Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[tigertye]

A lot of people seem keen to stick the boot into Thompson.....and sure he's not a tedesco calibre fullback, but name other players in our team who go out every week and belt themselves and slog their guts out like he does......
Sure he's not the best fullback going around, but he has certainly done enough to get a bit of recognition around the place.

I love Thompson. All heart and deserves a spot in the team. The tackle on Taumalolo when he made a line break was insane. It was literally the biggest and hardest player on the field up against the smallest and I can just remember him throwing absolutely everything he had into him and belted him.

 

[avocadoontoast]

What perception would that be?

For whatever reason, it appears WT are not overly high on the list of potential destinations for top line players. I believe this to be the case because we don't seem to ever sign any. I like Leilua and I think he'll be a good signing, but if that is our offseason big name signing, we're in a bit of trouble. That's not me being negative either, i'm even ok with signing Moylan. We just need to do something.

It's not for 'whatever' reason - it's because we haven't had any money to spend. The one year we did, we signed plenty of high-profile free agents. They were just rubbish.

This is going back to 2012 though. We've had money to spend since then. We also have $1.5m now.

 

[2041]

What perception would that be?

For whatever reason, it appears WT are not overly high on the list of potential destinations for top line players. I believe this to be the case because we don't seem to ever sign any. I like Leilua and I think he'll be a good signing, but if that is our offseason big name signing, we're in a bit of trouble. That's not me being negative either, i'm even ok with signing Moylan. We just need to do something.

It's not for 'whatever' reason - it's because we haven't had any money to spend. The one year we did, we signed plenty of high-profile free agents. They were just rubbish.

This is going back to 2012 though. We've had money to spend since then. We also have $1.5m now.

Yes, we had money before the 2018 season and we signed lots of high-profile, proven first-grade players. They were all crap, but they were all willing to sign for the Tigers. Who did we miss out on in 2018? James Tedesco? Have a look at the signings that year and tell me which top names turned us down. We weren't in for Ponga (we should have been, obviously, but we weren't). It's here: https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/12/07/2018-nrl-player-movements/

Other than that, this is the only time we've had cap space in living memory. So there's no history at all of the Tigers chasing high-profile free agents and them refusing to sign.

 

[tigertye]

What happened to the talk of us signing Nathan Brown? That went deadly silent.

 

[avocadoontoast]

we signed lots of high-profile, proven first-grade players.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you.

 

[TheDaBoss]

u know wat

my christmas wish list is for us to offically acquire Stefano from the SLimer, AND make them release him to us ASAP


and also maybe acquire LM or JAC :smirk:

 

[swag_tiger]

u know wat

my christmas wish list is for us to offically acquire Stefano from the SLimer, AND make them release him to us ASAP


and also maybe acquire LM or JAC :smirk:

Better hurry up and write to santa then

 

[avocadoontoast]

What happened to the talk of us signing Nathan Brown? That went deadly silent.

It was only reported on here by someone. Don't think there was ever anything to it.

 

[TheDaBoss]

u know wat

my christmas wish list is for us to offically acquire Stefano from the SLimer, AND make them release him to us ASAP


and also maybe acquire LM or JAC :smirk:

Better hurry up and write to santa then

im afraid he has put me on the naughty list after last NRL season........

 

[2041]

we signed lots of high-profile, proven first-grade players.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you.

I'm afraid it's not something you can choose to disagree with because it's not an opinion. We signed Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer and Ben Matulino before the 2018 season. They were all high-profile, first-grade standard free agents. If you squinted you could make a case for Chris McQueen, Benji Marshall and Mahe Fonua as well, though frankly it's not necessary to do so.

I'm not saying these players were good. They weren't; with the honourable exception of Marshall they were all flops. But if you look at that 2018 signing list you simply won't find a lot of higher profile players the Tigers attempted to sign but failed. Did we make a big bid for Tohu Harris, Ben Hunt, Kieran Foran, Dane Gagai, James Maloney, Mitchell Peace, Kane Evans, Josh Dugan, Matt Moylan or Jack Bird?

(as an aside, doesn't that list tell you that trying to build a roster by chasing top free agents is almost certainly going to end in disaster? How many of the clubs that signed that lot didn't end up with massive buyers' remorse? Harris and Maloney the only half-decent signings of the lot).

The Tigers have had significant cap room before the season precisely once in the past decade, and when they did the players they wanted to sign were happy to do so. Yes, that's probably because no-one else wanted those players. But it's not the case that there's a consistent track record of he Tigers making offers to top-flight free agents from other clubs and them refusing to sign for the Tigers.

 

[avocadoontoast]

’m afraid it’s not something you can choose to disagree with because it’s not an opinion. We signed Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer and Ben Matulino before the 2018 season.

It is an opinion. I don't consider the three you mentioned to be particularly high profile players. Reynolds was discarded by the Dogs, Packer has a high profile for non playing reasons, and Matulino was past his best. The only thing high profile about them was what they were getting paid.

 

[Tiger5150]

What perception would that be?

For whatever reason, it appears WT are not overly high on the list of potential destinations for top line players. I believe this to be the case because we don't seem to ever sign any. I like Leilua and I think he'll be a good signing, but if that is our offseason big name signing, we're in a bit of trouble. That's not me being negative either, i'm even ok with signing Moylan. We just need to do something.

It's not for 'whatever' reason - it's because we haven't had any money to spend. The one year we did, we signed plenty of high-profile free agents. They were just rubbish.

This is going back to 2012 though. We've had money to spend since then. We also have $1.5m now.

We also had those massive drawcards Mick Potter & Jason Taylor since then.

 

[avocadoontoast]

We also had those massive drawcards Mick Potter & Jason Taylor since then.

That is also very true.

 

[gallagher]

So it's not that players don't want to come here. It's just that we'r are so poorly run that we never have ther money.

 

[2041]

’m afraid it’s not something you can choose to disagree with because it’s not an opinion. We signed Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer and Ben Matulino before the 2018 season.

It is an opinion. I don't consider the three you mentioned to be particularly high profile players. Reynolds was discarded by the Dogs, Packer has a high profile for non playing reasons, and Matulino was past his best. The only thing high profile about them was what they were getting paid.

100% selective memory on your part. The Dogs' cap was knackered so they couldn't make Reynolds an offer (also, every single free agent who moves clubs presumably didn't get a better offer from the club they were previously at). Packer was coming off a massive season with the Dragons where he'd been talked up all year, also gettin recalled by NZ mid-way through the 2017 season and playing every game for them in that year's world cup. Matulino was lower profile but highly rated, and he was 28 - no reason to think he'd be past his best.

You're also refusing to engage with the main point I'm making: we didn't get turned down by other major free agents in 2017-18, which was - again - the only other time we've had money to spend in pre-season for the past decade. Look at the list: who were the players we pursued that wouldn't sign for us? We signed badly (as did basically everyone else who acquired high-profile free agents that year). That's not the same thing as players not wanting to sign for us.

 

[avocadoontoast]

100% selective memory on your part. The Dogs’ cap was knackered so they couldn’t make Reynolds an offer (also, every single free agent who moves clubs presumably didn’t get a better offer from the club they were previously at). Packer was coming off a massive season with the Dragons where he’d been talked up all year, also gettin recalled by NZ mid-way through the 2017 season and playing every game for them in that year’s world cup. Matulino was lower profile but highly rated, and he was 28 - no reason to think he’d be past his best.
You’re also refusing to engage with the main point I’m making: we didn’t get turned down by other major free agents in 2017-18, which was - again - the only other time we’ve had money to spend in pre-season for the past decade. Look at the list: who were the players we pursued that wouldn’t sign for us? We signed badly (as did basically everyone else who acquired high-profile free agents that year). That’s not the same thing as players not wanting to sign for us.

Not selective memory, I just don't agree with what you're saying. Respect that's your opinion. My opinion will change when quality players actually do sign with us.

 

[2005magic]

Depending on whats is more important could Brooks switch to fullback and shuffle around the halves with Marshall to half and Talau to 5/8?

Show some faith in who we actually have on the books. I'd keep Mbye and Momorovski in centres and Thompson and Nofo on the wings. If we can jag Addo-Carr either this season or next obviously one of the 2 wingers goes to reserves.

Edit- spend the time at moment getting the forwards right.

 

[momo_amp_medo]

Depending on whats is more important could Brooks switch to fullback and shuffle around the halves with Marshall to half and Talau to 5/8?

Show some faith in who we actually have on the books. I'd keep Mbye and Momorovski in centres and Thompson and Nofo on the wings. If we can jag Addo-Carr either this season or next obviously one of the 2 wingers goes to reserves.

Edit- spend the time at moment getting the forwards right.

What? You got to be kidding me?

 

[ElleryHanley]

’m afraid it’s not something you can choose to disagree with because it’s not an opinion. We signed Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer and Ben Matulino before the 2018 season.

It is an opinion. I don't consider the three you mentioned to be particularly high profile players. Reynolds was discarded by the Dogs, Packer has a high profile for non playing reasons, and Matulino was past his best. The only thing high profile about them was what they were getting paid.

100% selective memory on your part. The Dogs' cap was knackered so they couldn't make Reynolds an offer (also, every single free agent who moves clubs presumably didn't get a better offer from the club they were previously at). Packer was coming off a massive season with the Dragons where he'd been talked up all year, also gettin recalled by NZ mid-way through the 2017 season and playing every game for them in that year's world cup. Matulino was lower profile but highly rated, and he was 28 - no reason to think he'd be past his best.

You're also refusing to engage with the main point I'm making: we didn't get turned down by other major free agents in 2017-18, which was - again - the only other time we've had money to spend in pre-season for the past decade. Look at the list: who were the players we pursued that wouldn't sign for us? We signed badly (as did basically everyone else who acquired high-profile free agents that year). That's not the same thing as players not wanting to sign for us.

re Packer, he had broken down mid season for Saints (after a very good first half of the season). Legend has it Mary and the Saints staff all got up and clapped when he announced his deal with us (as they were so happy he had made his fortune after being in jail). Saints offer was about 400...ours was 650 plus.

That off season, yes, we did get players to come...but we paid massive overs for Josh and Packer. Not just "overs", but massive.

And we added a fourth year to their deals...just to make sure. Josh Reynolds, with a history of hammys, four years.

It was absolutely irresponsible from Cleary and Pascoe (who sat, smiled and signed off on it all)

**I do not care if we finish last in 2020 as long as we never do that again.**

Yes, throw overs at the absolute elite if you can get a current origin player...

But never, ever, throw massive overs again at broken down players past their primes.

 

[tigerbalm]

D**epending on whats is more important could Brooks switch to fullback and shuffle around the halves with Marshall to half and Talau to 5/8?**

Show some faith in who we actually have on the books. I'd keep Mbye and Momorovski in centres and Thompson and Nofo on the wings. If we can jag Addo-Carr either this season or next obviously one of the 2 wingers goes to reserves.

Edit- spend the time at moment getting the forwards right.

Sheen's would even shake his head at that suggestion