Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

I'm not buying in to the Doueihi negativity completely.

Better defenders around him will disguise the failings better than last season.
Weve been trying to fit him into the team for years and he has always been ordinary. Its only recently that people have started waking up to him.
Nice guy and seems to give a shit, not what we require.
Very much like Brooks.
 
Except....Bird played extensively at centre (with a hand full of games at 5/8) and not at all in the forwards in 2024
I think if the focus is on defence especially on the edges, we may see Bird at right centre inside Skelton and outside Seyfarth to bring some experience to that edge (with Sam Fainu/Olam/Turuva on the left).

But in saying that, I do remember at the time of his signing, it was said Turuva would be given first crack at centre and maybe that's just in the trials to see how it goes.

In a perfect world, To'a will take a quantum leap forward in defence, physicality & effort and say 'right centre is mine'!!!
 
Except....Bird played extensively at centre (with a hand full of games at 5/8) and not at all in the forwards in 2024
yes and he was below first grade standard there. he's not a week-to-week outside back anymore. it's time for him to become a utility player.
 
Weve been trying to fit him into the team for years and he has always been ordinary. Its only recently that people have started waking up to him.
Nice guy and seems to give a shit, not what we require.
Very much like Brooks.
You know what he was though?

A pretty good winger. That was his original gig at Souths I think- thought he was pretty good.
 
It would be interesting if it was the Dragons who were after Bateman considering the number of backrowers they have at the Club.

They have Su'a and Leilua on big money, Eisenhuth, Faitala-Mariner and young guns Ryan Couchman, Dylan Egan and Jacob Halangahu all tipped to play first grade next season. With Bateman that would be 8 backrowers for only 3 positions (2 starting, 1 bench). Adding Bateman would block the path of one of the young guys who all have big wraps on them.
 
I have a feeling the centre pairings to start the year will be Olam and Toa, with Skelton and Turuva starting wingers.

I think we will see Turuva eventually push into the centres but not to start with. He is also a much better backup fullback than Staines so he will give us that cover.

Bird might actually start the season in reggies but there is so much pre-season to happen yet that we won't get any real clues until February anyway.
 
they did overachieve, but Jack was dropped mid-season in favour of Max Feagai.

he has a role to play at WT, but it's not in the centres.
Don't want it to be "I'm more right than you" type argument about this.

Bird got hurt & missed 6 weeks.

Came back at fullback in KOE before moving back into 1st grade at 5/8 due to injury.

Dragons were not handing positions out on Bird's return, as it should be, and he couldn't win the spot away from Feagai.

But he played 12 rounds at centre and then missed 6 rounds through injury before returning to 1st grade at 5/8 in round 24.
 
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