Rumoured & Confirmed Signings - Part 5

[Aliceinwonderland]

Gus will tell you that it gets much harder when your primary motivation for playing the game is money.

I totally agree. To top it off, W/T have a rubbish record at buying top grade players to play at their club, when in reality the players have just bought into e pension scheme.

 

[roofromoz]

I am happy with our retention strategy. We don't know all the facts ie the real reason we are letting Api go and the options we have to replace him. Be it Connor Mason, Ryley Smith etc. Good clubs don't pay overs and we need to retain our best juniors. If there is no pathway other clubs will cherry pick the best of them.

We need to believe in our Administration. A premiership and a grand final appearance in the last two years for me says it all. Within the next 6/12 months I'm sure we will all be excited about the next wave of outstanding juniors.

Just believe!!

Agree, Matt Cameron appears to be a smart operator.

 

[Hairy Hamburger]

As is every other club?

I take it your question was rhetorical but the answer is Cameron McInnes

Cameron McInnes will more likely play Lock next Year at the Sharks. Brayley is their Hooker and just extended.

 

[herbert henry1908]

How does it weaken us long term? We gotta use 2022 to see who can play hooker for the long haul.

We’re in a premiership window!!!

Now is not the time for experimenting and giving people experience, it’s the time for winning a title. It would be utter madness to let Api go early.

 

[BossleyPanther]

We’re in a premiership window!!!

Now is not the time for experimenting and giving people experience, it’s the time for winning a title. It would be utter madness to let Api go early.

In my honest opinion of Covid. it will be the same next season. What if we have to play interstate? Might as well cash in now get someone in return and Build for 2023. I am not a gambler, But back to back titles happened twice in 30ish years. I don't like our odds for next year.

 

[Tigerm]

I hope he goes well for you too. It would be good for the game for Wests to turn the corner and be competitive.

Good for my blood pressure anyway

 

[herbert henry1908]

In my honest opinion of Covid. it will be the same next season. What if we have to play interstate? Might as well cash in now get someone in return and Build for 2023. I am not a gambler, But back to back titles happened twice in 30ish years. I don't like our odds for next year.

There’s only three teams that can win next year, and we’re one of them. That’s about as good as odds as you’ll ever get. There’s no real cashing in here either, the other options available to us for 2022 are average to poor.

Back to back titles is hard, but I’d wager our chances of winning in 2022 are still higher than in 2023-2025. Plays the odds.

 

[Hooked]

It would be nice if someone from the club came out this week and said what the hooking plan is after Api.
Either from within or going to market. It would be nice to hear the club's thoughts.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Back to back titles is typically very hard, but two factors make it more likely than ever

1. There’s a clear divide between the top few teams and the rest.

2. 2022 is a homecoming, we get to play in front of huge crowds after having to play away with little support. That will help the players overcome the hangover.

 

[herbert henry1908]

It would be nice if someone from the club came out this week and said what the hooking plan is after Api.
Either from within or going to market. It would be nice to hear the club's thoughts.

I assume the plan is Riley Smith, but even if that’s the case I think they have to go to market. He’s only 18 now, he’ll turn 20 in 2023. So you’re going to need two options.

 

[Iamback]

It would be nice if someone from the club came out this week and said what the hooking plan is after Api.
Either from within or going to market. It would be nice to hear the club's thoughts.

Ivan's interview alluded to the money being too good. Which told me they thought he was to expensive. You'd think they would know what they need is cheaper then Api

 

[Hamstring awareness]

Cameron McInnes will more likely play Lock next Year at the Sharks. Brayley is their Hooker and just extended.

Correct. My reply was in regards to a question about who NSW would select at hooker if Cook was injured though.

 

[Iamback]

I assume the plan is Riley Smith, but even if that’s the case I think they have to go to market. He’s only 18 now, he’ll turn 20 in 2023. So you’re going to need two options.

Still a few hookers to play out. Someone mentioned Nikorima, Verrills. One of the WT guys will get let go.

They don't need to run the attack just give good clean ball to halves and Yeo. Anything else is a bonus

 

[Munky]

Space cadet will play Simple Jack or Gutherson at hooker for NSW.

Luckiest rep coach since Meninga, was taken to school by Skeletor when it mattered.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Still a few hookers to play out. Someone mentioned Nikorima, Verrills. One of the WT guys will get let go.

They don't need to run the attack just give good clean ball to halves and Yeo. Anything else is a bonus

All pretty ordinary options. It’s not about running the attack, it’s about providing an attacking option so the teams attack is varied.

 

[betcats]

Yet the way things have gone our window looks more likely to be 2-3 years. 20/21/22.

Losing half our grand final team before the 22 season has even kicked off hardly seems like a good way to keep our window open beyond 2022.

Since 2020 we have lost a pretty handy starting side:

1. Aekins/ Laurie
2. Mansour
3. Whare
4. Momirovski
5. Naden
6. Burton
7. May
8. Tamou
9. Koroisau
10. Tetevano
11. Kikau
12. Capewell
13. Hetherington / Burns

Losing a LOT of experience is a poor way to keep being a top side. We aren't going to be able to bring in 2x new centres, 2x new second rowers and a new hooker and just continue like we have been playing. We saw just how thin our depth actually was through the Origin period after the players we lost in 2020.

We had enough to interchange a few positions just fine. But once you start losing mass players that little bit of experience and quality accumulates a lot to be a big difference.

Ultimately winning a grand final makes it worth it. But talking up losing all these players as no big deal or even as a good thing is just ridiculous. Would love to be proven wrong. But we wont be a premiership threat in 2023. Can't even see us being a top 4 threat but hopefully Nathan keeps improving so he can atleast keep us flogging shit teams like Manly/Roosters this year.

From that 13 kikau, Burton Capewell and Api make the starting side, the rest of those players are insignificant losses unless you are the potential of a guy like Laurie. If we stretch our cap now to keep 2 or 3 of the starters in a year or 2 we are struggling to keep guys like critta, Spencer, Nathan, Luai etc the salary cap is a balancing act, you can’t stretch it now without there being consequences in the future.

Like I said earlier I’d rather the club makes decisions to try and a top four team for 5,6 or more years rather than just pay whatever it takes to keep Api or kikau. I prefer discipline than desperation from management. With the age of our team and the quality of Nathan and Jerome and a couple other of the young guys I just don’t agree with this 2-3 year premiership window stuff, I don’t see it. Nathan’s prime will be at least another 6 years, keep a good side around him and we will be a chance but if we are rebuilding in 3 years cause we overspent on Api or kikau or capewell then that would be poor management IMO.

 

[Smug Panther]

All pretty ordinary options. It’s not about running the attack, it’s about providing an attacking option so the teams attack is varied.

Api holds a lot of the opposition defenders in the middle because they know how good a runner he is. Creating space out wide for Nathan and Luai

 

[herbert henry1908]

From that 13 kikau, Burton Capewell and Api make the starting side, the rest of those players are insignificant losses unless you are the potential of a guy like Laurie. If we stretch our cap now to keep 2 or 3 of the starters in a year or 2 we are struggling to keep guys like critta, Spencer, Nathan, Luai etc the salary cap is a balancing act, you can’t stretch it now without there being consequences in the future.

Like I said earlier I’d rather the club makes decisions to try and a top four team for 5,6 or more years rather than just pay whatever it takes to keep Api or kikau. I prefer discipline than desperation from management. With the age of our team and the quality of Nathan and Jerome and a couple other of the young guys I just don’t agree with this 2-3 year premiership window stuff, I don’t see it. Nathan’s prime will be at least another 6 years, keep a good side around him and we will be a chance but if we are rebuilding in 3 years cause we overspent on Api or kikau or capewell then that would be poor management IMO.

The thing is there were more options than simply overpaying Api at the end of 2021.

We could’ve either tried to re-sign him a little earlier, and if that failed tried to snare Mahoney. It seems like we put all our eggs in the Api at the end of the season basket.

I’m disappointed by the lack of planning more than anything else.


Edit: Same goes for Kikau. If we tried earlier maybe we keep Capewell. This hasn’t been a good off season for retention.

 

[Iamback]

All pretty ordinary options. It’s not about running the attack, it’s about providing an attacking option so the teams attack is varied.

Verrills has won a comp at 22. He scored a try too. So clearly has some attack
Had more kick metres then Api last season.
Had more try assists then Api. Api did score more tries though
Defence wise Verrill's at 90% and Api 91% tackle effectiveness

Running was way down between the 2 but if the price point is good then it looks a good fit

 

[Hooked]

Verrills has won a comp at 22. He scored a try too. So clearly has some attack
Had more kick metres then Api last season.
Had more try assists then Api. Api did score more tries though
Defence wise Verrill's at 90% and Api 91% tackle effectiveness

Running was way down between the 2 but if the price point is good then it looks a good fit

If Verrills is that good why did the Roosters sign Smith?