Watchful Tigers keen to snare Blair

[Colonel]

8\. Bryce Gibbs
9\. Robbie Farah
10\. Keith Galloway
11\. Gareth Ellis
12\. Adam Blair
13\. Chris Heighington

14\. Liam Fulton
15\. Todd Payten
16\. Aaron Woods
17\. Andrew Fafita

That pack has premiership written all over it…

 

[TimmyB]

I am sure there will be some who are concerned about losing young forwards - Dwyer, BMM, Fifita and Woods. Even if it costs us 1 or 2 of these guys, I think it's probably worth perservering with. We only have a few years left of Farah and Marshall at their absolute peak. If signing Blair means losing two young forwards, but winning a premiership then it's worth it in my opinion. Otherwise we risk having all four young forwards in the team in 5 years, but no Farah, no Marshall and no premiership subsequent to 2005.

Interesting line up wise. To fill the potential 9 spots (excluding hooker) available in the forwards - though with Sheens more like 8 - we would have:

Ellis
Heighington
Gibbs
Galloway
Payten
Fulton
Blair
Dwyer
Fifita
Woods
BMM

A very, very handy group of forwards. Scary that 2, potentially 3 would miss out on a spot.

 

[Chris]

8\. Bryce Gibbs
9\. Robbie Farah
10\. Keith Galloway
11\. Gareth Ellis
12\. Adam Blair
13\. Chris Heighington

14\. Liam Fulton
15\. Todd Payten
16\. Aaron Woods
17\. Andrew Fafita

That pack has premiership written all over it…

One needs to drop off the bench to make room for a back. A back on the bench is handy indeed.

 

[happy_tiger]

8\. Bryce Gibbs
9\. Robbie Farah
10\. Keith Galloway
11\. Gareth Ellis
12\. Adam Blair
13\. Chris Heighington

14\. Liam Fulton
15\. Todd Payten
16\. Aaron Woods
17\. Andrew Fafita

That pack has premiership written all over it…

One needs to drop off the bench to make room for a back. A back on the bench is handy indeed.

Couldn't Fulton fill in as a mixture of both

 

[Colonel]

8\. Bryce Gibbs
9\. Robbie Farah
10\. Keith Galloway
11\. Gareth Ellis
12\. Adam Blair
13\. Chris Heighington

14\. Liam Fulton
15\. Todd Payten
16\. Aaron Woods
17\. Andrew Fafita

That pack has premiership written all over it…

One needs to drop off the bench to make room for a back. A back on the bench is handy indeed.

Couldn't Fulton fill in as a mixture of both

That's what I was thinking…

 

[Muffstar]

So is there any further news on this ? Surprised Parra are not in the mix given that Kearney and Blair go back a while, but the again , the Dog's might grab him :slight_smile:

 

[Balmain_Tiger]

if we sign blair we would most likely see dwyer drop back to nsw cup which would most likely do him some good i suppose…payten to then retire and dwyer to step back up.

could be the same case with woods though...depends if blair will play as a prop or back rower

 

[Sabre]

IMO if the story is right and we have $500k then i think the money can be better spend.
In my opinion we should do all we can to get Procter. Younger, cheaper and has a big future. Then there will be money left over for another signing.

 

[Bazzinator]

i could see the squad next yr looking like this if we get blair

1\. Moltzen
2\. Tuqiri
3\. Ayshford
4\. Lawrence
5\. ?????
6\. Marshall
7\. Lui

8\. Galloway
9\. Farah
10\. Gibbs
11\. Blair
12\. Ellis
13\. Heighington

14\. Fulton
15\. Dwyer
16\. Payten
17\. Fifita

18\. Murdoch
19\. Woods
20\. McKinnon
21\. Clarke
22\. Miller

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

i could see the squad next yr looking like this if we get blair

1\. Moltzen
2\. Tuqiri
3\. Ayshford
4\. Lawrence
5\. ?????
6\. Marshall
7\. Lui

8\. Galloway
9\. Farah
10\. Gibbs
11\. Blair
12\. Ellis
13\. Heighington

14\. Fulton
15\. Dwyer
16\. Payten
17\. Fifita

18\. Murdoch
19\. Woods
20\. McKinnon
21\. Clarke
22\. Miller

Impressive squad, throw in the Schirnacks and an NYC graduate and its a powerful team with a lot of depth.

Another positive with Blair is it will keep competition for spots for the forwards. Fults must be first choice second rower on the bench, then Fafita as first choice bench prop, and Payten as our forward utility and then BMM, Woodsy and Dwyer competing for a spot (personally I'd have Woods with Payten running second row.)

 

[LARDS]

Storm sweat on Adam Blair decision
Guy Hand
April 7, 2011 - 5:39PM
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**Adam Blair of the Storm is favoured to sign with the Tigers.** >
If New Zealand international Adam Blair is set to swing on the NRL player-go-round as rumoured, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy expects to know in the next few days.
>
Blair has been heavily linked with a move to Wests Tigers for 2012, with the club baiting a big-money deal to hook the sought-after 25-year-old forward.
>
Having lived through the pain and departures brought on by the Storm's salary cap scandal, Bellamy admits losing a player the club has nurtured from his teens is a depressing but realistic prospect.
>
"We've gone pretty hard to try to keep him, but if the rumours are true, we haven't gone hard enough," Bellamy said on Thursday.
>
"He's a wonderful player and we'd love to keep him. It's a big decision.
>
"We got him when he was about 16, we brought him over from New Zealand and it's really disappointing if that's true."
>
The coach's open door policy for his players is well known.
>
It is for that reason Bellamy expects Blair to come knocking soon - knowing full well the news may not be good.
>
"Adam knows he can come talk to me at any time, and if that's the truth, then I'd imagine I'd hear from him soon.
>
"It's his decision and he'll let me know when he thinks it's the right time."
>
Blair is reported to have been offered $1.5 million over three years by the Tigers.
>
They have shunted aside other suitors, including Parramatta, to be in the box seat.
>
Blair would join his New Zealand captain Benji Marshall at the Tigers.

Sounds promising.
Got to feel for poor old melbourne.
Hahahahaha

 

[Danos]

IMO if the story is right and we have $500k then i think the money can be better spend.
In my opinion we should do all we can to get Procter. Younger, cheaper and has a big future. Then there will be money left over for another signing.

We've already got plenty of young, cheap players with big futures (Fifita, Woods, Murdoch, Dwyer etc).. and it'll be years before they reach their full potential. Adam Blair is a premiership winner, Vice Captain for the reigning World Champions and at 25 years old we'll be getting him just when he'll be running into career best form. I can't believe anybody would turn their nose up at this signing.

And with regards to the money issue that some have brought up and the risk of signing Blair but potentially losing somebody like Fifita – Humphreys has been terrific at managing the club since he arrived, he's got great vision for the future, the big picture, not just the immediate and I doubt that he's short-sighted enough to throw a tonne of cash at Blair without first thinking what'll be left over for the off-contract players that we want to keep.

Of all the players on the open market Blair is pretty much the cream of the crop. It'd be a coup for us.

 

[jas83]

Would be a great signing. But I think we need to find spots for Fifita and Woods in the 17\. Toddy Paten has been a great player for us and I hope he improves once he gets his fitness this year but part of me feels his time is coming to a end after 15 years in the top grade. He is under contract for 2012 but I wonder if he will retire if he has a tough 2011? I hope he gains his fitness and plays to his potential because he is an important player to us.

I think Woods will over take Dwyer and Fififa by end of the year so my pack would be

8\. Gibbs
9\. Farah
10\. Galloway
11\. Blair
12\. Ellis
13\. Heighington

14\. Woods
15\. Payten
16\. Fulton
17\. Fifita

But I know Sheens loves a back on the bench and Dwyer

 

[spudoakes]

another forum states tigers very keen to sign him but he wpn't be going to tiger town wondering if there inside goss

 

[Guest]

If the Tigers are reportedly able to offer Blair $500k a season then it means every off contract player at the Tigers this year is pretty well gone with the focus on promoting anyone coming out of the NYC next year.

 

[Tigerdave]

interesting, so who's on the chopping block then?

 

[Guest]

interesting, so who's on the chopping block then?

Brown;
Daniela;
Moors;
Flanagan;
Utai

These blokes will be the first to go if the Tigers sign Blair.

 

[Black_Orange_White]

How do we have 500k? Anyway, if Blair signs with us, it will be amazing. The current NZ captains and a extremely handy forward that will hopefully win us a premiership.

 

[Guest]

How do we have 500k? Anyway, if Blair signs with us, it will be amazing. The current NZ captains and a extremely handy forward that will hopefully win us a premiership.

By releasing the players I listed above and most likely backloading Blair's contract for the first year and then letting Payten and Tuqiri go at the end of 2012 freeing up more money.

 

[Spartan117]

NRL Lone Scout
Juicy rumour from the Fox Sports people; "Wests Tigers have offered (the Storm's Adam) Blair a three-year package worth around $1.5 million, including third-party deals - a figure Parramatta officials concede they cannot match"

This was on his Facebook page… Apols if Duplicate.

Im hoping this number isn't all under the cap and the Tigers are utilising the 3PD system legally as per the broncos.

Be prepared to see someone leave...
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