Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Fainu Brothers]

They got the John Morris rumour wrong no doubt. The club changes tac like the weather but you hang on to that one because all mail has 100% accuracy doesn’t it. Lol. The fact is one of the hosts had a 20 minute phone conversation with said manager. Nothing is final but it was a real conversation. The only dribble I see is your opinion on something you have no clue about and casting aspersions about others who put their names & faces to something and provide an informative podcast listened to by more people than you could ever imagine.

Sound like you are pretty close to the team and hit a nerve? I stand by my comments, never heard so much whinging and dribble on WTP. Theirs and your opinion rob mean as much as mine and everyone else here. Keep inflating your own ego!

 

[Fingers83]

Brad Fittler called Big Stef and said he’s resting him in game 3.

He rested him in game 2 after 12 minutes.

Stef is way better off being developed under a different coach at origin level.

Can’t wait to see the back of Fittler.

Bloke has ruined his legacy with the NSW coaching position.

 

[The Chad]

Lock up Utoikamanu and Bula for sure, but our roster in the other spots needs to be way better. If we are settling for what we have, god help us!

Pole & Tupou look 1st grade to me. Pretty sure they would get a run in at least half the NRL sides out there.

 

[The Chad]

Yeah - keep them by all means but they shouldn't be stopping us going out and getting genuine stars. Have a look how many stars the teams we are trying to catch have. Parra have Moses, Brown, Gutho, Sivo and Will Penisini in their backline and they're signing our forwards!!!!

Well, they signed 1 of them. 🙂

 

[Bones]

In my OP I said good judges are saying they can’t see how the club gets out of this current predicament. And I agree with them, we seem to be a mess.

IMO it’s up to the club to recognise that and make some significant changes way above the “football department”.

The thing is it’s hard from the outside to say how to fix it because without seeing what goes on day to day it’s impossible to know.

What we do know is the place is a mess and needs to change, and it needs to start at the top. I think Pascoe has done some good things, but at the end of the day the only thing an NRL club should be judged by is results. Not only have we failed to get on field results in his time here, he has also failed to appoint the right people to turn them around.

I’d be sounding out Shane Richardson. He has the experience with South Sydney who were in a similar situation and he was able to lead them out of it.

 

[The Chad]

I'd be looking for a couple of big dudes out wide. And at least 1 speed player.

Keio Weekes would be the speedster.

Braidon Burns is just a solid player that gets injured. Another reclaimation project that always seems to beat up on us...Waqa Blake. You add these guys to Naden, Tupou, To'a, Staines...that gives solid depth out wide.

 

[crazycat]

Been worse mate, Packer, Reynolds, matalino, ballin.

re our recruitment is *poor*

We recruited:
Klemmer, Api, Bateman and Paps.

As a Bottom 17 team, that is actually really good.

Where our problem lays is we gave Brooks a "soft" offer and he walked, we punted Hastings and we have no answer at Halfback. We went hard for players that were unlikely to move (i.e Moses, Mitchell) and players who were not going to move (Johnson in New Zealand!).

We just look pathetic because we made offers that wern't going to happen.

Flip it, had we expressed interest in Adam Reynolds when Souths was under the pump, offered for him to stay in Sydney and pair Brooks... We could have really landed some prime Halfback.

 

[Kaito]

Gus met with Blake Taaffe and his manager
today. He would be worth a squizz as well

 

[bptiger 0]

I see lodge has joined manly , NOW I know some hate this man , but gee he would have been a great signing for us as a prop or even as a ball playing lock but again we don’t even try ( I don’t actually know if we tried ) but I doubt we did

 

[vlad]

Gus has a secret meeting with Taafe

Is anyone awake in our recruitment department?

 

[bptiger 0]

Gus met with Blake Taaffe and his manager
today. He would be worth a squizz as well

Bet are recruiting team have ever heard of him 🥴🤔

 

[crazycat]

Lock up Utoikamanu and Bula for sure, but our roster in the other spots needs to be way better. If we are settling for what we have, god help us!

Yea I would lock up Bula, he has been awesome.
>> Utoikamanu, Pole, Bula, Tupou

Tupou has some big questionmarks around him. He is in a poor defense structure and often gets caught. Could really do with some time in reserve grade to work on defense.

Pole, Bula are a guaranteed re-sign. Stefano Utoikamanu... I am a little 50/50, He has a next level in him but isn't reaching it.

 

[Fainu Brothers]

Gus met with Blake Taaffe and his manager
today. He would be worth a squizz as well

Gus meets with everyone

 

[The Chad]

Gus met with Blake Taaffe and his manager
today. He would be worth a squizz as well

Toby Sexton must be feeling secure.

 

[crazycat]

Pole & Tupou look 1st grade to me. Pretty sure they would get a run in at least half the NRL sides out there.

I have issues with Tupou's defense.

You see some of our games and Tupou is just lacking on the wing. I can't tell if the defensive line isn't moving fast enough to cover the wing OR if Tupou is positioning himself too far in.

Melbourne with Warbrick,
Cronulla with Sione.

If Newcastle offered to trade him for Bradman Best I would do so in a heartbeat.

 

[hsvjones]

Gus meets with everyone

At least his doing something unlike our mob.. If we had Gus we would have halves by now. We are a JOKE

 

[ElleryHanley]

Gus met with Blake Taaffe and his manager
today. He would be worth a squizz as well

Real X factor

Passing game

can play 1 or 6

No doubt we consider him.......about two months after Gus gets his man.

Gus = out and about with everyone decent off contract.

Our boss = "something always falls from the trees"...

 

[The Chad]

I have issues with Tupou's defense.

You see some of our games and Tupou is just lacking on the wing. I can't tell if the defensive line isn't moving fast enough to cover the wing OR if Tupou is positioning himself too far in.

Melbourne with Warbrick,
Cronulla with Sione.

If Newcastle offered to trade him for Bradman Best I would do so in a heartbeat.

Don't disagree. Tupou has holes in his game. He's also our most dynamic outside back. I wonder if he's a centre playing on the wing.

Thing is- he's better than most at the club. I'm not suggesting you invest the farm into him. I'm suggesting you don't let someone steal him away & we watch him blow up elsewhere.

 

[The Chad]

Real X factor

Passing game

can play 1 or 6

No doubt we consider him.......about two months after Gus gets his man.

Gus = out and about with everyone decent off contract.

Our boss = "something always falls from the trees"...

I like Taaffe. If Brodie Croft rumours are true- they are quite similar.

I don't see how the Bulldogs even interest Taaffe. Is he playing #6 over Burton? #1 over Creighton?

 

[The Chad]

maybe Burton to centre, that's his spot I think - they have overpaid though.

That would be admitting defeat. Burton is the great white hope. Bronson Xerri is signed to play in the centres there next season too.

Taaffe can do what he likes. But he's about 6th in line at the Rabbitohs next season with Wighton coming in. And possibly moves up to 5th in line at the Bulldogs.

There has to be better career opportunities for an available halves player.