Lote Tuqiri officially signs with Wests Tigers

[N.C.]

I'm starting to have some rather pleasant daydreams in which opposing halfbacks are too frightened to kick long, and all our tries are scored on the flanks...

1. Tuqiri
2. Tuiaki
5. Tupou

I wonder if we'll ever get these three on the park at the same time?

What's Lote's support play like? Will Sheens start letting the pigs offload the ball in our own half now?

 

[Magpies_74]

A little early to worry about 2012.....

Not the point. People bitch and moan about Sheens. Then when some Souths mong says there after one of our best. It's OK Sheens will sell the place too keep him. PMSL

 

[DanOz]

Would that amount be right?

This would surley put pressure on our salary cap?

$400k is the kind of money you spend on a playmaker, not an old winger who hasn't played league for 7 years. If we bought him for half that on a 2 year deal I'd be cheering.

 

[N.C.]

$400K a year is a small price to pay for one of the highest profile signings our code will see over the space of a couple of years.

Sure, $400K buys you an old, clapped out winger (who incidentally should be able to catch the ball with the line wide open in front of him when we're two points down and in need of a win...) but it also buys something that's pretty hard to come by - bragging rights.

We got Lote, and we'll be able to bank on that for the next three years.

It's that simple...

 

[DanOz]

$400K a year is a small price to pay for one of the highest profile signings our code will see over the space of a couple of years.

Sure, $400K buys you an old, clapped out winger (who incidentally should be able to catch the ball with the line wide open in front of him when we're two points down and in need of a win...) but it also buys something that's pretty hard to come by - bragging rights.

We got Lote, and we'll be able to bank on that for the next three years.

It's that simple...

400k for bragging rights? One of us is simple. We'll have a good indication of who by the end of the year, and we'll know for sure in 3.

 

[N.C.]

Yes mate. $400k is chickenfeed.

 

[youngun]

Lote is only getting approx $200k from the club with the rest made up from a third party deal.

The Tigers rarely get anywhere near the cap quota due to the fact we aren't an overly financial club and the fines that we have received for salary cap breach are nothing to do with being over the cap but simply incorrect reporting, structures etc.

 

[N.C.]

In any case, Lote's on the books. For better or for worse. He might not win us a premiership, but maybe his signature will help us to secure more and better talent down the track. At the moment it's a question of looking for the positives in a year that should be a cracker, but will probably be another flop.

 

[DanOz]

Lote is only getting approx $200k from the club with the rest made up from a third party deal.

The Tigers rarely get anywhere near the cap quota due to the fact we aren't an overly financial club and the fines that we have received for salary cap breach are nothing to do with being over the cap but simply incorrect reporting, structures etc.

If that is the case, I feel alot happier about his signing. To think this guy would be on similiar dollars to Marshall, Farah and even Ellis was not sitting well with me.

Does the full 400k come out of our salary cap though?

 

[youngun]

If that is the case, I feel alot happier about his signing. To think this guy would be on similiar dollars to Marshall, Farah and even Ellis was not sitting well with me.

Does the full 400k come out of our salary cap though?

No only the component paid by the Tigers which is only half what he is actually receiving. So the way that I see it we actually have picked him up for a pretty good price considering.

 

[Magpies_74]

Has this been disclosed anywhere?

Only thing in the media is Lote gets $1.2Mill .The 3rd party sponsor mentioned is X-Blades which sponsor the club so they can only tip in 100K max

 

[The Pain Game]

Lote would probably only be on $150,000-200,000 for his first season and it would increase over the length of the contract (to maybe $300,000?). Then there is probably third party sponsorship, unless that is not possible with Benji and Robbie being marquee players for the club.

 

[Talanexor]

Am I the only one who rates his goalkicking? Seriously, even if he never scores a try all year, he'll help you win those tight games just because of his goalkicking.

I posted an article in here a while ago that said statistically Johnathon Thurston kicks better than Benji EVEN WHEN BLINDFOLDED. I like Benji, but you can't win a premiership with only a 60% goalkicker.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Am I the only one who rates his goalkicking? Seriously, even if he never scores a try all year, he'll help you win those tight games just because of his goalkicking.

I posted an article in here a while ago that said statistically Johnathon Thurston kicks better than Benji EVEN WHEN BLINDFOLDED. I like Benji, but you can't win a premiership with only a 60% goalkicker.

Benji is just too unreliable with the boot. He can hit them from the sideline to win games (Tigers vs Knights Cambeltown 2009), but he misses a lot of easy ones, that every other kicker in the NRL would hit 100% of the time. I think his 60% stat doesn't fully do him justice though, we score lots of tries in the corners compared to other teams, but he's not good enough to be a first choice kicker.

 

[Borat.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp7w7wEFLxg&feature=related


Hope he still has it-

TNT and Lote on either wing......doesn't get much better..... hopefully they can both get back to their peak.

 

[The Gambler]

Slightly OT - but I agree with the sentiment we need a better goal kicker than Benj.

Lawrence hit them sweet as a schoolboy, I have always been surprised he doesn't kick more.

 

[Ron's_Mate]

In any case, Lote's on the books. For better or for worse. He might not win us a premiership, but maybe his signature will help us to secure more and better talent down the track. At the moment it's a question of looking for the positives in a year that should be a cracker, but will probably be another flop.

Not only might it attract top quality signings in the future but the present benefit is how pumped the current players are about Lote joining. It's given them a good, confident feeling about the year ahead.

 

[ucantseeme]

Lote Tuqiri's european rugby contract expires in March.
Mark Gasnier's europen rugby contract expires in June.

Was any approach made to Gaz asking if he would like to earn $400k for us?

 

[westie]

No, why would it. As we've never had that sort of money to offer?

 

[The Gambler]

Don't need Gaz to be honest, his position is covered adequately.