Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

BlackWhiteGold said:
Of course the Daily Tele has to ruin s good news Sunday for the Tigers with this crap.


Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has hit out at suggestions Benji Marshall is ready to walk away from the club over creative differences with new recruitment boss Scott Fulton.

Marshall is due to take charge of the Tigers from 2025, although there has been speculation his ascent to the top job could be brought forward given the club’s struggles this season under Tim Sheens.

Of more immediate concern have been the whispers that Marshall is having second thoughts over his coaching future given the recent appointment of Fulton, which was made without any input from Marshall or Sheens.

Rugby league has been awash with talk over the past week that Marshall was weighing up his future amid suggestions he and Fulton were on different pages over attempts to keep Luke Brooks and a potential move for Josh Schuster.

This masthead spoke to sources close to Marshall over the weekend who confirmed there were issues that needed to be addressed, but they had not got to the point where he was ready to turn his back on coaching.

Hagipantelis spoke to Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe on Sunday afternoon and was assured that Marshall is going nowhere.

“Beyond confident,” Hagipantelis said.

“I just got off the phone with Justin – we have heard all this today – and he spoke to Benji. It is just ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. There is no suggestion whatsoever that Benj or Scott are going anywhere.

“They are on a list management committee. Their roles complement each other, don’t conflict. Scott’s role is to go out and recruit what Benji wants and what he sees that the club needs for the future moving forward.

“There is no conflict there. They will have healthy and robust discussions as to players from time to time as you would expect.

“There is nothing unusual (about that). In fact, it is to be encouraged. All of those discussions of course must be retained in-house.”

The Tigers took their time before tabling a two-year deal to Brooks which encompassed a significant pay cut on his existing salary.

This masthead revealed a fortnight ago that Brooks rejected the deal, personally calling Marshall to inform him that he was heading to the open market.

Brooks is yet to secure a deal for next season – he was heavily linked with Manly over the weekend, where he shapes as a quality foil for Daly Cherry-Evans.

Marshall and Sheens were already on edge after the club brought in Fulton, a move that spelled the end for former recruitment boss Warren McDonnell, a close confidante of the pair.

Schuster has emerged as the latest bone of contention at the club amid talk that Fulton’s close relationship could prompt a move for the Manly five-eighth.

Marshall is known to be opposed to the move – there had been talk that if Schuster arrived, he could leave. Hagipantelis insisted the relationship between Marshall and Fulton is complimentary.

“As I say there is no issue, there is no conflict, there is no concern,” he said.

Asked about the Brooks negotiations, Hagipantelis said: “The list management committee elevates a recommendation to the board.

“The board considers the recommendation and moves forward with an offer. The offer was made. The end, the end.

“Tim and Benji had expressed a desire to retain Luke. Hence why the offer was made to him.”

Hagipantelis confirmed Schuster’s name had been raised, although he is unable to sign with any rival clubs until he enters the final year of his deal on November 1.

“Absolutely, there have been a lot of players whose names have been raised,” he said.

“He may be available for discussions after November 1 but at the moment it is also speculative and purely academic.

“It is their roles to raise these names and to go through all the pros and cons and come to a view, which is what they then act on and move forward.

“It is just disruptive. You have two people at the top of their games whose roles compliment each other, don’t conflict. That sort of stuff getting out of the list management committee saying they are not on the same page doesn’t help. It is frustrating.”
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Where was the innuendo before News Corp had some space to fill?
Shocking effort from Brent Read.
 
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is how it played out.

Warren Mac still bitter with his exit is the source for Brent Read saying that Benji not happy with Fulton and could walk away.

When Pascoe/Lee were contacted about this & knowing what story was likely to run, Pascoe lets Chammas know about the Fainu/Talau swap in works and Benji’s direction on Schuster to show Benji has final say on recruitment.

This could be Sheens/McDonnell in the Tele corner versus Lee/Pascoe in the SMH corner.

This is purely a theory.
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is how it played out.

Warren Mac still bitter with his exit is the source for Brent Read saying that Benji not happy with Fulton and could walk away.

When Pascoe/Lee were contacted about this & knowing what story was likely to run, Pascoe lets Chammas know about the Fainu/Talau swap in works and Benji’s direction on Schuster to show Benji has final say on recruitment.

This could be Sheens/McDonnell in the Tele corner versus Lee/Pascoe in the SMH corner.

This is purely a theory.
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Meanwhile no one is focusing on the team THIS YEAR
 
If benji having a sook over blokes like Brooks and frizzel he should walk now.

Focus should be on retaining the core SG group and getting the likes of fainu, Haumole over.

Shuster I agree not in the halves. He only looks good when they have the full spine and turbo is firing.
 
Tucker said:
I understand his great start has everyone excited. So did Daine Laurie’s first season.
He has a mountain of stuff to learn to be a good fullback, but also has the opportunity to be our Manu in the centres.
Just throwing ideas out there.
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The concern I have with Bula as our long term fullback is he doesn’t appear to have any natural playmaking skills, kicking game or scintillating speed off the mark such as a Scott Drinkwater or Reece Walsh.
Obviously Bula makes up for it in different ways with him regularly making 15-20 carries per game, his ability to offload in a tackle and his defensive commitment at the back.
Being young he will only continue to improve, so who knows if and how quickly he can add other elements to his game to become a more complete player.
I just hope we make it a priority to retain Charlie Staines as his presence possibly as a starting winger would at least keep the pressure on Bula to keep playing g at his best and keep improving.
 
This piece by the masthead whatever the hell that is, is the first time I’ve even seen it was mentioned that Benji was upset over McDonnell. Lots of us commented at the time there were crickets from Benji and or Robbie over the whole thing.
In any event even if they clash who cares do your jobs and it will be rosy, I think everybody has worked with someone at some point in time that was a wanker, but you still turned up and did your job so you could get paid.
McDonnell was bloody useless and was just leeching a living off Sheens, we need to look beyond dinosaurs like him and see into the future one that has seemingly delivered us one of the hottest young prospects in the game.
 
Coastie_Tiger said:
This piece by the masthead whatever the hell that is, is the first time I’ve even seen it was mentioned that Benji was upset over McDonnell. Lots of us commented at the time there were crickets from Benji and or Robbie over the whole thing.
In any event even if they clash who cares do your jobs and it will be rosy, I think everybody has worked with someone at some point in time that was a wanker, but you still turned up and did your job so you could get paid.
McDonnell was bloody useless and was just leeching a living off Sheens, we need to look beyond dinosaurs like him and see into the future one that has seemingly delivered us one of the hottest young prospects in the game.
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Could we have not just made Robbie Farah as Head of Recruitment as he and Benji appear to be in the same page and surely someone such as Farah could be Head of Recruitment as well as the main assistant coach once Benji takes charge.
I’ve defended Lee H and Pascoe in the past, but surely when putting faith in Benji to hopefully elevate us back to a top 4 side we have to give him full control which includes the football staff he wants and trusts.
 
Choosing Fainu (one of the best young halves on the rise in the game) over Schuster (likely getting $850k a year at Manly moving forward simply wouldn’t work no chance at WT), while picking up a substantial asset for a player leaving mid-year. Schuster simply wouldn't fit the Tigers culture.

Smart move Benji.
 
Things just keep rolling along:
1. Benji says no to Fatty Schuster
2. Swap deal Talau/Fainu
3. Brooks to Manly
4. Benji and Scott F fighting
5. Is Fulton recruiting for us or Manly ?
6. Is Benji starting to have second thoughts about being able to recruit anyone decent and wants out ( or is TS stirring the pot)?
7. Des and Flano already taken. Who would be left ? Griffin, Holbrook
Bloody hell wtf is going on !!
That light at the end of the tunnel is in fact a locomotive .
 
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