Stevec
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Good article by Read something positive he will probably be ridiculed by Kent on NRL360 for it but like reading this articleBrent Read article in todaysTelegraph
TIGERS NEED TO HUNT BRIGHTEST NRL STARS
WESTS SHOULD BE APPLAUDED FOR TRYING TO LAND A MARQUEE PLAYER THEY CAN BUILD BATTLING JOINT-VENTURE CLUB AROUND
THE Wests Tigers are coming from a very low base. So the only thing they can do is aim high. That said, it seems the Tigers are aiming very high in their quest to fast-track their rebuild and end a finals drought that stretches back a decade.
Good on them. No use trying to escape mediocrity by recruiting average players. The Tigers have made that mistake for far too long.
Tigers officials insist reports of a $7 million offer to Storm star Cameron Munster this week were wide of the mark.
Contact was made though and others will tell you the Tigers were quietly confident they were in with a chance at one point, only for Melbourne to respond with a multimillion-dollar deal of their own that gave Munster fresh food for thought.
Munster is the latest big name to seemingly attract interest from the Tigers. People close to the club are said to have informally reached out to James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses to gauge whether they would be interested in returning home at some point in the future.
One or both would revolutionise the club. Their signatures would shift the needle. They’re big names and local juniors. Nothing wrong with buying back the farm. It won’t be easy.
Both are well paid and playing finals football. Joining a struggling club in the midst of a rebuild wouldn’t seem that alluring.
In Tedesco’s case, he has two years remaining on his deal but there is a logjam forming at the Roosters for the No.1 jersey and as good as Tedesco is, at some point in the future age will tell and Joseph Suaalii will go past him.
The Tigers clearly sense an opportunity.
The same applies to Moses, whose talks with Parramatta over a new deal have been delayed until after the season, meaning there is every chance he could head to November 1 unsigned.
If he does, expect the Tigers to weigh in with a monster deal. While they are at it, perhaps it is time to take advantage of the slow negotiations at St George Illawarra to make a play for Ben Hunt.
The Dragons captain is coming to the end of a stunning season that is likely to result in him taking home the Dally M medal. It is richly deserved.
He has one year remaining on his deal with the Dragons and negotiations have slowed after the club made an initial offer, believed to be worth $1.45m over two years.
Hunt has instructed his representatives to put off talks until after the season is over but the Tigers have the ability to blow the Dragons out of the water.
It’s worth some thought, particularly if Luke Brooks isn’t keen on staying at the club. Hunt would provide leadership and direction. He would send a message to the rest of the NRL that the Tigers are ready to mix it with the big boys.
Significantly, the Tigers play the Dragons at CommBank Stadium on Sunday with a wooden spoon at stake. Hunt may help drive another stake into their season. With a bit of luck and a splash of cash, he may help pull them out of their hole as well.
The Tigers will already be better next season with the addition of Api Koroisau and Isaiah Papali’i.
The Eels have stepped up their attempts to sign a back rower, suggesting they realise they are fighting a losing battle in their attempts to keep Papali’i.
The Tigers need to surround Koroisau and Papali’i with class and quality. They are taking their time with new deals for Daine Laurie, Jackson Hastings and Adam Doueihi, cognisant of the fact that the trio have been key players in a side that has struggled to make an impact this season.
The Tigers need a star. A superstar. A circuit-breaker. Hunt fits the bill. It won’t be easy to climb the ladder. The past decade has shown that.
Nothing wrong with aiming high though.
THE queue at South Sydney training on Monday was at least 10 deep. The entire Rabbitohs first grade squad took a seat in the grandstand but the frothing media wanted a moment with one player.
Sure, you can debate whether Latrell Mitchell is the best player in the game right now, but it is hard to dispute he is its biggest star.
Mitchell accommodated most requests. He did it with a smile on his face. He sat there for over an hour and stayed long after his teammates had left. When Mitchell is in the mood, he is one of the most engaging players in the game. Not just a spokesman for Indigenous people, but for a generation of young Australians who are confronting a world where social media has become both a help and a hindrance.
Mitchell is prolific on it, promoting both his club and himself.
It has come at a cost at times but Mitchell has held his most radical and vitriolic critics to account.
He has refused to be silenced and rugby league is the better for it. So too South Sydney, who are locked in talks with Mitchell’s camp over a new deal that could send his earnings north of $1 million a season.
He is worth every cent. Mitchell is box office. He is adored by Rabbitohs fans. He is a magnet for eyeballs. His return bout with the Sydney Roosters in a week will be required viewing.
He is unfiltered and unafraid. Most of all, he is unerringly brilliant. Rugby league is much the better for having him.