The clubs next moves

[2041]

Get some big name signings asap. Cleary looked pretty coy when they mentioned a backup plan . Could be a fun couple of weeks of we nail some big ones.

Actually I think the single worst thing the club could do is rush into 'big name' signings to keep the fans happy. Nothing they do now is going to make a jot of difference in 2017, so while they should of course we working overtime behind the scenes to put together a competitive roster for 2018 and beyond it can't be done out of panic.

The only way anything good is going to come out of this is if the club seizes the opportunity to do the proper rebuild it should have started in 2013\. Frankly that probably means 2018 will be a write-off, too - because it'll take time for the right talent to become available. I'd rather run way under cap next season and have the flexibility to take advantage of opportunities to sign that will inevitably arise than spend all the money now in a futile attempt to put a side on the paddock next year that might jag 8th (and will then be over the hill with zero roster flexibility again from 2019).

The situation as it is now is a disaster. The club has managed to have its best three players all coming off contract together and hasn't retained any of them, at a time where it is also desperately short of both top-end talent and depth elsewhere. And it's not going to be fixed overnight: does anyone really think Matulino/Johnson/Dugan on top-end free market contracts plus the rest of the team we have is going to do any better than Woods/Moses/Tedesco plus the supporting cast?

The only way back is to accept that it's a long road ahead and start a methodical process of accumulating talent at value. Not spending like a sailor on shore leave because there's money in the bank and the fans are angry.

 

[Tacky]

I personal;ly would be looking at your players from the 20s comp and signing them for this year and maybe next year blooding them and seeing if we can find a diamond in the rough so to speak.

Considering our ISP team has only won one game I'd say that it's doubtful but, I agree it's worth a try.

 

[simonthetigerrrr]

I would argue that we have only lost one of our best players.

If we had lost nofa and mcillwrick then I would be devastated. Moses and woods are ok. Not end of the world.

 

[razor7]

Hodgo you clearly haven't seen our 20's play. They are woeful

 

[Born_tiger]

I personal;ly would be looking at your players from the 20s comp and signing them for this year and maybe next year blooding them and seeing if we can find a diamond in the rough so to speak.

Considering our ISP team has only won one game I'd say that it's doubtful but, I agree it's worth a try.

I'd be trying mapesoe in the halves next year (or even this year) he looks the goods

 

[barra]

Might be time for a good old fashioned raid on another club that needs to offload players, if we can get the right ones.

Just 'as a for instance', get Graham and Reynolds and another decent forward from the dogs - instant pride in performance and would give other players some confidence in our direction.

 

[Born_tiger]

I would argue that we have only lost one of our best players.

If we had lost nofa and mcillwrick then I would be devastated. Moses and woods are ok. Not end of the world.

100%, media have built it up so much.

It's all good, im happy to have these arrogant kids out of our club.

 

[MG1962]

The only way back is to accept that it's a long road ahead and start a methodical process of accumulating talent at value. Not spending like a sailor on shore leave because there's money in the bank and the fans are angry.

I agree totally. From Wests perspective it is now a buyers market. Buy a few solid adequate first graders, no superstars, and build a champion team, rather than try to buy a team of champions, while making sure any emerging talent from the juniors is retained.

This is the kind of role Clearly relishes, and has done rather well with. So I for one am not that concerned. We can pretty much write of 2017, so best to hang in there, enjoy the chance of some occasional success, and ramp up the enthusiasm for 2018

 

[2041]

Like everyone else is saying, a couple of big signings in key positions and we'll have a well rounded team. The Raiders lost Milford and tried but failed to sign Tedesco and someone else I think it was Proctor or Tamou. Now look at them. The Roosters lost Tuivasa-Sheck. Lots of team lose really good players. With the cap space and the coach we have we can poach some big name talent ourselves.

The Raiders slowly and methodically accumulated good players, often ones that weren't adequately valued elsewhere. Look at this:
Leilua: unwanted and released by the Knights.
Rapana: out of the game, signed through reserve grade.
Hodgson: signed from England.
Whitehead: signed from England.
Austin: released by the Tigers to make room for a preferred player.
Papalii: club junior.
Croker: club junior.
Boyd: club junior.
Soliola: signed from England.

Basically none of their players arrived in a big free-agent move domestically except Sezer (who is probably the least impressive signing they've made) and arguably Paulo. If you can't outspend other teams in free agency, especially the ones that don't have to worry about the salary cap, there's very little value to be had from entering bidding wars.

 

[Born_tiger]

Ill be back soon guys, Ive got to change my profile picture. (It'll take me a while) haha

 

[2041]

I would argue that we have only lost one of our best players.

If we had lost nofa and mcillwrick then I would be devastated. Moses and woods are ok. Not end of the world.

This fetishization of McIlwrick is getting ludicrous. Seriously: he's a solid first-grade hooker and appears to be a decent signing. He is categorically not in the same class as an established Origin prop, however angry you might be at said prop. Ask any fan of any other team whether they're rather have Woods or McIlwrick.

 

[batboy]

Pray for an earthquake to swallow this club up so we can start again from scratch

With Tedesco, Woods and Moses out of the way the club is starting up. The earthquake won't happen and the club won't be swallowed up.

With the huge available CAP money and the huge amount of off contract talent available Wests Tigers will have much better team of players and coach than it has had since 2010.

We will see Newtown , I can't see us attracting anyone of calibre

To attract talent you need some talent and it just walked out the door

No one will risk their careers at the Tigers , even the supposed 100% sured up Matulino has come out in the last 24 hours and said he isn't signed

Your wrong old mate…

- We've NEVER attracted talent, Bar maybe 3 - 4 players over the last 10 years,
And outside Gaz - They were reserve graders looking for a shot.
And the reason, We've been overpaying guys ahead of their earns since forever.
Let me say it again,

We've NEVER attracted Talent!!

As for the local young guns that are leaving us high and dry
- Well, no one has been lining up to play with them until now...
When and why would that have ever suddenly changed?
All we would have done is spend all our money on them (Same as we've always done) with nothing left to spend on putting a team around them - So they're left to do everything - And spent the next 5 years exactly where we've been before we realised that what we needed to happen is what has now happened.

Nothing against any of them, They can play.... And it's been a pleasure watching them all come through - I'll always keep an eye on them and wish them luck -
But they've been our mainstays for quite a while now... And nothing is changing.
Teddy is a star, and it will hurt a bit to watch him kill it...
But I can assure you a couple strike centres and tough back rowers will very much sweeten it all.

If we can buy 2.5 first grade props for the same money Woods is on - Then why wouldn't we?
He's only one guy...

Who is the Raiders James Tedesco? Who is the Dragons James Tedesco?... They don't have one.
They've built a team of guys who want to play for them - As a team.

Again, nothing against our guys.... But since the dawn of the club - We've had all our eggs in a very small basket and it SIMPLY HASN'T WORKED.

Wish the boys luck - But this is possibly the best thing that ever happened to us... Such a positive.

It will only take 1 buy - A guy that just oozes passion for the club and we'll be so, so much better off....

 

[Nelson]

It will only take 1 buy - A guy that just oozes passion for the club and we'll be so, so much better off….

I reckon this is an important point. We have ET and Lawrence as models of professionalism and application but they're not the most charismatic of men (no offence to them). They would inspire others to try harder because they wouldn't want to feel like they're letting them down. We need more than that though, we need a charismatic leader that inspires passion and a will to win. Not sure where to find one of those but the recruitment team is going to need to have a good think about the kinds of character traits the players they are targeting will bring to the club.

 

[Curaeus]

One good low cost option might be Trent Hodkinson from the Knights who has just been dropped and seems to be on the outer up there. Not brilliant but a solid very experienced first grader and an ace goal kicker.

 

[bp_tiger]

Like everyone else is saying, a couple of big signings in key positions and we'll have a well rounded team. The Raiders lost Milford and tried but failed to sign Tedesco and someone else I think it was Proctor or Tamou. Now look at them. The Roosters lost Tuivasa-Sheck. Lots of team lose really good players. With the cap space and the coach we have we can poach some big name talent ourselves.

The Raiders slowly and methodically accumulated good players, often ones that weren't adequately valued elsewhere. Look at this:
Leilua: unwanted and released by the Knights.
Rapana: out of the game, signed through reserve grade.
Hodgson: signed from England.
Whitehead: signed from England.
Austin: released by the Tigers to make room for a preferred player.
Papalii: club junior.
Croker: club junior.
Boyd: club junior.
Soliola: signed from England.

Basically none of their players arrived in a big free-agent move domestically except Sezer (who is probably the least impressive signing they've made) and arguably Paulo. If you can't outspend other teams in free agency, especially the ones that don't have to worry about the salary cap, there's very little value to be had from entering bidding wars.

and u know what there is plenty of talent English and aussie playing in the English super league, all it takes is for some one to go looking.

 

[2041]

One good low cost option might be Trent Hodkinson from the Knights who has just been dropped and seems to be on the outer up there. Not brilliant but a solid very experienced first grader and an ace goal kicker.

Except halfback is the only position on the park where the Tigers shouldn't be looking for an upgrade.

 

[kh_canada]

Pray for an earthquake to swallow this club up so we can start again from scratch

With Tedesco, Woods and Moses out of the way the club is starting up. The earthquake won't happen and the club won't be swallowed up.

With the huge available CAP money and the huge amount of off contract talent available Wests Tigers will have much better team of players and coach than it has had since 2010.

We will see Newtown , I can't see us attracting anyone of calibre

To attract talent you need some talent and it just walked out the door

No one will risk their careers at the Tigers , even the supposed 100% sured up Matulino has come out in the last 24 hours and said he isn't signed

Respectfully, that's garbage. Hottest young property in the game Kalyn Ponga signed for the Knights straight after a season in which they won one game. Players will go where the money is for the most part. Sure there'll be some, especially those at the back end of their careers, who won't want to be part of a rebuild. But there are countless examples of good players signing for teams that have been poor and there's no reason to think the Tigers' money won't be considered just as good as anyone else's.

Coaches also do their own in attracting players as well. Never know who Cleary could have connections with.

 

[Mr_Magpie]

Aren't these players under contract til the end of 2017?
If so, I reckon they will be doing their darndest at the Tigers.
But so much for Tedesco, Moses and Brooks wanting to play together as they've previously said.
Tedesco, as I see it, is the big loss. The others aren't in his class and can be replaced.
But by who is the big question.
We will have a stack of cash and I still think that means more to most players than a winning culture.
I'm pretty certain that we will get some big names (other clubs have cap and/or contract problems too) and we have a good bunch of young blokes who just need some experienced players to guide them around.
But we also need to look at the board! Farah goes for Taylor, Taylor goes for the players, the players leave anyway. And the contract they offered Moses was so over the top Cleary got it off the table.
We have a good coach so sort out the board and do some smart shopping especially for good forwards and something we really lack - solid defenders!

 

[bigsiro]

As we have been saying, Tedesco's loss is horrific but everyone else was expendable.

As far as I am concerned, our only possible consolation is if we (a) replace the world's best fullback somehow (won't be as good, so be it) and (b) also sign a proper game-breaking star (e.g. Cronk, Johnson, Hayne).
And for chrissake get a bloody goal kicker!

 

[Needaname]

Surely the clubs immediate moves would be to.

Swap Grant with Woodsz - make woods play out the minutes in the middle of the game when we need his experience as an origin prop. Reduce his game time to 4-50 mins max allowing Grant Sue Ava and Aloioi more time in the Middle.
Remove the captaincy from wooods/ force woods to relinquish the duties and give it to ET and Lawencebjoint captains for remainder of 2017.
Swap Noffa with Teddy. Make Reddy do the hard carries like Noffa does on the wing and get a good look at whether Noffa can handle fullback.
Finally take the game manager licence off Moses and hand it to Brooks forcing Moses not to overplay his hand become the support player Brooks so desperately needs.

If we don't make these chamg s at least after the rep period. Then we aren't going to be able to start building the remainder of the squad that are committed for next year.

Has to happen!