Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Red88_Tiger]

What is the love on here for Conner Watson. I really don’t think he is a great lock unless you have others dominating the middle. Imo if we were after someone of that mould we would be better served going for Lachlan lewis. At least he is a better defender

Don’t think we need either though

Lachlan Lewis? That guy is park footy level

Correct. And I rate Watson less

 

[Telltails]

The best thing about Connor Watson is he doesn't have a manager.

 

[WT2K]

The best thing about Connor Watson is he doesn't have a manager.

ponga old man helping him out now

 

[Crucible]

Me thinks Brooks to Newcastle and Pearce to Tigers. Simple.Let's get it done.

 

[Crucible]

Gee ,how predictable is the Luke Brooks PR Team. Can't help themselves.

 

[Needaname]

Why not Manu?

To play centre? What would you pay him? I’d go as night as 750 or 800

Centre is a position we desperately need a top line athlete to fill. $750k doesn't seem too unreasonable.

Are we just talking about random signings that we think would be great? Cool, we should sign Cleary as well.

Seems like these baseless, unrealistic pipe dreams should be separate thread.

I suggested making a play at him at Billy Smith at the same time to try and get at least one of them but since reading @facepalmer ’s post I’ve changed my tack on what we recruit.

Let me preface this by saying what we need / want is very very different to what is possible.

We went down the dogs path, albeit with worse signings but with our coach at the time the players we recruited were with a goal to change our culture, instil a winning attitude in the club.

Packer was a becoming a premium prop when we signed him. Just represented NZ so his stocks were pretty high.
Market rate with a top 4 team about 450-500. We signed him for 300k more. Not even signing his good mate Matolino and reuniting him with his former coach was enough of an attraction to come across unless he was getting well paid.

I could say the same about Josh Reynolds. With no other bidders than the dogs low ball offer of $450 for 2 years he was not prepared to come across without us almost doubling the dogs deal in both length and dollars.

So you have to ask why?

Now take Finucane for an example.
I’ve been pushing his barrow for a while as a ‘circuit breaker’ signing but I’ve come around. Finucane is not going to win a premiership here. Not in the next 3 years. So what is the draw card?

He will go for a bit of money or he’ll stay at the Storm. But none of the clubs he goes to will he win another premiership again. None of those sides are close to top 4 teams. Maybe Newcastle could be the closest with Gagai coming across as well but other than money there has to be another attraction.
In recruiting a player you have to understand the players needs. Finucane is a country boy, low key. The attraction of living outside of a major city must be attractive for him.

Like Finucane, Manu isn’t going to give up a chance to play in a top side unless, like someone mentioned he doubles his salary either that our he’ll go home to NZ which you find often players return ‘home’ for a reasons other than the contract itself.
Peter Wallace did this with Penrith.
RTS did this with the Warriors.
Capewell even recently did this with the Broncos.

Look at the Fifita scenario. Arguably probably paid almost double his expected value.
You have to ask yourself what benefit are the Titans getting in paying well over the market in getting him?
Look at what it has done to the team. What are they gaining other than jagging a few wins on brilliance?
I would claim Tino on a lesser salary was a much more important signing for that club.

So what is the attraction for us?

Or more so who are the players that would find playing with us attractive.

Sure it would be nice to recruit a ‘star’ just to make us fans feel better about watching the tigers play but really we need the core group we have to become ‘stars’ in their own right and recruit young and old. Players that will assist with that and not recruit players that don’t have same goal in mind.

 

[finnzo]

With Hastings commimg next I wonder how we would go playing brooks in the 14 role train him up in hooker over the off season would be good cover if we get an injury in the back line push doughi to centre and the centre to the wing or if there is an injury in the halfs just put him strait in there and if there is no injury just bring him on as hooker of as a roving ball playing forward he has a good running game and could catch out tired forwards

 

[weststigerman]

I think we’d be more likely to get Harry Grant back than B Smith.

Smith has won the 9 spot at Melbourne IMO and the best thing Grant can hope for is a bench role which I’m sure he’s not happy about.

 

[JC99]

I think we’d be more likely to get Harry Grant back than B Smith.

Smith has won the 9 spot at Melbourne IMO and the best thing Grant can hope for is a bench role which I’m sure he’s not happy about.

I'd give Harry big money to come back. A spine including him, Doueihi and Laurie would automatically be the best spine we've had in just about a decade. Probably won't happen though 😂

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Murray Taulagi could be a player to look at for 2022. Playing centre against the Storm - interested to see how he goes...

His defence is pretty bad so yeah he’ll fit right in

Not particularly fast. Just another strong centre. I see a lot more in Kepaoa. I can't wait to see him fit and back in the centres.

 

[finnzo]

I think we’d be more likely to get Harry Grant back than B Smith.

Smith has won the 9 spot at Melbourne IMO and the best thing Grant can hope for is a bench role which I’m sure he’s not happy about.

I think when Harry is fully fit he will get the jump
Over Brandon smith

 

[GCfan]

Murray Taulagi could be a player to look at for 2022. Playing centre against the Storm - interested to see how he goes...

His defence is pretty bad so yeah he’ll fit right in

Not particularly fast. Just another strong centre. I see a lot more in Kepaoa. I can't wait to see him fit and back in the centres.

Agree Paws and if he pick up where he left off in that last game we’ll do alright

 

[Harvey]

Gee ,how predictable is the Luke Brooks PR Team. Can't help themselves.

I think it is more the Mitch Pearce is crap team. Roosters got rid of him for a reason.

 

[tig_prmz]

I think we’d be more likely to get Harry Grant back than B Smith.

Smith has won the 9 spot at Melbourne IMO and the best thing Grant can hope for is a bench role which I’m sure he’s not happy about.

I think when Harry is fully fit he will get the jump
Over Brandon smith

Not this year.

 

[Newtown]

Forget throwing marquee money at Finucane to change the culture.

Throw the kitchen sink at Brandon Smith. He is just a born winner. He’s an absolute animal and the number one bloke in the comp that I would say is incapable of phoning it in.

He’s going to go hard every game for the rest of his career, regardless of the club.

Reminds me a little of Tommy Raudonikis.

 

[Fade.To.Black]

Murray Taulagi could be a player to look at for 2022. Playing centre against the Storm - interested to see how he goes...

Kane Bradley gets his debut as well. We swapped him for Simpkins.

Is he former player Graeme 'The Penguin' Bradley's son? Sure looks like he could be.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Forget throwing marquee money at Finucane to change the culture.

Throw the kitchen sink at Brandon Smith. He is just a born winner. He’s an absolute animal and the number one bloke in the comp that I would say is incapable of phoning it in.

He’s going to go hard every game for the rest of his career, regardless of the club.

We can throw a small island at him and he won’t sign. Finucane wouldn’t put a dent in us by himself. He’d need to be apart of an influx like the Dogs have next year.

 

[Fade.To.Black]

It's looking more and more likely that we will be trotting out basically the same team next year as what we currently have. So 2022 is pretty much a write-off, hopefully 2023 is the year we finally have the cattle to make a impression in the competition.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

It's looking more and more likely that we will be trotting out basically the same team next year as what we currently have. So 2022 is pretty much a write-off, hopefully 2023 is the year we finally have the cattle to make a impression in the competition.

Don’t hold your breath. 2022 was supposed to be the year that we were to have a clean slate with no Reynolds or Packer. Well, we got grub off the books a year early, and only signed a player no one else wanted (Roberts), and with Packer gone we are signing ESL players. When you see what clubs behind us are doing, it’s depressing. And as hard as it is to stomach hearing the media always stick the boot in, they have a point when you compare our recruitment to other clubs. It’s the worst in the competition and it’s not even close.

 

[Fade.To.Black]

It's looking more and more likely that we will be trotting out basically the same team next year as what we currently have. So 2022 is pretty much a write-off, hopefully 2023 is the year we finally have the cattle to make a impression in the competition.

Don’t hold your breath. 2022 was supposed to be the year that we were to have a clean slate with no Reynolds or Packer. Well, we got grub off the books a year early, and only signed a player no one else wanted (Roberts), and with Packer gone we are signing ESL players. When you see what clubs behind us are doing, it’s depressing. And as hard as it is to stomach hearing the media always stick the boot in, they have a point when you compare our recruitment to other clubs. It’s the worst in the competition and it’s not even close.

Agree with that.
From memory there are plenty of good players off contract next year, that's our hope of setting up a decent roster for '23. If the club can get their act together in regards to recruitment that is.