Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Le Tiger]

Townsend worked last year as Cowboys just needed a conductor.

Now they are struggling and Townsend isn't the creative guy to make big plays. He's also on big money so makes sense Payten wants to free up some cash and invest in youth.

They won't make the 8 this year regardless so will save everyone some time up there if they outwardley project a youth policy.

Townsend is just what we need for a year or 2. Move us around the park and let the rest of the team be creative.

 

[ovoevo]

I was shocked to hear what Schuster was reportedly on when I heard it, assuming 850k or there abouts is anywhere near correct.

I had big rapps on this kid when he first hit the scene but since then he's put on a lot of beef, caused dramas at Manly with his demands over a period of time wanting to be the 5/8.

I still think that he is a very good player, it's just that Manly haven't been able to get that sort of value out of him so far with his limited time on the field and some bad form thrown in.

I guess most teams would have players on big dollars that aren't always living up to their big pay packets.

Nothing is more infuriating than wasted talent. I could field an unbeatable rep side featuring players who had everything and didn't want it. Criminal.

 

[Dennisspicer1]

They have the best young halfback in qld in Tom Duffy in their nrl squad who is playing qld cup. Dogs tried to snatch him before signing the kid from the Broncos so mayby they think he is ready to come on in partnership with Dearden

Take a risk, offer this Tom Duffy some big contract to come to us, if he is that highly regarded, what have we got to lose.

 

[jrtiger]

Townsend worked last year as Cowboys just needed a conductor.

Now they are struggling and Townsend isn't the creative guy to make big plays. He's also on big money so makes sense Payten wants to free up some cash and invest in youth.

They won't make the 8 this year regardless so will save everyone some time up there if they outwardley project a youth policy.

Townsend is just what we need for a year or 2. Move us around the park and let the rest of the team be creative.

I agree. with the pack we have, some x factor in the outside backs and paired with a decent 5/8, Townsend would be perfect for us. we just need someone who can lead the side around and put the ball in the corner. he can do that.

 

[jrtiger]

Take a risk, offer this Tom Duffy some big contract to come to us, if he is that highly regarded, what have we got to lose.

Duffy won’t move. FNQ junior and has already been approached by Gus. besides, we have good young halves in the pathways already on the books. Townsend is what we need right now and slots in perfectly with the timeline.

 

[tony soprano]

Sounds like he needs to work on his fitness.

The Foxsports article is quoting crazy numbers. Schuster on $800k this year and more next year. What has he done to deserve that...

Yeh so much fat shaming.

Yeh bringing up his price seems targeted agenda driven.

 

[liltiger]

Walker and Schuster sounds better.

I don't know Bathurst I'm unconvinced about Schuster at 5/8 don't know why, but I'd throw him in as a ball playing lock.

 

[jadtiger]

Jury is out on Schuster for me (same with Laurie).

3 years ago Schuster was the most promising 6 in the country, but the last couple of years he's been unfit and injury prone. He was also one of Manly's worst players on the weekend.

He can turn it around but he'd be a big risk at this stage, especially for a club like us who don't do well with players with a history of fitness issues ie Lolohea, BJ etc. If he went to Melbourne or Roosters I'd back him to turn it around but not here.

I agree with you as i think he would probably be another Craigee signing with us,a man with a heap of talent but not the application to reach it

 

[tony soprano]

I agree with you as i think he would probably be another Craigee signing with us,a man with a heap of talent but not the application to reach it

I'd love to get the majority good liverpool westsfields players at our club rather than manly.

 

[Dennisspicer1]

I said before he signed Bateman is not the player he was at Canberra. He's picked up a few injuries during that stint and following his return. Pump into Google images him at the Raiders. His body shape is completely different - especially around the chest and shoulders. He looks like he's lost several pounds of lean muscle. Generally speaking when players lose a lot of muscle mass it's because they're struggling with some kind of chronic injury. The consensus lately seems to be he's struggling with an ankle injury. Whilst this makes sense what makes even more is he's never fully recovered from that shoulder surgery at Canberra. No offence but I'm pretty unconvinced by the quality of surgeries being undertaken on NRL players. Great surgeons go where the business is most lucrative - which generally means the US - or Europe. For me far too many NRL players seem to be coming out of surgery worse than when they went in. I think this is the reason Manly (and a couple of other clubs) have abandoned domestic medicine and gone straight to the US.
Is Bateman worth 800k? Ordinarily I'd say no. But in today's market where the likes of Schuster is picking up even more despite offering very little - who knows? What I will say is regardless of whether Bateman is not the athlete he once was - I have no doubt he will be one of the most competitive forwards on the pitch. You'll never catch him lollygagging around like some players I've seen playing for the Tigers. The guy is one of the toughest rugby players you'll ever see. Utterly fearless. And smart, too.

Funny thing, for years a big percentage of WTF users have been asking for Luke Brooks to be gone, and I am one of them, but the Brooks supporters kept saying its the forwards that make Brooks look bad, now we have the forwards we are being told Bateman no good, or we should get rid of Papali, instead of saying our half did not do job with the bad forwards and now is not with good forwards.

Bateman looked a better forward with Canberra because he had a decent halfback to follow, good luck trying to follow Brooksy. ????

 

[Kelce68]

Anyone else heard the rumour about Chad Townsend to the tigers in 2024. Cowboys to pay up to half freight...

Todd Payten and Sheens/Benji are very close. Supposedly a win win for both teams. But is Townsend the right fit for us on a two year deal?

It won't happen, but yes. Given our situation, it is absolutely the right fit for two years.

 

[ovoevo]

Funny thing, for years a big percentage of WTF users have been asking for Luke Brooks to be gone, and I am one of them, but the Brooks supporters kept saying its the forwards that make Brooks look bad, now we have the forwards we are being told Bateman no good, or we should get rid of Papali, instead of saying our half did not do job with the bad forwards and now is not with good forwards.

Bateman looked a better forward with Canberra because he had a decent halfback to follow, good luck trying to follow Brooksy. ????

Sure. He benefitted from good halfbacks. But from the very beginning of his career he was capable of wrestling control of the game without assistance from a half or any other player. I think there are many parallels now with Elliot Whitehead. Three years ago Whitehead occupied an edge and terrorized defences - often being involved in long distance tries. Now injuries and age have caught up with him and he's shifted into the centre of the field. Both players will give you everything. But that upper body strength Bateman had at the Raiders (look at the photos!) just isn't there any more.

 

[finnzo]

Imagine if we sone how managed to get a halfs pairing of shushter and townsand next year.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

May not be unrealistic @finnzo .

A player we can offer his final contract to, has already achieved a premiership so won't be seeking that and is from Sydney originally!

A player that will have a point to prove, idolised Benji, someone that Benji will feel he can develop!

 

[finnzo]

May not be unrealistic @finnzo .

A player we can offer his final contract to, has already achieved a premiership so won't be seeking that and is from Sydney originally!

A player that will have a point to prove, idolised Benji, someone that Benji will feel he can develop!

Don’t get our hopes up haha 🙏🏻

 

[851]

Does anybody think that Bateman was worth 800 K plus a year and 200,000 pound transfer, not showing me anything special, a lot of young middle, edge forwards around that were a lot cheaper.

He is not on $800k plus, thats a FOX made up amount, I am sure Sheens said $600k or $650k, and yes I think he is worth it

 

[bptiger 0]

Here’s the reason shushter doesn’t want to play lock , he is lazy and unfit most of the time , playing 5/8 he can hide , cant do that at lock

 

[851]

100% right! Watch how many time Brooks gives him the ball right when he’s about to get hit!

Brooks used to get Rowdy smashed every week, but somehow it was always Rowdy's fault

 

[851]

Here is a suggestion which could be win/win/win for all parties potentially. Immediate club swap arrangement:

Jack Wighton to Cowboys for this season only
Chad Townsend to Tigers with an additional 2 year sweetener
Luke Brooks to Raiders for this season with a club option for 2024 onwards

1 - Cowboys get a gun 5/8 which may help change their fortunes this season, Dearden can go to half, Duffy earmarked to progress as next gen half in 24 or Drinkwater to half in 24.
2 - Tigers get an experienced, directional halfback
3 - Raiders get a running 5/8 and chance to look at him before investing long-term
4 - Wighton gets out of Canberra, away from potential fan backlash & potential team disharmony, chance for a premiership this season (long shot I know!)
5 - Townsend returns to Sydney where he's from, gets an additional year on top of his current Cows contract
6 - Brooks gets a fresh start out of Sydney fishbowl, can run off a more directional half in Fogarty.

In terms of $$$, we may need to chip in extra given this is Brooks' big $ year with us.

Thoughts / Roadblocks?

Anything where Brooks moves on is a winner, getting an experienced proven 7 to replace him is a no brainer

 

[sparci]

May not be unrealistic @finnzo .

A player we can offer his final contract to, has already achieved a premiership so won't be seeking that and is from Sydney originally!

A player that will have a point to prove, idolised Benji, someone that Benji will feel he can develop!

I went school with Josh, Jason from manly and was close mates with mole aswell (and Livai whos currently in our system), trust me every kid under the sun in our age bracket idolized benji, wanted to be benji, from his hair to the xblades, but theres a difference between idolizing someone vs. thinking they can develop you