Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[jadtiger]

What's pascoe saying in the latest DT article?

Buy more hats as they are on special this week

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Problem is we need players and Fulton and his entourage are the only present way of getting them.

Sick of taking the off cuts.

Benji is managing to piss off player managers while siding himself with the weakest player manager of the lot. Good work benji.

Worst case scenario is Fulton is moved on and Tartak tries to extract his players from the club (Da Silva, Laulilii brothers, Miller). Whether these juniors actually say no, we want to progress with the WT & Benji is another story.

Hopefully Benji & Robbie have built bridges with Sam Ayoub & Chris Orr & even Isaac Moses & George Mimmis so we can counter any Tartak 'throwing toys out of the cot' scenario.

 

[diedpretty]

Lee should sue Peters. One way to stop this BS

Yea unfortunately Peters backtracked and said he didn't name anyone - should sue him anyway.

 

[Vicious]

We need someone in a Football Manager role similar to Gus at the Bulldogs who has complete control of overseeing the coaches, recruitment & retention etc.
This is the role who should ultimately be responsible for on field results based on the ability to have the right coaches, the right recruitment manager and the right player recruitment & retention.

 

[WesternSuburbsBoy]

You've just suggested Sheens is not a good coach. What makes a good coach? I'd suggest being a very good player manager, a strategist and being able to impart knowledge to players. Sheens more than ticks the boxes in these areas. What you're suggesting is ageist based. I am not willing to comment on this issue but what I do know Bula is just another fullback in a long line of very good fullbacks to emerge under Sheens. I posted Sheens' comments on Bula during pre-season and he was 100% correct. Is this coincidence?

All of these strengths you have listed suggests he'd be perfect for the Head of Football role which he was originally brought in to do. However, his head coaching record the last 15 years speaks for itself really & he should've never been moved back into the role of Head Coach.

 

[gallagher]

We need someone in a Football Manager role similar to Gus at the Bulldogs who has complete control of overseeing the coaches, recruitment & retention etc.
This is the role who should ultimately be responsible for on field results based on the ability to have the right coaches, the right recruitment manager and the right player recruitment & retention.

That's what I thought Sheens was brought in to do. They buggered that up though

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Who is Holbrook managed by?

In and Out Pty Ltd 🥴

 

[Needaname]

We need someone in a Football Manager role similar to Gus at the Bulldogs who has complete control of overseeing the coaches, recruitment & retention etc.
This is the role who should ultimately be responsible for on field results based on the ability to have the right coaches, the right recruitment manager and the right player recruitment & retention.

This is crux of it all. That position was previously filled by Tim Sheens and is currently sitting vacant. By respect you would think that anything set up by Tim the year prior for the year that he has decided to coach to help get management out of a bind that that would continue unless you were to fill that position with a new person with new ideas.
That’s why it makes no sense at all to not include Tim as current NRL coach and former Head of Football in decisions made around the structure of the Football Operations staff.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

That's what I thought Sheens was brought in to do. They buggered that up though

After he was sacked for not doing it many moons ago

 

[Sunnycoast_tiger]

We need someone in a Football Manager role similar to Gus at the Bulldogs who has complete control of overseeing the coaches, recruitment & retention etc.
This is the role who should ultimately be responsible for on field results based on the ability to have the right coaches, the right recruitment manager and the right player recruitment & retention.

Someone like Shane Richardson .

 

[pawsandclaws1]

All of these strengths you have listed suggests he'd be perfect for the Head of Football role which he was originally brought in to do. However, his head coaching record the last 15 years speaks for itself really & he should've never been moved back into the role of Head Coach.

Most recognise Sheens is in the position out of necessity. He acts as a buffer to Benji and is doing a fine job. Sheens' records speaks for itself.
The backline that appeared against the Knights was weak except for the two youngsters and Toa who had a poor game. It was always going to be a loss.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Most recognise Sheens is in the position out of necessity. He acts as a buffer to Benji and is doing a fine job. Sheens' records speaks for itself.
The backline that appeared against the Knights was weak except for the two youngsters and Toa who had a poor game. It was always going to be a loss.

Doing a fine job?

 

[boonboon]

Someone like Shane Richardson .

Let's be honest he wouldn't work for our board

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Doing a fine job?

Taking the heat at the difficult media conferences. It cannot be easy fronting up after losses like last weekend.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Here is a bit of a summary of our top 30 numbers based on what we know as fact & which identified juniors are likely to progress. In my opinion, our aggressive recruitment drive is for 5-6 external players of which 2 need to be halves, reasoning below ...

Current Squad: 29

Departing end of season: Luke Brooks, Tommy Talau (2)

Incoming juniors into top 30 for 2024: Josh Feledy, Brandon Mansfield, Lachlan Galvin (3)

Off-contract 2023: Brandon Wakeham, Lomi Saukuru, Charlie Staines, Tuki Simpkins, Alex Seyfarth, Daine Laurie (6)

Summary: That leaves us with 24 contracted players for 2024.

Opinion #1: We will re-sign Charlie Staines & Alex Seyfarth.

Opinion #2: We will also progress Tallyn Da Silva & Chris Fa'agutu into top 30 for 2024.

Update: That gives us 28 contracted players & the room to sign 2 players.

Opinion #3: Our priority external signings are 2 halves - a directional experienced halfback and a running/ball-playing 5/8.

Update: That will take us to our maximum 30 players.

Opinion #4: We are significantly depleted in experienced outside backs who are good defensively, decent IQ levels and provide energy & effort.

Opinion #5: We allow the following contracted players to explore other opportunities telling them they will get a greater opportunity at First Grade elsewhere - Asu Kepaoa, David Nofoaluma & Jake Simpkin. (Note: Depending on the negotiations with the Fainu brothers, if they decide on Redcliffe, I'd be allowing Sione Fainu to depart as well)

Update: That takes our squad to 26-27 and the ability to recruit 3-4 external players.

Opinion #6: We will progress 4 juniors into top 30 for 2025 - Kit Laulilii, Luke Laulilii, Jordan Miller & Solo Saukuru. (Note: I think the highly touted Onitoni Large will be development in '25 to top 30 in '26.)

Update: We have 10 players off-contract 2024 - Adam Doeuihi, Brandon Tumeth, Triston Reilly, Rua Ngatikaura, Shawn Blore, Starford T'oa, Junior Tupou, Alex Twal, Api Korisau (mutual option) & Stef Utoikamanu (mutual option).

Opinion #7: We have probably identified Doueihi, Reilly & Ngatikaura to be released to allow our juniors to progress into top 30 in '25. Will likely need to offload maybe a 1-season external recruit from the year before to create enough space.

FINAL COMMENT: This is a perfect world analysis and does not factor in injuries, players asking for a release and other WT juniors progressing faster than anticipated. So in my opinion, we will look to recruit 5-6 players for next season which includes 2 halves and at least 1 other player on just a 12-month contract. I can understand why we are now in an aggressive & vigorous recruitment period now because future years will be focused on retention & progressing our juniors into the squad.

Now that all is well with our Head Coach & Recruitment Manager after this morning's meetings (cough cough), here is who I think we will look at based on the analysis above.

If we don’t sign the Fainu brothers (bring in 6 players)
Halfback - Jack Cogger or Aiden Sezer or Mitchell Pearce or Lachlan Lam or Chad Townsend
5/8 - Te Maire Martin or Brodie Croft or Blake Taafe
Centre - Braidon Burns or Brad Parker or Paul Momirovski or Isaiah Tass
Utility - Bayley Sironen or Connor Watson (#14 utility who can fill-in at hooker)
Wing - Nick Cotric or Terrell Kalo Kalo or Jeral Skelton or Xavier Savage

If we do sign the Fainu brothers (bring in 5 players)
Halfback - as above
5/8 - Latu Fainu
Fwd - Samuela Fainu
Centre - as above
Utility - Connor Watson (as he can also play 5/8 at a pinch if Fainu not ready)
Wing - nil as we don't have that extra space (due to keeping Sione Fainu)

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Taking the heat at the difficult media conferences. It cannot be easy fronting up after losses like last weekend.

Thats the thing. Losses every week. He is the coach

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Now that all is well with our Head Coach & Recruitment Manager after this morning's meetings (cough cough), here is who I think we will look at based on the analysis above.

If we don’t sign the Fainu brothers (bring in 6 players)
Halfback - Jack Cogger or Aiden Sezer or Mitchell Pearce or Lachlan Lam or Chad Townsend
5/8 - Te Maire Martin or Brodie Croft or Blake Taafe
Centre - Braidon Burns or Brad Parker or Paul Momirovski or Isaiah Tass
Utility - Bayley Sironen or Connor Watson (#14 utility who can fill-in at hooker)
Wing - Nick Cotric or Terrell Kalo Kalo or Jeral Skelton or Xavier Savage

If we do sign the Fainu brothers (bring in 5 players)
Halfback - as above
5/8 - Latu Fainu
Fwd - Samuela Fainu
Centre - as above
Utility - Connor Watson (as he can also play 5/8 at a pinch if Fainu not ready)
Wing - nil as we don't have that extra space (due to keeping Sione Fainu)

Hope you will be ar the secret meeting today. Breath of fresh air you are!

 

[cktiger]

Taking the heat at the difficult media conferences. It cannot be easy fronting up after losses like last weekend.

Well, he should be taking the heat.
He’s the coach and former football manager.
The results are on him.
The board are to blame as well for appointing him in the first place.

 

[bathursttiger1]

I don’t think you’ve got my cousin right lol

He wasn’t let go lol and wasn’t at the tigers

You want me to share emails with you?

Why?

If you don’t believe me than just block me.

Otherwise I suggest you stay off the forum and wait for the newspaper articles to get printed

…

I wouldn’t be sharing any private emails either, especially with someone sitting behind a computer desk that you don’t know from a bar of soap.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

I wouldn’t be sharing any private emails either, especially with someone sitting behind a computer desk that you don’t know from a bar of soap.

My daughter learned the hard way