Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Georgios]

does this mean Luke garner is staying?

 

[Demps]

does this mean Luke garner is staying?

For 2022, at least...
🤔

 

[JC99]

$700k is definitely overs for Luciano, still disappointed we are losing him. One of my favourites and maybe if Pascoe talked to his manager a bit more a better deal could've happened

We've got a better second rower in Papali'i for $100k cheaper though. Tigers should be asking for Heilum Luki or Nanai in return for Luciano!

 

[Speed2burn]

The Wests Tigers have suffered another massive recruitment blow, losing outstanding second-rower Luciano Leilua to the North Queensland Cowboys.

The giant edge forward has also asked for a release from the final year of his contract in 2022 to join the Cowboys in the new year.

Shattered Wests Tigers officials are planning to issue a press release on Thursday morning.

The Cowboys have used the money they saved after missing out on barnstorming Penrith Panthers forward Viliame Kikau to sign Leilua on a three-year deal.

The Daily Telegraph understands he will be paid $700,000 a season.

It is known Leilua and his manager, Mario Tartak, have been disappointed with negotiations at the Wests Tigers for the last couple of months.

Little progress has been made since they began talks in August.

The signing of Isaah Papili'i from the Parramatta Eels last week on more than $600,000-a-year was the catalyst for Leilua to look elsewhere.

He felt undervalued.

The Leilua camp insists coach Michael Maguire is not the problem despite the coach’s well publicised falling out with his brother Joey.

It has more to do with the fact Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe has not once spoken to Tartak about the negotiations since August.

I would have been more worried if they paid anywhere near 700 for Lucy. I would let him walk now and try and broker a deal that we get the young kid up there we are interested in.


Completely agree,cowboys are crazy signing him for 700k they obviously have learnt nothing by signing players for big money.See if we can get a couple of decent young forwards off them for the fat guy who can't tackle

Josh Aloiai 2.0

 

[nrlsurvivor]

A lot of people are saying we need a Centre and back rower and I do agree with it but there’s not a lot on the market for 2022 and as Sheens said we’re building for 2023 so I was checking to see who’s off contract for 22 like I said not a lot and Madge wanted another Prop for next season not a lot on the market either but I did find people who are off contract and for Centre there’s really only 2 options JTJ or Nene McDonald for backrower same with 2 Darius Farmer and Kai O’Donnell but Prop there’s a few options Ofahiki Ogden, Darren Schonig, Tom Ale and Jackson Frei

Not a lot out there. I agree with you that if Sheens wants an experienced centre the only options are JTJ & Nene MacDonald (either I'd be happy with on a 1 year contract). For a Prop, I'd rather give Austin Dias or Christian M the chance of a 1 year deal. For the last roster spot, we're probably best to leave it open until 30 June to see who may become available. Alternatively if we need a hooker/utility as cover for Liddle/Simpkin, Hayden Lomax could be an option as he can also provide lock/backrow cover.

Daine Laurie can play centre. Thinking left field, if Logen Dillon is as good a fullback as folks say, is that an option for us if we get desperate at the centre position?

Do you watch Football?

Every centre backrower combination in the game would be asking for a pay rise based soley on the amount of times they run over him to score..

Agree it would be risky but maybe worth the experiment. Daine Laurie’s tackle efficiency is on par or better than Talau, Kepaoa, Ken and Nofa. And his job is way tougher than theirs defending from fullback when you’re often isolated one-on-one or credited for a missed tackle when diving at someone to prevent a try. He’s also filled out a bit since last season and has greater intensity in his tackles compared to those above. He’d handle it… Plus he’d have more backrowers running at him if he was playing at 6.

 

[Leichardt61]

Meh, 700k they can have him. How about a luki and Luciano swap for the 22 season.

Not sure whats going on at the Cowboys recruitment honestly, they miss out on an inconsistent 2nd rower in Kikau for 800k then go you know what? Lets sign an even more defensively inconsistent 2nd rower for pretty much the same coin.

 

[JC99]

Meh, 700k they can have him. How about a luki and Luciano swap for the 22 season.

Not sure whats going on at the Cowboys recruitment honestly, they miss out on an inconsistent 2nd rower in Kikau for 800k then go you know what? Lets sign an even more defensively inconsistent 2nd rower for pretty much the same coin.

They've also got Chad Townsend on stupid money. They suck lol

 

[weststigerman]

The Wests Tigers have suffered another massive recruitment blow, losing outstanding second-rower Luciano Leilua to the North Queensland Cowboys.

The giant edge forward has also asked for a release from the final year of his contract in 2022 to join the Cowboys in the new year.

Shattered Wests Tigers officials are planning to issue a press release on Thursday morning.

The Cowboys have used the money they saved after missing out on barnstorming Penrith Panthers forward Viliame Kikau to sign Leilua on a three-year deal.

The Daily Telegraph understands he will be paid $700,000 a season.

It is known Leilua and his manager, Mario Tartak, have been disappointed with negotiations at the Wests Tigers for the last couple of months.

Little progress has been made since they began talks in August.

The signing of Isaah Papili'i from the Parramatta Eels last week on more than $600,000-a-year was the catalyst for Leilua to look elsewhere.

He felt undervalued.

The Leilua camp insists coach Michael Maguire is not the problem despite the coach’s well publicised falling out with his brother Joey.

It has more to do with the fact Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe has not once spoken to Tartak about the negotiations since August.

I would have been more worried if they paid anywhere near 700 for Lucy. I would let him walk now and try and broker a deal that we get the young kid up there we are interested in.


Completely agree,cowboys are crazy signing him for 700k they obviously have learnt nothing by signing players for big money.See if we can get a couple of decent young forwards off them for the fat guy who can't tackle

Josh Aloiai 2.0

Well we are due to have a player break his contract with us.

 

[Harvey]

Given recent history his bags are probably already packed.

We are pathetically weak when it comes to holding players to their contract

 

[Georgios]

I cant believe that the cowboys agreed to give 700k for Luciano

 

[WT2K]

Meh, 700k they can have him. How about a luki and Luciano swap for the 22 season.

Not sure whats going on at the Cowboys recruitment honestly, they miss out on an inconsistent 2nd rower in Kikau for 800k then go you know what? Lets sign an even more defensively inconsistent 2nd rower for pretty much the same coin.

They've also got Chad Townsend on stupid money. They suck lol

800k for Towny. Yikes.

 

[balmain boy]

Will be interesting to see who the cows offer as tradebait. No one comes to mind, but likely an outside back you'd think.

Need to aim higher than Luki for a swap with Lucy

 

[jadtiger]

The owner of the closest Oporto store to Concord would be having a nervous breakdown,his 2 best customers have waddled out of the door

 

[Geo]

Do they have any good centres we could swap him for?

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I bet the club is real shattered. If they were shattered, they’d up their offer to keep him. But they aren’t, probably because of the E word.

 

[Tigerboy]

Any marquee centres lying around for 2022?

not apart from Joseph Manu, Herbie Farnworth would be an astute purchase and by the sounds of things we've identified him as such. Tolutau Koula and Jack Howarth are two of the younger brigade that are both going to be exceptional first graders in a few years that I'd be looking at also. apart from that it's pretty scarce. I still live in hope Ogden is upgraded to a development deal or top 30 spot, I really do think he's that good.

Howarth looks like Cameron Murray at that age

There’s more than just a physical similarity 🙂

 

[Tigerboy]

Any marquee centres lying around for 2022?

not apart from Joseph Manu, Herbie Farnworth would be an astute purchase and by the sounds of things we've identified him as such. Tolutau Koula and Jack Howarth are two of the younger brigade that are both going to be exceptional first graders in a few years that I'd be looking at also. apart from that it's pretty scarce. I still live in hope Ogden is upgraded to a development deal or top 30 spot, I really do think he's that good.

Howarth looks like Cameron Murray at that age


There’s more than just a physical similarity 🙂

Koula isn’t leaving manly. Trust me, he’s finishing school... other things on his mind now

 

[Tigerboy]

The owner of the closest Oporto store to Concord would be having a nervous breakdown,his 2 best customers have waddled out of the door

Stratty (don’t think there’s one in Rhodes)