Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

I never really understand this. I mean, if it was just a question of doing a really hard pre-season surely everyone would just do that? It's not like it's a trade secret or something. I suspect Melbourne are actually doing lots and lots of things right, it's just that the ones that involve working really hard get noticed because that's the kind of thing fans (a) understand and (b) put most weight on.

The other thing is, presumably Blore did at least one preaseason with Penrith - I know he didn't play first grade there but he was in their setup aged 19-20 so would have done preseason. If that was also much less demanding than Melbourne it suggests to me how hard you get worked in the preseason isn't actually that much of a guide to success, seeing as how Penrith seem to have managed to be competitive in recent years.

didn’t Madge try and push harder training when he was at the WT?

And from what we heard, how did that go down with the playing group? No bueno was the rumours

it’s not easy to turn around a culture…

Talent wise , this Storm team is a lot weaker than some of their previous versions … but there they are again with the minor premiership wrapped up weeks out from the finals … they sure as hell do something right there
 
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didn’t Madge try and push harder training when he was at the WT?

And from what we heard, how did that go down with the playing group? No bueno was the rumours

it’s not easy to turn around a culture…

Talent wise , this Storm team is a shadow of previous versions … but there they are again with the minor premiership wrapped up weeks out from the finals … they sure as hell do something right there
Agree.

It's about intensity. It's very difficult to raise intensity of training unless a few players are setting a high standard.

From all reports, 19 year old Galvin is setting the standard at WT.
 
didn’t Madge try and push harder training when he was at the WT?

And from what we heard, how did that go down with the playing group? No bueno was the rumours

it’s not easy to turn around a culture…

Talent wise , this Storm team is a lot weaker than some of their previous versions … but there they are again with the minor premiership wrapped up weeks out from the finals … they sure as hell do something right there
And when ciraldo pushed hard the bulldogs were accused of bullying because a player couldn’t keep up…the players need to have the right psyche to achieve.
 
didn’t Madge try and push harder training when he was at the WT?

And from what we heard, how did that go down with the playing group? No bueno was the rumours

it’s not easy to turn around a culture…

Talent wise , this Storm team is a lot weaker than some of their previous versions … but there they are again with the minor premiership wrapped up weeks out from the finals … they sure as hell do something right there
Depends on how you approach the situation. You can have very different approaches to working your team hard. Yelling and swearing at your players is much different to getting in the ears of your key players and getting them to drive the standards.

Agreed that culture is hard to change but we have never had the type of players in our team to drive this. The addition of Luai will give another voice besides Api which will take the world off Api's shoulders. Hunt will grab the young forwards under his wings and drive a new standard with them as well. He's a tough bastard.
 
Agree.

It's about intensity. It's very difficult to raise intensity of training unless a few players are setting a high standard.

From all reports, 19 year old Galvin is setting the standard at WT.

yes , I agree about Galvin …

I have said previously that I think it’s amazing that Galvin came into this previous offseason at the Tigers … 18 yrs old and his first with the NRL team .. and immeadiately became the fittest trainer in the team…winning a lot of their athletic challenges

Good for Galvin … but not great that he immeadiately showed everyone else up..

I also love the story that every rookie that goes to the Storm has to spend time working hard doing labouring on building sites for a period … hardens them up and also motivates them to see how relatively easy training and playing footy is in comparison … supposedly more than a few haven’t been prepared to tough it out and go back to Sydney … probably a few have landed at WT
 
Could Sione join his brother in the backrow?
Or do we consider him exclusively as a front row forward?
I like him at 13.
Think the 10, 11 and 13 are all up for grabs in the off season depending on other signings reckon there's about 5 players that fit into these 3 spots, great for internal competition.
 
Depends on how you approach the situation. You can have very different approaches to working your team hard. Yelling and swearing at your players is much different to getting in the ears of your key players and getting them to drive the standards.

Agreed that culture is hard to change but we have never had the type of players in our team to drive this. The addition of Luai will give another voice besides Api which will take the world off Api's shoulders. Hunt will grab the young forwards under his wings and drive a new standard with them as well. He's a tough bastard.
In the gym maybe but I doubt he’ll be pushing them during sprints Malcom’s and beep tests 😂
 
three 13s on the market, all with their respective pros and cons: Adam Elliott, Corey Horsburgh, Kobe Hetherington. I think it simply comes down to what WT want at 13. all three are players with different skillsets and at different points in their career.

Hetherington is the least developed of all three, but would come cheap and is unshakeable in defence. also has a great passing game given he was a 9 before he transitioned.

Elliott is in his peak years and is having a great season, but would be looking for a decent deal in what will likely be his last NRL deal and isn't as good defensively as the other two.

Horsburgh lacks the ballplaying skillset as a lock but is a rock defensively and can turn a game on it's head on either side of the ball.

interesting times ahead and very interested to see what we decide to do.
 
didn’t Madge try and push harder training when he was at the WT?

And from what we heard, how did that go down with the playing group? No bueno was the rumours

it’s not easy to turn around a culture…

Talent wise , this Storm team is a lot weaker than some of their previous versions … but there they are again with the minor premiership wrapped up weeks out from the finals … they sure as hell do something right there
In due respect, we'll only have 3 players next season from our 2021 squad under Madge (Seyfarth, Twal & Doueihi) and I doubt they were the ones whinging.
 
three 13s on the market, all with their respective pros and cons: Adam Elliott, Corey Horsburgh, Kobe Hetherington. I think it simply comes down to what WT want at 13. all three are players with different skillsets and at different points in their career.

Hetherington is the least developed of all three, but would come cheap and is unshakeable in defence. also has a great passing game given he was a 9 before he transitioned.

Elliott is in his peak years and is having a great season, but would be looking for a decent deal in what will likely be his last NRL deal and isn't as good defensively as the other two.

Horsburgh lacks the ballplaying skillset as a lock but is a rock defensively and can turn a game on it's head on either side of the ball.

interesting times ahead and very interested to see what we decide to do.
I like the look of Hetherington. He’s well suited to the modern game and gives us something we don’t currently have - leg speed, line speed and attitude.
 
three 13s on the market, all with their respective pros and cons: Adam Elliott, Corey Horsburgh, Kobe Hetherington. I think it simply comes down to what WT want at 13. all three are players with different skillsets and at different points in their career.

Hetherington is the least developed of all three, but would come cheap and is unshakeable in defence. also has a great passing game given he was a 9 before he transitioned.

Elliott is in his peak years and is having a great season, but would be looking for a decent deal in what will likely be his last NRL deal and isn't as good defensively as the other two.

Horsburgh lacks the ballplaying skillset as a lock but is a rock defensively and can turn a game on it's head on either side of the ball.

interesting times ahead and very interested to see what we decide to do.
Maybe its both Hetherington and Horsburgh, but one moving to the front row.
 
three 13s on the market, all with their respective pros and cons: Adam Elliott, Corey Horsburgh, Kobe Hetherington. I think it simply comes down to what WT want at 13. all three are players with different skillsets and at different points in their career.

Hetherington is the least developed of all three, but would come cheap and is unshakeable in defence. also has a great passing game given he was a 9 before he transitioned.

Elliott is in his peak years and is having a great season, but would be looking for a decent deal in what will likely be his last NRL deal and isn't as good defensively as the other two.

Horsburgh lacks the ballplaying skillset as a lock but is a rock defensively and can turn a game on it's head on either side of the ball.

interesting times ahead and very interested to see what we decide to do.
I hope Morgan Knowles was one Richo was talking to in the UK too but is an injury risk. At his best is better than those 3 IMO.

Another consideration is whether Benji sees Bird as a lock with Latu Fainu being transitioned into that role.
 
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