Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Cultured_Bogan]

Soooo, why has Sammy F put pen to paper yet? What is the hold up?

He's waiting for PNG to stump up the $850K tax free contract.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

The purpose has nothing to do with what you are implying and everything to do with political horseshit. The NRL doesnt give a stuff about growing the game in PNG and bringing locals into the league

Yep, a $600m "investment" to keep China out.

 

[TheEnz]

could be waiting for tartaks suspension to be lifted in december before the offical announcement. idk

I have heard this a few times, however he could just get someone else at Crown sports Management to do the deal. He is an owner of the company and not a sole operator.

 

[Tom Shines]

I have heard this a few times, however he could just get someone else at Crown sports Management to do the deal. He is an owner of the company and not a sole operator.

It’s similar to the idea that we were holding back Sam’s extension to announce during the Bye weekend .,.like we need some huge stage to announce these things..

 

[Vicious]

With Samuela I reckon it’s a case of “If you are willing to pay Terrell and Jahream 1mil per season, I should be getting the same”
And I would agree that Samuela is a more impactful player than the other 2.

 

[Bellend]

Yep, a $600m "investment" to keep China out.

Already in PNG through MInes and Fisheries.

 

[Lestronge]

I have heard this a few times, however he could just get someone else at Crown sports Management to do the deal. He is an owner of the company and not a sole operator.

??? Would you ? I go to my accountant every year . And there was period in there of 2 years I went and saw his protege, due to how busy he can get, It was not even close to the same outcome . To the point that I said I wanted the boss or nothing else .
Point is hair because they wear the same shirt does not mean the same outcomes . Or even a trust that they are pushing for outcomes that a guy that’s known you since you were 13 would push for .
I wouldn’t want someone else to negotiate for me . Put it that way . Not just the actual salary , but TPAs , clauses , bonuses , allowances , jobs for my family etc.

 

[innsaneink]

I would have expected at least 5-6 PNG players in the starting lineup from game 1.
I think it’s defeating the purpose if you are just going to have an international starting lineup up based in PNG and I reckon the PNG natives would feel the same way,
A young PNG winger Dudley Dotoi who Wests Tigers actually contracted about 3-4 years, but he unfortunately got homesick is now regularly standing out playing on the wing in Qld Cup and scoring tries for fun.
Tall, strong and lightning fast, he is 💯 NRL ready, but the PNG side have signed 2 ageing wingers to block his path,
That’s just one example.

I think they wanna be competitive from game 1.
That wont happen with 5 or 6 reserve graders in their starting line up
Duddles and his mates time will come

 

[Don Kershane]

Luai ,Johnston, Lomax, Watson-Does that make To'o the fifth Betel?

 

[Wezt]

2. Johnston
3. Lomax
4. Manu
5. To’o

They already have outside backs sorted

 

[Dr_Ice]

Ethan Roberts looks a good.prospect

Is he back on the open market Nov 1?

 

[Vicious]

I think they wanna be competitive from game 1.
That wont happen with 5 or 6 reserve graders in their starting line up
Duddles and his mates time will come

That’s assuming you believe a 36y.o Alex Johnston and a rapidly declining Brian To’o will be better quality players than a 21y.o flying machine who is already proving too good for Qld Cup and will be in his prime by 2028 when PNG enter the NRL competition.

 

[weststigers]

He is fast becoming a shadow of what he once was.
PNG looks like being a retirement village.
They will get 20 penalties/set restarts at every home game which will make them hard to beat at home, but I can’t see them initially winning too many away games.

But it's just a patch of grass? We need to learn how to win there right?

 

[Vicious]

But it's just a patch of grass? We need to learn how to win there right?

Yeah if you have a team containing plenty of high energy and aggressive minded players you can win anywhere.
We don’t have enough of that within our current playing roster.

 

[weststigers]

The incentive is living in Australia and not PNG...there is a reason they needed to provide a tax free salary to the Aussies in order for them to come on board. None of them are going to take unders because their salary gets doubled with the tax free incentive, They are expecting double in order to actually uproot and play over there. So the salary cap is the same as any other club in the NRL...just really attractive to players looking for a big payday and driven by the $$...it will be an interesting case study in motivation...i.e. will they be successful when the only reason players are there is to chase the $$. Look who they have so far Manu has been chasing $$ since he left Rorters, To'o has been taking unders form panthers for a number of years now and wants his payday, Luai needed to take the 7 money x 2 as he was not going to get that in his next contract anywhere else, Lomax got screwed over $$ wise in his last move so needs to cash in and has always been a mercenary, Johnston gets a final payday etc... I predict it will be a mess and as they say a team of champions does not make a champion team.

Australians consistently overestimate the draw of living in Australia.

PNG with piles of money will give you a lifestyle you could only dream of in Australia, particularly when they will be flying to Australia or New Zealand for 50% of their games...I'm sure there will be times when they spend 2 or 3 weeks in Australia if they have back to back games. They'll have plenty of time back home.

Give me 3rd world and an extra 400k in my salary any day of the week.

They've already made high profile signings and they will make more. This fake living in Australia incentive is for the plebs...these guys have the PNG prime ministers phone number to get anything they want and millions in 3rd parties on top.

 

[weststigers]

Yeah if you have a team containing plenty of high e edgy and aggressive minded players you can win anywhere.
We don’t have enough of that within our current playing roster.

But it's just grass

 

[balmain boy]

Morning people, just after watching some of the games over the weekend, i have noticed that most of the teams have very good, big and mobile young forwards coming thru that look 1st grade ready... So my question is do we have anyone coming thru that fits that build as nobody jumps out at me at the moment at our club unfortunately.

No. We don't is the simple answer. We have small, working types.

Anyone who remotely fits this description is very erratic in performance levels and defensive efforts

 

[balmain boy]

Ethan Roberts looks a good.prospect

Skando was more mobile than Roberts is

 

[TheEnz]

??? Would you ? I go to my accountant every year . And there was period in there of 2 years I went and saw his protege, due to how busy he can get, It was not even close to the same outcome . To the point that I said I wanted the boss or nothing else .
Point is hair because they wear the same shirt does not mean the same outcomes . Or even a trust that they are pushing for outcomes that a guy that’s known you since you were 13 would push for .
I wouldn’t want someone else to negotiate for me . Put it that way . Not just the actual salary , but TPAs , clauses , bonuses , allowances , jobs for my family etc.

you might be right, however im guessing he would still be pulling the strings in the background.

 

[Red Rugby]

Australians consistently overestimate the draw of living in Australia.

PNG with piles of money will give you a lifestyle you could only dream of in Australia, particularly when they will be flying to Australia or New Zealand for 50% of their games...I'm sure there will be times when they spend 2 or 3 weeks in Australia if they have back to back games. They'll have plenty of time back home.

Give me 3rd world and an extra 400k in my salary any day of the week.

They've already made high profile signings and they will make more. This fake living in Australia incentive is for the plebs...these guys have the PNG prime ministers phone number to get anything they want and millions in 3rd parties on top.

Sorry thats spoken by someone who hasn't spent time in Port Moresby or the Highlands.

Guess what happens when there's some jealousy about the amount people are earning....

Port Moresby Riots​

The riots in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, began on January 10, 2024, following a protest by security officers over a sudden reduction in their salaries and a tax deduction announcement by Prime Minister James Marape. The unrest escalated into riots, leading to arson, looting, and various civil disturbances. The violence resulted in at least 22 deaths, with significant damage to property and infrastructure. The Papua New Guinea Defence Force was deployed to restore order, and the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency for 14 days. The unrest was triggered by a protest strike outside parliament, which was met with unsatisfactory police responses. The riots were a response to socioeconomic issues such as rising inflation and high unemployment, and they highlighted the need for urgent reforms in the public transport system and the police force.

Wikipedia+5