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Rumours and Stuff

85 Baby

Juniors
Messages
284
In the scheme of things the optics of letting him go before the end of the year is embarrassing without asking for any compensation.

He had another 18 months to go.

I don't think i could have copped it as a Parra fan just makes your club still look incompetent.

They have handed him over without a fight.

I can understand letting him go early come November 1 this year for the 2026.

But what if Api does his knee in round 25 this year and is out for 12 months.

Its just lunacy when you had a capeable backup contracted for next year anyway.
Like us, they aren’t doing shit this season, and they’ve come out and said he doesn’t actually want to leave but he has to to be able to develop, so potentially it’s a hearts and minds play for TDS if in the future they try to bring him back.
 

Chipmunk

Coach
Messages
17,941
In the scheme of things the optics of letting him go before the end of the year is embarrassing without asking for any compensation.

He had another 18 months to go.

I don't think i could have copped it as a Parra fan just makes your club still look incompetent.

They have handed him over without a fight.

I can understand letting him go early come November 1 this year for the 2026.

But what if Api does his knee in round 25 this year and is out for 12 months.

Its just lunacy when you had a capeable backup contracted for next year anyway.
Sounds like us when we let our Captain and also our Player of the Year go with a season left on their contracts.
 

Tiger5150

Bench
Messages
4,687
Can't understand Tigers in this situation and no wonder they are rooted towards the bottom of the ladder. They are signing a 33yo hooker for what...2 years, 3? Admittedly a good one but well past his best and let go a 10 year hooker with plenty of upside potential. What are they thinking???
Actually this part of it makes perfect sense to me and I agree with what this decision.

Api is a gun and is still a gun right now and will be for a few more years. he will be 35 at the end of his career. Tigers need to win games now and in 26 and point bluntly Api makes that more likely and TDS doesnt. Tigers have Jared Haywood coming through who will take his place and will be a better 9 than TDS.

The timing (immediate now) makes no sense to me. I can hypothesise that they have written off this season now and using that money to front load Contracts, maybe Api's to make things work but TDS was on $400K and the year is half done so it would be less than $200K? I cant get my head around that part.
 

Chipmunk

Coach
Messages
17,941
So for all the crap MON and co were getting with recruitment, I reckon it's looking pretty good now...still more to do, but squad is building nicely..

Most of the promising juniors are locked up, all the promising players we have used this year, are locked up. And we have added 2 players who will improve our top 17.....

Just need to patient and not expect much media speculation on our targets.....

BTW - still reports we are interested in Garner.
We're still lacking 500 more NRL games experience in my view.
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
16,993
Was it the Parra game where we saw the defense deliberately giving up scrum penalties (near try line) by not packing in time OR by blatantly breaking the scrum early rather than allow the scrum play (to the frustration of the ref)?
Is this rampant in the league?
What do we glean from this?
Should it not be a catalyst for a wider conversation about coaches and rules?
One thing to glean is there doesn’t seem to be any NRL coach speaking up about that negative tactic only the refs and the commentators and this mast head (me) - as such, coaches are obviously out of step with what the people want and should therefore not have anything to do with the rules committee.
 

Tiger5150

Bench
Messages
4,687
Possibly and if it works out that way, it’s good news for us, thanks. It’ll be difficult to carry TDS, Smith & Walker in the same team. But I think we provide a different job share than he had with 80min Api, where he can now be the senior partner at least. Even read an article from earlier this year where TDS said he wasn’t an 80 minute player yet
Mate it will be good news anyway. He is a good player.

TDS thinks he is a 80min player....... among other things.
 

Delboy

First Grade
Messages
8,186
So, we have finally started to get things done in the front office that look sensible and somewhat competitive. Not celebrating too soon as they have finally done their job, the real work needs to continue as there are at least 3 positions that need attention and there should be cap room and positions to get things done at a decent player level.

Middle, edge and centre and possibly a 6 if good one becomes available. That will set the club up for a run at the top 8.
 

Tiger5150

Bench
Messages
4,687
What other issues were involved tiger 5150 , I'm sure eels did there due diligence on him , btw what weak ass club wouldn't ask for compensation from another club for an immediate transfer ?
Damn.....I was just about to tell you what the issue was and then you said bad things about my club.....
 

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