Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Vicious said:
Outside of our top 17, I don’t think we have anyone above 150 - 200k so that is not the problem.
We don’t learn from past mistakes and keep paying average to good players money that you should only be paying for elite players.
Who in our team could you call an elite player ?
I would not classify any of our players as even close to elite, yet we are still somehow close to our Salary Cao capacity.
So when we do not have the class to score many long range tries and lack the ability to even look dangerous when we are in our red zone, it is nothing to do with lack of effort or lack of coaching, it is simply lack of class.
Click to expand...
Well we have the likes of Hunt, Seyfarth, Toa on 450k.
I don't think you'll find anyone other than Craig, Herbert,Hope and Saukuru on under 200k.
Even the Lauliliis and Mason are probably on at least 250k
 
Last edited:
BlackWhiteGold said:
Just Samuela & Latu Fainu + Fonua Pole to go to lock away long-term.

Be great if the club can do this over the next few weeks and our core for 2028 is set.
Click to expand...
Sort of

We still need to save some money to pay for some quality, game breaking players.

Currently you'd say that Samuela is our only game breaker. We need 5-6 in order to be competitive for finals footy
 
Vicious said:
Outside of our top 17, I don’t think we have anyone above 150 - 200k so that is not the problem.
We don’t learn from past mistakes and keep paying average to good players money that you should only be paying for elite players.
Who in our team could you call an elite player ?
I would not classify any of our players as even close to elite, yet we are still somehow close to our Salary Cao capacity.
So when we do not have the class to score many long range tries and lack the ability to even look dangerous when we are in our red zone, it is nothing to do with lack of effort or lack of coaching, it is simply lack of class.
Click to expand...
I don’t think it’s purely by mistake. Every team has to pay their players elite money regardless of the talent. You have to spend 95% of the cap. That’s the problem with the comp with so many teams. Theres only so many elite players to go around.
 
mtd#2 said:
People crying about our koe depth next year. Compare it to the penrith koe backline. We arent in a bad spot at all.
The key is making sure we actually develop them.
Click to expand...
When you have superstars in first grade you don't need Superstars in reserves. Even then no doubt there's a few more Casey McLeans coming through the system.
Whereas we have a bunch of journeymen and losers.
The best young outside back at the club is the only one who's never even had a look in on the extended bench. And even then he's a better forward....

Javon Andrews is the one young player with not just potential first grades class, but potential star quality. The rest are largely garbage
 
Last edited:
weststigers said:
I said during the Knights game that Makasinis defence would cost us the game. Inevitably it did by missing a tackle on Young in his in goal that led to him handing it off to Best to finish it off.

Maka has cost us 2 critical games now where we may be looking at 9 wins 6 losses or 8 wins 7 losses which puts a different complexion on the season.

Through injury, we have suffered this year which is a shame, because overall, I think we are good enough to be top 6 with our best team on the park.

Btw - not panning Maka as a player. Just pointing out he's nowhere near ready for the responsibility of being a starting centre at NRL level. Too young. Too raw. Needs work.
Click to expand...
That try wa as not down to Maka. Half a dozen players were beaten.

At full strength our squad could maybe finish 8th, that's our absolute peak. It doesn't take much to fall away quickly.

But yes you are right Maka should vote be in first grade but with our injury run and terrible recruitment he will probably have to keep playing injured and out of position
 
Last edited:
crazycat said:
Cmon BB

So you want to blow our cap on Depth? Upgrade the above?

1. Attard
2. Tavana
3. Tupou
4. Herbert
5. Saukuru
6. Andrews
7. Fainu

Herbert is a good cheap center. Tavana is a developing winger.
Fainu/Andrews is a decent halves pairing for Cup.


Big money? Only Fainu I believe. That's what you want in your depth so you can spend on your 1-19.

Saukuru is probably the only one I would move on as they have been with us for ages and haven't done too much.

TLDR, not too bad.
Click to expand...
Saukuru is the only one out of those outside backs you'd want to keep. He's so far ahead of Tavana it's not funny. Probably the best all around athlete at the club between both NRL and NSW cup levels. Bigger, faster, stronger, more skillful.

Other clubs develop young players, so they have cheap players who can potentially contribute at first grade because of their physical traits. We don't recruit athletes

Attard is a decent prospect, but still needs another year in cup on a train and trial while he fills out.

If Tupou replaces Will Craig in our top 30 that's good roster development. If he's replacing Toa then that's horrible.

Herbert is cheap yes, but good no. He's old, slow, injury and error prone. He's good value on a train and trial
 
balmain boy said:
Saukuru is the only one out of those outside backs you'd want to keep. He's so far ahead of Tavana it's not funny. Probably the best all around athlete at the club between both NRL and NSW cup levels. Bigger, faster, stronger, more skillful.

Other clubs develop young players, so they have cheap players who can potentially contribute at first grade because of their physical traits. We don't recruit athletes

Attard is a decent prospect, but still needs another year in cup on a train and trial while he fills out.

If Tupou replaces Will Craig in our top 30 that's good roster development. If he's replacing Toa then that's horrible.

Herbert is cheap yes, but good no. He's old, slow, injury and error prone. He's good value on a train and trial
Click to expand...
“If Tupou replaces Will Craig in our top 30 that's good roster development. If he's replacing Toa then that's horrible.”

I thought he was more of a Luke Lualilii replacement?
Extra size and experience but with flippers
 
Buttface said:
“If Tupou replaces Will Craig in our top 30 that's good roster development. If he's replacing Toa then that's horrible.”

I thought he was more of a Luke Lualilii replacement?
Extra size and experience but with flippers
Click to expand...
Hope he doesn’t read this forum it would build a mighty complex, will be catching a 100 bombs every training session right through the summer we hope.
 
balmain boy said:
That try wa as not down to Maka. Half a dozen players were beaten.

At full strength our squad could maybe finish 8th, that's our absolute peak. It doesn't take much to fall away quickly.

But yes you are right Maka should vote be in first grade but with our injury run and terrible recruitment he will probably have to keep playing injured and out of position
Click to expand...
Maka was the only one that had a proper chance for a legs tackle and bottled it. Young ran around Sione despite his diving attempt and Luai tried desperately to get him from behind after Maka had missed, but Young was gone already - May chased and slowed him down and he passed it to Best to score - 6 players weren't even involved in missing him.

To be fair - apart from Ponga tackling Bula in the air, the pass from Best to Young looked forward in the in-goal.

The video tells no lies so you can name the half a dozen other guys he beat, but in my view, if Maka makes that tackle and we're not talking about it. He was the player that had the best opportunity.

Video below - will open at the exact moment.

 
Makas misses all seem relatively similar, he goes for legs tackles and they just slip straight out of his arms....probably due to him not using his shoulder as its shot...its all arms
 
balmain boy said:
Well we have the likes of Hunt, Seyfarth, Toa on 450k.
I don't think you'll find anyone other than Craig, Herbert,Hope and Saukuru on under 200k.
Even the Lauliliis and Mason are probably on at least 250k
Click to expand...
The average wage is $385k and with marquees like Luai, you need a lot below to offset him. You'd be surprised how many would be below that mark.
 
balmain boy said:
When you have superstars in first grade you don't need Superstars in reserves. Even then no doubt there's a few more Casey McLeans coming through the system.
Whereas we have a bunch of journeymen and losers.
The best young outside back at the club is the only one who's never even had a look in on the extended bench. And even then he's a better forward....

Javon Andrews is the one young player with not just potential first grades class, but potential star quality. The rest are largely garbage
Click to expand...
Garbage is a bit rough. Hooker in fledged looks good also the two front rowers in the same grade could develop into solid players. I like how Solo is developing. We really need a quality young controlling 7 to come through, not another bunch of 5/8’s.
 
Is there any chance we would have cap space next year for Moses Leota? Our starting pack would be one of the best in the comp,if not the best.
 
Y
balmain boy said:
When you have superstars in first grade you don't need Superstars in reserves. Even then no doubt there's a few more Casey McLeans coming through the system.
Whereas we have a bunch of journeymen and losers.
The best young outside back at the club is the only one who's never even had a look in on the extended bench. And even then he's a better forward....

Javon Andrews is the one young player with not just potential first grades class, but potential star quality. The rest are largely garbage
Click to expand...
People have selective memories I swear . When Mcclean came into first grade he was worse than Makasini . His first year was a very steep learning curve . Then game by game he got his confidence both within his own game and the system … and by next year he’s clearly the best centre in the game .
Something happened mid game last week with Masi . All of a sudden he was driving through tackles , and he looked a lot more potent . I know the Pom gave him a bath defensively so it was a case of 2 ateps forward 1 step back , but I felt like something clicked around minute 50 with Masi . It seemed he was getting in top of the big pom winger …. And then he wasn’t. I’m quietly confident he took a leap during that game. Like I said I know he was given a bath and it sounds like crazy talk … but yea I can’t explain it . It just seemed like all of a sudden his output went up 20-25%.
 
Lestronge said:
Y

People have selective memories I swear . When Mcclean came into first grade he was worse than Makasini . His first year was a very steep learning curve . Then game by game he got his confidence both within his own game and the system … and by next year he’s clearly the best centre in the game .
Something happened mid game last week with Masi . All of a sudden he was driving through tackles , and he looked a lot more potent . I know the Pom gave him a bath defensively so it was a case of 2 ateps forward 1 step back , but I felt like something clicked around minute 50 with Masi . It seemed he was getting in top of the big pom winger …. And then he wasn’t. I’m quietly confident he took a leap during that game. Like I said I know he was given a bath and it sounds like crazy talk … but yea I can’t explain it . It just seemed like all of a sudden his output went up 20-25%.
Click to expand...


You had me until


and by next year he’s clearly the best centre in the game


Herbie had me at Hello


My two man crushes are

1 Herbie

2 Casey

18 months for Casey to challenge and Herbie to drop back a little for best centre in the game
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 2,981 (members: 25, guests: 2,956)
Back
Top