Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[rugbygoated]

I think those criticizing Luai are off their heads. I'm all in.

(and he didn't once totally break open a key Origin game that he was picked for lol...)

Worst value for money buy of the season by a mile

 

[Milky]

Aren’t Braith and Benji good mates?

Perhaps a little conversation about Pezet?

6. Luai
7. Pezet

14. L. Fainu

Fainu playing a lock role off the bench

 

[Oldman]

I think we should be very wary of signing spine players from good systems. Don't forget that Luai looked like he could be a game managing 7 with a kicking game at Penrith last year. At the moment Pezet is untested and throwing big money at him is a risk we can't really take when Luai and Latu are doing fine. It's our forwards that are the problem

Agreement we have Luai,Latu and Doueihi as our halves,
A dominant middle forward would be my first option.

 

[gregjm87]

I disagree. Just as we seemed to turn a corner vs Bulldogs late in the season. We lose 3 in a row including two bad losses vs cowboys and titans. Plenty of scoreless halves, choking big leads, massive losing streaks, shooting ourselves in the foot, still somehow can't win 3 in a row. We still don't have a consistent regular halfback in the NRL. AD has had a breakout season and is in a contract year. He will be good for us again but we can't rely on him solely. Luai can never step up whether he is at 6 or 7. Latu is still very green and has a lot of improvement but needs an experienced 7 to learn from. I think we finish bottom 4

I think we are one of the more difficult to predict teams for whether or not we improve next year.
You made some fair points in that our squad is essentially the same plus KPP and the side was very fortunate with injuries this year. So it's entirely possible if we are sitting middle of the pack or worse as far as injuries go we will regress next year. Particularly as I agree there is plenty of reasons to expect more from some of the other lowly ranked teams.
However there is a lot of potential for natural development in individuals across our best 17, Bula, Skelton, Taylan May, all 3 Fainus, Pole. I'm less confident but it is possible that we see more consistency from Toa plus who knows if Doueihi can turn himself into a capable 13 (if that is the plan). Enough individual improve will lead to a significant team improvement. I've more faith in some of the above than others, and I'm certainly not predicting we will suddenly look like top 8 material but next year is not without hope.

 

[gregjm87]

Eels will be top 8 next year. Ryles is a good coach. Iongi is a great player and will only get better. Lomax, Fox, Moses in the backline is a lot of points. Good rotation of hookers in Ryley smith and da silva. Decent forwards.

Knights have signed trey mooney, sandon smith and dylan brown. Holbrook too. They will not be near top 8 but they will improve with new combinations.

Titans will improve a lot with hannay as coach and foran in coaching staff. Brimson at centre and Kini at fullback is promising.

Manly could get the spoon imo... Fogarty is a decent player but in a bad team he doesn't shine. Loss of DCE and turbo bros potentially on the outer is another distraction

Dragons with senior Flanno will never win the spoon. They are ugly to watch but they have been in plenty of close games this year losing by a small margin and Atkinson will help them win those games next year.

Rabbitohs won't get spoon with wayne. This year was the year if at all. Murray back will be huge.

Cowboys have terrible defence and todd payten will be first coach sacked next year I think but there's no way they're finishing bottom 2 with dearden there.

Who does that leave? Tigers. We have ticked the box. 3 spoons and then a 4 spot jump. Coach and team seem happy to 'improve' and this acceptance of a low standard is not a good attitude going into the off season. Kai Pearce-Paul being our only notable signing is a worry. Jock Madden will be a solid backup but that's all. Mav Geyer might surprise a few, but ultimately his ceiling isn't very high. It is good to build some depth, but we need a lot more class. I'm not hopeful of a good season next year

I think Dragons are really building something.
2 X Couchman, Egan, Stewart, Halangahu are all going to have very good careers and is the making of a very strong pack in the future. Theres a few more highly regarded young forwards following them but it remains to be seen if they kick on should they reach first grade.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

If Justin Holbrook was the best coaching option on the market, Benji doesn’t seem so bad.

Unfortunately, we shouldn’t be in the position we are with Benji, considering a certain ex coach of ours and the position he’s in atm. And for us to luck into him after Cleary doing what he did was very fortunate. We could have easily ended up with a rookie. But Sheens decided to go into business for himself and set this club back even further than it was after Cleary took off.

 

[crazycat]

Only place he’s getting $1M per is back with ARU. He’s potentially an elite winger, which at best gets him to $650k, a possible centre option which maybe gets him to $750k, but who’s gunna sign him as an untried fullback?

Say you have the next GI or Israel Folau. You see them score 1-2 tries indivdually per game on the wing.

Do you:
push them to Fullback or Center where they score less?
or
keep them where they are?

Nofo was horrible for us. Because he let through more tries then he scored. But if you had a Nofu that could defend like Turuva, he would be worth 650k.

Center/wings are strike weapons. some don't even need you to give them the ball, they just snatch it.

 

[Magpies1969]

Is there an official list of players being farewelled now season is over?

 

[supercoach]

Games are not won on paper but when you stack our roster up against the other 16 I don’t see a top eight finish. I think we will be in the pack fighting for a finals spot but lack the grunt to ice it. Of course nobody can predict injuries and bad luck, so anything can happen, but I think we could finish anywhere between 17th and 10th. If Richo rattles a tree or two and two quality players drop than it’s a different story.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Is there an official list of players being farewelled now season is over?

It will be at the Grand Final luncheon before the GF

 

[Telltails]

There is always room for growth with most squads and I think without the distractions that impacted a percentage of the year we have scope to continue to improve. A couple of quality additions certainly would not go astray.
Injuries and depth is always the key to a successful/ unsuccessful season and the teams there at the end of the season usually have been able to utilise their good depth players, and have the majority of their best healthy.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

I don't believe Jock Madden is coming here to play reserve grade as a back up half back.

I like that attitude of self-belief. Push for a spot and push the squad to improve.

 

[TV Ted Ellery]

I think Dragons are really building something.
2 X Couchman, Egan, Stewart, Halangahu are all going to have very good careers and is the making of a very strong pack in the future. Theres a few more highly regarded young forwards following them but it remains to be seen if they kick on should they reach first grade.

I was going to say the same. Old mate's extolling a utility, Grant Atkinson, like's the second coming of Andrew Johns, but it's the Dragons wealth of junior talent which will see them rise from 2027, if not 2026.

 

[Buttface]

I think Dragons are really building something.
2 X Couchman, Egan, Stewart, Halangahu are all going to have very good careers and is the making of a very strong pack in the future. Theres a few more highly regarded young forwards following them but it remains to be seen if they kick on should they reach first grade.

We could target them while Flanno is on the nose due to continuing to picking his son and before he gets them winning.

 

[pacey]

I think Dragons are really building something.
2 X Couchman, Egan, Stewart, Halangahu are all going to have very good careers and is the making of a very strong pack in the future. Theres a few more highly regarded young forwards following them but it remains to be seen if they kick on should they reach first grade.

They also have one of the best young halfbacks coming through. Check the number 7 in this game, he seems like a real talent.

 

[Wezt]

Rabbits even without injuries are not a better team then us

Bit of delusion in this statement, they beat us with half their squad out

 

[Tom Shines]

Eels will be top 8 next year. Ryles is a good coach. Iongi is a great player and will only get better. Lomax, Fox, Moses in the backline is a lot of points. Good rotation of hookers in Ryley smith and da silva. Decent forwards.

Knights have signed trey mooney, sandon smith and dylan brown. Holbrook too. They will not be near top 8 but they will improve with new combinations.

Titans will improve a lot with hannay as coach and foran in coaching staff. Brimson at centre and Kini at fullback is promising.

Manly could get the spoon imo... Fogarty is a decent player but in a bad team he doesn't shine. Loss of DCE and turbo bros potentially on the outer is another distraction

Dragons with senior Flanno will never win the spoon. They are ugly to watch but they have been in plenty of close games this year losing by a small margin and Atkinson will help them win those games next year.

Rabbitohs won't get spoon with wayne. This year was the year if at all. Murray back will be huge.

Cowboys have terrible defence and todd payten will be first coach sacked next year I think but there's no way they're finishing bottom 2 with dearden there.

Who does that leave? Tigers. We have ticked the box. 3 spoons and then a 4 spot jump. Coach and team seem happy to 'improve' and this acceptance of a low standard is not a good attitude going into the off season. Kai Pearce-Paul being our only notable signing is a worry. Jock Madden will be a solid backup but that's all. Mav Geyer might surprise a few, but ultimately his ceiling isn't very high. It is good to build some depth, but we need a lot more class. I'm not hopeful of a good season next year

The Eels are your definition of a one man team … if Moses is injured ( he has missed plenty of time the past couple of years) they will be at the foot of the table again

 

[gregjm87]

We could target them while Flanno is on the nose due to continuing to picking his son and before he gets them winning.

We certainly should, I believe they are all signed up long term however, so may not be easy.

 

[426Tlgerland]

I seen Andrew Johns make comment about Jesse Southwell potential move to the Broncos , she has player option 26/27 in place and could leave Newcastle , Johns made comment similar to a few of us on hear saying it would be a tragedy due to the fact there are only a couple teams that are stacked with quality players ( Broncos - Roosters ) said if she left you may as well have just one round and the final which most likely be bronco V Roosters , the nrl need to look at it as there is def not enough guns to allow stacked teams , increase the ladies pay and bring in a draft to keep it even , Wests Tigers are a perfect example of min talent in a team , we need at least 3 regular top players to compete , spread the talent now or I think it will fold and not grow , Southwell is a very good player and if she goes to broncos she replaces Brigginshaw who is and has been a very good player , win win , she is better than our half by a country mile , step in NRL and fix it before it’s to late

 

[colinbh]

We could target them while Flanno is on the nose due to continuing to picking his son and before he gets them winning.

Never heard of them.