Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

mtd#2 said:
That's fair enough, and to be fair, I need to check my rose-colored glasses sometimes.

But if we are being rational about it, the majority of the Wests Tigers issues stemmed from the way the club was run by the board, with all the leaks, the agenda's etc.

It hasn't even been a year since the clean-out, and the signs are more positive now than ever before - because there's no BS derailing the plans behind the scenes.

I just don't think we can compare the last 10+ years to the year that has passed and what's to come in 2025...

We've always said we are rebuilding, but we never actually were. We signed donkeys on big dollars. There was no thought behind the development pathways, we didn't blood youngsters...

2024 will be the roughest of our next 10 years, I am positive of that.


Re signings:
- I'd argue that Turuva is a great signing - his kick returns in the GF were amazing, he's reliable under the high ball and he can finish.

- Skelton is at a make or break stage of his career as a winger. We got him pretty cheap. So if he lifts his game by 30% on what he did last year, its a very good signing and great return on investment.

- Bird, whilst at the latter end of his career, has been a great player in the past. He has taken less money to come to the Tigers, which is unheard of these days - meaning he has something to prove.... He could have easily stayed at the Dragons and earnt double the money. This in my opinion is a smart signing for the $$ and experience he can bring (in the past we would have paid 800k a year for him)....

- If we get Hetherington, that's a solid signing - we've been lacking a workhorse for years...

- I'm concerned about Hunt, as it stand's he's a liability.. Whether the coaches can change that in the pre-season I guess we'll have to wait and see.

There's been talk we still have a signing or two to come. I am not going to write that off just yet, even given the squad numbers, because we've operated a lot better this year with a lot less leaks...

I have to be hopeful, I can't bare another season like the last 3 LOL
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I completely agree that many of the issues stemmed from the previous admin and understand that it will take time for the current admin to get results. Although, I will add that the pathways work began long before Richardson, even if it was largely ignored for the last decade. It is just that it has taken time to see the fruits of that work.

I also think that many of the moves being made are steps in the right direction. It's just that i will need to see further results to be convinced that we are actually improving rather than simply looking like we will eventually improve.

As I've previously stated, I'm not against any of the signings. They are all reasonable and likely an improvement on what we've got. I just don't think they are anything to be excited about either.

I will agree to disagree on Turuva. I by no means think he is a bad signing, just nothing more than solid. I think his running metres are more a result of Panthers defence than his running game. He certainly doesn't shirk his work but neither is he the tackle busting, post contact metre beast that To'o is. He doesn't seem to find his feet and get quick play the balls. He doesn't provide an aerial threat, doesn't seem to have the acrobatic finishes nor elite speed of other wingers. He seems decent enough at everything without providing anything extra.

Skelton I think is a good prospect but was a reserve grader, 4th in line for a wing spot at his club when we signed him. You are right in that if he lifts his game by 30percent he will be a great signing. But that is a pretty big IF. Still he seems like a bloke that just needs an opportunity to become a handy first grader.

Bird as you say has been a great player in the past. But that is in the past. Nowadays he seems to be worth about what we are reported to have offered him. Fair enough signing but not sure how you think he could have easily stayed at Dragons and earnt double what we have offered. He was reportedly on 600k this year which is not double the 400k a season we're alleged to be paying. He wasn't released from that contract but rather the mutual option wasnt taken up. Which would suggest that he wasn't likely offered any more at the Dragons.

I've spoken before about our club desperately needing a genuine lock. Hetherington is that. But he would be what, the 15th best starting lock in the game if he were to come here? Again a solid enough signing but not really one to get excited about and most importantly is yet to have happened.

Someone (poorly in my opinion) compared these signings to the Dogs suggesting all these guys could be part of a good team when combined with other good players. This is true but unless/until we drastically improve the forward pack, see continued improvement from the likes of Bula and Galvin and somehow revive Olam we aren't surrounding them with good players.

I am not suggesting that there won't be more signings to come. I'm just not going to get excited about a rumour that there will be more but rather I'll wait until there actually is more. I'm not suggesting we won't recruit around these guys next off-season and put together a solid squad. Again I'm not going to get excited until we do. Are we taking steps in the right direction? Yeah of course. Does next season look more promising? Unfortunatley, not yet in my opinion.
 
gregjm87 said:
I completely agree that many of the issues stemmed from the previous admin and understand that it will take time for the current admin to get results. Although, I will add that the pathways work began long before Richardson, even if it was largely ignored for the last decade. It is just that it has taken time to see the fruits of that work.

I also think that many of the moves being made are steps in the right direction. It's just that i will need to see further results to be convinced that we are actually improving rather than simply looking like we will eventually improve.

As I've previously stated, I'm not against any of the signings. They are all reasonable and likely an improvement on what we've got. I just don't think they are anything to be excited about either.

I will agree to disagree on Turuva. I by no means think he is a bad signing, just nothing more than solid. I think his running metres are more a result of Panthers defence than his running game. He certainly doesn't shirk his work but neither is he the tackle busting, post contact metre beast that To'o is. He doesn't seem to find his feet and get quick play the balls. He doesn't provide an aerial threat, doesn't seem to have the acrobatic finishes nor elite speed of other wingers. He seems decent enough at everything without providing anything extra.

Skelton I think is a good prospect but was a reserve grader, 4th in line for a wing spot at his club when we signed him. You are right in that if he lifts his game by 30percent he will be a great signing. But that is a pretty big IF. Still he seems like a bloke that just needs an opportunity to become a handy first grader.

Bird as you say has been a great player in the past. But that is in the past. Nowadays he seems to be worth about what we are reported to have offered him. Fair enough signing but not sure how you think he could have easily stayed at Dragons and earnt double what we have offered. He was reportedly on 600k this year which is not double the 400k a season we're alleged to be paying. He wasn't released from that contract but rather the mutual option wasnt taken up. Which would suggest that he wasn't likely offered any more at the Dragons.

I've spoken before about our club desperately needing a genuine lock. Hetherington is that. But he would be what, the 15th best starting lock in the game if he were to come here? Again a solid enough signing but not really one to get excited about and most importantly is yet to have happened.

Someone (poorly in my opinion) compared these signings to the Dogs suggesting all these guys could be part of a good team when combined with other good players. This is true but unless/until we drastically improve the forward pack, see continued improvement from the likes of Bula and Galvin and somehow revive Olam we aren't surrounding them with good players.

I am not suggesting that there won't be more signings to come. I'm just not going to get excited about a rumour that there will be more but rather I'll wait until there actually is more. I'm not suggesting we won't recruit around these guys next off-season and put together a solid squad. Again I'm not going to get excited until we do. Are we taking steps in the right direction? Yeah of course. Does next season look more promising? Unfortunatley, not yet in my opinion.
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Agree with most of this.

Remember too, that what really tipped the dogs over was Crighton........his a gun who in my opinion was what got Penrith home for two of their premierships.

You could argue Luai will have the same Impact with us as he did with the dogs.

Where the rubber hits the road will be what leverage Luai gets with lifting Galvin and Bula as well as rejuvenating if possible Olam, Bateman and Klemmer as well as Api.

And whether his signing attracts a couple of class hole running forwards.
 
Daine Laurie taking a cue from Nofoaluma's idiotic post. You would think these blokes had actually won the grand final. Laurie was treated with nothing but respect here. Glad we are clear of them as they are not the characters we want around the club
 
orange&black said:
Our pack certainly didn’t play like they were a top 8 pack. They might have looked OK on paper but they played like they were made of it! Sure the names were there but the performances were mostly below par with nearly all of them playing well below standards.
Replacing the Uto, Bateman and Paps that I saw (admittedly Paps was better at the end, especially as a middle) for the majority of games, wouldn’t be that hard as their performances were average at best.
In saying this, I do think we are short a couple of forwards still (a middle and an edge) and am hoping for some no nonsense workers/defenders and hard guys who can play longer minutes. We need better than Klem as a starter. Come Nov1 there are a couple of tough young props off contract- i hope we are ready to pounce and then agitating for an early release.
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I agree. ... I do get why they did not fire. Imagine bashing the opponents into the ground then they pass to their winger and our Center/Wingers go AWOL!

I saw those guys try so hard 2023. Loose so many games and just having the porus backline we had.... "hey boss you want me to tackle hard so we only loose by 12 points instead of 18!". I get why they were not as effective as they could be. When you are down 2 tries and you know how this ends... you give up.
 
2041 said:
I've got no objection to moaning - I've done plenty of it myself and lord knows the Tigers have given us plenty of reason to do it. My issue is when it's just all-consuming: everything the club does is always wrong unless it does things that are literally impossible, that sort of thing. It just gets boring.
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Agreed.

Particularly the stuff directed at the board. Look they were not perfect and Lee H was far too enthusastic with certain contracts and keeping them tight. But they are the board, they largely did well as a board. Compared to the chaos of Parramatta, Manly, Brisbane. I mean those teams succeed in spite of their leadership.
 
kade7 said:
believe tristan powell has been offered a cup deal for next year

he was on his way to hull, but believe visa issues may stop him

no guarantee he will take it up
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The Brisbane Tigers connection with Richo could strike again! At least we’re targeting good systems.
 
crazycat said:
re Olam...

Maybe, actually yea checked it's a MCL...

I still have no idea what these are. Kinda proud about that.
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One connects your shin bone and the other your femur . I have no idea which one is which . I know the ACL is way worse , because it’s generally much harder to fix , and more painful . I think you lose all control of your acl is done as well , where as the mcl , whilst painful, you can still do your thing . If youre a masochist that is … lol
 
Tommy_the_Tiger said:
Tualagi played GPS rugby at the same age
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I know a couple of guys that debuted on the wing in year 8 - one from GPS rugby, one from MCS league. Superstars at the time and through high school - one of them played a handful of super rugby games, the other a few of NRL games at a couple of clubs.

Makasini has potential but the real development starts now - what’s he’s done at school is irrelevant in some sense. I don’t know much about him other than there’s been lots of talk in the school rugby circles about him.
 
Lestronge said:
One connects your shin bone and the other your femur . I have no idea which one is which . I know the ACL is way worse , because it’s generally much harder to fix , and more painful . I think you lose all control of your acl is done as well , where as the mcl , whilst painful, you can still do your thing . If youre a masochist that is … lol
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ACL -anterior posterior cruciate ligament. Within the knee, along with the PCL. Controls anterior sheer force of the knee and added stability.

MCL - medial collateral ligament. Inside outer edge of the knee. Provides some lateral stability, prevents valgus forces (knee caving inward from external force).

ACL, normally minimum 9 month reco. MCL, anything from 1-2 weeks to several months in the case of a Grade 3.

ACL the far, far worse injury.
 
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