, Blair, Hindmarsh, all maintained good footy till 34+ and played in the middle at lock so thier is a history of quality forwards playing good footy longer as you dont need to be quite as dynamic in the middle at lock.

I do though wonder what it means for Joffa as i dont see him as a prop and think we have an origin lock in Joffa and plenty of potential in Seyfsrth at lock so is it really the position we most need to strengthen.

We need a better 2nd rower like TPJ and we need a better spine

Joffa and Seyfarth would form half of a strong bench rotation

Seyfarth would be useful starting.

 

[cochise]

What makes anyone think that this bunch of soft, entitled, lazy, arrogant and comfort-zone players are going to follow Finucane's lead?
I rate Tamou.
I don't believe he was brought here to run for 200mtrs and make copious amounts of tackle-breaks, off-loads, score 10 tries and kick goals at 95%.
His leadership is about recovery, professional conduct, never lying down and adopting a winning mentality, the rest is up to guys like Mikaele, Musgrove, Luccie, Uto, Brooksy, Garner, TommyT, Joe O, Jet, Nofo, Mbye and the rest to use their God-given talents to the best of their ability.
Is he still a leader if this bunch of powder-puffs lack the mental and intestinal fortitude to follow?...
I love TPJ's X-factor, which we're missing, but giving Tamou some back-up in the mould of Finucane would be far more conducive to establishing a platform that drives the values of tenacity, pride of performance, striving to succeed, especially in the face of adversity which breed a winning culture, something we've sorely lacked for far too long.

Some of those players you named played very well last Saturday so I think what you have written is a little unfair.

The finger should be pointed at Maguire. He looked like a man without answers during that post match press conference. He's actually had that look for a significant period of time. Perhaps if the club installed a leader as coach, we may achieve better results and performances. I read many comments which describe Maguire as tough. Tough does not necessarily mean you are good, it could mean you use it to hide your lack of tactical nous or comms skills.

He doesn't have the answers but he's a loyal soldier and will be here for the remainder of his contract.

If that is true, it's confirmation WTs should be booted.

C'mon Paws...really ...'Wests Tigers' should be booted.
Are you sure you meant to say that?

Most supporters would be dismayed with the answer I responded to about Maguire.

Yeh ok Paws, but how does this post link to "WT's should be booted"?

Mediocrity. The original poster wrote Maguire doesn't have the answers but he'll see out his contract because he's a loyal soldier.

You may not have an issue with it. I do and I believe others may as well.

Hartigan is doing an outstanding job with recruitment. I wonder though whether the word is out among other players that you will not improve under Maguire?

Good players know that it's the quality of the players around you that make you better not those content to be mediocre and not put the work in. Mediocrity comes from laziness mentally and physically and that lies solely with the the players themselves.

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept - 2016 Australian of the Year.

This from a former military officer resonates.

This is the issue with we know Maguire doesn't have the answers but he is a loyal soldier who will see out his contract.

They’re contracted mate all he can do is drop them. Packer, Bj, Garner, Brooks, Talau, Kepaoa, Stef, Mbye, AD, etc etc

All been dropped at various stages.

What else can he do when it’s dudville?

It's easy to blame the players when you don't have the answers.

Yes, it easy to blame the players, they are ones that have got us in this mess.
I'm not sure how you make a player, play to expectations, without dropping him?

You can’t replace 30 players because he’s unable to coach them effectively. What happens if the next bunch can’t play either, do we replace them too and keep rolling over the roster forever? At what stage does he take some responsibility?

Avo...when you go to a party does the room light up when you walk in?
Seems to me you need a few of those gourmet pies from your local pie shop :joy_cat: .

We dont need to replace 30 players, that's just silly :confounded: .
Our **team** of Hartigan, Madge and Pascoe purchased the best players available at the time without paying overs, and I commend them for that.

Better players that are prepared to believe in Madge and give :100: effort and commitment to Wests Tigers will become available and **we will all live happily ever after ** :slightly_smiling_face: :+1:

I’m not a miserable person at all, but as a fan I am extremely frustrated and am not deluded to the point where I think we’re heading in the right direction.

I don’t know about Madge . I’m kind of with you , and kind of not . I don’t think the team is garbage at all , and I think there’s a lot of the cream of the crop from the last 5 years u18s sitting in our squad .
Guys like talau , kepoa , Blore , seyfarth , Simpkin , Simpkins , Uto , madden , Cini ,even Liddle . They were all Aus schoolboys . And then there’s guys like Brooks , AD, and Twal , who are also clearly talented and ,once again ,elite for thier age group .
Which says to me , we do have the talent .

What we lack , is a way to combine it all under one nucleus and push forward as one unit .
And for that I kind of agree there’s something wrong , with either thier development , or the coaching staff.
I honestly it’s not that Madge is a crap coach , is that he can’t relinquish the steering wheel , due to past whiteanting . So he doesn’t have the best support staff he could get. But rather guys he can trust .
Which inevitably , if he doesn’t take a risk , and delegate authority , to guys who are clearly talented coaches , then he will be just the NZ coach moving forward. Which will be a shame IMO, as the guys clearly gives a stuff , loves the club , and most importantly is a talented coach.

The thing about Australian school boys is they look really good.. against school boys.

Thanks for that pearl of wisdom , but talent is talent . Just because they never develop the physicality , and mentality doesn’t mean you don’t target the elite juniors .
And we have them in the club . They’re here . So this garbage about not having talent is just that . Garbage . We have to figure out how to get that talent to translate .

No doubt they are talented some of these young players, you don’t make a National team at any level without talent. But to go from elite junior to professional NRL player you need a few things - great mentors, the right attitude and a lot of luck. And that might get you a debut. I’ve watched first hand as many super talented juniors failed to crack NRL. I will continue to say it, until our systems are right and we have good senior players we are going to continue to see these young guys fall short of expectations. Craig Fitzgibbon was a dud junior who played on a wing, look what good systems did for him.

That’s my point . I think are agreeing here . The issue is the pathways , and development , not lack of talent . So when people say things like “we don’t have the talent that Melbourne do” . I call bull crap !!! We do so have the talent . We just as a club arnt nurturing them in a system that is not only conducive to them maximising thier talents individually, but from a fans perspective , maximising the Ws for the club .

You reckon that problem is across most clubs? They always talk about lack of talent when expansion comes up but I think it's more lack of development.

Yea I do mate . I think too many jobs for the boys , nepotism , in fighting in junior leagues (Wests are the absolute worst for this) , and most of all , IMO , we should have Balmain and Wests , when identified , playing together from a very young age . The fact Wests hate Balmain , and get “wests” legends in. ,and the same for balmain , is just dinosaur stuff .

The junior teams should all be Wests tigers for starters .
But it will never get agreed to , because Balmain and Wests hate each other , or some garbage like that . As if it’s 1975 .

One sg ball, matts team? Would they need to abandon one junior area?

No I don’t think so . I think that’s where the academy would come in . Identify them early have them train together and grow together . The issue is , which is a minor one really , there are no longer say 60 spots available for rep honours between the 2 districts , but rather 30 now . But that’s no different to every other club anyway .
We could bus in the kids from Balmain , like the roosters and manly do , to C-town ( yes C -town) where the academy should be . There should photos of benji and Robbie , Lawry , Ellis , sheens Galea , skando , Hodgson . Plastered everywhere . And a hallway with door , that only ever opens when you get called up to the show. Or some symbolic gesture , that you have graduated to concord .

No mention at all of Balmain , Wests , other than , maybe some museum like room that commemorates our history .
And it’s taught about , but never ever dwelled upon . It has to be about Wests tigers .

it also starts will wests tigers in Canterbury Cup too

I have zero problem with reserve grade being Wests Magpies.

Well I do, same as if they were called Balmain Tigers.

I am delusional obviously in thinking that we are Wests Tigers. Guess it is only when it suits us.

I don't care what they are called, still watch and support them.

 

[BAGNF05]

Im in 2 minds about Finucane. Yes he will be 30 and we have had some struggles signing older forwards however on the other hand Gallen, Parker, Blair, Hindmarsh, all maintained good footy till 34+ and played in the middle at lock so thier is a history of quality forwards playing good footy longer as you dont need to be quite as dynamic in the middle at lock.

I do though wonder what it means for Joffa as i dont see him as a prop and think we have an origin lock in Joffa and plenty of potential in Seyfsrth at lock so is it really the position we most need to strengthen.

We need a better 2nd rower like TPJ and we need a better spine

Joffa and Seyfarth would form half of a strong bench rotation

Seyfarth would be useful starting.

He’s been our best of late and probably the first guy I’d pick. Imagine having Finucane there to show him the Storm way.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Im in 2 minds about Finucane. Yes he will be 30 and we have had some struggles signing older forwards however on the other hand Gallen, Parker, Blair, Hindmarsh, all maintained good footy till 34+ and played in the middle at lock so thier is a history of quality forwards playing good footy longer as you dont need to be quite as dynamic in the middle at lock.

I do though wonder what it means for Joffa as i dont see him as a prop and think we have an origin lock in Joffa and plenty of potential in Seyfsrth at lock so is it really the position we most need to strengthen.

We need a better 2nd rower like TPJ and we need a better spine

Joffa and Seyfarth would form half of a strong bench rotation

Seyfarth would be useful starting.

He’s been our best of late and probably the first guy I’d pick. Imagine having Finucane there to show him the Storm way.

I don't trust Maguire to get it right. I'd prefer Sheens run his eye over the squad (which Pascoe did mention).

 

[BAGNF05]

Im in 2 minds about Finucane. Yes he will be 30 and we have had some struggles signing older forwards however on the other hand Gallen, Parker, Blair, Hindmarsh, all maintained good footy till 34+ and played in the middle at lock so thier is a history of quality forwards playing good footy longer as you dont need to be quite as dynamic in the middle at lock.

I do though wonder what it means for Joffa as i dont see him as a prop and think we have an origin lock in Joffa and plenty of potential in Seyfsrth at lock so is it really the position we most need to strengthen.

We need a better 2nd rower like TPJ and we need a better spine

Joffa and Seyfarth would form half of a strong bench rotation

Seyfarth would be useful starting.

He’s been our best of late and probably the first guy I’d pick. Imagine having Finucane there to show him the Storm way.

I don't trust Maguire to get it right. I'd prefer Sheens run his eye over the squad (which Pascoe did mention).

Sheens to Pascoe

“Get rid of the boneheads and sign some Pros. Start with Finucane”

 

[851]

Can't believe people want Morris for Madge....

Also can't believe people giving up on Talau so soon, no doubt he needs a spell in ressies - but there is potential there and I'm confident it can be unlocked in time.

He's a naturally gifted kid.


Im not a fan of Talau and IMO he has had more than enough time to prove himself.

I am a fan however of anyone who can go back to reggies and tear it up and force their way back.

You think 27 games is more than enough time for a 21 year old to prove himself? He’s scored 14 try’s in those games.

Simpkin got 5 games, Cini 2, Madge has favourites, and it creates a bad environment

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Can't believe people want Morris for Madge....

Also can't believe people giving up on Talau so soon, no doubt he needs a spell in ressies - but there is potential there and I'm confident it can be unlocked in time.

He's a naturally gifted kid.


Im not a fan of Talau and IMO he has had more than enough time to prove himself.

I am a fan however of anyone who can go back to reggies and tear it up and force their way back.

You think 27 games is more than enough time for a 21 year old to prove himself? He’s scored 14 try’s in those games.

Simpkin got 5 games, Cini 2, Madge has favourites, and it creates a bad environment

Bit different imo. Simpkin plays in a key position and has competition. Besides, the club re-signed him for 3 years. He’s clearly in the clubs plans. As for Cini, Talau has never played as bad as Cini did in his second game.

 

[JC99]

Rarely do I agree with Joey Johns,but Finucane has had 210 NRL games and is close to being finished
Weve learnt that lesson many times in the past decade...I wldnt go near him at this stage of his career

He’s got 300 gamer written all over him. Tough as teak. That’s at least 3.5 more seasons and he’s not relying on speed or skill to be effective.

Agreed, watching him play he's playing at a very good level still, he's not playing like someone who's slowing down at all. People need to stop just looking at his age and actually watch him play

He’s a defensive leader who made us look silly in attack last week. Too many people just burned by our past failures. In the past we have got what we bargained for.

Russell Packer had a chequered past and played a season of reserve grade not long before we signed him.

We signed Matt Ballin with an injury

Josh Reynolds was an erratic player at Canterbury whose game was always effort rather than skill

Moses Mbye a utility at Canterbury

Anasta was slowing down right throughout his career and we tried to manufacture a half when he had been a back rower previously

So what’s Dale Finucane? Not many deficiencies in my mind. A premier? A captain? A leader?

Just sign the bloke.

Completely agree mate. Any comparison to previous signings are ridiculous, we haven't signed a current origin player/premiership winner ever

 

[851]

What makes anyone think that this bunch of soft, entitled, lazy, arrogant and comfort-zone players are going to follow Finucane's lead?
I rate Tamou.
I don't believe he was brought here to run for 200mtrs and make copious amounts of tackle-breaks, off-loads, score 10 tries and kick goals at 95%.
His leadership is about recovery, professional conduct, never lying down and adopting a winning mentality, the rest is up to guys like Mikaele, Musgrove, Luccie, Uto, Brooksy, Garner, TommyT, Joe O, Jet, Nofo, Mbye and the rest to use their God-given talents to the best of their ability.
Is he still a leader if this bunch of powder-puffs lack the mental and intestinal fortitude to follow?...
I love TPJ's X-factor, which we're missing, but giving Tamou some back-up in the mould of Finucane would be far more conducive to establishing a platform that drives the values of tenacity, pride of performance, striving to succeed, especially in the face of adversity which breed a winning culture, something we've sorely lacked for far too long.

Some of those players you named played very well last Saturday so I think what you have written is a little unfair.

The finger should be pointed at Maguire. He looked like a man without answers during that post match press conference. He's actually had that look for a significant period of time. Perhaps if the club installed a leader as coach, we may achieve better results and performances. I read many comments which describe Maguire as tough. Tough does not necessarily mean you are good, it could mean you use it to hide your lack of tactical nous or comms skills.

He doesn't have the answers but he's a loyal soldier and will be here for the remainder of his contract.

If that is true, it's confirmation WTs should be booted.

C'mon Paws...really ...'Wests Tigers' should be booted.
Are you sure you meant to say that?

Most supporters would be dismayed with the answer I responded to about Maguire.

Yeh ok Paws, but how does this post link to "WT's should be booted"?

Mediocrity. The original poster wrote Maguire doesn't have the answers but he'll see out his contract because he's a loyal soldier.

You may not have an issue with it. I do and I believe others may as well.

Hartigan is doing an outstanding job with recruitment. I wonder though whether the word is out among other players that you will not improve under Maguire?

Good players know that it's the quality of the players around you that make you better not those content to be mediocre and not put the work in. Mediocrity comes from laziness mentally and physically and that lies solely with the the players themselves.

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept - 2016 Australian of the Year.

This from a former military officer resonates.

This is the issue with we know Maguire doesn't have the answers but he is a loyal soldier who will see out his contract.

They’re contracted mate all he can do is drop them. Packer, Bj, Garner, Brooks, Talau, Kepaoa, Stef, Mbye, AD, etc etc

All been dropped at various stages.

What else can he do when it’s dudville?

It's easy to blame the players when you don't have the answers.

Yes, it easy to blame the players, they are ones that have got us in this mess.
I'm not sure how you make a player, play to expectations, without dropping him?

You can’t replace 30 players because he’s unable to coach them effectively. What happens if the next bunch can’t play either, do we replace them too and keep rolling over the roster forever? At what stage does he take some responsibility?

Avo...when you go to a party does the room light up when you walk in?
Seems to me you need a few of those gourmet pies from your local pie shop :joy_cat: .

We dont need to replace 30 players, that's just silly :confounded: .
Our **team** of Hartigan, Madge and Pascoe purchased the best players available at the time without paying overs, and I commend them for that.

Better players that are prepared to believe in Madge and give :100: effort and commitment to Wests Tigers will become available and **we will all live happily ever after ** :slightly_smiling_face: :+1:

I’m not a miserable person at all, but as a fan I am extremely frustrated and am not deluded to the point where I think we’re heading in the right direction.

I don’t know about Madge . I’m kind of with you , and kind of not . I don’t think the team is garbage at all , and I think there’s a lot of the cream of the crop from the last 5 years u18s sitting in our squad .
Guys like talau , kepoa , Blore , seyfarth , Simpkin , Simpkins , Uto , madden , Cini ,even Liddle . They were all Aus schoolboys . And then there’s guys like Brooks , AD, and Twal , who are also clearly talented and ,once again ,elite for thier age group .
Which says to me , we do have the talent .

What we lack , is a way to combine it all under one nucleus and push forward as one unit .
And for that I kind of agree there’s something wrong , with either thier development , or the coaching staff.
I honestly it’s not that Madge is a crap coach , is that he can’t relinquish the steering wheel , due to past whiteanting . So he doesn’t have the best support staff he could get. But rather guys he can trust .
Which inevitably , if he doesn’t take a risk , and delegate authority , to guys who are clearly talented coaches , then he will be just the NZ coach moving forward. Which will be a shame IMO, as the guys clearly gives a stuff , loves the club , and most importantly is a talented coach.

The thing about Australian school boys is they look really good.. against school boys.

Thanks for that pearl of wisdom , but talent is talent . Just because they never develop the physicality , and mentality doesn’t mean you don’t target the elite juniors .
And we have them in the club . They’re here . So this garbage about not having talent is just that . Garbage . We have to figure out how to get that talent to translate .

No doubt they are talented some of these young players, you don’t make a National team at any level without talent. But to go from elite junior to professional NRL player you need a few things - great mentors, the right attitude and a lot of luck. And that might get you a debut. I’ve watched first hand as many super talented juniors failed to crack NRL. I will continue to say it, until our systems are right and we have good senior players we are going to continue to see these young guys fall short of expectations. Craig Fitzgibbon was a dud junior who played on a wing, look what good systems did for him.

That’s my point . I think are agreeing here . The issue is the pathways , and development , not lack of talent . So when people say things like “we don’t have the talent that Melbourne do” . I call bull crap !!! We do so have the talent . We just as a club arnt nurturing them in a system that is not only conducive to them maximising thier talents individually, but from a fans perspective , maximising the Ws for the club .

You reckon that problem is across most clubs? They always talk about lack of talent when expansion comes up but I think it's more lack of development.

Yea I do mate . I think too many jobs for the boys , nepotism , in fighting in junior leagues (Wests are the absolute worst for this) , and most of all , IMO , we should have Balmain and Wests , when identified , playing together from a very young age . The fact Wests hate Balmain , and get “wests” legends in. ,and the same for balmain , is just dinosaur stuff .

The junior teams should all be Wests tigers for starters .
But it will never get agreed to , because Balmain and Wests hate each other , or some garbage like that . As if it’s 1975 .

One sg ball, matts team? Would they need to abandon one junior area?

No I don’t think so . I think that’s where the academy would come in . Identify them early have them train together and grow together . The issue is , which is a minor one really , there are no longer say 60 spots available for rep honours between the 2 districts , but rather 30 now . But that’s no different to every other club anyway .
We could bus in the kids from Balmain , like the roosters and manly do , to C-town ( yes C -town) where the academy should be . There should photos of benji and Robbie , Lawry , Ellis , sheens Galea , skando , Hodgson . Plastered everywhere . And a hallway with door , that only ever opens when you get called up to the show. Or some symbolic gesture , that you have graduated to concord .

No mention at all of Balmain , Wests , other than , maybe some museum like room that commemorates our history .
And it’s taught about , but never ever dwelled upon . It has to be about Wests tigers .

it also starts will wests tigers in Canterbury Cup too

I have zero problem with reserve grade being Wests Magpies.

so it is ok for all the other pathways to be wests tigers bur reserve grade ?
we are a merged club not a Roosters using Norths as a feeder club
having wests Magpies as Canterbury Cup links in with this division some have posted it should all be wests tigers, Tim Sheens pushed for this year's ago I think he will push for it again once he is back

I don't think it makes any difference what our reserve grade is called, would be the same blokes there either way. Plenty of clubs have reserve grade teams that aren't the same club as their first grade team.

the ones that are different are not Merged clubs they are using other clubs ad reserve grade like Newtown and norths, we are using one half of a merger as the reserve grade name its not right
maybe changes on the board might fix this who knows

Why is it not right? What about our junior teams, they're magpies and Balmain should they be changed too? It doesn't make a difference at all and it's really not worth being upset over it's just a name


Agreed and they are being paid for by Wests Ashfield. I was born I Balmain and family tied deep into the Balmain tapestry, but I couldnt give a rats and understand the rationale. I do actually think Wests copped the rough end of the stick identity wise with the merger and if this helps address it I would be happy.

We know they're the Wests tigers reserve grade team and all the players know it too, it's just a name and a jersey.

I think all of these topics about Wests vs Balmain are stupid. Who cares what the reserve grade team is called.

let's call them balmain tigers then ...
We are a merged club yet even after 20 years we still have Wests Magpies and balmain tigers division

The only person causing division at the moment is you - majority of people couldn't care less what the team name for our reserve grade is. If it was called Balmain I would care just as little

easy to say when it isn't called that I guess
they are still the TIGERS in nrl so shouldn't worry to much really

Balmain pay nothing, Wests payed their debt and could have kicked them to the curb but didn't, yet you want them to also call the reserves team Balmain, you are dreaming and delusional mate

 

[JC99]

Can't believe people want Morris for Madge....

Also can't believe people giving up on Talau so soon, no doubt he needs a spell in ressies - but there is potential there and I'm confident it can be unlocked in time.

He's a naturally gifted kid.


Im not a fan of Talau and IMO he has had more than enough time to prove himself.

I am a fan however of anyone who can go back to reggies and tear it up and force their way back.

You think 27 games is more than enough time for a 21 year old to prove himself? He’s scored 14 try’s in those games.

Simpkin got 5 games, Cini 2, Madge has favourites, and it creates a bad environment

Madge does this a lot I've noticed, gives the rookies a couple games then continues to let them develop in reserve grade for a while after that

 

[ATown]

Finucane on 4 years is so ridiculous it’s laughable. He’ll barely be able to walk in 4 years.

Please don’t get sucked into this “he would come in and change the whole culture” garbage. That’s why we signed Tamou isn’t it?

He’s a bloke at the back end of his career, with massive miles on the clock looking for superstar money. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

We need talent. Not another plodding middle forward looking for a retirement home. We’ve done this so many times. We need to learn from our past mistakes.

We need talent but we also need more leadership, they've got no idea how to handle adversity. For the right price and contract length he would be good for us, he's still playing very well at the moment.

2 years at decent money would be a good play for us. For me I wouldn’t pay him a cent over 550k. That’s not happening though.

There may have been a further update, but last I saw he was looking for 800k?!! That is just absolute madness.

And is he playing that well at the moment? I’ve been watching him pretty closely and he just looks like another grinder. That’s all he’s ever been. I would rather keep developing Seyfarth and look elsewhere.

If we’re paying overs I would rather do it for someone that offers more impact on the field.

 

[JC99]

Finucane on 4 years is so ridiculous it’s laughable. He’ll barely be able to walk in 4 years.

Please don’t get sucked into this “he would come in and change the whole culture” garbage. That’s why we signed Tamou isn’t it?

He’s a bloke at the back end of his career, with massive miles on the clock looking for superstar money. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

We need talent. Not another plodding middle forward looking for a retirement home. We’ve done this so many times. We need to learn from our past mistakes.

We need talent but we also need more leadership, they've got no idea how to handle adversity. For the right price and contract length he would be good for us, he's still playing very well at the moment.

2 years at decent money would be a good play for us. For me I wouldn’t pay him a cent over 550k. That’s not happening though.

There may have been a further update, but last I saw he was looking for 800k?!! That is just absolute madness.

And is he playing that well at the moment? I’ve been watching him pretty closely and he just looks like another grinder. That’s all he’s ever been. I would rather keep developing Seyfarth and look elsewhere.

If we’re paying overs I would rather do it for someone that offers more impact on the field.

I saw reports saying he has lowered his asking price although there wasn't an exact figure. He's a good player but he's not the kind of player that will earn crazy money

 

[851]

Can't believe people want Morris for Madge....

Also can't believe people giving up on Talau so soon, no doubt he needs a spell in ressies - but there is potential there and I'm confident it can be unlocked in time.

He's a naturally gifted kid.


Im not a fan of Talau and IMO he has had more than enough time to prove himself.

I am a fan however of anyone who can go back to reggies and tear it up and force their way back.

You think 27 games is more than enough time for a 21 year old to prove himself? He’s scored 14 try’s in those games.

Simpkin got 5 games, Cini 2, Madge has favourites, and it creates a bad environment

Bit different imo. Simpkin plays in a key position and has competition. Besides, the club re-signed him for 3 years. He’s clearly in the clubs plans. As for Cini, Talau has never played as bad as Cini did in his second game.

Talau has played as bad as Cini, what games have you watched

 

[TigerWest]

Can't believe people want Morris for Madge....

Also can't believe people giving up on Talau so soon, no doubt he needs a spell in ressies - but there is potential there and I'm confident it can be unlocked in time.

He's a naturally gifted kid.


Im not a fan of Talau and IMO he has had more than enough time to prove himself.

I am a fan however of anyone who can go back to reggies and tear it up and force their way back.

You think 27 games is more than enough time for a 21 year old to prove himself? He’s scored 14 try’s in those games.

Simpkin got 5 games, Cini 2, Madge has favourites, and it creates a bad environment

Madge does this a lot I've noticed, gives the rookies a couple games then continues to let them develop in reserve grade for a while after that

Yes, I assume it’s to give them a taste and let them and the club know what they need to work on, I thought it was a good initiative?

 

[851]

Can't believe people want Morris for Madge....

Also can't believe people giving up on Talau so soon, no doubt he needs a spell in ressies - but there is potential there and I'm confident it can be unlocked in time.

He's a naturally gifted kid.


Im not a fan of Talau and IMO he has had more than enough time to prove himself.

I am a fan however of anyone who can go back to reggies and tear it up and force their way back.

You think 27 games is more than enough time for a 21 year old to prove himself? He’s scored 14 try’s in those games.

Simpkin got 5 games, Cini 2, Madge has favourites, and it creates a bad environment

Madge does this a lot I've noticed, gives the rookies a couple games then continues to let them develop in reserve grade for a while after that

So why didn't he do it with Talau, he is a favourite, should have been dropped a long time ago

 

[ATown]

Can't believe people want Morris for Madge....

Also can't believe people giving up on Talau so soon, no doubt he needs a spell in ressies - but there is potential there and I'm confident it can be unlocked in time.

He's a naturally gifted kid.


Im not a fan of Talau and IMO he has had more than enough time to prove himself.

I am a fan however of anyone who can go back to reggies and tear it up and force their way back.

You think 27 games is more than enough time for a 21 year old to prove himself? He’s scored 14 try’s in those games.

Simpkin got 5 games, Cini 2, Madge has favourites, and it creates a bad environment

Bit different imo. Simpkin plays in a key position and has competition. Besides, the club re-signed him for 3 years. He’s clearly in the clubs plans. As for Cini, Talau has never played as bad as Cini did in his second game.

Talau has played as bad as Cini, what games have you watched

To be fair, no one in the history of RL has played as bad a game as Cini’s second.

But Talau has had consistent shockers and shouldn’t be in first grade.

As bad as Cini was I’d be way more in favour of giving him a crack in the centres over Talau. I’m going to be very disappointed in Madge if Talau is in the 17 against Souths.

 

[Cairnstigers]

Im in 2 minds about Finucane. Yes he will be 30 and we have had some struggles signing older forwards however on the other hand Gallen, Parker, Blair, Hindmarsh, all maintained good footy till 34+ and played in the middle at lock so thier is a history of quality forwards playing good footy longer as you dont need to be quite as dynamic in the middle at lock.

I do though wonder what it means for Joffa as i dont see him as a prop and think we have an origin lock in Joffa and plenty of potential in Seyfsrth at lock so is it really the position we most need to strengthen.

We need a better 2nd rower like TPJ and we need a better spine

Joffa and Seyfarth would form half of a strong bench rotation

Seyfarth would be useful starting.

He’s been our best of late and probably the first guy I’d pick. Imagine having Finucane there to show him the Storm way.

I don't trust Maguire to get it right. I'd prefer Sheens run his eye over the squad (which Pascoe did mention).

I would imagine if Madge can't get us well into finals next year, the Sheens will be taking over
Madge has had considerable time to sign players, mold it into his team and show us what he has got
I know he has still got his hands tied with Mbye and Packer money but mostly the team is his
Madge has tried to sign key players like LM and Addo-Carr but he can't seem to land them at our club
The next two signings are crucial to our near term future success and I think this is where Sheens comes in
Sheens is about to start forming the team he believes could push well into the finals
Madge will have his turn to try and get them in there
If Madge fails then Sheens will step in
So then it all starts again, the 10 year cycle

I think we have recruited well at management level and on paper this looks much stronger then years gone by
Some of those include
Madge
Hartigan
Sheens
Kimmorely
Tahu

Now let's get two key signings to get our team moving forward
Out with Mbye and Packer to start with
Also Walters BJ MCK
If some of our younger players don't get given a go and start improving then out with them
Time to be ruthless