Wests Tigers looking to shed veteran big men

[happy_tiger]

Would like to know what the strategy is once Heighington wraps up in 2013 for lock? I reckon he's likely to finish in the ESL. He has two or three years on Fulton, I wonder who they are looking to fill the void.

x2 CB I think we are on the same page with that one . I think also that we get more value out of keeping Fulton and Gibbs than we do with Heighington for the overall balance of the squad . 2014 for Rhino Central Coast if they get in and captaincy .

 

[BeeJay]

Interesting move by the club if true.
Hopefully the "insiders" are just gibbs and fulton playing a prank on the journo.

 

[happy_tiger]

Interesting move by the club if true.
Hopefully the "insiders" are just gibbs and fulton playing a prank on the journo.

True wouldn't be the first time that Gibbs and Fulton have done this Ripper Gee up if true

 

[Spartan117]

Dont be to sad for Gibbs and Fults

Any move to a new club will undoubtedly be coupled with and increase in their income.

The Tigers have to much young stars coming through … Nice problem to have.

Ps - No mention about Moltzen...

 

[happy_tiger]

Dont be to sad for Gibbs and Fults

Any move to a new club will undoubtedly be coupled with and increase in their income.

The Tigers have to much young stars coming through … Nice problem to have.

Ps - No mention about Moltzen...

It crossed my mind about the M word but did not want to start another thread about him

 

[Spartan117]

Two identical threads Merged.

 

[Discussion_Bot]

Wests Tigers are bracing for big changes up front, with long-serving duo Bryce Gibbs and Liam Fulton free to negotiate elsewhere and veteran prop Todd Payten believed to be eyeing retirement.

The fascinating developments at Concord headline a frenetic recruitment period that will also end with Darius Boyd, Kade Snowden and possibly Clint Newton in Knights colours next year.

While Tigers CEO Stephen Humphreys declined to comment, club insiders last night confirmed Gibbs and Fulton had been granted permission to talk to rival clubs as the joint venture moves to tie up boom forwards Aaron Woods, Andrew Fifita and Matt Groat.

Both Gibbs and Fulton have a year to run on their current contracts, and their preliminary exits would free up cap space for the Tigers to not only maintain their cubs but also finalise a deal with Melbourne superstar Adam Blair.

Having endured a horror injury run over the past 18 months, Payten is also thinking about giving the game away a year early.

Gibbs and Fulton's agent is understood to have commenced talks with Cronulla, who have also held preliminary discussions with Ben Ross as they prepare for life after Snowden and Titans-bound Luke Douglas.

The Sharks also made a significant play for Woods, but Wests are close to re-signing the 20-year-old local junior. They've also taken up an option to extend Fifita's contract for another 12 months.

[Source](http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/wests-tigers-looking-to-shed-veteran-big-men/story-e6frfgbo-1226052898891)

 

[Aladinsane]

What an utter disgrace. We must save Liam and Bryce. Blood is thicker than water Humphreys.

I totally agree with you there BB…..I just wonder if they know that Gibbs knee is completely stuffed.
I really think they bioth still have a great deal to offer.
For Todd, love the bloke buy he has being playing busted for a while now and only he knows when it is time to pull up stumps

 

[jas83]

Good news that Aaron Woods is close to re-signing and Fifita will be here next year with an option been taken up. We have alot of good forwards coming through who are must keeps.

I guess this is the pack we are looking at next year? Sheens must see Adam Blair as a front rower with Gibbs and Payten looking like moving on.

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

14\. Woods
15\. Fifita
16\. BMM

Its a good pack but the depth wont be as strong with Payten, Gibbs, Fulton and likely Mark
Flanagan going. Junior Moors is probably another player that wouldnt be re-signed.

With the salary cap going up in 2013 I wonder if the club could back load Blair's contract to keep Gibbs especially. I think its sadly time for Payten to consider retirement at end of the season and Fulton might have better opportunities elsewhere with our youngest coming through. We need to re-sign Mitch Brown as well.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

This is why I hate the salary cap, it penalises success. And the irony is going by that article, we are going to lose two great servants of our club in Gibbs and Fulton to a club like Cronulla that holds the rest of the NRL back!

Find a benefactor & successful marketing department or GTFO!

**Most clubs go through lean times if it wasnt for the salary cap even we would not have survived, get a grip**

Do you think the IC will see it the same way? They will be charged with ensuring the game makes the most money it possibly can. It will be run by successful high profile businesspeople with serious acumen in the field.

Yeah the salary cap did wonders for us in the early years with the likes of Tippett, O'Halloran, Beckett, et al… That kept us extremely competitive didn't it? We had poor decision makers holding the purse strings paying fringe first graders massive overs.

Once the IC come in, there won't be room for sentiment. Poorly run clubs who don't make money or add any benefit to the growth of the product will be forced to relocate or fold.

 

[Spartan117]

I reckon Gal will be on the chopping block soon if he doesn't fire up consistently.

You cant Keep Fifita and Woods on the bench for too long.

Their both young, very strong and Hungry

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I reckon Gal will be on the chopping block soon if he doesn't fire up consistently.

You cant Keep Fifita and Woods on the bench for too long.

Their both young, very strong and Hungry

Galloway's problem isn't his consistency on the field, it's his consistency make it out onto the field.

He is a great player when fit, but it seems a light south-easterly could put him on the sidelines for a month. He probably represents the least value for money in forward pack since he has come on board.

 

[Tigersmurf]

I look at this from a slightly different perspective. I find it strange that this story has developed so soon after resigning the pair. As such I believe it most likely that both Fulton and Gibbs may have already had approaches (I recall an article a few weeks ago regarding the Sharks and Gibbs), and that they have approached to Tigers to see whether a release is an option.

I know the guys love the club but cash talks and they also know that we need to keep the quality juniors that are coming through. Payten will likely join the coaching staff and as such is in a stable position.

I did think it interesting that Matt Groat was mentioned in the article. I have read that he is a good player, but he doesn't seem to get the wraps on the forum that other fringe players such as Josh Davis seem to receive.

I hope I am right as I would hate for us to have to kick these guys out - although they are under contract so if they want to stay our management cannot do anything about it.

 

[Chris]

I personally don't take any notice of what Josh Massoud writes. He's the biggest gutter journo there is. I believe he's still not welcome into the Wests Tigers dressing rooms as a result from some of the lies he's written about.

 

[you_know_who]

You cant keep them all and there are only 17 starting spots, i for one are upset at loosing two good players as well

 

[matty_tiepie]

I would rather keep Gibbs and maybe just offload Moors and daneila and also Payten to retire. Fulton not to fussed about but love the guy as a bloke ( met him a few times and is a good bloke ) Woods is a must to retain but i am still not sold on fifita at the moment.

 

[alex]

Would be keen to keep Gibbs. Payten and Fulton I'm happy for them to look elsewhere. We have a lot of fringe first graders I think we could get rid of in order to keep Gibbs ie Daniela, Schirnack, Moors, Flanagan. Still think a forward pack of Gibbs, Galloway, Ellis, Dwyer, Heighno with Woods, Fifita and BMM on the bench is where we should be headed.

 

[alexaki]

Before offloading Gibbs, I would offload Moors, Daniela and Flanagan. I would also "ask" Payten to retire early…But I agree with the strategy we must keep Woods, BMM and Fifita as a priority. I also like J.Schirnack...he is a good workhorse who does a "fulton" job but for less $$$.

 

[jas83]

How long have we been linked to Adam Blair? 2 months?

Is it just me or does anyone else find it strange that the club is only now looking at offloading players?

It seems that Blair has suppose to have been a done deal for ages. Wouldn't of club looked at this a month or more ago. It just means we are giving Melbourne and now the Roosters more time to come up with better offers for Blair to go elsewhere. Now what happens if we lose Gibbs and Fulton and Blair signs elsewhere? I know I wouldn't be very happy. The club needs to act quickly and work out what players are staying and going and if Blair is definitely coming. It seems to be dragging on forever and doesn't look like it will be solved for a while yet.

 

[BeeJay]

I wouldn't be getting rid of gibbs anytime soon, or fulton for that matter.
When these two were both injured at the start of this season you could notice how much we missed these guys in defence. Gibbs especially.

Gibbs has become the new skando, doing enough but nothing too flash in attack, but getting through some good quality work in defence.