Rumours (signings, sackings & other NRL stuff)

[Tiger05]

What worries me with long term deals of 3 and 4 years for non superstars is then making the decision to punt them and then winding up in the same situation we were before, and the dogs are in now....offloading players and paying a percentage (some a large one) of their contract.

I agree with the comments above that we had to make a move last year as we were at rock bottom. I just hope we don't repeat the mistakes of the past.

I've always been a fan of the somewhat mercenary NFL contract whereby it's heavily performance and results based. No other team has attempted anything like this in the NRL . I would go as far as making it strickly win vs losses. That way you avoid stats players like woods.

We may get stripped of a title for going over the cap but tell that to storm supporters who saw and felt their team win on GF night and have the DVD's to prove it.

I think long term contracts should only be offered to younger players who have proven themselves and who take a pay cut per year. So a longer term contract should be in the clubs favour because the club is the one who is taking on the risk.

I have no problems for instance with a long term contract for Twal. I'm okay with the Mbye signing as well. Maybe the other guys will be alright. I don't think they have been terrible or anything. We look better with Packer and Matulino on the field.

Reynolds is the real concern but to be fair to him he has been injured and hopefully he can get a good run of injury free footy.

 

[Perth Tiger]

I think long term contracts should only be offered to younger players who have proven themselves and who take a pay cut per year. So a longer term contract should be in the clubs favour because the club is the one who is taking on the risk.

So you basically want to live in fantasy land because literally no player would ever except those conditions.

I think some of you are thinking in a vacuum and forgetting that we have to operate in the NRL marketplace. We chased Widdop and a few others but they unsurprising choose to sign elsewhere. If we didn't offer Reynolds 4 years we would have Littlejohn as a starting half this year. They are the only options.

Sure some of these contracts wont work out. But I would rather take a chance and sign players that are actually capable of winning games, and have proven so in the past, than sign up reserve grade talent for cheap 1 year contracts so that we can go through the whole process we went through last year again and again.

 

[simmo1]

Yep. If we offered Packer, Mbye etc only 2 year deals it's highly likely we dont get their signatures.

Sometimes shit teams have to take a few risks in the marketplace.

 

[Trollhammaren]

Out of interest, here's when all players are signed up 'til (hopefully it's accurate):

PLAYER
ALOIAI, Josh 2019
BROOKS, Luke 2019
CHEE-KAM, Michael 2019
EISENHUTH, Matthew 2020
FELISE, JJ 2018
FONUA, Mahe 2019
GAMBLE, Tyson 2019
GODINET, Pita 2018
GRANT, Tim 2018
LAWRENCE, Chris (c) 2019
LIDDLE, Jacob 2019
LOLOHEA, Tuimoala 2019
MARSHALL, Benji (c) 2018
MARSTERS, Esan 2020
MATULINO, Ben 2020
MBYE, Moses 2022
MCILWRICK, Matt 2019
MCQUEEN, Chris 2020
NAIQAMA, Kevin 2018
NOFOALUMA, David 2021
PACKER, Russell (c) 2021
REYNOLDS, Josh (c) 2021
ROCHOW, Robbie 2019
SUE, Sauaso 2018
TAYLOR, Elijah (c) 2020
THOMPSON, Corey 2019
TWAL, Alex 2020
WATENE-ZELEZNIAK, Malakai 2018
GIBBS, Heath 2018
MCINTYRE, Sam 2018
MIKAELE, Thomas 2018
SMITH, Dylan 2018

 

[Perth Tiger]

I wouldn't be fussed about resigning any of the off contracted players, although I don't know enough about the development guys.

Also I thought I heard somewhere that we are still paying about $700,000 of Farah's contract for this year. Is that correct? I thought that ended in 2017?

Is so you would think that we could forward pay some of the contracts since there doesn't appear to be many off contract stars this year and then make a big splash next year, hopefully with N Cleary.

 

[Tiger Ted]

Out of interest, here's when all players are signed up 'til (hopefully it's accurate):

PLAYER
ALOIAI, Josh 2019
BROOKS, Luke 2019
CHEE-KAM, Michael 2019
EISENHUTH, Matthew 2020
FELISE, JJ 2018
FONUA, Mahe 2019
GAMBLE, Tyson 2019
GODINET, Pita 2018
GRANT, Tim 2018
LAWRENCE, Chris (c) 2019
LIDDLE, Jacob 2019
LOLOHEA, Tuimoala 2019
MARSHALL, Benji (c) 2018
MARSTERS, Esan 2020
MATULINO, Ben 2020
MBYE, Moses 2022
MCILWRICK, Matt 2019
MCQUEEN, Chris 2020
NAIQAMA, Kevin 2018
NOFOALUMA, David 2021
PACKER, Russell (c) 2021
REYNOLDS, Josh (c) 2021
ROCHOW, Robbie 2019
SUE, Sauaso 2018
TAYLOR, Elijah (c) 2020
THOMPSON, Corey 2019
TWAL, Alex 2020
WATENE-ZELEZNIAK, Malakai 2018
GIBBS, Heath 2018
MCINTYRE, Sam 2018
MIKAELE, Thomas 2018
SMITH, Dylan 2018

Geez that’s a shithouse roster !

It will take a miracle to enhance it to the extent required to enable the team to finally become participants in September footy again over the next few yrs.

Question marks about spine continue, glaring lack of speed, regressing forward pack led by a few aging & sluggish kiwi props who Cleary hastily reunited with @ Concord.Our best forwards are an ex centre & a boom young prop discarded by parra then there’s daylight.

It’s going to b interesting to c what Cleary can extract from a no.of forwards who’ve clearly been on the decline this season.
Additionally & significantly can Cleary attract the appropriate players to plug our weaknesses without paying through the nose.I very much doubt it !

 

[Trollhammaren]

I wouldn't be fussed about resigning any of the off contracted players, although I don't know enough about the development guys.

Also I thought I heard somewhere that we are still paying about $700,000 of Farah's contract for this year. Is that correct? I thought that ended in 2017?

Is so you would think that we could forward pay some of the contracts since there doesn't appear to be many off contract stars this year and then make a big splash next year, hopefully with N Cleary.

Tigers (allegedly) forked out $750K of his $950K salary to play at Souffs in 2017 apparently, but nothing this season I'm sure.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Yep. If we offered Packer, Mbye etc only 2 year deals it's highly likely we dont get their signatures.

Sometimes shit teams have to take a few risks in the marketplace.

Who else was chasing Mbye?

So he doesn’t come if only offered 3 years? I doubt it...

 

[Perth Tiger]

Who else was chasing Mbye?

So he doesn’t come if only offered 3 years? I doubt it...

The cowboys for one, I am sure there were others.

And he is one we should be least worried about as for once the dogs will be subsidizing a large portion of his salary.

 

[BuffaloRules]

The cowboys for one, I am sure there were others.

And he is one we should be least worried about as for once the dogs will be subsidizing a large portion of his salary.

For the first 2 years only...

I cant recall the rumours that the Cowboys were after him but ok .. I'll accept that they were but we aren't going to know what length they offered I assume.....

Still, I think this is a concerning trend of signing players for long contracts and if Ivan gets it wrong, then he wont be here to pick up the pieces and it will be some one else's problem..

Also, no doubt the players and their managers the Tigers are going after know by now that all they need to do is ask for the extra year and good chance the club caves...

 

[Mario chalmers]

https://www.qrl.com.au/news/20182/06/18/intrust-super-cup-round-15-highlights-tigers-v-capras/

Scott Drinkwater is Josh Drinkwater's brother. He throws the last pass on the first try and scores the last on the bell. He is off contract at the end of the season. Missed a month or two earlier in the year but when he has played ISP he's shown himself to be too good for that level.

These are the types of players WT are crying out for.

 

[Front-Rower]

These are the types of players WT are crying out for.

No.

Tom Humble
Blake Lazarus
Ben Black
Mania Cherrington

Are just a few of the too good for "Reserve Grade" players who I can remember that were put into key positions and went tumbling out the back door.

We need hardened first graders with experience in big matches in the key positions.

 

[Perth Tiger]

For the first 2 years only...

I cant recall the rumours that the Cowboys were after him but ok .. I'll accept that they were but we aren't going to know what length they offered I assume.....

Still, I think this is a concerning trend of signing players for long contracts and if Ivan gets it wrong, then he wont be here to pick up the pieces and it will be some one else's problem..

Also, no doubt the players and their managers the Tigers are going after know by now that all they need to do is ask for the extra year and good chance the club caves...

It is simple though, we are a basket case club. Good players wont come here if there isn't an incentive.

I would much rather sign Mbye to four years (he is only 24 with 100 first grade games and has been around the Qld camp so has a big potential upside) compared to going into next year and still having no option at fullback and rotate through Tui, Thompson and whoever else wants a run all year and hope for some miracle signing in the future.

In reality there is no other option as good/rep players aren't going to sign cheap short term contracts with us.

 

[Tiger Ted]

The cowboys for one, I am sure there were others.

And he is one we should be least worried about as for once the dogs will be subsidizing a large portion of his salary.

Dogs are NOT subsidising a large part of his salary we are.Dogs r only contributing a minor portion to his extraordinary salary for ‘19 & ‘20.

Cowboys have mainly been focussed on signing Holmes who is light yrs ahead of Mbye as a player.

God knows how much Cleary & Pascoe have agreed to pay Mbye in yrs 3 & 4.One thing is certain from other contract deals made under their watch is that Mbye will b on massive overs.

Cleary & Pascoe are clueless in attempting to assemble a roster within the cap.They are innumerate & off their heads !

My favourite example of outright insanity is Reynolds being offered double (800k) what he is worth & was offered by his junior club & to compound the sheer stupidity for 4 yrs for someone @ 29 yrs of age prone to soft tissue injury & isn’t a game managers arsehole.Yeah real smart business deal by Cleary & Pascoe !!!

 

[Perth Tiger]

Dogs are NOT subsidising a large part of his salary we are.Dogs r only contributing a minor portion to his extraordinary salary for ‘19 & ‘20.

Cowboys have mainly been focussed on signing Holmes who is light yrs ahead of Mbye as a player.

God knows how much Cleary & Pascoe have agreed to pay Mbye in yrs 3 & 4.One thing is certain from other contract deals made under their watch is that Mbye will b on massive overs.

Cleary & Pascoe are clueless in attempting to assemble a roster within the cap.They are innumerate & off their heads !

My favourite example of outright insanity is Reynolds being offered double (800k) what he is worth & was offered by his junior club & to compound the sheer stupidity for 4 yrs for someone @ 29 yrs of age prone to soft tissue injury & isn’t a game managers arsehole.Yeah real smart business deal by Cleary & Pascoe !!!

So what is your alternative? I know these contracts carry some risk but would you really rather go into next year with Lolohea and Littlejohn as our fullback and 5/8 next year.

I can understand the complaints but give me a plausible alternative.

 

[Tiger05]

The cowboys for one, I am sure there were others.

And he is one we should be least worried about as for once the dogs will be subsidizing a large portion of his salary.

Mbye to me is a good signing and I'm cool with the longer term deal. That though doesn't mean we have to sign a bunch of players to retirement contracts.

I understand that Ivan has been under the pump to field a decent team this year and his signings haven't really been bad. He has actually done pretty well considering the players that are available.

There wouldn't have been heaps of teams though after Reynolds, Packer and Matulino. McQueen may be the worst of our longer term higher paid contracts but I think he was a Taylor signing.

I'd add that the only player we have missed who has left us has been the Turd. We would have overpaid Moses and Woods to stay and they weren't worth it.

So it's not a clear case of IC has stuffed us. I think IC is doing a really good job under tough circumstances however some of our higher paid signings are looking concerning at the moment.

 

[Tiger05]

I can understand the complaints but give me a plausible alternative.

Sign Reynolds for 2 years on the same dollar. Same as Packer and Matulino. Then wait and see what the market comes up with.

The best way to get players is to have money available. It's a professional sport now and if we offer more money players will come. It's all about managing to put together a good roster. The Dogs are an example of doing it completely the wrong way and they are in a much worse position than us.

 

[Perth Tiger]

Sign Reynolds for 2 years on the same dollar. Same as Packer and Matulino. Then wait and see what the market comes up with.

The best way to get players is to have money available. It's a professional sport now and if we offer more money players will come. It's all about managing to put together a good roster. The Dogs are an example of doing it completely the wrong way and they are in a much worse position than us.

100% guaranteed none of those players sign a 2 year contract. Players are after security, as any normal person is.

If you want to argue perfect world scenarios then go ahead but that is not a plausible alternative to me.

 

[simmo1]

So what is your alternative? I know these contracts carry some risk but would you really rather go into next year with Lolohea and Littlejohn as our fullback and 5/8 next year.

I can understand the complaints but give me a plausible alternative.

Sign Johnson and Trbojevic on 2 year deals, making sure we don't offer more than their current contract.

 

[simmo1]

100% guaranteed none of those players sign a 2 year contract. Players are after security, as any normal person is.

If you want to argue perfect world scenarios then go ahead but that is not a plausible alternative to me.

C'mon mate. Matulino should have no problems uprooting his family from NZ to play for Wests Tigers on a 2 year deal whilst paying higher rent, cost of living etc than he would on Auckland.