Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Vicious]

Umm you only get 8 interchanges

Ok that stuffs that 😂

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

Ok that stuffs that 😂

Brother that change was like 8 years ago? 😂

 

[yeahcaz]

Couldn’t be bothered to find it but i sincerely hope jack bird is not coming to here play centre. Keep him as far away from an edge as possible.

Start him at 13, Bateman back to right second row and then sign Montoya for a wing spot

 

[Tom Shines]

Like others, I see Bateman fishing for a big fat juicy payout. He knows we are short on vacant roster spots. Maybe the club should just tell him “see you day one preseason”

there are also come factors at play here … the England internationals , and also his club team Warrington is coming third in the SuperLeague … their final is not to mid October , and I assume he is entitled to some lengthy break after that if they make it that far…

 

[Ecto-1]

It might not be that Batemen really wanted to come back but remember he has an Aussie wife and maybe she didn’t want to move the family over there when he already had a bigger contract here.

 

[GCfan]

Was poor on the Tedesco try on his left wing. Clutched at air. WT already have plenty of those types defending on the edge. Luai blew up deluxe.

Imagine how much he can blow up at him next year in our side

 

[colinbh]

Imagine how much he can blow up at him next year in our side

You blokes are crazy. He was one of Penriths best. Tedesco got outside of the defence which created a 2 on 1.

 

[yeahcaz]

It's more how he barely laid a hand on Tedesco, while James practically ran over him. I've seen this in WT edge defending all season.

At least with Suaali's try on the other side, he had to get on the outside of the defence. Tedesco practically ran over Sunia fairly easily. Doesn't bode well for next season when edge defending has been poor at the club, and Turuva has been earmarked to play as 2-man next season. Perhaps FB is his position.

And have you seen this in Turuva all season or is this recency bias ?

It’s hard to defend the best players in the comp, shock horror. All the shape and the pace the roosters had in that play it caused the gap to open up and it was a massive gap between a 20 and a 22 year old. It’s not doomsday relax

 

[weststigers]

The best back rower in the comp has scored two tries this year. Tries are well down the list in back rower KPI’s.

Are you sure? Haumole Olakau'atu has 6 tries listed next to his name this year.

 

[weststigers]

Why would you waste 2 maybe even 3-4 bench rotations on edge back rowers , wheee much like centres they can spend chunks of the game with the ball on the opposite side of the field not doing much .
It’s very rare for the ball , both in defence and attack to not engage the middle third in 2-3 plays . Which means they’re constantly working constantly moving , constantly closing down gaps , cobstantly running lines constantly actually taking hit ups , constantly tackling etc. And because everyone in the middle is soo massive , they also have to be massive To deal with the collision . And then you have the issue if you do play a middle more minutes day 80 mins a a game for 5 years , you’ve shortened the lifespan of a weapon middle like one Jason Taumalolo . Thats the cautionary tale with overplaying middles . People forget just how dominant he was up until the last 2 years . He should have had his minutes chopped to 60 a long time ago.
There’s are factors in why the middles take up the majority of the allowable replacements I believe it’s 8 now . So 2 off (maybe 3) at 20-30m , swapped back around at 60 mins (on average ) that’s now 4-6 of your 8 replacements gone . You now have max 4 , more likely 3 replacements you can make across 2 other bench players and the rest of your team .
chuck in injuries , unless they’re caused by foul play , they don’t count as a replacement , and if you get 2 Hias you can activate the 18th man , but that’s not until 15 mins after the player has been taken off so that’s not that handy either .
Generally speaking there’s probably 1 bench rotation you might have spare at the end of the game . Which is why we were chucking Mason in for a cameo .
The HIA rule has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons re. Bench rotation , and I honestly believe the more teams treat it with the respect of an F1 pit stop , and all the strategy that goes into that , the closer they are to having fresh troops at the end of the game .
That’s a really long answer to your question

Jeez that HIA rule acts like more of a punishment than a protection.

15 minutes is a long time in a game; 18.75% of overall game time to be exact. Compare that with a sin bin and if it happens to a key player, you really are up against it.

Take a scenario where Bula goes down in the 65th minute and Mason or Staines is 18th man. You can't even utilise the replacement. It's quite unfair considering a) the HIA is forced on the team and b) it could be a result if foul play.

I think it needs to be looked at. Perhaps a team can elect to scratch the player early. Different discussion altogether, but your post made me think about the mess it has caused.

 

[weststigers]

Samuela is my smokey for our best forward in the future. He could be anything this kid. He wants it too.

Mate he's what? 19 or 20 and is close to error free each game (apart from some over zealous stuff in his first couple of games) and is fit as anything. He's still teenage lanky and hasn't put on size yet.

As you say, he is all upside for mine. What a find. Tbh all the brothers have something about them. Very talented family. Even Sione is impressive when he is on the field.

Good shout.

 

[weststigers]

I'd say if Bateman does return, it'd be he and bird in the 12 and 13.

Hard to see any other combo.

It will be interesting too because we have run with Pole, Twal, Bateman and Seyfarth in the 13 and we can't say these guys are known ball players.

Bird at 13 vs these guys at 13 is where the comparison should be. A lot comparing him to other centres and backrowers, but in the make-up of our side, he qualifies as the best 13 we have.

I'm still not buying Latu Fainu at 13. I think as a ball player he is superior to Bird, but the 13 also has to make some dirty hitups and make a lot of tackles. I don't think you play to Latus strengths by throwing him into the meat grinder each game.

I've said it before, the Galvin decision will decide what happens with Fainu. I'm comfortable that Galvin or Fainu will be a good partner to Luai.

If Galvin stays, Fainu (or possibly Galvin) will need to find a position that fits the team. This will play out in time. We don't need to worry about it in 2025.

 

[WswWt]

Hetherington all but signed. Waiting on release from broncos

 

[Lestronge]

Jeez that HIA rule acts like more of a punishment than a protection.

15 minutes is a long time in a game; 18.75% of overall game time to be exact. Compare that with a sin bin and if it happens to a key player, you really are up against it.

Take a scenario where Bula goes down in the 65th minute and Mason or Staines is 18th man. You can't even utilise the replacement. It's quite unfair considering a) the HIA is forced on the team and b) it could be a result if foul play.

I think it needs to be looked at. Perhaps a team can elect to scratch the player early. Different discussion altogether, but your post made me think about the mess it has caused.

It was because teams were taking the piss out of it early on . Taking advantage of the rule . So now there’s wait periods

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

What about teams fake diving?

 

[yeahcaz]

Hetherington all but signed. Waiting on release from broncos

Hope you’re right bud. Seriously impressive signing that will go under the radar

 

[yeahcaz]

Hard to see any other combo.

It will be interesting too because we have run with Pole, Twal, Bateman and Seyfarth in the 13 and we can't say these guys are known ball players.

Bird at 13 vs these guys at 13 is where the comparison should be. A lot comparing him to other centres and backrowers, but in the make-up of our side, he qualifies as the best 13 we have.

I'm still not buying Latu Fainu at 13. I think as a ball player he is superior to Bird, but the 13 also has to make some dirty hitups and make a lot of tackles. I don't think you play to Latus strengths by throwing him into the meat grinder each game.

I've said it before, the Galvin decision will decide what happens with Fainu. I'm comfortable that Galvin or Fainu will be a good partner to Luai.

If Galvin stays, Fainu (or possibly Galvin) will need to find a position that fits the team. This will play out in time. We don't need to worry about it in 2025.

Finally someone else gets it.

It sounds crazy to preserve bird by playing him in the middle but I think he should be a carbon copy of what Mann has done for the bulldogs this year. Only really plays 35-40 mins a game. Contributes to the attack really well and makes his tackles. That’s birds ideal role for us. Asking him to play 80 in an edge position every week, it’s likely inevitable he will get a long term injury.

We have to hope that Latu is keen to stay around for one year extra in and out of first grade to see what Galvin decides on. We need to hear his intentions early and if he signs for another club for 2027, he should be released early and all eggs go into the Luai and Fanu basket

 

[cqtiger]

Talk about bias, some people still want Madge as coach? He was here 3 plus years and we got worse each year. He is where he should be - a rep coach who has the best players to pick from and only has a brief time to interact with them.

 

[tigermate]

Im pretty sure Jerome will settle Galvin down and they will become great friends.

If Galvin wants a way into rep footy and reach the games heights, there’s simply no better tutor or role model in the game.

Plus we know JL has an electric and engaging personality.

The club will probably change a lot of the footy staff and hopefully a lot of associated things to give Benji more support and guidance.

More signings to come as well.

Losing spoon bowl should deliver a lot of impetus, if not, we are surely lost.
Surely it represented the final plunge into the fires of rugby league Hell?

haha im with ya mate --- lets hope luai can make him stay. would be a dream partnership for 5 years!

 

[weststigers]

It was because teams were taking the piss out of it early on . Taking advantage of the rule . So now there’s wait periods

They were yes, but some of these HIA are forced by the bunker.

Can we agree we don't quite have the balance between piss taking and fairness right?