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Off season recruits

Perth Tiger

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,225
R2Coupe said:
Best front rower in the world? It is a big call when he hasn't been tested in the NRL.

The young players mentioned are not just average players.

Always the dilemma, buy big or save your dollars for the outcome of junior development.

Why develop them if you lose them? Why in Woods' case earmark money from your top NRL cap for three or more years to retain him and then lose him? Doesn't make good business sense.
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Not being tested in the NRL has been proved by Ellis and Burgess to be BS. Graham is a quality player and will have the same type of impact if he decides to come to the NRL.

In an ideal world I would want to keep all our juniors and sign the top players but we all know we can't keep everyone.

I agree to some extant with you. I would rather keep and develop our juniors than go out and buy your average first grader. But when one of the best players in their position is available, particularly a prop, you would be crazy not to go for them.

If it came down to it why would you keep Woods and the Shirnacks in the hope that they might become as good as Graham is when you can just get Graham now.
 
W

westie

Bench
Messages
3,936
Perth Tiger said:
Not being tested in the NRL has been proved by Ellis and Burgess to be BS. Graham is a quality player and will have the same type of impact if he decides to come to the NRL.

In an ideal world I would want to keep all our juniors and sign the top players but we all know we can't keep everyone.

I agree to some extant with you. I would rather keep and develop our juniors than go out and buy your average first grader. But when one of the best players in their position is available, particularly a prop, you would be crazy not to go for them.

If it came down to it why would you keep Woods and the Shirnacks in the hope that they might become as good as Graham is when you can just get Graham now.
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This is what I was about to say.

Graham is better than Ellis and Burgess. He's also better than all our young props could hope to be, put together. The only question is, can we afford him. And should we be getting a proper half instead.
 
G

gronkathon

First Grade
Messages
9,266
If Souths have proven anything it is that a great pack of forwards can make a useless halves combination seem like a great one. Imagine what they could do with Marshall and Farah and whoever they want to throw in the 7
 
R

R2Coupe

Juniors
Messages
1,520
Jacob Miller is an outstanding signing. It appears our recruitment staff are working hard to put together the best team possible. Miller, with the shortage of halves, is a big signing.

I watched the Titans 5/8 who is an ex Aust Schoolboy from Palm Beach. He is rated highly, but Miller IMHO is far better. Miller among many attributes, has time and great pace. I am very excited about him coming to the Tigers.
 
hybrid_tiger

hybrid_tiger

Coach
Messages
11,684
gronkathon said:
If Souths have proven anything it is that a great pack of forwards can make a useless halves combination seem like a great one. Imagine what they could do with Marshall and Farah and whoever they want to throw in the 7
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Yep, if Lui is sacked then Moltzen @ #7 is good enough for me. Throw Graham in our pack and it would be just about the best in the comp.
 
R

R2Coupe

Juniors
Messages
1,520
What happened to club spirit? We have some of the most promising young forwards coming through the lower grades and many want to "throw" this Graham into the side at horrendous cost?

I say stick with what we have coming through the grades. Loyalty works both ways and with Galloway, Payton, Gibbs and Ellis the Tigers have experience from which the younger players can learn.
 
Perth Tiger

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,225
R2Coupe said:
What happened to club spirit? We have some of the most promising young forwards coming through the lower grades and many want to "throw" this Graham into the side at horrendous cost?

I say stick with what we have coming through the grades. Loyalty works both ways and with Galloway, Payton, Gibbs and Ellis the Tigers have experience from which the younger players can learn.
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You talk about loyalty and then mention 3 players we have signed from other clubs. If we took this attitude a few years ago we would still have Ben Galea and Halatau instead of Ellis. I know which one I would prefer
 
Jud

Jud

Juniors
Messages
88
I'm gonna probably get bagged for this, but I was a big fan of Ben Galea. He is nowhere near the class of Ellis, but was an honest toiler. Halatau filled a hole when we had no-one else, wouldn't get anywhere near the bench now.
 
T

Tiger Hawk

Bench
Messages
2,928
Benny G might go down as the most underrated player of the decade. Watch that 2005 finals series again and you'll see him everywhere.

I'm all for developing and retaining juniors, but when an opportunity arises to buy a world-class player, you have to do it. Same as we did for Ellis and Tuqiri. We get this guy and our pack would then be the equal of most and we'd have the advantage of the game's best hooker and 5/8. Throw in Moltzen, Lawrence, Tuqiri and (hopefully) Tuiaki and we'd be absolutely potent. We'd still have BMM, Fifita & Woods to continue developing as well.

Edit - having said that I highly doubt we'd have the coin to spend, but you never know.
 
Perth Tiger

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,225
Just to clarify my earlier post, that was not having a dig at Galea or Halatau who both gave great service to the Club and were very good players in their own right.

My point was that the when a world class player comes along the club would be stupid not to look at the opportunity. That may mean some of the juniors would need to be let go then so be it. I just hope we keep the right one.

Edit: If we were talking about most other props in the game like J Poore or Asotasi etc I would agree with putting the effort into the juniors but I think Graham is probably top 2 or 3 props in the world, is only in his mid 20s and if you added him to our current pack right now we would easily have the bext pack in the comp
 
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S

ShanghaiCharlie

Juniors
Messages
321
The more I think about it the more we absolutely need Graham. We've got our most solid front row rotation since inception but it still lacks punch.

Galloway hasn't developed as well as expected.
Gibbs is just a defensive prop with lack of impact in offence.
Payton is the same as Gibbs and a link man in attack but no go forward.
Fifita is far from proven and really disappointing at times.
Moors was going to be better than the lot but Sheens has his reasons.
There is no front row leader we need.

And...Sheens promised one international player each year....
Ellis...Tuquri...+2011
 
Jud

Jud

Juniors
Messages
88
I've never heard of this bloke before, who's labelled him the best prop in the world?

Mind you, I hadn't heard of Ellis either, and he's one of the best backrowers I've seen!
 
R

R2Coupe

Juniors
Messages
1,520
Perth Tiger said:
You talk about loyalty and then mention 3 players we have signed from other clubs. If we took this attitude a few years ago we would still have Ben Galea and Halatau instead of Ellis. I know which one I would prefer
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The two players I have mentioned would not attract no where near the salary of Graham. If it had been players such as Burgess or Shillington you may have a point. Besides, Miller I'm sure you will learn from Roosters supporters is a special player.

It is a mute point about Graham anyway as it is doubtful he could be afforded. Yet, the club spends a lot of money developing and retaining juniors and you want to throw this all away? It cuts across the strength of the club which are our juniors. It sends the wrong message to our juniors.
 
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hybrid_tiger

hybrid_tiger

Coach
Messages
11,684
Payten will probably go to England at the end of 2011.

We have Fifita, Murdoch and Woods to develop and I believe Moors has re-signed until 2011.

But we would be mad not to go for Graham if he was available.
 
hybrid_tiger

hybrid_tiger

Coach
Messages
11,684
R2Coupe said:
The two players I have mentioned would not attract no where near the salary of Graham. If it had been players such as Burgess or Shillington you may have a point.

It is a mute point about Graham anyway as it is doubtful he could be afforded. Yet, the club spends a lot of money developing and retaining juniors and you want to throw this all away? It cuts across the strength of the club which is the juniors. It sends the wrong message to our juniors.
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Why does it send a wrong message?

We could sign him with the aid of third party agreements so he would not cost a bucketload from out of the cap as you are making out.

And we would still be able to play Fifita, Dwyer etc. even with Graham in the side. And there are always injuries, as this year showed.

It's not as if one significant signing is going to mean we have no more money to invest in junior development, is it?
 
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R

R2Coupe

Juniors
Messages
1,520
That's my point, Fifita and Woods may not be there if a player of Graham's anticipated salary is signed.
 
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