Wests Tigers confirm 2020 Development Squad

[TheDaBoss]

Wests Tigers confirm 2020 Development squad
Author
Wests Tigers
Timestamp
Tue 22 Oct 2019, 01:27 PM


ive young guns will feature as Development Players for Wests Tigers in the 2020 season including two new faces in exciting Queensland duo Jake Simpkin and Reece Hoffman.

Simpkin and Hoffman join the club after starring for Wynnum-Manly in the Hastings Deering Colts competition in 2019 while also helping the Queensland U/18's side to a strong win over New South Wales earlier in the year.


A Southern Suburbs Tigers junior, Simpkin will feature as a Development Player in 2020 before moving in to the full-time squad in 2021 while Hoffman will feature as a Development Player for two seasons before stepping up in 2022.

Development Players will train full-time with the NRL squad throughout the pre-season and regular season, but are not eligible to play first-grade until Round 17.

Wests Tigers have seen good success with the progression of Development Players through to the full-time squad in the past two years — the club's Rookie of the Year this season in Thomas Mikaele was a Development Player in 2018 while Tommy Talau made his NRL debut this year in his first season as a Development Player.

2019 Wests Tigers Rookie of the Year Thomas Mikaele
2019 Wests Tigers Rookie of the Year Thomas Mikaele
Three Development Players from 2019 will also return for their second year in the squad in 2020 with Jock Madden, Kane Bradley and Zac Cini all progressing.

Madden and Bradley were regulars for the club's Canterbury Cup side throughout the year despite being Jersey Flegg-eligible, while Cini's strong form in his first year with the club saw the centre move in to the Development squad during 2019.

The club's 2020 Development Players and younger squad members will return for pre-season training in mid November before the remainder of the squad returns in the ensuing weeks following their various representative commitments.

2020 DEVELOPMENT PLAYERS
Jock Madden — Halfback, 2nd Year Development Player

Kane Bradley — Wing/Second Row, 2nd Year Development Player

Zac Cini — Centre/Wing, 2nd Year Development Player

Reece Hoffman — Centre, 1st Year Development Player

Jake Simpkin — Hooker, 1st Year Development Player

 

[balmain boy]

Not exactly breaking news but nice to have an article on the kids.

Have we offloaded Henry LP?

 

[thegbone]

Not exactly breaking news but nice to have an article on the kids.

Have we offloaded Henry LP?

hopefully, guys was a dud

 

[bythebeardofzeus]

Really hoping Cini has a big off season & press for a spot in 1sts.

From all reports he is exactly the kind of talent we need in our 3/4 line.

 

[balmain boy]

Not all players need to be on development contracts to be in future nrl plans. Players like Smith, Dillon, Scolari, Wilson will still be there abouts, and with one year left on their current deals if they kick on they could be promoted to nrl contracts in 2021

 

[fair dinkum]

Zac Cini

A future of Talua and Cini in the Centres could be electric. Cini has a great step and pace, exactly what the Tigers have needed for years. I think Cini will only spend a few years in the back line before bulking up as he gets older.

 

[WT2K]

Not all players need to be on development contracts to be in future nrl plans. Players like Smith, Dillon, Scolari, Wilson will still be there abouts, and with one year left on their current deals if they kick on they could be promoted to nrl contracts in 2021

Keen to watch Wilson next season. Looked very good from the few games I watched this year.

 

[ElleryHanley]

Really hoping Cini has a big off season & press for a spot in 1sts.

From all reports he is exactly the kind of talent we need in our 3/4 line.

Cini looks really good from the bits I have seen.

Bradley looked terrible whenever I saw him. Maybe I just saw him on bad days. Anyone rate him?

 

[TheDaBoss]

Really hoping Cini has a big off season & press for a spot in 1sts.

From all reports he is exactly the kind of talent we need in our 3/4 line.

Cini looks really good from the bits I have seen.

Bradley looked terrible whenever I saw him. Maybe I just saw him on bad days. Anyone rate him?

i do


give him this pre season, and he should fire

 

[Madge]

@ElleryHanley he just has something that our squad lacks and we aren’t used to, height and fast over long distances, isn’t overall skillfull

 

[ElleryHanley]

@ElleryHanley he just has something that our squad lacks and we aren’t used to, height and fast over long distances, isn’t overall skillfull

He looked very thin and immobile when I saw him. Looked kind of clueless. Maybe just needs some time?

 

[Madge]

@ElleryHanley yep needs to bulk up a lot. McDonnell apparently doesn’t rate him. Has the potential to be Corey Oates 2.0, we will see I guess.

 

[tigerap]

Really hoping Cini has a big off season & press for a spot in 1sts.

From all reports he is exactly the kind of talent we need in our 3/4 line.

Cini looks really good from the bits I have seen.

Bradley looked terrible whenever I saw him. Maybe I just saw him on bad days. Anyone rate him?

Bradley has height 6.6"...if he can bulk up he could be our "Blake Ferguson"

 

[Madge]

@tigerap no where near as agile or mobile. Bit of a stretch imo

 

[Thaiger]

@WT2K I confirm that Wilson, Smith and Cini were standouts in Jersey Flegg in what I saw.

These kids will grow over the offseason so I would expect their talent will shine through even more by start of next season especially if they are solid trainers. Not sure who were the hardest trainers of the young squad coming through in JF but if they want to develop they will need to put in, in the off season to fast track their paths.

Like everything talent on its own rarely gets you there - normally it’s talent and hard work. Hopefully this is recognised by club and selectors which I’m sure it would be.

 

[Tiggerman]

@TheDaBoss I think Kane definitely should be given a chance in the off season as when he went up to Cup he did manage to score quite a few tries but then it seemed to me he wasn't given many opportunities and maybe this is where his confidence was lost.

He did look out of sorts when he came back to Jersey Flegg for the last game of the season but again as others have noted why wouldn't we put kicks up for him given his size?

He's got his first season out of the road now so let's see how he goes when starting afresh. I'm not sure about his pace yet and he could end up closer to the ruck.

We seem to have a problem with the younger ones coming through in that we either have very big wingers who aren't very mobile, or smaller ones that are extremely quick.

 

[Snake]

@tigerap Bradley’s future is in his hands ... if he has a real dig , bulk up a bit and strengthen up he could work out ok ! This off season and next season is the moment this kid needs to step up otherwise just another want to be and disappear into the ether!

 

[Madge]

We seem to have a problem with the younger ones coming through in that we either have very big wingers who aren't very mobile, or smaller ones that are extremely quick.

100% agree with you.

 

[happy_tiger]

I wish all the boys coming through the best of luck , but it does concern me that many of the positions we are screaming out for talent aren't really covered by the 5 development players

 

[CarltonDry]

@TheDaBoss I think Kane definitely should be given a chance in the off season as when he went up to Cup he did manage to score quite a few tries but then it seemed to me he wasn't given many opportunities and maybe this is where his confidence was lost.

He did look out of sorts when he came back to Jersey Flegg for the last game of the season but again as others have noted why wouldn't we put kicks up for him given his size?

He's got his first season out of the road now so let's see how he goes when starting afresh. I'm not sure about his pace yet and he could end up closer to the ruck.

We seem to have a problem with the younger ones coming through in that we either have very big wingers who aren't very mobile, or smaller ones that are extremely quick.

The halves after Gamble left only played short to centres and edge runners, except for JR, so if they don’t use the sweep then Kane wasn’t getting much ball. Hopefully with the new CC coach this will be fixed 🤞