Rumours (signings, sackings & other NRL stuff)

[Tiger Woody]

Cant understand all the hate on here for RF.Havent you guys noticed our attacking improvement since Mbye and Farah arrived?
This hog play stuff??Every hooker in the comp has hog plays.
In my mind hes in the top 4 hookers in the NRL still.
We can carry 2 hookers in 2019.......No certainty Liddle will be fit all year...Hes held together by tape and rubber bands....Where Farah hardly gets injured and plays 80 mins nonstop.
All clubs need 2 hookers in their top 30.

 

[Shredder]

Its only a "hog" play if it doesn't come off - if it does its brilliance.

If he tries things 8 times in a game and 2 of them result in tries and the rest are hog plays Im OK with it. At least hes trying.

Honestly, at this level its nice have a bloke who backs himself.

 

[Old Time Tiger]

I don't agree with Matty Johns point. Smith and Farah at their best are very similar but the problem is that Farah comes up with a lot of hog plays.

I missed your post yesterday Tiger05.

What Matty Johns said was playing under Bellemy and with Cronk & Slater.
Having Cronk in the team, the 9 (be it Smith or Farah) had a top shelf organiser to push the forwards and run the backs. Slater ran the backs from, well, the back.
Now think back to the Tigers and the 6, 7 and 1. Marshall has matured but only IMO because he had his stint under Bennett and age, who has Farah had who consistently played 7 & 1? And was a top shelf 7 & 1?

 

[Old Time Tiger]

Where Farah hardly gets injured and plays 80 mins nonstop

Wasn't it under Potter when he hurt his groin and came back early for the team? He did many things for the team and unfortunately, he will be remembered for the Tallis/Potter shit and rumours about him and player power, destablising the club, etc

Hog play, yep they all do it and as Shredder said, if it comes off, brilliant. He was still MOM last Sunday.

I'd have him in my squad next year and hope that he can help bring Liddle along. Benji and Tedesco came good after serious injuries, maybe Liddle will as well, I hope he does.

 

[Tiger05]

I missed your post yesterday Tiger05.

What Matty Johns said was playing under Bellemy and with Cronk & Slater.
Having Cronk in the team, the 9 (be it Smith or Farah) had a top shelf organiser to push the forwards and run the backs. Slater ran the backs from, well, the back.
Now think back to the Tigers and the 6, 7 and 1. Marshall has matured but only IMO because he had his stint under Bennett and age, who has Farah had who consistently played 7 & 1? And was a top shelf 7 & 1?

I agree to a point as well. I still look at Robbie and see a really good player but one that comes up with poor options at times which the top players like Smith don't seem to do as often. I don't think it's the players around him. I just think it's his game.

 

[BrotherJim05]

I hope Farah stays another year. There is no way it was just a co-incidence that Cook's rapid rise in form over the past 2 years happened while Farah was at Souffs. If he can do the same for Liddle, and have Liddle eventually push him back to reserves then I reckon Farah will hang up the boots a very very happy man

 

[Old Time Tiger]

Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary admits his desire to bring son Nathan to Concord is real as speculation begins to swirl about Luke Brook's future.

The Tigers have a big decision to make over the next four months as they attempt to lure Penrith and NSW playmaker Nathan to the club in 2020 with No.7 Brooks off contract at the same time.

Under NRL rules, both will be able to field offers from rival clubs from November 1 with Nathan stating his desire to sort out his future in the off-season.

Nathan has made clear his desire to work with his father at one point in his career.

"It's just another recruitment option," Ivan said.

Pushed on whether he would like to team up with his son at the Tigers, Ivan said: "Yes."

It puts Ivan in an awkward position - he has previously told Brooks to own the side and the Tigers local junior has responded by turning in the best season of his career.

It remains to be seen whether the Tigers can accommodate both Cleary and Brooks in the same side.

Both are organising playmakers and are arguably too similar.

Brooks under pressure.

Asked whether his son and Brooks could play together as a six and seven combination, Ivan said: "Who knows."

Brooks has stated he wants to sort out his future sooner rather than later and Ivan denies there is any lingering tension.

"I think Luke is doing really well this year," Ivan said.

"I think he's developing nicely as a player. He's a good person, he loves the club and that's really important. He's doing a great job at the moment.

"He knows exactly what the story is.

"Rugby league in terms of retention and recruitment, it's an on-going circus really. Every day there is a discussion and it's just how we roll."
https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/07/26/09/58/we-want-nathan-cleary-at-tigers-ivan

 

[Perth Tiger]

If it were me I would be offering Cleary Jr $5 mill over 5 years. Lock him in long to to ensure Cleary stays if we want him (looking likely).

I would probably then go to Brooks and say we like what you have done but you haven't established yourself as a rep half and probably only borderline established himself as a legit first grade half. I would give him the choice of 2 year $650K pa or 3 year $600K pa and see if he wants to back himself to make it and get a larger contract later or the security of three years.

That would leave us with Reynolds but the way I see it is we need him for next year as NC wouldn't come until 2020. In 2020 Reynolds would move to hooker, probably sharing with Liddle if he is still around or whoever. Hopefully he makes a successful Peter Wallace style transition. If not we can see if he wants a Farah style homecoming release to the bulldogs in the final year of his contract.

 

[Old Time Tiger]

Interesting read over on the Panthers thread
http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/threads/rumoured-and-confirmed-signings-part-4.455990/page-561

People comparing Brooks and Cleary. One comement I agree with, he was at the Tigers during the crap time of Potter/Taylor/Farah and all the associated dramas.

What the kid needed and he was a kid, was stability, leadership and an older head at 5/8, what he got was instability, no leadership and his flatmate at 5/8.


Perth Tiger, the Reynolds home coming makes sense to me, I think that is where his heart is.

Could Brooks evolve into a 5/8? Looking back over the years I can see he played U20's SOO at 5/8, does it mean anything though? I doubt it.

 

[Vozzy]

That article has a lot of telecrap about it. It's an article designed to stir things up. The headline and what Ivan is quoted saying in the article is 2 different things. Asking Ivan if he would like to coach his son and him saying yes doesn't mean that Nathan is coming to the tigers. And he just said that Nathan is an option.

They probably asked Ivan the question in general then they spun an article about Brooks future.

 

[Tiger05]

I like Brooks. He seems to love the club and he has performed as good as anyone for us this year. He deserves a longer term contract on decent dollars. Nathan doesn't deserve too much more than Brooks based on performances this year.

 

[Ron's_Mate]

That article has a lot of telecrap about it. It's an article designed to stir things up. The headline and what Ivan is quoted saying in the article is 2 different things. Asking Ivan if he would like to coach his son and him saying yes doesn't mean that Nathan is coming to the tigers. And he just said that Nathan is an option.

They probably asked Ivan the question in general then they spun an article about Brooks future.

Yeah, that's exactly what it is, and not the first time it's happened. Journo just asks some question like "Is Nathan a good player?" Ivan answers "yes" and the journo runs off and spins a web of BS around it.

 

[Shredder]

The game always evolves. Having Nathan and Brooks here together may just work. Brooks has been talked up as a dominant half and even though hes better this year, I still wouldnt call him an organising dominant half. He does run the ball nicely (when he does it) and having NC come in and move Brooks to 5/8 would be a nice experiment.

And I think its important to note that even is we payed NC $1.2mln a year and Brooks on $500k which is apparently hes current salary, that's a nice young and cheap (comparatively) 6 and 7 that could be the back bone of this club for 8 to 10 years.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Brooks will be signing for big money in 2020 whether its with the Tigers or somewhere else...

I would predict minimum $900K a season....

So if Nathan is signed at $1.2 Mil, it means they would be outlaying about close to $3Mil per year in 2020 on Reynolds, Cleary and Brooks...

I don't see that happening to be honest..

 

[Crazyperpman]

Sign them both.

Brooks is someone you want at the club, he has obviously worked his butt off in the off season and when his forwards have performed he has been good and has well and truly earned another contract with a modest upgrade.

BUT

If you have an opportunity to sign a 20 year old State of Origin halfback who does all his own tackling with an awesome kicking game you sign him up and worry about where other players will play later. The way halves play these days its the same anyway, they stay on their side of the field and play a first receiver role so I dont see any issues with having NC and Brooks together.

 

[super_coach]

Ideally you would want both NC and Brooks and Brooks strikes me as a kid who would be happy to let NC take over the role as the organiser. The trouble is, there are a few teams at present desperate for a quality no7 so Brook's price is going to sky rocket. So the question has to be asked will we have the cash to spread some real quality around the team if we have a fair chunk tied up in Brooks and Cleary.

Of course there is one other consideration, what happens to a guy on 750g with three years still to run on his contract..called Grub. Anyway interesting times and nice to be linked to some real quality for a change.

One last thing, if it happens, I reckon there is a real chance that Gus would release him a year early, so 2019 might see him at Concord

 

[Tiger05]

I'm not even worried about organising or someone owning the team. You need multiple attacking options.

Our issue is Reynolds on big dollars.

 

[Perth Tiger]

One last thing, if it happens, I reckon there is a real chance that Gus would release him a year early, so 2019 might see him at Concord

The only way I see him getting released early is if we are sending Brooks the other way

 

[Vic Mackey]

we would honestly be better splashing out for a top class center/edge backrower then spending $1mil on Cleary

 

[tiger102]

Has anyone heard if we are we looking or likely to sign Anthony Don / Sosaia Feki for next year?