Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[WesternSuburbsBoy]

Bateman is an international, aggressive on-field and a competitor. I am pleased the club has signed him and believe he will be a good buy for WTs. His experience will be excellent for our young players including how to prepare for an NRL game. I cannot see a downside in his signing.

Don’t get me wrong i’m stoked we signed him, I just think 4 years is too long.

 

[hsvjones]

Did I miss the announcement on Bateman as I have not seen anything official ?

I hope its correct as would love him in our team but does that also mean we have missed Moses

 

[KCtiger]

Halleluiah Someone else agrees with me on the Will Smith signing being bad (most people thought it was a good signing here??)

Ill also add the Cowboys above. With Jonathan Thurston around and 2x good quality halves + reserve grade they are in a good position.

We have Benji and Sheens. Halfback is a Million dollar position and kids will be trying their luck. Our scouts will pick up someone, the hard part is getting the high quality players before roosters/storm/etc.

So I ask, what's the point of having Benji as a coach if he cannot attract and develop halves?

Smith wasn’t brought in as a halves option he was brought in to replace the hole that peachy and nu brown left with out being in the top 30 and he adds experience to the nsw cup team some people on this forum can’t see a positive side to anything

 

[Magpie_Magic]

I agree. He's also a Brit, a 4 year deal is not an issue when you can negotiate a move back.

This guy will teach our boys to stop feeling sorry for themselves. His imput at training will be huge.

We have a few signatures so hopefully he will be the glue that gels them into wanting to win for us.......even if he's bludging a little before he also gets behind it.

Can only imagine him getting Brooks to radiate a bit of confidence.

This reminds me a bit of when the Maggies many moons ago signed Ted Goodwin. He was washed up but had class and was a winner with total aggression and after the club lost about seven gun players he helped mold a new squad to 3rd place......and what should have beem a premiership his two suspensions toward the end of the season into the finals cost us, but we would've got nowhere near finals without him.

From last we are all entertaining thoughts of finals footy.....and it's him so it's a risk worth taking.

And I'm sensing the club is using his signature to attract others.

I'm actually looking forward to next year.

 

[tigermate]

That’s not good, not good at all mate. An attitude like that can reverberate throughout the entire club.
A man driving a Ferrari tells you he’s not listening to people who don’t invest money in the club?
I wonder how ingrained that attitude is?
There was a period in 22 when Sheens espoused the same view at a presser when deflecting criticism about the club heading for the spoon. He was only interested in talking to members.
But I thought that rhetoric had changed toward the end of the year?
One of the things which stands out like inflatable beach balls is our constant lack of leadership in the players and often wonder what’s driving this?
Players like Tamou a gf captain but found it difficult. Other players who show leadership are needing to move on...?
I’ve got nothing against Ferrari but Kia is the NRL preferred car.

What’s he drive every other day?

Halleluiah Someone else agrees with me on the Will Smith signing being bad (most people thought it was a good signing here??)

Ill also add the Cowboys above. With Jonathan Thurston around and 2x good quality halves + reserve grade they are in a good position.

We have Benji and Sheens. Halfback is a Million dollar position and kids will be trying their luck. Our scouts will pick up someone, the hard part is getting the high quality players before roosters/storm/etc.

So I ask, what's the point of having Benji as a coach if he cannot attract and develop halves?

Mate it’s the off season - everyone’s delusional

1. Players look huge at pre season training
2. We have a better squad than last year
3. Our players are one year older and will be better this season
4. It’s the fittest and best off season the players have ever had
5. Have faith on the coaching and football department they know what they’re doing
6. Our three 35 yr old recruits just need a good preseason under their belt
7. Justin and Lee are doing are better job this year bc they’re (staying out of it, more involved, have better people around them etc etc)

No finals.

Repeat.

No finals.

Repeat.

No finals.

Repeat.

 

[Magpie_Magic]

I agree and disagree, Firstly I disagree because our halves have been playing behind deadwood for years now so can't show what they're able to do on the front foot.
I agree though that although Brooks has been playing behind a weak pack I expect more from someone who has played 10 years of first grade, in saying that he's our only halfback so we have noone to compare his performances to behind our pack.
We have moved mountains to build a competitive aggressive pack for next year, he has no more excuses if he can't perform once the team starts to gel say 8 rounds in then he's got to go.

Agree Brooks has not been consistent enough and certainly hasn't developed to the point of being able to steer a team around the park.

But his best years were when playing with Benji so clearly alot of the recruitment going on seems driven by Benji. to build a team around him.

Api will be the guy who steers the team around the forwards finally should give him the space he needs and Bateman and Paps providing the tougness.

Like most I've wondered whether Brooks will come good but I sense if he got picked up by a strong club he would really shine so it's not something I want to see.

 

[liltiger]

Yep, I believe that is what the entire forum has been saying for the last 10 years.

Actually a strange one, Brooks best year was under Ivan Cleary. A time where our forward pack wasn't dominant, we were better a year or two before with Taupau and co. From memory Robbie Roccow was running a lot of interference in the opposing teams play the ball and that may have been beneficial to us.

My point is different. Benji + Sheens have to demonstrate that they can pick and coach halves. I expect extreme attacking flair:
structure?
defence?

They are the big questions and Sheens better be able to deliver in spades.

I think Brooks performed heaps better under Cleary because he was allowed more fluency in his play, run first and play what he saw as opposed to the super rigid structured play of Maguire and Taylor. Hopefully with the shackles off after a preseason under Sheens he can come good.

 

[liltiger]

Agree Brooks has not been consistent enough and certainly hasn't developed to the point of being able to steer a team around the park.

But his best years were when playing with Benji so clearly alot of the recruitment going on seems driven by Benji. to build a team around him.

Api will be the guy who steers the team around the forwards finally should give him the space he needs and Bateman and Paps providing the tougness.

Like most I've wondered whether Brooks will come good but I sense if he got picked up by a strong club he would really shine so it's not something I want to see.

You make a great point. Api will make a huge diffrence to Brooks game, just having a Wiley experienced dummy half will help Brooks out immensely. Past couple of years he's been playing with dummy halves who have tried to either cement a first grade spot or are learning the trade from reserve grade, that can't be much help to him either.

 

[happy_tiger]

C'mon happy . . . I think when it's equality in as well . . . then the balance might even up.
Playing time, competition length and advertising revenues, for example . . . .

Hang on GYGT ...my sarcasm meter wasn't on the charger ...my bad

 

[LeichhardtTiger]

Did I miss the announcement on Bateman as I have not seen anything official ?

I hope its correct as would love him in our team but does that also mean we have missed Moses

No one misses Moses! 🥃

 

[Merlot]

Having deciphered your message Merlot, I think you misunderstand me. I'm actually saying, what choice do we have? Sit pat and get no one or look in other places and roll the dice. It could be a big win or it could be more cash down the gurgler. No knickers in a not........yet!

i dont think i did,Bateman for 4 years is madness

 

[TIGERPOWER]

 I swear even if we signed prime Cooper Cronk some here would still find ways to turn it to a negative. 🤦‍♂️

Can’t believe the negative nancys on here. Probably our best recrruitment drive in years. If we sign Bateman the sky is falling and if we miss out on Bateman the sky is falling. People really think the wooden spooner from last year isnt going to pay overs or give players longer contracts to get them here. Some common sense people !!!

 

[stevied]

Can’t believe the negative nancys on here. Probably our best recrruitment drive in years. If we sign Bateman the sky is falling and if we miss out on Bateman the sky is falling. People really think the wooden spooner from last year isnt going to pay overs or give players longer contracts to get them here. Some common sense people !!!

I don't think people who express reservations about some of the conditions of our signings are negative Nancys but, rather, they are fans who can see the positives and negatives of the contracts. Regarding Bateman, he is exactly the type of player the Tigers need - tough, no quarter given and a leader. However, most people believe a 4 year contract is a risk. I am pleased with the signing and can accept the element of risk because I also understand the difficulty faced by the Tigers in securing anyone of note without paying overs.

 

[Tiger_claws]

I think Bateman is a very good signing. He has mongrel and a touch of class. Every signing is a risk. I believe the 4 years means its a little cheaper per year hence the need to make it 4 years. He is the kind of guy who will scrap and fight for every inch. He is the “follow me lads” kind of player. He will compliment our other signings. Now if all goes to plan by year 4 he and other current players will be fighting for a spot with some young bucks for a spot in the 17. The days of us being bullied are over.

 

[Buttface]

i dont think i did,Bateman for 4 years is madness

I thought 4 years would be too long but he’s 29 born 30/Sept that makes him 32 in his last season 33 after we win the gf that year. My biggest problem is; can he play at the level required till then, will he make the run-on side in the gf in his last year?
I suppose we might be paying overs for that last year to get the tough experience we need right now.
Otherwise here’s a pen John.

 

[sleeve]

Will smith is on a train and trial. I hardly even count it as a signing.

I agree. We could do with another half. But we do have brooks, doueigh and Laurie. I would be biding our time and trying to lock in a top shelf one, like Sheens and benji are trying to do.

Until then, we play the cheap, diamond in the rough game. Like Nu Brown last year.

Common sense signing, low cost, short term, covers 1,6,7,and 9. All 3 mentioned in the halves have as yet, not set the world on fire. We don,t know how Brooks will go with a better pack, and both AD and Laurie appear to be manufactured halves, with a lot of queries on their games. Smith is no world beater, but either are the others. His signing weather successfull or not will not harm us.

 

[the_third]

There's no way he's 5'11", I'd say more 5'8", he's not very tall.

Brooks will tower over him if he's 5'8"

 

[hank37w]

Hopefully there won't be too many problems with passing the ball to him.

 

[Tigers_Wests]

Bateman is an international, aggressive on-field and a competitor. I am pleased the club has signed him and believe he will be a good buy for WTs. His experience will be excellent for our young players including how to prepare for an NRL game. I cannot see a downside in his signing.

Agreed. I think he is an excellent signing to complement the pack. Tumeth and Kautoga in particular can hopefully learn a lot from him. If they prove in the coming years that they are good enough for NRL, Sheens (and I'm sure Benji) will find them a spot. Sheens is always willing to give a young guy a go if good enough. I reckon if Kautoga makes it, his first couple of years will be impact off the bench anyway (more than Noddy's 3 minutes).

 

[Demps]

It's a life changing decision to relocate to Australia. I can understand Bateman and his family wanting tenure. I also believe getting players from the one stable and agreeing to reasonable terms for one player may open the door to other players from the same manager. There is a need to be pragmatic in our approach to recruitment, an area we have previously struggled with.

Isn't his Mrs from Australia?

He's done it before, he can do it again....
He'll be a part of something special @ the Wests Tigers 🔥