Rumours (signings, sackings & other NRL stuff)

[Tigerm]

NBWT twitter:

WT are the first side to lodge a formal offer for Addin Fonua-Blake, believed to be a four year deal from 2025 worth around $1 million per season (Telegraph)

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

Gus is a strange dude. I dont doubt he has more rugby league knowledge then eveyrone on here put together however he also has some shockers.

I dont know how much credit he deserves for penriths current success, maybe alot, maybe none. However I know his vision of a Penrith dynasty was with Moylan, Mansour, DWZ, Cartwright, Blake, RCG etc as he had them all on massive longterm deals. It wasnt until Penrith offloaded all these guys (and fitted a lot of the bill) that they came good.

I remember listening to a segment on MMM years ago where the panel were talking about interactions with him. Matty Johns said Gus once said to him 'you sign them all and fit them in later' re the managing of the salary cap. This often results in big payouts with probably works when you have the backing of a massive Leagues Club or Billionaire major Sponsor. I know of an ex Tiger who got his entire contract paid out by Gus a year or so ago, he told me at a Tigers game. Ryan Girlder said he was an odd coach, would often call the night before a game at 10pm (back in the landline days) and simply say 'how you feeling about tomorrow?' Girds would say 'good' and Gus would just go 'good' and hang up.

That explains so much about Gus. As you said brilliant mind, but at times makes some STRANGE decisions. Some in the last couple of years were real shockers.

 

[Tigerm]

NBWT twitter:

Tallyn Da Silva says John Morris has come in and already changed the defensive mindset and says Benji and Robbie want him to focus on strength and that being able to handle the contact is more important than worrying about size

 

[BrotherJim05]

The statement by Ciraldo proves that they are not serious about Luai. If they were, they would have made him an offer. I honestly think it would be insanity for Bulldogs to sign Luai. They need a marquee forward and there is no way they have the cash for both.

Kudos to the Tigers tabling an offer to AFB before the Bulldogs do. With Christmas break around the corner, it means Luai and AFB will have to consider our offer as real, whereas the Bulldogs offer will be "on its way". Sometimes the best offer isn't the highest, or the best opportunity...it's the one that is right there in black and white, ready to go.

Blore to Melbourne is extremely positive. I doubt we would release him unless Olam is on his way over to us. My the sound of it, most Melbourne fans aren't too happy about it.

 

[Nutz]

The statement by Ciraldo proves that they are not serious about Luai. If they were, they would have made him an offer. I honestly think it would be insanity for Bulldogs to sign Luai. They need a marquee forward and there is no way they have the cash for both.

Kudos to the Tigers tabling an offer to AFB before the Bulldogs do. With Christmas break around the corner, it means Luai and AFB will have to consider our offer as real, whereas the Bulldogs offer will be "on its way". Sometimes the best offer isn't the highest, or the best opportunity...it's the one that is right there in black and white, ready to go.

Blore to Melbourne is extremely positive. I doubt we would release him unless Olam is on his way over to us. My the sound of it, most Melbourne fans aren't too happy about it.

His poor form was attributed to injuries and a disruption in preseason training. He came good just before finals and is not far off his old form.
The Storm fans know this. Their backline need him more than Blore imo. Munster needs an out for a backline going nowhere.
It's something our backline needs too. We lack grunt and aggression. Naden has it but lacks size.
Unless Santa comes early, I fear we'll miss all three stars that we are seeking.

 

[Tigerm]

The statement by Ciraldo proves that they are not serious about Luai. If they were, they would have made him an offer. I honestly think it would be insanity for Bulldogs to sign Luai. They need a marquee forward and there is no way they have the cash for both.

Kudos to the Tigers tabling an offer to AFB before the Bulldogs do. With Christmas break around the corner, it means Luai and AFB will have to consider our offer as real, whereas the Bulldogs offer will be "on its way". Sometimes the best offer isn't the highest, or the best opportunity...it's the one that is right there in black and white, ready to go.

Blore to Melbourne is extremely positive. I doubt we would release him unless Olam is on his way over to us. My the sound of it, most Melbourne fans aren't too happy about it.

I think Benji going to Luai's home to meet him was a master stroke?
Also
I read, that the Fultons were very close with AFB when he came to Australia and that he super close to the Fainu brothers and their family?
We would be a chance for both? Though the Wahs want a swap to make it happen? But WHO?

My 2 cents would be if they want Papi, let him go, but not Stefano, I think we need a forward busting FR's a lot more?

 

[gordsy]

Gus reminds me of the guy at the pub who picks two winners and thinks he can pick the winner for every race from then on.
I think he would be like Sheens, good at certain aspects of building a club but unable to stay in his lane which f**ks things up for everyone else. Both also suffer from messiah complex hence after a few years everything turns to shit.

 

[Nutz]

Gus reminds me of the guy at the pub who picks two winners and thinks he can pick the winner for every race from then on.
I think he would be like Sheens, good at certain aspects of building a club but unable to stay in his lane which f**ks things up for everyone else. Both also suffer from messiah complex hence after a few years everything turns to shit.

Nailed it. I can't stand the man.

 

[Tigerm]

Gutho question Eels must ask; Roosters star’s $1m incentive: State of play for looming free agents

Gutho question Eels must ask; Rooster’s $1m incentive: State of play for looming free agents

www.foxsports.com.au

TIGERS

Off-contract 2025: Chris Faagutu, Josh Feledy, Justin Matamua, Brent Naden, David Nofoaluma, Isaiah Papali’i, Fonua Pole, Alex Seyfarth, Aidan Sezer, Charlie Staines, Brandon Tumeth, Stefano Utoikamanu

Analysis: Second-rower Isaiah Papali’i didn’t match his exploits at the Eels in his first season at the Tigers and needs a big 2024 to repay the club’s big investment, which is $900,000 annually. Prop Stefano Utoikamanu has been paid on promise for a long time and needs to start realising his potential in 2024. Utoikamanu may have debuted for the Blues last year, but he hasn’t delivered concstently at club level his whole career. Charlie Staines managed just nine games in his first season at the Tigers and needs to convince Benji Marshall he can be a long-term winger for the club. Staines burst onto the NRL scene with four tries 5on debut, but despite winning a premiership in 2022 has failed to live up to the hype since.

They are saying Papi is on $900k per season, I didn’t think that was right, Zerotackle has him at $600k, in fact, I thought that was even a bit high? they just make shit up without checking anything it seems?

 

[Tigerm]

NRL:
Next year's NRL Harvey Norman All Stars will mark a full circle moment for former Māori captain Adam Blair, who has been named as the side's new head coach.

Hahaha, no doubt he’ll be asking for commitment and dedication to the team and games ahead?

 

[MugaB]

I agree. This was one of the major issues with Gus, especially towards the end of his time at Penrith.

It cost the club heaps continually buying, then moving players on. It was almost (I believe) like continually walking on egg shells. Not a way to build confidence and sustainability in a playing group.

4 GFs with a local squad sitting beneath all that movement, says your wrong, i would easily say, you need this type of buying and selling to weed thru the squad over a period of 3-5 years, till those juniors can train like the journeymen that gus has bought, i can see he is doing exactly what he did at Penrith circa 2015, by the time he gets the core group of local Bankstown bulldogs coming thru it will be 2027 at the earliest

 

[Nutz]

Pls take this to your own forum or dogs.

 

[MugaB]

Gus reminds me of the guy at the pub who picks two winners and thinks he can pick the winner for every race from then on.
I think he would be like Sheens, good at certain aspects of building a club but unable to stay in his lane which f**ks things up for everyone else. Both also suffer from messiah complex hence after a few years everything turns to shit.

Guess how to get yourself a marquee signing, especially when there are none, buy all the utilities you can, and sell them off when you need the cap space, when one does turn up... he has gone on record saying the market is dry of talent, yet every signing he is making is for utilities

 

[Trollhammaren]

I think Benji going to Luai's home to meet him was a master stroke?
Also
I read, that the Fultons were very close with AFB when he came to Australia and that he super close to the Fainu brothers and their family?
We would be a chance for both? Though the Wahs want a swap to make it happen? But WHO?

My 2 cents would be if they want Papi, let him go, but not Stefano, I think we need a forward busting FR's a lot more?

Came to Australia? AFB was born and raised in Sydney. He had a few years at Manly so would make sense he's close to the Fainus and Fulton.

 

[Tigerm]

Came to Australia? AFB was born and raised in Sydney. He had a few years at Manly so would make sense he's close to the Fainus and Fulton.

Correct, my bad, the comments I read were only about the Fultons and the Fainu family, and playing for NZ I just assumed, though he played at a few other Sydney clubs (Souths, Eels and St George, tbh, I had to look that up) before joining Manly’s outfit, where the Fulton’s got close to him.

 

[Black Panther]

Tigers table an offer for AFB, does that mean they aren’t that confident of signing Luai. Or can they get both?

 

[Nutz]

What are we going to do with this lot. Who do we keep and who do we punt?

Off-contract 2025: Chris Faagutu, Josh Feledy, Justin Matamua, Brent Naden, David Nofoaluma, Isaiah Papali’i, Fonua Pole, Alex Seyfarth, Aidan Sezer, Charlie Staines, Brandon Tumeth, Stefano Utoikamanu.

Depending on how Sezer goes this year and what our halves makeup is 2025 will determine his fate.
How long did Charlie resign for?
Noffa surely gonesky.
AD could be gone next year??
Josh Feledy was hailed a future superstar at Manly. He's developing. He'll get a run next year for sure and depending on how he goes he might get a contract.

 

[WA Tiger]

I’d Keep paps hes on about $550k ..you don’t swap out that kind of talent..Hes impressed me on enough occasions to expect good things from him under a new coach he may want to dig deep for

 

[WA Tiger]

Tigers table an offer for AFB, does that mean they aren’t that confident of signing Luai. Or can they get both?

Very good question..??? If not wt may have to give Luai a date to decide if the bidding starts for fb

 

[WA Tiger]

I don’t think Luai has the balls to come to west tigers. Even he doesn’t know if he’s up to being the guy