tiger05premier
Well-known member
Any good news from your source?
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
hank37w
Well-known member
Maybe Lee can ask Ray Hadley if he knows any halves we can get, I mean he was pretty helpful with the Fulton appointment, but don't tell Sheens or Benji, they just love a surprise.
AmericanHistoryX
Well-known member
Every team in the comp has something to offer. Not Wests Tigers. Guaranteed no semi final football. Please - amputate my soul whilst you're at it. The cancer is in the office. The people running this circus. Nothing will change until they are gone. The damage is done. What I dont understand is fans still showing up in today's climate throwing their money at Wests Tigers. This is in fact what gives the 2 people that run Wests Tigers their power. The money. This is how they suck the lifeline out of the supporter. Ulterior motives. Take away their money - take away their power.
weststigerman
Well-known member
It makes no sense for them to go there, Bennett will be gone after next year.
If it turns out to be true, it's another nail in the coffin for us.
AmericanHistoryX
Well-known member
It makes total sense for them to go there. At least they get a crack at the top 8. If they play well and Bennett does leave they have opportunities at other successful clubs. If at Wests Tigers they will go down with the ship. They are at their beginning of their careers - not the tail end.
teddy23
Well-known member
Something that concerns me massively is our willingness to let players who genuinely want to be here and make an impact go. Both Hastings and Joffa have the ability to improve us quite significantly and they wanted to be here so bad and turn this club around, and they were let go to be replaced by Wakeham and Seyfarth (he had one good game but he’s still a plodder). If we have those boys, with our team fully healthy we could’ve made some noise imo.
Don’t take this as a rumour, I’ve heard from someone very very close to Hastings that he wanted to be at the Wests Tigers so badly and tried desperately to stay - but those Bateman/Hastings beef rumours aren’t just rumours and he feels he was forced to leave so Sheens could bring in Bateman. Moving him to lock when he’s a straight up 7 was an example of this.
Don’t take this as a rumour, I’ve heard from someone very very close to Hastings that he wanted to be at the Wests Tigers so badly and tried desperately to stay - but those Bateman/Hastings beef rumours aren’t just rumours and he feels he was forced to leave so Sheens could bring in Bateman. Moving him to lock when he’s a straight up 7 was an example of this.
The Chad
Well-known member
I live not far from the Dolphins, and I think they are great. Love that they are in the NRL. But the Tigers are closer to winning a comp than they are. Their forward pack, if signed by the Tigers, would be described as "one last pay cheque before retiring". Because Bennett signed them, and they started the year well, and because they are NOT at Wests Tigers, the narrative here is that this is a club close to being a finals contender. Once the Storm boys retire, there's a cliff they need to scale in regard to who steps in. They need to establish a full squad.
The Tigers, on the other hand, have no end of young players close to getting into their top squad.
The Tigers, on the other hand, have no end of young players close to getting into their top squad.
TigerNeddyK
Well-known member
So did the Journalists that said it was a done deal for us 2 weeks ago. FVCK em anyway, Heath Mason looks more likely to me
Loss of sponsors might also effect some change...
Tiger_Yoshi
Well-known member
Looks like it… we can’t seem to sign anyone decent this year
AmericanHistoryX
Well-known member
And signing with successful clubs. Thats the sad thing The Chad. The top squad at the bottom of the league. Promoted to the top squad at Wests Tigers is like buying a Lexus with a Datsun motor. And its not like Melbourne have lost their vision since their inauguration into the NRL.
AmericanHistoryX
Well-known member
Wests Tigers seem to be doing well in that department thus far. But no signings. Winning breeds Big Business. If you build it - they will come.
TigerNeddyK
Well-known member
For you LuKe Brooks Fanbois out there, can a single one of you explain why Will smith had the attack purring and the backline moving smoother and quicker than Luke Brooks has managed to have it going for the last 11 years ?? In his debut 40 mins ?? Seriously, how can anyone keep making excuses for the guy .. a blessing that he is gone, Manly will rue the day
The Chad
Well-known member
The Tigers have a halves problem. Wakeham cannot be relied on. Galvin & Large are a few years away you'd imagine. Doueihi is injured. Brooks is gone. Laurie & Will Smith are unsigned.
This is, however, what we are dealing with right now.
We lack direction. We lack a good tactical kicking game. We lack a good reader of opposition defences.
We have 2 reasonable runners of the ball in Brooks & Laurie. Doueihi kind of fits that role too.
People on here are very quick to say Sezar, Clune, Cogger etc are not an upgrade.
I disagree. They add ALL the things we currently lack. Direction. Kicking game. Defence reading. Are they elite talents? Hell no. But, they do ADD to what we have, or in this case, don't have. Sezar additionally comes with a bunch of 1st grade experience. Clune is a very steady performer at all levels. Cogger has shown he keeps the Panthers team running, but we often discount his SL experience.
You can add players like Flanagan & Drew Hutchison to that list as well.
Or, Mitchell Pearce.
All these players offer something we currently lack, so adding them is an improvement to the squad, regardless of what you feel of their reputation.
Losing Brooks (and probably Laurie/scratch Doueihi for now) means we need to add that running factor as well. Fainu is the obvious choice. But this is where Blake Taaffe becomes an option. Off contract, by the way, in a team that has him way down the pecking order. If we DID get Sezar, Blake Austin additionally adds that running game. Now, before we yell "Austin is rubbish"...is he WORSE than what Brooks has offered the last 10 years? Worse than what Laurie offers?
Signing superstar halves is hard. Developing them is MUCH better. We have a few coming through. We have a competitive forward pack. We have some promising outside backs & fullback. We need a couple of guys directing these pieces around MORE EFFECTIVELY than Wakeham & Brooks have. With that in place, the club is moving forward.
The absolute key is- do NOT overspend on players that are not going to be long term solutions.
This is, however, what we are dealing with right now.
We lack direction. We lack a good tactical kicking game. We lack a good reader of opposition defences.
We have 2 reasonable runners of the ball in Brooks & Laurie. Doueihi kind of fits that role too.
People on here are very quick to say Sezar, Clune, Cogger etc are not an upgrade.
I disagree. They add ALL the things we currently lack. Direction. Kicking game. Defence reading. Are they elite talents? Hell no. But, they do ADD to what we have, or in this case, don't have. Sezar additionally comes with a bunch of 1st grade experience. Clune is a very steady performer at all levels. Cogger has shown he keeps the Panthers team running, but we often discount his SL experience.
You can add players like Flanagan & Drew Hutchison to that list as well.
Or, Mitchell Pearce.
All these players offer something we currently lack, so adding them is an improvement to the squad, regardless of what you feel of their reputation.
Losing Brooks (and probably Laurie/scratch Doueihi for now) means we need to add that running factor as well. Fainu is the obvious choice. But this is where Blake Taaffe becomes an option. Off contract, by the way, in a team that has him way down the pecking order. If we DID get Sezar, Blake Austin additionally adds that running game. Now, before we yell "Austin is rubbish"...is he WORSE than what Brooks has offered the last 10 years? Worse than what Laurie offers?
Signing superstar halves is hard. Developing them is MUCH better. We have a few coming through. We have a competitive forward pack. We have some promising outside backs & fullback. We need a couple of guys directing these pieces around MORE EFFECTIVELY than Wakeham & Brooks have. With that in place, the club is moving forward.
The absolute key is- do NOT overspend on players that are not going to be long term solutions.
The Chad
Well-known member
Jake Clifford can be added as a name option as well. He at the very least, upgrades on Wakeham.
ALL THIS SAID- Wakeham is 23. I'd absolutely re-sign him. He has shown glimpses of talent. If the lightbulb went off, you'd hate to think we had him & let him walk.
ALL THIS SAID- Wakeham is 23. I'd absolutely re-sign him. He has shown glimpses of talent. If the lightbulb went off, you'd hate to think we had him & let him walk.
The Chad
Well-known member
That pass Smith threw for Talau's try was pretty sweet.
His defence was not. BUT, your point is definitely valid.
AmericanHistoryX
Well-known member
Absolutely. But who is responsible for the spending? That's another key.
The Chad
Well-known member
Everyone hates on Pascoe. Fair enough. But he walked in right after Balmain imploded. Wests Tigers finances were an absolute mess- RELIANT on the NRL for funding.
We are no longer reliant on NRL funding. Yes, Wests Ashfield fronted the money. But under Pascoe's watch we went from financially unstable to rock solid.
The Chad
Well-known member
The offer to Brooks might suggest the days of overspending are coming to an end.
Hopefully.
I said (and was criticised - nothing new.. ) that Moses Mbye on $300k is MUCH better value than people think. His career started as the main kicking option for the Bulldogs. We moved him to fullback once he got here. He had shown versatility, but he was predominantly a half/5-8. Would Mbye be WORSE than Brooks at 7? Wakeham?
AmericanHistoryX
Well-known member
Wakeham has talent. He went okay the other night.
He walked in after being let go by Penrith. Look at Penrith now. I dont hate anyone. Just maybe his niche is better placed elsewhere. Dont take my word for it - just look at the results.
