Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[innsaneink]

First of all did you just respond to yourself?

Secondly I don't buy into all this "keep all your juniors" stuff. Or at least buy into the idea that clubs are not doing it or are indifferent to their junior bases. Of course clubs with decent junior bases should and will try to develop those regions. It's not as if Tigers don't do it and it's not as if Tigers lose tonnes of Macarthur juniors to other clubs.

I don't believe Penrith did anything magic in development to build a 3-peat team. They had the fortune of having a bunch of top-tier junior talent all come through together, all at once, having played in junior teams together. But what they did do was manage to bond all those players together, keep them going through the system with a clear pathway from juniors to seniors. It's not that they developed more juniors, it's that they were able to keep so many of them in a single and clearly-defined system - something Tigers have been replicating the past few years.

But Penrith also specifically unearthed some generational talent - they don't win the 2023 GF without Cleary.

Penrith also happen to sit on the biggest league base in the country, much bigger participation than Macarthur, so if any club is going to see a wide number of juniors it's them.

So if the argument was simply "teams get good by investing in their juniors and develop their talent" then teams like Roosters would never do well, which is clearly not true. There's a delicate balance with the larger junior bases and the funding is not infinite.

Even look at Tigers - got a good crop coming through Macarthur like Da Silva, Galvin, Miller, Large brothers, Laulli'i bros etc. But some of the most prominent juniors we have we headhunted - Faagutu from QLD and Fainu brothers from Parra juniors via Manly. Josh Feledy is from Manly.

So to me it's pretty clear Tigers have been consistently mining Macarthur for players for many years, but that top-level talent does not always eventuate. Some of that will be the general lack of talent, some will be Tigers inability to coach those kids to the next level. But I can barely think of a Macarthur junior who didn't end up in the Tigers juniors system, even if he was eventually headhunted by another club; I don't think it's so dire and I don't think we needed any part of the independent review to look at juniors (it wasn't part of their remit and it makes sense they didn't issue regional recommendations).

There's really only been Ryan Hoffman who Sheens is on record often as saying he's one he regrets letting go.... There's a few that ended up at Cabra two blues, very strong junior club and very attractive to the best kids running around... Inu I think and Hayne are two... I'm sure there's more

I was going to ask Gal or someone with an ear to the ground re: the juniors at Cambo what's being done different... I like you tend to think the stars have aligned a bit for us much like they did around 02 with the Magpies SG Ball team producing some great players like Fulton Gibbs De gois Collis, Hoffman Ben Roberts and others...
We had a Balmain SG ball team in 2012 I think Brooks. Moses. Nat milone, and a few others names escape me
But the pathways term.has been mentioned a lot and it seems a lot more effort is being put into us being a "development club"
Listening to the recent behind the roar poddy I think featuring kit Laulilli he made mention of how all these young Magpies players now have come thru playing with and against each other... It does seem like another of these special times where we having quite a few good young players coming all at once... Hopefully we get it right with them

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Care to acknowledge that rather than "other regions" - Manly specifically targeted Fairfield to Blacktown - to pick up the rough Polynesian diamonds that did not make the cut for elite Parra or Penrith pathways?

And continue to do so by their ongoing reserve grade partnership with * Blacktown Workers?

* Proudly sponsored sonce 2017 by our very own BRYDENS LAWYERS


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St George for years targeted the Illawarra region for some of their best talent to the point where they were referred to in Wollongong as Northern Illawarra.

 

[Buttface]

Classiest player we have in the backs. Can miss a tackle but we don’t have another player that can open a defence up as well as he can.

a

Olam, Sullivan, and Toa can all dummy and run through the gap like Douhie. There’s two sides to football and he refuses to have a go at defence. His flaws far outweigh his so called class?
To me you can’t be a “classy” player and only play half the game. We only have one “classy “ player and that’s Api.
You’re other 3 post we much better. 😁

 

[InBenjiWeTrust]

Olam, Sullivan, and Toa can all dummy and run through the gap like Douhie. There’s two sides to football and he refuses to have a go at defence. His flaws far outweigh his so called class?
To me you can’t be a “classy” player and only play half the game. We only have one “classy “ player and that’s Api.
You’re other 3 post we much better. 😁

Bula said halo

 

[batboy]

Bula said halo

You're obviously referencing his first few games, Not his last few...

 

[Flippedy]

Talking with a Penrith mate today talking about Ivan Clearly and how things could have been different for both clubs

Ivan went after and made offers to

Fisher Harris. Forward
Dylan Edwards. Fullback
Nathan Clearly. Half
Harawira-naera forward

And we ended up with

Packer forward
Mbye. Fullback
Reynolds half
Ben Matulino

Talk about sliding doors moment​

I’d call that more of a door hitting you in the face moment!

 

[tigerman 0]

I'm not one that thinks he should have been rewarded, but to say his hit was up there with what Williams and Flower did is ridiculous imo

I disagree entirely

 

[rusted-on]

I disagree entirely

And you're entitled to. I just don't think the tap put on Anasta can be compared to a hit from someone coming out of the line and clocking someone like Williams did, or hitting someone when they are already on the ground like Flower did. Each to their own

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

I would say with Nofa's exit putting us at 29 players in the top 30, we won't promote/add anyone until closer to the 30 June deadline.

We can play any development contracted players anyway from Rd 1 if required (i.e. Lobb, Faataape, Saukuru) and T&T/Cup players from Rd 11 (i.e. Casey, Loizou Willett, Craig, Ngutlik, Kirk, Laulilii).

No need to waste on a spot if we can encourage internal competition to fight for it for half the season.

 

[tigerman 0]

And you're entitled to. I just don't think the tap put on Anasta can be compared to a hit from someone coming out of the line and clocking someone like Williams did, or hitting someone when they are already on the ground like Flower did. Each to their own

A “tap” on Anasta hey? Righto

 

[rusted-on]

A “tap” on Anasta hey? Righto

I would rather cop that than either of the other 2. Anasta wasn't exactly known for his toughness, and he didn't even take a knee. Like I said previously, it's not something that should go without punishment, but it is not comparable to the other 2 incidents.

 

[teddy23]

With the 500k a year we just saved on Nofa, I'd be calling Taylan and Terrell May right now.

As weird as it sounds - if we signed those 2 I'd be fully content with the clubs roster from 1-17.

We need one more winger and one more prop option after the signings of Luai and Olam. I don't see much weakness in our squad besides that. Both May brothers fill that role perfectly.

 

[Canadian Club]

I would say with Nofa's exit putting us at 29 players in the top 30, we won't promote/add anyone until closer to the 30 June deadline.

We can play any development contracted players anyway from Rd 1 if required (i.e. Lobb, Faataape, Saukuru) and T&T/Cup players from Rd 11 (i.e. Casey, Loizou Willett, Craig, Ngutlik, Kirk, Laulilii).

No need to waste on a spot if we can encourage internal competition to fight for it for half the season.

I think that is the smart play. There always seem to be a few players on the move around the mid season deadline. Hopefully some decent players become available and we can use the Nofoaluma spot and money to pick up a player in a position of need.

 

[KCTiger2]

With the 500k a year we just saved on Nofa, I'd be calling Taylan and Terrell May right now.

As weird as it sounds - if we signed those 2 I'd be fully content with the clubs roster from 1-17.

We need one more winger and one more prop option after the signings of Luai and Olam. I don't see much weakness in our squad besides that. Both May brothers feel that role perfectly.

Then we would have to get Tyrone back from the super league and we already have a shit brother in the top 30 but atleast Sione still has time to turn it around

 

[Nonotmeagain]

I think that is the smart play. There always seem to be a few players on the move around the mid season deadline. Hopefully some decent players become available and we can use the Nofoaluma spot and money to pick up a player in a position of need.

We may have the spot but we won't save all the $500K for the next 2 years if he goes.

 

[Nonotmeagain]

Won't it be poetic justice if we had to get Bryden's to help us with the case - cause that's where Noffa will be heading.

 

[Snidest 0]

Won't it be poetic justice if we had to get Bryden's to help us with the case - cause that's where Noffa will be heading.

There is no case - he has accepted the $300K and left the building...

 

[Snidest 0]

We may have the spot but we won't save all the $500K for the next 2 years if he goes.

He is gone!!

And we have saved at least $750K over two seasons

 

[Tigers_Wests]

With the 500k a year we just saved on Nofa, I'd be calling Taylan and Terrell May right now.

As weird as it sounds - if we signed those 2 I'd be fully content with the clubs roster from 1-17.

We need one more winger and one more prop option after the signings of Luai and Olam. I don't see much weakness in our squad besides that. Both May brothers feel that role perfectly.

Might just be me, but I don't think Terrell would add much to our roster. A young middle with potential and we already have plenty. It would also block one of those guys we already have. Taylan is the one I would be interested in, but he wouldn't come without Terrell and worse Tyrone.

 

[Tigerdave]

Excellent clearing of the decks