If we sign Mansour because Penrith want/need us to, so we can get an unproven smallish kid, and they get to keep a superstar of the future, we haven’t learned a thing and we will never get out of the mediocrity cycle.

Tigers rorted again. Anyone surprised?

Seriously NRL is just a farce.

@Aesopian said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

Why Wests Tigers are furious with Fittler and NSW Blues

By Michael Chammas
November 1, 2020 — 7.45pm

NSW coach Brad Fittler put a few noses out of joint at the Wests Tigers this week following his comments that he was “disillusioned” that the Tigers could not find a spot for a young Ryan Papenhuyzen at the club.

It’s the second time in a few months Fittler has had a crack at the Tigers, criticising the club for having “an identity crisis” and questioning whether they would “become anyone of real strength” on Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth in August.

Safe to say it didn’t go down well with Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis, who is the owner of Brydens Lawyers - the major sponsor of Freddy’s Blues.

Hagipantelis has asked club officials to reach out to Fittler to find out if he has a problem with the club. The Tigers haven’t had a player represent NSW in the past three years under Fittler, who overlooked Dally M winger of the year David Nofoaluma.

Going by the talk out of rugby league circles, it’s not the only thing that Hagipantelis has to be upset about. This column understands the Blues major sponsor hasn’t heard from NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden since March, prior to the COVID interruption. Trodden is under a bit of pressure, with an email doing the rounds of several clubs questioning his leadership.

Trodden’s name was mentioned as a potential replacement for Todd Greenberg as NRL chief executive earlier in the year, but there are very few people at head office who have good things to say about the NSW boss.

Foxx having second thoughts

There’s been another twist in the contract saga of Josh Addo-Carr, with the Storm winger indicating he is happy to remain at Melbourne next year should the club not be provided a suitable replacement.

Addo-Carr had signed a heads of agreement with the Wests Tigers that he would link with the joint venture in 2021 should he be released by the Storm. However Melbourne’s premiership triumph may have triggered a potential change of heart.

Good on you Lee. You’re putting your hard earned into the sport and have every right to challenge the biased brigade the NRL has become. That’s the kind of strong leadership WT fans want.

@twentyforty said in Luke Brooks:

I think Brooksy May just be the most misunderstood player in the nrl. He’s just trying to fit in, does whatever is asked of him by coaches and senior players.
Run the ball more? Sure, no problem.
Give Garner a short ball off your left ? Done.
Play second fiddle to Benji, why not.
Get rid of the short kicking game? Ok.
Bring back the short kicking game? Ok.
Now kick some goals please? Alright, anything else?
He’s a team player, just been trying to fit in. Maybe this is the season that the coaching staff and players should do the fitting in?

If he stays fit he’ll be right up there on the awards nights. Blokes would be waxing lyrical if he did some of what what he’s done for us in a Roosters jersey. Misunderstood yes. Underrated yes. Finally has some go forward, abso-bloody-lutely

1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1986th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 986th year of the 2nd millennium, the 86th year of the 20th century, and the 7th year of the 1980s decade. Also the last year the blue and gold army witnessed their sooky-lala team win anything.

@hobbo1 said in November 1 is the day:

Aiden Tolman commits

Welcome to Plodville

Population: 30

Any experience at fullback?

@Hangonaminute said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@BAGNF05 said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@Hangonaminute said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@Earl said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@Hangonaminute said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@formerguest said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@Hangonaminute said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

Lot’s of “fingers crossed I hope” going on next season it seems.

1 ???
6 Hope Do E is the correct fit
3 Hope he gets back to his best
4 Ditto
7 Hope he can guide this team around and gel with his spine
9 Hope he can firstly stay on the field, secondly be what we need at 9 (I have serious doubts)
And his understudy, we hope he’s all he’s cracked up to be and could handle stepping up.

All of these ??
Along with the hope that Blore and Stefano live up to their potential are the reasons why I see another disappointing season ahead.

Conversely, whilst I am unsure on the number one filling our requirements and second rowers a bit thin on the ground, so agree on Blore needing to step up in the absence of a significant signing there, I am reasonably happy with the cattle elsewhere and looking forward to the season.

Unlike many, I doubt that WT will miss Harry much, if at all actually.
Even disregarding the supposedly red hot prospect in Simpkins, I love the quick and accurate out in front pass that Liddle consistently provides, expecting Brooks and Douehi to shine with the time and space that service gives, with those wider also prospering on the back of it and not being run out of space on the right.

A much lighter and fit Leilua plus the speed of Roberts firing for WT in the centres is a real possibility and if not there are plenty of reasonable options to otherwise fulfil the role for mine, with a post remedial eye surgery Kepaoa set to shine and Talau as well.

Your first sentence says it all, if you don’t have a gun no1 you can forget about it.
The rest as I said are big “ifs”.

I don’t think the top teams need a gun no 1. You need a fair few gun players though. We don’t have a team of stars. Fullback and one edge backrow spot to me should be our priority signings so in our case I think we do need a gun fullback or edge backrower. You’d think we’d make the 8 with Tedesco and Angus Crichton in our team. Knowing our luck they’d both do their ACL’s in the first game.

The thing is we need real high quality players now and maybe you just get them via developing juniors.

The reality is we don’t have a gun in our spine at all, the top teams have at least 2.

If we’re to go any good at least one of our spine need to have a season like no other X5, I can’t see it happening unfortunately.
Realistically how much better is Brooks going to get, or Do E, or even Liddle?

If we couldn’t make the 8 with Grant we’re not going to with Liddle and no number 1.

The reality is, we don’t have a quality number 1, Brooks is Brooks and were hoping the other 2 have the seasons of their wildest dreams (and we still might not go any good)

I think our 6,7,9 might surprise, 1 is a major issue.

Brooks hasn’t surprised me yet, can’t see why that will change now, ditto with Liddle, I could see Do E maybe surprising but is he going to carry us into the finals himself?

Mate our spine is very ordinary

Brooks has been playing behind no go forward and the worst ruck speed in the Comp. We have a decent front row now I think Brooks will improve sharply.

I’m getting wrapped up in the hype around Simpkin and Liddle not the worst if he’s fit.

Think AD is in for a big year.

How bout just give us a one minute effort, then do it 80 times.

@pawsandclaws1 said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@tigerwest said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

How many development players (contracts) can a club have?

I was all for Fitzgibbon, but his trial game wasn’t a “sign me up” game, still think he is worth keeping, but may need a bit longer imo?

That play to score a try was clever as he used his pace to run further around to put the ball near the posts. Pace and the nous to catch the defence off guard highlights how important it is to have a raw JAC type in our squad. It will be the players like him that make all the difference The uncut diamond. Get him in the 30 and develop him as the Storm would do.

Apart from one moment where a high kick got big on him I thought Fitzgibbon looked good. Not afraid of the grunt work.

@strongee said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@hobbo1 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@hobbo1 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

Those saying Mikaele is unlucky, what exactly has he done for us, looks like Tarzan but intimidates nobody.

Has he delivered on potential? No

But why drop him when if anything form is improving in recent weeks, that’s what I find baffling. Good luck to young Seyfarth though.

He’s a category 4 plodder

Need the score breakdown please mate. It is a big call, unless you are giving too much weight to wrongness of head.

Try scoring ability - no stars
Speed - no stars
Hole running ability - no stars
Wrongness of head - no comment, too scary
Big hits that scare people - no stars

Mikaele?

Correct, justifying my classification of grade 4 plodder

I’d have him a class 3
Still better than Seyfarth imo

I haven’t seen enough of seyfarth to judge but the fact he’s taken this long to crack the team again worries me. We’re not exactly world beaters.

There’s a lot of reputations in that middle mate . Twal had origin hype , a couple years ago, Tamou is the captain , Uto is the prodigy , Joffa the origin player , Mika has been going well , and Packer has a rep as well . And Musgrove is a Madge favourite I think.

Production > reputation. Let’s see how he goes

@happy_tiger said in South Sydney's Latrell Mitchell in hot water:

$1700 for kicking someone …

On his wage that’s equivalent to a pie and a bottle of coke.

@hobbo1 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@hobbo1 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

Those saying Mikaele is unlucky, what exactly has he done for us, looks like Tarzan but intimidates nobody.

Has he delivered on potential? No

But why drop him when if anything form is improving in recent weeks, that’s what I find baffling. Good luck to young Seyfarth though.

He’s a category 4 plodder

Need the score breakdown please mate. It is a big call, unless you are giving too much weight to wrongness of head.

Try scoring ability - no stars
Speed - no stars
Hole running ability - no stars
Wrongness of head - no comment, too scary
Big hits that scare people - no stars

Mikaele?

Correct, justifying my classification of grade 4 plodder

I’d have him a class 3
Still better than Seyfarth imo

I haven’t seen enough of seyfarth to judge but the fact he’s taken this long to crack the team again worries me. We’re not exactly world beaters.

@jc99 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

Mikaele has had a few decent runs while Seyfarth has been excellent. People want accountability and rewarding reserve graders well this is it.

Seyfarth has averaged 127 metres a game, tackled at 95% efficiency, grabbed a try and works his butt off every game. Hard work deserves to be rewarded, no he won’t have the impact that Mikale can have off the bench but he’ll do a good job

Major issues with the team is Ofahengaue still on an edge and Chee Kam at centre. I’d swap Ofa and Garner and put Joey in for Cheeks.

You can’t be a big scary looking human in the NRL and just go okay, or make a few metres off the bench, it’s about rattling cages. I’m sure that’s not the targets Bellamy sets for his big men, just ‘mediocre will do’

@hobbo1 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

Those saying Mikaele is unlucky, what exactly has he done for us, looks like Tarzan but intimidates nobody.

Has he delivered on potential? No

But why drop him when if anything form is improving in recent weeks, that’s what I find baffling. Good luck to young Seyfarth though.

He’s a category 4 plodder

Need the score breakdown please mate. It is a big call, unless you are giving too much weight to wrongness of head.

Try scoring ability - no stars
Speed - no stars
Hole running ability - no stars
Wrongness of head - no comment, too scary
Big hits that scare people - no stars

Mikaele?

Correct, justifying my classification of grade 4 plodder

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

Those saying Mikaele is unlucky, what exactly has he done for us, looks like Tarzan but intimidates nobody.

Has he delivered on potential? No

But why drop him when if anything form is improving in recent weeks, that’s what I find baffling. Good luck to young Seyfarth though.

He’s a category 4 plodder

Need the score breakdown please mate. It is a big call, unless you are giving too much weight to wrongness of head.

Try scoring ability - no stars
Speed - no stars
Hole running ability - no stars
Wrongness of head - no comment, too scary
Big hits that scare people - no stars

Don’t expect MCK to start, Mbye to centres

@old_man_tiger said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

@bagnf05 said in Wests Tigers Team v Manly..:

Those saying Mikaele is unlucky, what exactly has he done for us, looks like Tarzan but intimidates nobody.

Has he delivered on potential? No

But why drop him when if anything form is improving in recent weeks, that’s what I find baffling. Good luck to young Seyfarth though.

He’s a category 4 plodder

Those saying Mikaele is unlucky, what exactly has he done for us, looks like Tarzan but intimidates nobody.

Look what Parra are getting out of a guy like papali’i, time for Mikaele to do something

Better leave some big money for a vicious edge forward as that’s what we’re lacking.