Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

twentyforty said:
Whatever it was about, it’s the WT story playing out negotiations in the media. Failing again at trying to look clever.
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Not really. It was reasonably smart business on our part. Players getting permission to seek better offers isn't restricted to us. We could have tried to extend him on his current money or tried to offer him the lower amount straight up. In the end we allowed him to sniff the air and realise for himself his actual value. Twal stays happy, we save 125k a year from next season and the contract is easier to offload down the track.
 
Yossarian said:
Not really. It was reasonably smart business on our part. Players getting permission to seek better offers isn't restricted to us. We could have tried to extend him on his current money or tried to offer him the lower amount straight up. In the end we allowed him to sniff the air and realise for himself his actual value. Twal stays happy, we save 125k a year from next season and the contract is easier to offload down the track.
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Why be worrying now about offloading his contract down the track?

Just sign him up to a shorter deal, and then if his form warrants it down the track extend him
 
2041 said:
Even if he is, what about the two years after that? He'll start the 2025 season at age 31, as a sub-100kg back row forward with nearly 300 games in his body. Expecting him to be good in 2025-26 is extreme wishful thinking. I'll give you an optimistic case: let's say he's good next year, ok in 2025 and one step from retirement in 2026. For a marquee player's salary over four years we'll have got one good, one ok and two poor seasons. That's bad business whichever way you slice it. My concern when we signed him was that his first season, given the type of player he is, his track record and his age, was almost certain to be his best.
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I think you're making a lot of assumptions there.

I don't think it's a fait accompli at all that subsequent seasons will be poor. It certainly isn't extreme wishing thinking. Bateman is a very good trainer, is a leader in standards and fitness levels and is the type that does a lot of 1%ers outside of football, i.e. recovery, grappling, cardio, etc.

I see the point you're trying to make, but I would argue that if ever there was a player who has the tools to continue playing a high level of football into his early 30's, it's someone like Bateman.

He'll also only be 32 in the final year of his contract, which is hardly retirement village admission.

Cam Smith played 532 first-class games. In the middle of the field. And retired at 37.

I think Jonneh will be fine. And he's exactly the type of personality this club has been clamouring to find for the last decade or more. That in and of itself adds to his contribution.
 
The Chad said:
With the release of one my favourites in Joffa, not overspending on Brooks, re-signing young players like Bula & To'a, extending great players like Api, and buying in young starlet players like Fainu x 2...I think we actually see a club that realises their contract values were skewed and are trying to rebalance that side of the ledger.
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I think we are getting our cap in order and banking on development players to come good.
 
Tom Shines said:
Why be worrying now about offloading his contract down the track?

Just sign him up to a shorter deal, and then if his form warrants it down the track extend him
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He's exactly the type of player you have to retain flexibility on. If someone bursts onto the scene for us he'd be the sort of player you'd look to jettison. If nobody comes along you've got a decent standard frontrower on the books at a fair price. In the past we would have panicked and offered him a payrise to stay and be stuck with a contract we couldn't offload, Nofa style.
 
Tiger_Yoshi said:
I love Twaly, but this decision, on the back of the clubs decision to release him only 1 month back shows to me the club has no strategic thinking behind its recruiting. They make things up as they go along. I thought Fulton was supposed to be a recruitment guru....dumb, dumb dumb...
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It's literally the opposite.

- Club identified an inflated contract for a bench rotation prop.
- First solution is the find another suitor (failed)
- Immediately move to plan b, solution 2, extend and spread the inflated contract out so that his value falls back into line to his contribution and place within the team (achieved)

This is exactly what a club and football department should be constantly doing with their roster. The only negative is the way it has (surprise surprise) played out in the media. Again.
 
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Demps said:
Spoke openly about it on Denans podcast a long time ago.

Trouble at Souths- cut.
Then Sharks he really got a chance to play, then us.... then he became a weapon at Melbourne.

Hasn't been the same since leaving.
He's now trying to be an influencer, pushing his clothing line, portraying himself a certain way online.
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Should be sacked for his terrible tweet on the Jews , bloody disgrace
 
Yossarian said:
He's exactly the type of player you have to retain flexibility on. If someone bursts onto the scene for us he'd be the sort of player you'd look to jettison. If nobody comes along you've got a decent standard frontrower on the books at a fair price. In the past we would have panicked and offered him a payrise to stay and be stuck with a contract we couldn't offload, Nofa style.
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The club consistently signs players to over long deals…

He is a high floor low ceiling type and already 27 years old..

if he is no longer cutting the mustard like Nofo half way through … then it’s the clubs problem to pay part of salary to move him on or just drop him to reserve grade where the money is wasted
 
Tom Shines said:
Why be worrying now about offloading his contract down the track?

Just sign him up to a shorter deal, and then if his form warrants it down the track extend him
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Because the length of the deal is part of the carrot that will convince him to lower his overall pay packet. It's a bit hard to sell to him a 125k pay cut next year if you only give him an extra 12 months. He traded security and long term earnings potential for a bigger pay packet for '24 only.
 
earl said:
Is this really a negative and how realistic is it to not play this out in the media. Did Wests Tigers really release any information to the media ?
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I wasn't implying the club did, just an assessment of the circumstances. It would've been almost undoubtedly from his manager.
 
Tom Shines said:
The club consistently signs players to over long deals…

He is a high floor low ceiling type and already 27 years old..

if he is no longer cutting the mustard like Nofo half way through … then it’s the clubs problem to pay part of salary to move him on or just drop him to reserve grade where the money is wasted
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Ages 27 - 30 are stereotypically the prime years for a prop.

He will be fine as 3rd or 4th in the prop rotation.
 
Kelce68 said:
Because the length of the deal is part of the carrot that will convince him to lower his overall pay packet. It's a bit hard to sell to him a 125k pay cut next year if you only give him an extra 12 months. He traded security and long term earnings potential for a bigger pay packet for '24 only.
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Yeah … I get the theory…

I disagree with how he is is valued,,, only time is going to tell who is right
 
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