What your team needs in 2017..WESTS TIGERS

[Russell]

I think one thing we need in 2017 and beyond is a better approach to the tail end of the top 25\. We're going to have quite a bit of money tied up in players like Naiqama, Rankin, Sironen, Edwards and Hunt who ideally won't be playing first grade. I don't imagine any of them are on bottom dollar contracts and at least one of them is on a contract substantially above minimum. We've been producing quality juniors for a while now and we should be more prepared to rely on them as first grade depth on bottom dollar top 25 contracts (like Paseka, Marsters, Tatola, Mapesone, Heleta etc). Saving a couple of hundred k at the bottom end frees up a couple of hundred k to spend at the top end.

Interesting above that we were linked to T-Rex. If we have any money to throw around I think it would be better spent on a winger like Taufua who would probably command similar money.

You don't pick the top 25 at the club Nelson - they are the top 25 earners at the club for the year. I would think if he is earning 250k as reported, then Siro would be in the 25 even if he doesn't play NRL. Therefore they need to offload him or we only have 24 to start with. Kev, Rankin etc. will be in there as well unless we are going to pay the 5 other players you mentioned more. It's a stupid system but what can you do.

 

[Nelson]

I think one thing we need in 2017 and beyond is a better approach to the tail end of the top 25\. We're going to have quite a bit of money tied up in players like Naiqama, Rankin, Sironen, Edwards and Hunt who ideally won't be playing first grade. I don't imagine any of them are on bottom dollar contracts and at least one of them is on a contract substantially above minimum. We've been producing quality juniors for a while now and we should be more prepared to rely on them as first grade depth on bottom dollar top 25 contracts (like Paseka, Marsters, Tatola, Mapesone, Heleta etc). Saving a couple of hundred k at the bottom end frees up a couple of hundred k to spend at the top end.

Interesting above that we were linked to T-Rex. If we have any money to throw around I think it would be better spent on a winger like Taufua who would probably command similar money.

You don't pick the top 25 at the club Nelson - they are the top 25 earners at the club for the year. I would think if he is earning 250k as reported, then Siro would be in the 25 even if he doesn't play NRL. Therefore they need to offload him or we only have 24 to start with. Kev, Rankin etc. will be in there as well unless we are going to pay the 5 other players you mentioned more. It's a stupid system but what can you do.

Yeah I know how it works, I'm saying it's undesirable that we've ended up in a position where we have guys like that taking up spots in the top 25 (and more than minimum salary cap space) and we need to move them on. Unless they're promising juniors I don't really like the idea of players 20-25 being on multi-year deals. I know Kev and Siro weren't in that category when signed but guys like Rankin and Edwards were. The Cowboys (Hess, Ponga) and Broncos (Arrow, Pangai Jnr etc.) have been using their juniors to good effect and we have the talent to do the same, we just have to back them.