Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[SwervinMervin]

That's my point, though: if you can't sign top end free agent talent without offering so much money that it basically becomes impossible to construct a decent roster around your marquee players, you have to find a way to win without signing top end free agents. I'm not sure how else to put it.

It's actually quite ironic that we're looking at what Penrith has avhieved and thinking the way to emulate it is to sign their players. The way to emulate it is to build what they have: a production line of homegrown talent, players who have come through the grades together and want to play, and win, together.

I get it. And I think directionally you are right. But don't forget, Penrith has the second highest paid player in the NRL at their club, Nathan Cleary, who is on something around $1.3M next year if reports are true. Only Ponga is on more coin. So even the best clubs have a marquee or two who command top dollar and soak up a chunk of the cap. Wests Tigers don't have a solitary player in their top 30 who would command more than $700K on an open market. Api would be the only one, second might be Bulla but only from another bottom 4 club desperate for a fullback.
Local juniors who have played together through the grades is a great strategy, but you do need to throw a big signing in the mix to get things moving. Would Penrith have been as successful if James Maloney hadn't been thrown in to the mix with all that local talent? Who knows.

 

[Camel2281]

I always thought he looked like Crabman from My Name Is Earl.

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Lionel Richie

 

[KCtiger]

could Galvin potentially get a run in the centres and move to 13 at some point ? agree we don't want to lose him either

He would be great in the centres, second row, lock of halves but it seems like he thinks himself as a half and will move away if he doesn’t get it here

 

[Halbrowne61]

Payne Haas' younger brother Klese is set to hit the open market as he searches for a new home from the start of the 2025 NRL season.

It was rumoured at one point last year that Klese could have been the biggest reason for Payne to consider a change of clubs, but the Origin forward eventually re-signed with the Broncos on a million-dollar or more per season deal to commit at Red Hill long-term.

Klese is now set to be the next Haas hitting the open market according to a Daily Telegraph report, with the youngster unable to secure an upgrade at the Titans thanks to the considerable cash they have already put into their forward pack.

Both Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and David Fifita used their contract out clauses linked to Justin Holbrook's departure last year to sign long-term, big-money deals with the Titans. Fa'asuamaleaui in particular is set to be a Titan for life, while Fifita is going nowhere for at least the next four years.

In terms of opportunity and money, that is bad news for the younger Haas, who turned 21 during the opening weekend of the 2023 NRL season and has impressed with his on-field ability.

Off-contract at the end of 2024, Haas is able to hit the open market from November 1 to lock up a new deal for 2025, and it now appears almost certain he won't re-sign with the Titans. The Gold Coast, who have a number of other players across their squad locked up on long-term deals, are also looking to splash cash for a big-name halfback in the coming seasons.

Haas could yet find his way to the Broncos alongside brother Payne, with the club's only forward signing for next year being Fletcher Baker. Brisbane's salary cap is stretched, but a signing like Haas could provide value for money and speak volumes to their commitment for big brother Payne.

Plenty of other clubs could yet come to the party in pursuit of the young forward, although his appetite to stray away from the south east corner of Queensland is unclear.

Haas played 15 first-grade games for the Titans in 2023, taking his career tally to 17, with three tries, 11 offloads and a 94 per cent tackle efficiency during 2023.

Forget his brother, when does his Mum hit the open market ? She’s tougher than 3 of our pack out together !!! Scary.

 

[Wiz]

He would be great in the centres, second row, lock of halves but it seems like he thinks himself as a half and will move away if he doesn’t get it here

Who can blame him. That’s where you get the most money, way more involvement than a centre, and way less wear on your body than in the forwards, thereby prolonging your career.

 

[Needaname]

I agree with you. What I have been told they overlooked the Balmain kids that's why they both left. Here is a video of the kid Nasser.

It’s a shame it’s come down to favouring only one side of our pathways. Really what is the point if you only focusing on a super team in one half of your catchment and putting together a bits part job for the other.
Personally and I know this won’t be agreed to by most but I think it’s time we look at a Wests Tigers HM and SG teams.

We would have been a lot stronger last year with Mickey Nasser and Conti playing alongside Large and the Wests centres Gallagher and Herminisi with Lualli and Karnib on both wings.

Why are we making it hard for ourselves?

 

[balmain boy]

could Galvin potentially get a run in the centres and move to 13 at some point ? agree we don't want to lose him either

In think he'll definitely start there. We want him to love the club, Benji to make him feel special, wanted.

Then hopefully he'll play wherever he can. Burton was a gun half but then was happy to play centre.

Galvin has moved between positions his entire career to date. He may have the skills of half but does he have the body for it? A lot of top young halves debuted in other positions. He knows his body needs to fill out before he can endure the rigours of first grade.

But yes, if we sign Luai it may be hard to keep both Fainu and Galvin

 

[Needaname]

Yes he has officially taken up the role. Bronson is a champ very caring guy that puts the work into player development

What’s his history in and around player development?

 

[Canadian Club]

In their latest podcast, Weidler said it would not surprise if Addo-Carr is not at the Bulldogs next season & Chammas commented that a coach like Benji may be more suited to someone like JAC who wants to do so much outside of footy. No link to Tigers, just journos opinions.

In their latest podcast, Weidler said it would not surprise if Addo-Carr is not at the Bulldogs next season & Chammas commented that a coach like Benji may be more suited to someone like JAC who wants to do so much outside of footy. No link to Tigers, just journos opinions.

Interesting as Weidler is close to Gus, could be something there

 

[balmain boy]

It’s a shame it’s come down to favouring only one side of our pathways. Really what is the point if you only focusing on a super team in one half of your catchment and putting together a bits part job for the other.
Personally and I know this won’t be agreed to by most but I think it’s time we look at a Wests Tigers HM and SG teams.

We would have been a lot stronger last year with Mickey Nasser and Conti playing alongside Large and the Wests centres Gallagher and Herminisi with Lualli and Karnib on both wings.

Why are we making it hard for ourselves?

It's a tough one. We have a lot of juniors, having two sides gives us an advantage in some ways, it can be hard to know who are our best players are as players develop at different rates, but putting all our best players in the inner side would create a super team of sorts.

We should be nurturing both our junior sides, why we've left Balmain to fend for itself while putting all the best players in Wests makes no sense. Western Sydney boys with Wests, boys from the rest of the country in Balmain. It makes sense, hopefully Bronson can help get it done. Concerning is Fulton is going rogue, unless he's signed a half and fullback better than Conti and Nassar he's weakened the club.

 

[KCtiger]

It's a tough one. We have a lot of juniors, having two sides gives us an advantage in some ways, it can be hard to know who are our best players are as players develop at different rates, but putting all our best players in the inner side would create a super team of sorts.

We should be nurturing both our junior sides, why we've left Balmain to fend for itself while putting all the best players in Wests makes no sense. Western Sydney boys with Wests boys from the rest of the country in Balmain. It makes sense, hopefully Bronson can help get it done. Concerning is Fulton is going rogue, unless he's signed a half and fullback better than Conti and Nassar he's weakened the club.

That’s how it mostly is now people like feledy got put in the Balmain team as for “Fulton weakening the club” Conti may be good but he is below Sullivan, Fainu, galvin, and both the large boys as for nassar it sucks to lose him but we have signed some guns from manly and if nassar wants to play fullback that won’t happen while Bula is around

 

[TIGERPOWER]

So, sometimes the player in the rubbish team is a better option than one in a multi time premiership team. It happens.

How is that relevant to burton?

 

[Tom Shines]

Bit quiet …

No doubt there are some big name signings to come shortly whilst they simultaneously move out the dead wood…

That’s why they brought Fulton in I assume

 

[GNR4LIFE]

No doubt there are some big name signings to come shortly whilst they simultaneously move out the dead wood…

We’ve been trying to move out the dead wood for over 20 years. We just replace it with more dead wood.

 

[Hbom]

It's a tough one. We have a lot of juniors, having two sides gives us an advantage in some ways, it can be hard to know who are our best players are as players develop at different rates, but putting all our best players in the inner side would create a super team of sorts.

We should be nurturing both our junior sides, why we've left Balmain to fend for itself while putting all the best players in Wests makes no sense. Western Sydney boys with Wests boys from the rest of the country in Balmain. It makes sense, hopefully Bronson can help get it done. Concerning is Fulton is going rogue, unless he's signed a half and fullback better than Conti and Nassar he's weakened the club.

Could be related to Willett coming in? Read an article that said his best position was centre, but can play fullback and halfback. Big boot too.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

That’s how it mostly is now people like feledy got put in the Balmain team as for “Fulton weakening the club” Conti may be good but he is below Sullivan, Fainu, galvin, and both the large boys as for nassar it sucks to lose him but we have signed some guns from manly and if nassar wants to play fullback that won’t happen while Bula is around

If you have more than one good option for fullback don't you have them compete to get the best performance.! Nasser would be in the lower grades anyway and I'm sure more than one club is in the same position. By all accounts Nasser is also very quick and we have draft horses on the wings except for when Staines is fit. As for Conti, of course he is going to be below those you have mentioned as he is a junior! It doesn't mean he should not compete against those you have mentioned. All in all, a very poor outcome for the Balmain juniors and juniors from the former Wests Magpies catchment.

 

[2041]

I get it. And I think directionally you are right. But don't forget, Penrith has the second highest paid player in the NRL at their club, Nathan Cleary, who is on something around $1.3M next year if reports are true. Only Ponga is on more coin. So even the best clubs have a marquee or two who command top dollar and soak up a chunk of the cap. Wests Tigers don't have a solitary player in their top 30 who would command more than $700K on an open market. Api would be the only one, second might be Bulla but only from another bottom 4 club desperate for a fullback.
Local juniors who have played together through the grades is a great strategy, but you do need to throw a big signing in the mix to get things moving. Would Penrith have been as successful if James Maloney hadn't been thrown in to the mix with all that local talent? Who knows.

I take your point. I guess what I'm worried about is making impatient moves that cost us down the track. If we give a 1.3m contract to a player who is objectively worth 800k a year, at some stage we're going to not have 500k available - either to sign someone else we need or upgrade and extend one of our own players. It seems like a nominal point at this stage because we've got plenty of cap room and not a lot of good players, but if we get what we all want - ie: a better team - there will come a point during the life of a 4-5 year contract for Luai where there's enough improving talent that we need to find every spare dollar to extend what we have. (and, of course, if we don't have those players we're not going to be winning anyway, Luai or not).

Maybe it's the length of the contract that bothers me. In 2025 we are still going to be paying Bateman, Nofoaluma, Sullivan, Twal, Naden, Seyfarth and To'a, and I am 99% certain that at least four of those will be doing next to nothing for us. I'd be surprised if Luai is providing nothing two years down the track, but let's say he's 500k 'short' on what we're paying him, plus Bateman is busted, Nofo and Naden continue to be useless and one of To'a and Sullivan hasn't kicked on at all. That would be at least 2m of salary cap going to basically nothing - and it would all be locked in two years ahead of time.

EDIT: one more thing. We have already signed several players who are meant to be changing the culture, adding professionalism and so forth. Koroisau, Klemmer and Bateman, for instance. How many more times are we going to pay overs in the hope that this one will suddenly get the rest of the squad focused? I'd argue that Koroisau is our Maloney, basically.

 

[Camel2281]

It's a tough one. We have a lot of juniors, having two sides gives us an advantage in some ways, it can be hard to know who are our best players are as players develop at different rates, but putting all our best players in the inner side would create a super team of sorts.

We should be nurturing both our junior sides, why we've left Balmain to fend for itself while putting all the best players in Wests makes no sense. Western Sydney boys with Wests boys from the rest of the country in Balmain. It makes sense, hopefully Bronson can help get it done. Concerning is Fulton is going rogue, unless he's signed a half and fullback better than Conti and Nassar he's weakened the club.

Conti left because Anasta is his manager and he hates us. Pure and simple. Anasta used Galvin getting prioritised above Conti as an excuse to get him to move.

Also I'm sure I read at the time of his appointment that Fulton is recruitment and retention manager for the NRL squad, he'd have little to do with pathways kids. (Nor should he until they are approaching the age where they can be part of the Snr squad)

They offered the Pathways recruitment role to McDonnell before he threw his toys out of the pram. I'm sure the pathways has it's own recruitment person.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Anasta can sure hold a grudge can’t he. Families of murder victims have been more forgiving to the perpetrator than Braith is to this club for not providing Gatorade.

 

[Lestronge]

Conti left because Anasta is his manager and he hates us. Pure and simple. Anasta used Galvin getting prioritised above Conti as an excuse to get him to move.

Also I'm sure I read at the time of his appointment that Fulton is recruitment and retention manager for the NRL squad, he'd have little to do with pathways kids. (Nor should he until they are approaching the age where they can be part of the Snr squad)

They offered the Pathways recruitment role to McDonnell before he threw his toys out of the pram. I'm sure the pathways has its own recruitment person.

I don’t think it’s that simple mate . He not only has Galvin in front of him , but Bud Sullivan and obviously Fainu. Throw in Large and I believe there’s a real good half in the Balmain team who’s a year younger , it would be malpractice on Braiths part ,to not get his client out of here .
There’s literally no opportunities , and much more elite talent with higher pedigree who will be afforded more opportunities because of this .
The best kids get priority /nepotism . And they’re given the most chances. That’s why you see gun juniors like Wakeham float around the lower grades when they haven’t excelled . Teams rolls the Dice on the pedigree .
Yet a kid with more consistency and a lower ceiling , find it tough . Conti is that kid . He will play first grade , but I don’t think he will be afforded the same luxuries that Fainu , Sullivan , Galvin , even Olaapu and Burton will get at the dogs.
It’s why Ilias suffering his second year blues , is being shafted . Not an elite junior so he’s not afforded the same chances . It sux , but clubs get tunnel vision . It’s why Luke Brooks has been given a million chances .
By the way it’s not just Galvin . There’s also Heath Mason who’s considered a 6/1. Who also made the Aus team . Conti was a bench player for NSW . That’s the difference in talent . This could obviously all change as they age , but if the tigers didn’t choose Fainu , Sullivan , Mason , Galvin over Conti anyone with an idea would lose thier mind .
In fact I’d argue , because he is a Balmain junior , that that’s exactly what’s happened in the past . Which is why the wests side have been complain about Balmain nepotism for a long time .