Stefano Utoikamanu #241

tig_prmz said:
You seemed to suggest in your previous post that there was something shady going on with their recruitment since the new owners came into play.

I'm just suggesting that they have recruited similarly to us in terms of $$ but have recruited smarter and got more out of their signings because of a better coaching staff and probably better support from Gould and co.
Click to expand...
I wasn't suggesting
 
AmericanHistoryX said:
Stef needs to go??? Ok. You know. Bellamy dont
Click to expand...
If all is correct l Stef wanted to win a comp ( Melb ) ✅
Stefs wife wanted to stay in Sydney
Stefs wife wanted to stay near mummy
Stefs wife wanted help with the child from Mummy and family
this could end up a mess ! Stef has to be able to man up every week , can’t see it , and do you think he had a good game a Thursday night , you need to look at it again , POLE WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME OR BETTER
 
Aceshigh said:
Too right mate he didn’t want to get down and dirty with his mates and lead them out of the rut , however i am glad he has gone to Storm and not Dogs , I remember Glenn Morrison leaving the Tiges saying he wanted to win a title , turned out Tiges won a title and he didn’t 😂
Click to expand...
Glenn Morrison left us for the Cowboys then got Hoppa’s finger of approval - I still remember the ref’s audio when Morrison made an official on-field complaint during a subsequent game at Leichardt oval against Wests Tigers:
“Hey Ref, it’s Hopoate, he’s fingering our ars#holes’”
Then the video of the finger in slow motion, like a heat seeking missile. 🤣
 
watersider said:
Just on blore, has he actually been that good in Melbourne? I haven't watched a huge amount of them but blore looks like he did for us in what I have seen. Solid but unspectacular and perhaps a decent plodder. The other second rower seems a much more threatening and impactful player.

To me Reuben porter plays at a similar level to Blore. I don't mean that as a knock on blore, just a solid player who gets through his work. Last night porter even showed a bit more than that. I was sad to lose blore but actually he hasn't improved as much as I expected him to.
Click to expand...
I'd expect a full preseason at the Storm might make him even better, as I have said elsewhere and you seem to agree, he was starting to show his current Melbourne form towards the end of last season with us.

Still think Melbourne got the better end of the deal.
 
Last edited:
Personally think he verbally committed to Storm some time ago when he met Bellamy twice when they were in town...it wasnt to discuss the weather
Seperately, I also dont buy the hype around him..looks the part steamrolls smaller players,but lacks mobility and comittment.And is lazy.And intimidated by other big props like Haas/JWH/Bromwich/Panthers where he just disappears
Bellamay will work on all his issues,but if it just aint there...it aint there?
Im Still thinking musgrove 2.0...same physique,,,same atttitude
 
Last edited:
TonyTiger said:
Glenn Morrison left us for the Cowboys then got Hoppa’s finger of approval - I still remember the ref’s audio when Morrison made an official on-field complaint during a subsequent game at Leichardt oval against Wests Tigers:
“Hey Ref, it’s Hopoate, he’s fingering our ars#holes’”
Then the video of the finger in slow motion, like a heat seeking missile. 🤣
Click to expand...
That was piss yourself funny!
 
TonyTiger said:
Glenn Morrison left us for the Cowboys then got Hoppa’s finger of approval - I still remember the ref’s audio when Morrison made an official on-field complaint during a subsequent game at Leichardt oval against Wests Tigers:
“Hey Ref, it’s Hopoate, he’s fingering our ars#holes’”
Then the video of the finger in slow motion, like a heat seeking missile. 🤣
Click to expand...
The Hopoate Incident happened in Townsville
 
Crazy how NRL allowed top names to invest in
Their chairman's start up. Forgot about that smh


Wests Tigers have written to the NRL to ask for clarity on Melbourne’s deal to sign their rising front-row star Stefano Utoikamanu.

The Tigers have disclosed their offer to the governing body: five years, $4 million and a vehicle. In total, the deal was worth about $825,000 a year. But that wasn’t enough to keep Utoikamanu.

As a result, the Tigers have written to the NRL so they can learn about the Storm deal to ensure it is within the salary cap guidelines regarding offers.

The Tigers made the best offer of the three clubs chasing Utoikamanu’s signature, so it is understandable they want clarity. They want to understand how they lost him to the Storm.

There is no suggestion the Storm have done anything untoward, but the Tigers want clarity. In the background to all of this is anger and suspicion from rival clubs who can’t understand how the NRL approved Storm players investing in a company part-owned by Storm chairman Matt Tripp.

There are a number of clubs who are becoming increasingly frustrated with that situation and how the NRL approved it. The clubs believe it has helped the Storm sign Utoikamanu.

In 2022, NRL salary cap auditors approved a controversial arrangement where a number of Melbourne players were allowed to invest in start-up betting company BetR, which was part-owned by Tripp. Those players are believed to include superstar trio Harry Grant, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes.

I have been told by sources with knowledge of the situation, who did not want to be named due to the sensitive nature of the issue, that some players invested six-figure sums in the business, which at the time was part-owned by News Corp.

BetR struggled to gain traction in a tough market has since merged with BlueBet. Tripp declined to comment when contacted.

Rival clubs are asking questions about the financial arrangements.

This masthead isn’t suggesting the players were given any guarantees over their investment or that the Storm did anything wrong, but rival clubs are fuming that the NRL’s approval of the arrangement helped keep players at the Storm below market value with the lure of a healthy return on their investment in BetR. In turn, some clubs feel this gave the Storm the salary cap space to sign someone like Utoikamanu.

Several NRL club officials raised concerns with the NRL at the time of the initial investment. Allowing players to invest in a business part-owned by the chairman of a club was always asking for trouble.
 
Kaito said:
Crazy how NRL allowed top names to invest in
Their chairman's start up. Forgot about that smh


Wests Tigers have written to the NRL to ask for clarity on Melbourne’s deal to sign their rising front-row star Stefano Utoikamanu.

The Tigers have disclosed their offer to the governing body: five years, $4 million and a vehicle. In total, the deal was worth about $825,000 a year. But that wasn’t enough to keep Utoikamanu.

As a result, the Tigers have written to the NRL so they can learn about the Storm deal to ensure it is within the salary cap guidelines regarding offers.

The Tigers made the best offer of the three clubs chasing Utoikamanu’s signature, so it is understandable they want clarity. They want to understand how they lost him to the Storm.

There is no suggestion the Storm have done anything untoward, but the Tigers want clarity. In the background to all of this is anger and suspicion from rival clubs who can’t understand how the NRL approved Storm players investing in a company part-owned by Storm chairman Matt Tripp.

There are a number of clubs who are becoming increasingly frustrated with that situation and how the NRL approved it. The clubs believe it has helped the Storm sign Utoikamanu.

In 2022, NRL salary cap auditors approved a controversial arrangement where a number of Melbourne players were allowed to invest in start-up betting company BetR, which was part-owned by Tripp. Those players are believed to include superstar trio Harry Grant, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes.

I have been told by sources with knowledge of the situation, who did not want to be named due to the sensitive nature of the issue, that some players invested six-figure sums in the business, which at the time was part-owned by News Corp.

BetR struggled to gain traction in a tough market has since merged with BlueBet. Tripp declined to comment when contacted.

Rival clubs are asking questions about the financial arrangements.

This masthead isn’t suggesting the players were given any guarantees over their investment or that the Storm did anything wrong, but rival clubs are fuming that the NRL’s approval of the arrangement helped keep players at the Storm below market value with the lure of a healthy return on their investment in BetR. In turn, some clubs feel this gave the Storm the salary cap space to sign someone like Utoikamanu.

Several NRL club officials raised concerns with the NRL at the time of the initial investment. Allowing players to invest in a business part-owned by the chairman of a club was always asking for trouble.
Click to expand...
The salary cap working to make it an even competition.
 
TonyTiger said:
Glenn Morrison left us for the Cowboys then got Hoppa’s finger of approval - I still remember the ref’s audio when Morrison made an official on-field complaint during a subsequent game at Leichardt oval against Wests Tigers:
“Hey Ref, it’s Hopoate, he’s fingering our ars#holes’”
Then the video of the finger in slow motion, like a heat seeking missile. 🤣
Click to expand...
Glenn Morrison left Balmain for North Sydney Bears ....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 518 (members: 10, guests: 508)
Back
Top