Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Oldman said:
BWG
I hope your way of the mark with AD playing in the Centre again his best is in the middle somewhere,
And
Bird and Naden please let’s say good bye to them and wish them well.
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Let's hope so @Oldman .

I only mentioned AD as potential depth if we desperately need him at right centre if To'a goes down.

What the game against the Titans reinforced to me is we need to recruit someone as depth for right centre who is strong defensively. It will help having KPP on that side with Latu Fainu but both Turuva & Skelton (whoever plays right wing) are not the best defenders outside the right centre.

AD showed this year how much he improved his defence at centre with good decisions & tackles. We don't have anyone even through pathways who stands out as a very good defensive right centre (Max Taotua is ok but still prone to poor decisions).

So maybe an Albert Hopoate or Corey Allan could fill this role at decent $$$ unless Benji can pull a rabit from his hat.
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
Let's hope so @Oldman .

I only mentioned AD as potential depth if we desperately need him at right centre if To'a goes down.

What the game against the Titans reinforced to me is we need to recruit someone as depth for right centre who is strong defensively. It will help having KPP on that side with Latu Fainu but both Turuva & Skelton (whoever plays right wing) are not the best defenders outside the right centre.

AD showed this year how much he improved his defence at centre with good decisions & tackles. We don't have anyone even through pathways who stands out as a very good defensive right centre (Max Taotua is ok but still prone to poor decisions).

So maybe an Albert Hopoate or Corey Allan could fill this role at decent $$$ unless Benji can pull a rabit from his hat.
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yea to’a is the weak link, latu covers for him massively defensively and that’s why when latu has come off injured twice that edge gets torn apart. turuva is a good defender but it’s obvious he doesn’t trust his inside man
 
tigahhh said:
yea to’a is the weak link, latu covers for him massively defensively and that’s why when latu has come off injured twice that edge gets torn apart. turuva is a good defender but it’s obvious he doesn’t trust his inside man
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I don't know why we re-signed Toa. He is good depth and has a good game in him but consistency and defensive issues will always bring him down in the order. Maybe as a replacement for Naden & Staines but I suspect he is being paid much more than that level.
 
We need more and better depth in the backs.

Next year at the moment our outside backs past the starting 5 are - Makasini, Laulii, Mason

This year we needed
Mason - 7 games
Naden - 8 games
Faatape - 2 games
Staines- 7 games
Luke L- 4 games
Tuitupo - 1 games
Makasini - 1 game
Bird- 1 starting, numerous off the bench

That's 30 games where those played in the backs plus whatever Bird played off the bench in the backline and we dont have enough depth.

Its not our top 17 for me its the next 10 we need to improve because those have often been the weak links
 
All 3 points below are bare minimum if we want any chance of competing for a top 8 spot next year. Still much more to do after these but:

1) Better assistants. I love Hodgson for what he did as a player but he has been nothing but a failure as a coach. Heighington was a low-IQ moron as a player who shouldn’t be anywhere near a coaching role and was a pure nepo hire. Holbrook or AOB if possible.

2) Better forwards. Throw our hat in the ring for Davvy Moale, Harrison Hasset and Viliami Fifita for starters and see what else falls out of the tree in the offseason. A bench hooker/utility not named Hope or Mason as Api can’t play 80 going forward and it really showed this year and those two are not it. Haywood to probably debut in the second half of 26 depending on how he goes in KOE. Throw Seyfarth in the toilet and flush him like the useless turd he is. Sukkar and Murray back to KOE as depth.

3) Finalise the backline. Replace Toa with Makasini and there’s our backline. Toa is the weak link, he’s lazy, poor defensively and is a sook. Bula, Turuva, Makasini, May, Skelton, Luai and Latu.
 
tigahhh said:
yea to’a is the weak link, latu covers for him massively defensively and that’s why when latu has come off injured twice that edge gets torn apart. turuva is a good defender but it’s obvious he doesn’t trust his inside man
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To'a definitely defended a lot better in his first 6 or so games this season before he sustained that elbow/arm injury and seemed to lose strength in it.

I'm just assuming he's already slated as our 1st choice right centre next season given Benji rates him so highly & was extended.

I think our best hope is we can recruit someone on 'unders' to create competition for To'a on that right side, the only one I can see who is available & a strong NRL quality centre is Albert Hopoate (just returning now from ACL).

Or rising 20yo pathways talent Max Taotua absolutely shoots the lights out in the pre-season!
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
To'a definitely defended a lot better in his first 6 or so games this season before he sustained that elbow/arm injury and seemed to lose strength in it.

I'm just assuming he's already slated as our 1st choice right centre next season given Benji rates him so highly & was extended.

I think our best hope is we can recruit someone on 'unders' to create competition for To'a on that right side, the only one I can see who is available & a strong NRL quality centre is Albert Hopoate (just returning now from ACL).

Or rising 20yo pathways talent Max Taotua absolutely shoots the lights out in the pre-season!
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i know there was word that hiroti was re-signing with the sharkies but they haven’t officially announced anything yet. he’d be the best out of the bunch, goal kicks i believe. sharks cap must have zero room to move anymore they have a lot of their squad on really long term deals. he did reject the dragons tho lol players rather play reserve grade than first grade under flanno
 
Wezt said:
It’s us or the Dragons that will get Nelson according to Buzz
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They also said that since Nelson is so tall he finds it difficult to adjust his playing style to the newer game but I find that BS as there are plenty of tall middles that don't get suspended. For me he has a low football brain IQ and lazy. If Melbourne can't get the best out of him, how TF are West's going to do better....
 
Not player signing news but admin staff, Wests Tigers has appointed Matthew Townsend as its new Chris Warren as Media & Comms Advisor. Comes with experience as Media Manager at Football Australia, NSW Waratahs & Newcastle Jets FC so has runs on the board. I think it was Matt interviewing Masi on the latest club Youtube video
 
I'll just be happy to have a squad next year that doesn't allow Mason a chance to play in first grade. Maybe in time he will turn into a good utility, but I'm sorry atm he is nowhere near N.R.L first grade standard. He hasn't got a clue how to read the attacking team running at him, he hasn't got the ability atm to defensively contribute in our system and he is totally ineffective when trying to tackle the opposition. The Titans ran straight at him and he couldn't do anything to hold his ground. We lost that game as soon as Latu went off. Iv no doubt Mason tried his best, and I don't want to pan a young player, but he was dreadful replacing Latu. He can not see first grade again until he seriously develops. It's a sign of where our squads at atm. If we don't see him in first grade next year, I'll take it as our squad developing.
 
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