Recruitment Strategy - ITM cup/Super rugby

[Iron Lion]

End of season, not much positive going on, so worth a chat about.

Should the warriors make a raid on the ITM cup ?, There is some real future talent on show there right now - so good is the talent that there are a few gems without super rugby contracts that should have them or will do soon.

Is it worth the Warriors going after a handful of players and signing them up on contracts that are just a bit better than they are earning in lower union. Throw these guys into NSW cup and hope a couple rise to the top and become a force for the Warriors?

They cant be worse than what we have backing up and they could only strengthen the warriors book?

I have bolded the real possible gems

Zac Guilford - Wing - No Super
Saniala Waqa -2nd Row - No Super
Peter Samu - 2nd Row - No Super
Charlie Ngtai - Centre - Super/Missed AB selection
Sean Wainui - Centre/Wing - No Super
Seta Tanimanivalu - Centre/Wing - Super/Missed AB Selection
Airi Hunt - Prop -Verge of Super
Rieko Ioane - Centre/Wing - NEXT BIG THING
Ben Lam - Wing - No Super
Lolagi Visinia - Wing - Super/in and out
Pita Ahki - Centre - Super/ in and out
Tevita Li - Wing - Super/in and out
Michael Alaalatoa - Prop - No super
Matty Proctor - Wing/Centre - Super
Chase Tiatia - Wing - No Super


Do you think it is worth taking a closer look at?

 

[Alan Johnson]

Absolutely. I've been saying for a long time we should be scouting in Union.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Israel Dagg just missed AB selection and is only 27- worth a look?

 

[Iron Lion]

Israel Dagg just missed AB selection and is only 27- worth a look?

I am sure Israel wont see his AB career over as yet, and a signing like that would expect a starting position? at 27 you would need an instant success. Taking on guys around 21-23 years old you know there upside is yet to come and the patience to fight it our will be more abundant.

Where would you play Dagg?-Centre?

Worth a double grab play with Guilford? - they seem close mates.

At any rate the cost for Dagg would get you 3 or 4 ITM future stars.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

^true but you also get top level experience and maturity, which we sorely lack. He's been a part of the AB system through a RWC campaign and would know the "failure is not an option" mentality.

 

[Sanchez]

Airi Hunt is absolutely terrible. Worst running style ive seen

 

[Rich102]

Raises the question. Why would they come here?

 

[JJ]

Pipe dreams, but Charles Piutau is the one for me, how he missed the WC squad is beyond me

Elliott Dixon would bring some go forward...

But yeah, why would they come... and the coaching staff simply couldn't develop them - they can't develop the talent we have

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

I watch the All Blacks, but not much else in Rugby anymore. What sort of coin are these guys looking at playing ITM Cup/Super Rugby?

could we get 2-3 guys on the NRL minimum 80k or second tier for a bit less? Is it worth it to them to take that when they could be pushing for much higher honours in a year or two?

 

[Captain Apollo]

As an outsider looking in, if your club was looking for a recruit, it should go all out to sign Sonny Bill Williams. The main reason is the example he will set in what he does in terns of training, recovery and injury prevention will inspire his team mates. All the guys who were at the Roosters during the 2 years he was there were amazed by what they saw and it got many of them to do similar things themselves to what SBW was doing.

The problem with the Warriors has never been talent. I think most of the sides your team has put out have always had talent. It is just the mental aspects that seem to trip a few of them up which has prevented your club from being Premiers.

 

[Blake]

Raises the question. Why would they come here?

Exactly. Shifting codes and shifting to the Warriors would be a career killer. A bunch of the players listed, if they don't make higher honours, will head to Europe and earn a killing.

The bigger question is: why would Warriors players want to stay at the club?

 

[Fufu Andronez]

There is only 1 union player who will turn this club around. SBW.

 

[Iron Lion]

Even though you could argue he is the most lucky player to make the All Blacks id agree that his professionalism would be vital to the Warriors and he wouldnt hold back telling players to pull their weight. It would make a change from Simon Manerring under the posts looking like my Mrs when she is pissed off with me hands on her side giving me the stare and silent treatment!

 

[Iron Lion]

Airi Hunt is absolutely terrible. Worst running style ive seen

He runs hard and through players, 1.95 - 120kg - he is like a Paul Rauhihi. Whats wrong with that?

 

[Matua]

Raises the question. Why would they come here?

True, the traffic seems to be going the other way at the moment. We better hope that RTS doesn't have a Foran like clause in his contract that allows him to go to rugby if the Warriors are as abysmal next year.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

There is only 1 union player who will turn this club around. SBW.

Wasn't SBW an issue in our World Cup campaign behind the scene's?
Red Bull and Stilnox?

 

[TheDMC]

Considering the professionalism of union now, I am sure many good ITM players would make good NRL players...they would have a lot more skill that is fer sure -- y'know things like catching and passing, drawing in defenders, playing with a bit of peripheral vision, defensive positioning etc. I am sure many could handle the defensive requirements which is really the only aspect of league that is harder than union. But, yeah, why would they come? Maybe a few with a junior league background.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

With all respect, why would we import players from another code when we can't coach the players we have in our system. We've shown no ability to bring our 'successful' 20s through to FG, so why do we think we could harness union ability?

Take Kon for example, a rugby player. I know he's probably unprofessional as well but 5 years in, he's still defensively rubbish. Our centres and wings are still making the same dumb mistakes, and those are generally the union recruit spots.

More money in union anyway. Why go to league unproven when you can go to Japan or Europe for twice (if not more) coin? Look at Slaimankel, he was on $400k or so in Japan. Dunno why he's coming back to the Roosters though.

 

[jaseg]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...-extension-delay/story-e6frf3pc-1227507308041

Throw a sneaky offer his way to play in the middle for us? Extremely unlikely to stick but worth a shot, surely.

Add one or two 'experienced' outside backs (Goodwin immediately jumps to mind - others that are still available include David Williams and Joel Reddy) on relatively cheap deals and that's all the business we're likely to do.