Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Vicious]

He is fairly short, but has a good frame and build and is very strong. He has good leg drive, has good contact and doesnt get driven back. He fits the mould of the short stocky modern day NRL prop. For context, his listed height is the same as Sione Fainu.

Sione Fainu is not short, so Rahme must be bigger than I thought.
That’s our hope, every season each club have a few players that become NRL players unexpectedly to most outside of the inner sanctum.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

That pack is less than decent.
It is full of guys either attempting to grow into an NRL player or towards the end of their journey.
2 injuries to the pigs in that 17 and we will get the spoon again.

It just shits me Tuck the middle needed one more big player before the Klem result so what do they do reduce the depth right on the eve of the season just dumb.

 

[Tucker]

So has the rest of the Rugby league world but obviously you would know better you tosser. Mate just admit you dont like the player for whatever reason you constantly point out rubbish. The kid is a freak ask any Rugby League expert and i have spoken to a few but You always talking like an expert out of your ass from your living room. What Galvin did last year in that side was one of the finest rookie years seen doesnt matter what bullshit you constantly come up with.

You seem upset Mrs Galvin.
Firstly I like your son. He seems a nice kid.
Secondly I think your son is a natural footballer.
Thirdly I think the club did your son no favours last year by throwing him to the wolves like they did. He did not earn his shot and certainly did not earn 21 games at 5/8th in his rookie year.
Lachlan seems to have a high ceiling potential wise. He is not being developed properly currently. Hopefully Luai can take the reigns and show him how it’s done. We can’t have him playing like he did in trial one.
Lastly, you write like a braindead, semi illiterate moron. Obviously you needed to liquor up to gather the guts to post what you did. Try and use some moderation “modman”.
Have a good night sweetheart.

 

[Merlot]

He is fairly short, but has a good frame and build and is very strong. He has good leg drive, has good contact and doesnt get driven back. He fits the mould of the short stocky modern day NRL prop. For context, his listed height is the same as Sione Fainu.

didn't look that tall. Loved that he said, loves to hit up n in to the ribcage when defending, Bring that on

 

[Tucker]

It just shits me Tuck the middle needed one more big player before the Klem result so what do they do reduce the depth right on the eve of the season just dumb.

Hopefully there’s a method to the madness.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Hopefully there’s a method to the madness.

Recent history wouldn't suggest that, but Richo is here now I need to calm down maybe time for some passionflower.

 

[Vicious]

Recent history wouldn't suggest that, but Richo is here now I need to calm down maybe time for some passionflower.

Haha I was just about to say it seems a little bit like history repeating.
As you say surely Richo is not that silly as to let us be lambs to the slaughter again in 2025.
A potential high class spine is not much good to us if we can’t get out of our own half.

 

[Spartan117]

Richo is getting rid of the contracts that don't allow us to move forward.

Klemmer is decent but not a709k player anymore.

It's a good thing to let him get a decent final contract.

 

[Telltails]

Bateman and Klemmer's contracts did the team/ club no favours its good business to move them on. No ill will to either player but they contributed to our position over the last two years and their contracts favoured them financially more than the output that they offered team.
Building a squad is all to do with effectively managing your cap and you have to always look ahead if you want to retain players and open opportunity to buy players to improve.
Moving forward - both expendable imo.

 

[Lestronge]

It’s a simple equation.
IF we lose Klemmer and do not replace him externally with another forward of proven NRL quality it will mean our likely starting forwards are;
13. Twal
12. Seyfarth
11. Sam Fainu
10. Pole
9. Korisau
8. May
14 Da Silva
15. Bird
16. Sione Fainu
17. Hunt

** I think most of our supporters agree that is a decent looking forward pack and bench rotation. Not brilliant, but hopeful they could get the job done against most opposing forward packs.
** After that we drop in NRL forward standard substantially and will be relying on players not only unproven at NRL level, but all except Tim Johanssen and Reuben Porter who have not even had one dominant game at NSW Cup level.

They’ve played first grade . That’s literally where you want to be . In fact where most smart clubs are . What your used to is this stupid club being able to turn to guys like McQueen and Packer , and whoever because we decided we should pay a 30 year old with health issues 600k.
You want guys who either just debuted , or if you’re lucky and they’re willing to take a pay cut , guys who are on the slide but want to remain in winning cultures .
Is Johannson that much worse than Eisenhuth ?
Do you reckon the storm we’re pumped to be paying Asofa Solomona to play for the bears ?
I don’t see the issue as long as we spend those 2 roster spots wisely on edge forwards / Taylor May and an edge .
Youre litterally forgetting these guys have played nrl . As well as Porter .

 

[weststigers]

The experienced head we are losing , is just that a loss .
But even experience has a finite value attached to it .
My guess is the voices brought in over the summer along with the continued progression of guys like seyfarth and co. Probably has made Klems influence around the playing group a little diminished .
I was listening to an interview and one of the players talked about Klem , and it was completely with respect and awe , but like in the way you respect those OGs who came before , not in a “I’m going to beat this guy to the 17 “ type respect . It just made me pause at the time , because there was no even mention of him leaving. For front rowers when it goes , it goes quick.

As a team, we have Api, Luai, Hunt, Bird, Olam and May. Add the guys that have been around for a while like Twal and Seyfarth and do we need more "experience"? How about performance?

I don't know. I think freeing up cap space on a guy that would be on the fringe is good business. We now have money to put towards positions we need.

 

[The Chad]

ill keep saying it
brandon smith could be at 13 next year

Transforms the 13 position if it could happen.

 

[The Chad]

I think the Prop rotation & the #13 position need to be looked at separately.

For the prop rotation & depth we have:
May & Pole
Twal & Sione Fainu
Hunt & Johannssen

In whatever rotation you prefer. (Personally- I suspect Twal fills the Klemmer role)

For the #13 role & depth we have:
Twal
Pole
Bird
Matamua
Kit Lualili'i

So you have 6 prop options that are realistically in the running without losing too much ground.

2 of those guys can fill the #13 spot.

So, at worst, 5 props available for starting & rotation purposes, if Twal/Pole take #13

I think that is pretty decent depth.

Any injury to the prop options probably results in Bird, Kit or Matamua stepping in.

I have said before- I think the key to our forward pack isn't signing from outside the club, but having one of our young guys in Matamua, Kit or Tim J stepping it up & challenging for a starting spot. There's enough cap space spent on the top options in the middle already.

 

[Leichhardt_Logger]

My hunch is Benji sees Sam Fainu's future as a prop. For that to happen we obviously need 2 more first grade quality backrowers. I can understand waiting it out, rather than throwing in on a mediocre front rower for our top 30. What I don't want to see is any undeserved top 30 promotions to fill the spot, I believe that is a backward step.

Its frustrating to see players released with no one coming in, but ive got faith there is a method.

Unless the journo has mistakenly said Sam Fainu instead of Sione Fainu. Think Sam is too slim for the front row, better suited for the back row. Also read that Benji has been coaching Sam to hole/line run in the back row so I doubt his inclusion is correct.

 

[Merlot]

Transforms the 13 position if it could happen.

thought we were just getting over coming last with busted has been s . Bird Olam ,wait there's more - THE Cheese and T May 2 is on their way ?, they all looked good on paper a few years ago

 

[LeichhardtTiger]

You seem upset Mrs Galvin.
Firstly I like your son. He seems a nice kid.
Secondly I think your son is a natural footballer.
Thirdly I think the club did your son no favours last year by throwing him to the wolves like they did. He did not earn his shot and certainly did not earn 21 games at 5/8th in his rookie year.
Lachlan seems to have a high ceiling potential wise. He is not being developed properly currently. Hopefully Luai can take the reigns and show him how it’s done. We can’t have him playing like he did in trial one.
Lastly, you write like a braindead, semi illiterate moron. Obviously you needed to liquor up to gather the guts to post what you did. Try and use some moderation “modman”.
Have a good night sweetheart.

And now I lay me down to sleep ... my boy Galvin, Tigers hope to keep!

 

[Demps]

Taylan May (2025)
Brandon Smith (lock, 2026)

Would be quite good.
Throw in the likes of a quality backrower like Jordan Riki....

That's a drive.

 

[finnzo]

Have they set a date?

2046 haha

 

[Spartan117]

Taylan May (2025)
Brandon Smith (lock, 2026)

Would be quite good.
Throw in the likes of a quality backrower like Jordan Riki....

That's a drive.

I like Brandon Smith bit I'm not sure he is the culture fit for the New Wests Tigers squad.

His premium salary would block us from keeping others.

I'm a no thanks to Brandon Smith in 2026

 

[Jolls]

Just checked - the sky is still in place!

Given the sky has not fallen, and Klemmer is probably as good as gone, even though the club is silent, where does it leave us?

Klem and Twal are similar players. Klem produced more PCM than Twal over the last two season and was behind Twally in all of the other key stats in 2024. For the last two years his output has been complained about by many on here and the big cry was that we can't afford to carry both him and Twal, and Twal was better value for money. So the Forum's wish has been granted, yet still we complain?

We have plenty of off contract players in 2026, but Klemmer was going to tie up a significant chunk of change to plug a hole in the middle. An opportunity has presented itself so Richo has acted to get us in a much better position cap wise for no real loss of output. Sure we are carrying more risk due to less depth in the middle; but it is an unrealised risk. It may occur, it may not, and we have a reserve grade team where we are developing players.

The imbalance in our roster has been well known for months and if you scratched the surface a little you would know that our cap was also out of kilter for 2026. So the 2026 cap now looks OK and we still have some low hanging fruit we could cull if a 2025 recruiting opportunity presents.

Klem's departure is simply smart footy business; opportunity presents, assess the risk, act. Sure it would be great to have a player of Klems reliability for depth - but not at $700-800K. The real (maybe perceived) 2025 issue is not Klemmer; it is our edge depth.

We are in transition from being perpetually shit with plans changing every time the wind does. Now we have stability, and a plan. I think we can stop jumping at shadows looking for every negative and start to focus on opportunities and climbing the ladder!