Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Demps]

yeah I understand what he has done … but does that mean he will do it again to get out of a 3 yr @ a Million a year contract?

Dude will be 29 in 2025 :.: probably his last big deal … doubt he is walking away from that

Never know what the future holds....

I think he could really find a home at the Tigers.
We got the Fainu bros who is close with.... and I'm sure he'd get along with the rest of the lads.


3 year deal with us, with the vision and the plan to push us from the bottom to the top... playing under Benji. There's a lot to like.

 

[Tom Shines]

I just like to know a player is committed to our club and its goals. It is ironic that Papali'i has come in for criticism on this forum for allegedly not being committed to our club yet some want AFB. I want AFB as well but not at the expense of Papali'i.

mate .. it would be great to get AFB for nothing… but he is still contracted to the Warriors so what’ve do we do ? They want a player back to give him up … I’ve heard their CEO say it … It could work in our favour as I don’t see who the Dogs are giving up ?

AFB was one of the two best props in the game last year … him and Stef could be something that could really give the pack a bite we have not seen at the WT before

 

[twentyforty]

I just like to know a player is committed to our club and its goals. It is ironic that Papali'i has come in for criticism on this forum for allegedly not being committed to our club yet some want AFB. I want AFB as well but not at the expense of Papali'i.

Players often may look like they’re not fully committed because they’re running low on enthusiasm and after 24 games under the current coach only conjured up 4 wins. Winning can provide enthusiasm, which in turn injects energy. And we all know that energy is like compound interest…the more you get the more you get.

 

[Needaname]

mate .. it would be great to get AFB for nothing… but he is still contracted to the Warriors so what’ve do we do ? They want a player back to give him up … I’ve heard their CEO say it … It could work in our favour as I don’t see who the Dogs are giving up ?

AFB was one of the two best props in the game last year … him and Stef could be something that could really give the pack a bite we have not seen at the WT before

They have requested Villiame Kikau from the Bulldogs and Jayden Su’a from the dragons.
They’ve given us two options. I wonder why no one is considering Stef. Trade one prop for another.
One up and comer for one in their prime.
Alongside Klemmer we’d still have a decent starting front row. And a more NOW ready team.
Stef is still probably 2 years off hitting his straps, I like him but he doesn’t influence a game at front row yet and that’s what we need.
Waiting in the wings you have Pole, Fainu x2, Millar in development. Plus the ever reliable Twal and who knows who else pops up in 24/25.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

If we let Ice go...

Our backrow options are Tumeth or Sukkar to replace him & partner Bateman.

Or Blore (better at prop)

And we still don't have a genuine 13, just props playing the role.

It’s a bad roster move for us if that happens.
We have young halves and centers.
We then have a prop backlog as well so more shifts would need to happen.
I don’t actually see how that type of trade makes us better to win more games.

 

[PabloX]

Knights poach gun Panthers junior
The Knights have scored a coup by signing a player rated among the best teenage centres in the game from Penrith.

Wilson De Courcey, a former Australian Schoolboy, was signed to the Panthers for next season but the Knights managed to secure his release.

The 18-year-old from renowned league nursery Patrician Brothers, Blacktown, was a standout for the Panthers in the junior representative season this year and the Knights are delighted to gain his services.

Source; the mole.

Is that someone we should have targeted?

 

[hank37w]

We should have all players with a connection to AFB in his ear daily , telling him. That under Benji the rise of the tigers is starting k the team that come last 2 years in a row is ready to come out and climb the ladder , you join us we play finals footy , then all we need to do this coming season is start winning , be around the top 8 and he will look at us , being part of the rise of the tigers would be a really good feel , teams wining games makes training no matter how hard more enjoyable , heading for the semi finals players just respond it’s simple and a mind game , if your winning your mind will be 100% on the job , How will it look in 24 if we come out and are 4/4 plus the by game , 5 rounds down and we are on 10 points , we are the talk of town

We may very well be the talk of town, I just hope it is for the right reasons for a change.

 

[Tom Shines]

They have requested Villiame Kikau from the Bulldogs and Jayden Su’a from the dragons.
They’ve given us two options. I wonder why no one is considering Stef. Trade one prop for another.
One up and comer for one in their prime.
Alongside Klemmer we’d still have a decent starting front row. And a more NOW ready team.
Stef is still probably 2 years off hitting his straps, I like him but he doesn’t influence a game at front row yet and that’s what we need.
Waiting in the wings you have Pole, Fainu x2, Millar in development. Plus the ever reliable Twal and who knows who else pops up in 24/25.

personally I would prefer to keep Stef …I think his upside is higher … but if that’s what it would take I would still agree …

The player has to agree to go over there also .., that’s not going to suit everyone whom the Warriors might want on their dream list

 

[tigertragic]

he actually played below the level of his contract last year . Don’t pretend he didn’t

Unfortunately the majority of the team played below the level of their contract.

 

[Curly_Tiger]

That’s because Ice’s manager is clearly a moron. We got him at massive unders. Don’t pretend we didn’t.

I agree, to end the noise I'd extend him and upgrade him
Culturally as well he's a quality dude, can be a real leader for us on and off the field
I'd especially do this if it is true Blore is leaving us at end of 2024 or even sooner

 

[Tom Shines]

Unfortunately the majority of the team played below the level of their contract.

Yes …. I can’t argue with that …

Api was a clear exception …

 

[Glenji95]

AFB is in the top 5 front rowers in the game at the moment. IPap is a very good player but you could probably argue not currently in the top 10 edge forwards in the NRL. If IPap was the trade you had to make to get AFB, it’s a no brainer. Ideally you keep IPap and get AFB anyway, but if you have to choose…
A damaging, elite front rower or a very good edge forward who needs good players around him? AFB makes the players around him more effective, I reckon IPap needs good players around him to get the best out of him.

What made Ice weaker this year was poor coaching and shit halves. Players I agree to an extent we didn’t have the same like Eels did last year, but we still had a pretty weak squad especially in the halves. We’ve seen what he’s capable of so we know how good he can be. And if we did move him on now for AFB, we don’t have anyone to replace him with and the market isn’t really that good for backrowers for 25. Some might have potential but we can’t always bank on it. Haumole is the only one that is a genuine replacement and even if we did manage to land him he won’t be here until 26. We would be dumb to do the same with Stef, but we do have options if we did especially since it’s one prop for another.

 

[Kelce68]

Because he’s not a better player. At all, Ice was the victim last year of being in a poorly coached team.

Not mutually exclusive.

Ice was the victim of being in a poorly coached team last season.

AND Addin Fonua-Blake is a better player.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Not mutually exclusive.

Ice was the victim of being in a poorly coached team last season.

AND Addin Fonua-Blake is a better player.

Easy to say given the year both are coming off. The previous two years, Papali’i was an absolute monster.

 

[Kelce68]

Never know what the future holds....

I think he could really find a home at the Tigers.
We got the Fainu bros who is close with.... and I'm sure he'd get along with the rest of the lads.


3 year deal with us, with the vision and the plan to push us from the bottom to the top... playing under Benji. There's a lot to like.

People underestimate what playing alongside such close bonds can do.

Shoulder to shoulder with your 'brothers' can transform a player, particularly when you are the older influence to those boys.

If we managed to land AFB, I'd not be surprised if he went up another gear again.

 

[Kelce68]

Easy to say given the year both are coming off. The previous two years, Papali’i was an absolute monster.

No argument there, I agree.

You can only judge a person on their recent output. 'You're only as good as your last game' as they say.

Josh Reynolds and Chris McQueen had both played several Origins before they arrived.... How far back do we go?

Isaiah would need a big '24 to argue that he's still the player he was at Parra.

So, as of right now, AFB is head and shoulders in front.

 

[jrtiger]

Knights poach gun Panthers junior
The Knights have scored a coup by signing a player rated among the best teenage centres in the game from Penrith.

Wilson De Courcey, a former Australian Schoolboy, was signed to the Panthers for next season but the Knights managed to secure his release.

The 18-year-old from renowned league nursery Patrician Brothers, Blacktown, was a standout for the Panthers in the junior representative season this year and the Knights are delighted to gain his services.

Source; the mole.

Is that someone we should have targeted?

not particularly. prioritising a player out of the pathways over guys like Feledy, Craig, Makasini and potentially Large is the wrong way to go about things. De Courcey's a good player but we have players at a similar level, if not better.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

No argument there, I agree.

You can only judge a person on their recent output. 'You're only as good as your last game' as they say.

Josh Reynolds and Chris McQueen had both played several Origins before they arrived.... How far back do we go?

Isaiah would need a big '24 to argue that he's still the player he was at Parra.

So, as of right now, AFB is head and shoulders in front.

What’s changed in a year? Papali’i is only 25, it’s not like he’s past his prime. When he was tearing it up at the Eels, I doubt anyone would have thought he could be trade bait after one season here. I’d love to get AFB here, but if a player Papali’i can flounder at our club, so can he.

 

[Tcat]

We should be spending more energy trying to trade guys like Nofa, who have been a thorn in the teams side for way too long. Keep Ice, work on signing Luai and AFB, get rid of guys like Nof and Simpkin if we can. Hard to convince anyone to take on a spoon teams slops tho.

 

[Curly_Tiger]

We should be spending more energy trying to trade guys like Nofa, who have been a thorn in the teams side for way too long. Keep Ice, work on signing Luai and AFB, get rid of guys like Nof and Simpkin if we can. Hard to convince anyone to take on a spoon teams slops tho.

I mostly agree
Simpkin definitely seems a player who should attract interest, plus we have Api and DaSilva and even Latu as a third 9 option
Klemmer would have interest surely but only if it created space for AFB
Every non-regular starter is always for sale I'd reckon but as with all things, depends ......
Wouldn't think moving our 23 signings is wise in most cases though