Rumours (signings, sackings & other NRL stuff)

[Das Hassler]

⁹

but right now the focus is on this team we’re building now for 2023 because we have to get some results right here, right now.”

I like the sound of that

 

[Tigerm]

‘Experience and quality’: After spending $2.5m up front, Tigers turn to their backline
By Dan Walsh
December 27, 2022 — 3.55pm

After eighteen months in the NRL’s volatile player market, around $2.5 million in contracts and endless innuendo, December 24 delivered Tim Sheens the Christmas gift he’d been waiting for.

English international John Bateman completed a Wests Tigers forward pack he no longer wants to tinker with.

Sheens described Bateman’s four-year deal, secured with a reported $250,000 transfer fee from Wigan and announced late on Boxing Day, as “the main domino I wanted to fall.”

At 29, Bateman brings more than 200 Super League and NRL games worth of experience as well as 25 Tests for England and Great Britain.

Between he and fellow signings David Klemmer, Api Koroisau and Isaiah Papali’i, the Tigers have added more than 800 games of NRL, Origin and Test experience to a forward contingent badly exposed by injury en route to a 2022 wooden spoon.

The recruitment drive started under Michael Maguire and delivered Koroisau and Papali’i last summer on $600,000-plus per annum.


The latter wavered and looked to stay at Parramatta before Klemmer and Bateman were secured through unconventional negotiations. The Tigers now turn to their backline and playmakers to build upon a vastly improved pack.

“We’ve got some quality forwards now and guys you can genuinely play behind, with grunt and go forward,” Sheens said of his revamped forwards.

“We’ve got one more position to fill in our top 30 and we’ve got a couple of ideas with that.

“John was the main domino I wanted to fall. Now we’ve got him in our forwards we’re looking at the backline and who could be added there.

“The experience of these guys we’ve signed like Klem and John, that’s the real attraction.

“That experience and quality makes a difference given we had issues with depth and injuries to key forwards this year.”

The Tigers’ recruited quartet will be called on to mentor a raft of rising young forwards led by Stefano Utoikamanu and Shawn Blore as they return from lengthy injury lay-offs, with Joe Ofahengaue, Alex Twal and Fonua Pole other regular NRL options.

Half-turned-lock Jackson Hastings and veteran skipper James Tamou have led a Tigers exodus that has also included back-rowers Luke Garner, Kelma Tuilagi, Zane Musgrove, Jacob Liddle and Tyrone Peachey.

Sheens added that Bateman is an option at lock as well as in an edge partnership with Kiwi international Papali’i.

The veteran coach holds no concern over the four-year deal that will see Bateman turn 33 by its completion in 2026, pointing to Dale Finucane’s impact at Cronulla this year after signing on the same terms at the same age.

While mindful of an ever-shifting market, bringing Nathan Brown back from Parramatta takes a back seat given the Tigers options up front.

Sheens would not be drawn on interest in former Tiger and Eels lynchpin Mitchell Moses after meeting with him in the UK, and said attention eventually turns to who calls the shots long-term behind his new forwards when training resumes on January 5.

Halves Luke Brooks and Adam Doueihi are both off-contract and have never had a Tigers pack of this quality in front of them.

“Brooksy’s been in rehab with a bit of a calf injury and Adam returns next week as planned,” Sheens said.

“I have spoken to the players and they know that the plan is to have those [contract] conversations in the New Year.

“How far into the New Year, we’ll wait and see, but right now the focus is on this team we’re building now for 2023 because we have to get some results right here, right now.”

‘Experience and quality’: After spending $2.5m up front, Tigers turn to their backline

More than 800 games of topline experience has been bussed into the Tigers pack as they look to leave 2022’s wooden spoon in the rearview mirror.

www.smh.com.au

Shit, they are doing it again? Getting us thinking that next season is the start of the renaissance

 

[Phil Gould]

Shit, they are doing it again? Getting us thinking that next season is the start of the renaissance

C’mon, just one last time. If they flop again next year I’ll stop following them. I can stop any time I want.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Tim is in full sales mode, when we lose, all of a sudden it’s development side and work in progress.

It’s great to have these players, but they are getting to their end of their careers.

The genuine long term top shelfer is Paps and that’s the type of player I would have preferred we hunted. I’m old fashioned.

As for the backs, young Charlie is holding the fort for best of fresh Marquee and the Union Project.

So we still need an open chequebook.

A team of strangers in many respects, more like the dogs than Penrith, but we’ve been so ordinary the last few years, I guess we had to push the panic button.

They will probably need a few games together to find their group mindset. No starts of Marquee in trials, we don’t have enough depth. That excludes Brooks. He has to start. None of his warming up for 6 rounds we are all sick of.

Still, something more interesting than the last few years.

Club culture of these guys should be fine. Tim and Justin are trying to argue they are all white knights, pfft!!

Twalawihi’ still starts, 900 to hb, Charlesworth to fb.

 

[The Rosco]

C’mon, just one last time. If they flop again next year I’ll stop following them. I can stop any time I want.

Yeah right, you can stop anytime you want !!!!
At my local club, they do a magnificent seafood pizza. Tomato base, prawns, calamari and baby occies. A lil garlic and chili, too. Drizzle it with lemon and it's just superb !
I always get it. Every time we go.
I always say to myself in the drive over that I'll try something different this time.
But I never do. I always go back to the pizza.
You may as well call our team Frutta di mare. No matter what, I always get drawn back in.

 

[Phil Gould]

Just looking at most of the players they got rid of is exciting enough without even looking at who they will be replaced with.

 

[Phil Gould]

…then there’s Jacko, the lynchpin.

 

[Tiger Ted]

Yeah right, you can stop anytime you want !!!!
At my local club, they do a magnificent seafood pizza. Tomato base, prawns, calamari and baby occies. A lil garlic and chili, too. Drizzle it with lemon and it's just superb !
I always get it. Every time we go.
I always say to myself in the drive over that I'll try something different this time.
But I never do. I always go back to the pizza.
You may as well call our team Frutta di mare. No matter what, I always get drawn back in.

Huge difference in that ur pizza is extremely palatable & hence irresistible whereas the clowns at Concord r extremely unpalatable & hence resistible

 

[Front-Rower]

A team of strangers in many respects, more like the dogs than Penrith, but we’ve been so ordinary the last few years, I guess we had to push the panic button.

I’m sure Sheens will fire up the club mini bus and take them down to Kiama for one of those infamous bonding sessions.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Just looking at most of the players they got rid of is exciting enough without even looking at who they will be replaced with.

Post of the year

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I’m sure Sheens will fire up the club mini bus and take them down to Kiama for one of those infamous bonding sessions.

They should jog down given last seasons fitness levels. Some of them struggled to make it out of the tunnel.

 

[Phil Gould]

They should jog down given last seasons fitness levels. Some of them struggled to make it out of the tunnel.

Maybe there’s a “tunnel running” section in the COE, hopefully not too far from a “trophy hoisting” area.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Maybe there’s a “tunnel running” section in the COE, hopefully not too far from a “trophy hoisting” area.

Lol, The last items to be built!!

Scheduled for completion well after we’ve all kicked the bucket.

Which gives me another marketing idea.

Cryogenic chambers under the ceo to ensure ticketed members can watch us reach the finals one day in the distant future….Although our ugly lot in admin would forget to defrost us and there’s almost no chance of a seat.

Upon us making the top 43 in 2142, well into the finals mind you,@macnaz s historical and United Nations heritage listed platinum membership ticketed seat, retired during his statis, would then be occupied by a plate of king prawns taken from the freezer next to him.

He can float there in suspended animation watching the Tigers admin (and the descendants of Lee and Pascoe) salute the prawns and try to wake them up and I bet he won’t even raise an eyebrow.

 

[Phil Gould]

Lol, The last items to be built!!

Scheduled for completion well after we’ve all kicked the bucket.

Which gives me another marketing idea.

Cryogenic chambers under the ceo to ensure ticketed members can watch us reach the finals one day in the distant future….Although our ugly lot in admin would forget to defrost us and there’s almost no chance of a seat.

Upon us making the top 43 in 2142, well into the finals mind you,@macnaz s historical and United Nations heritage listed platinum membership ticketed seat, retired during his statis, would then be occupied by a plate of king prawns taken from the freezer next to him.

He can float there in suspended animation watching the Tigers admin (and the descendants of Lee and Pascoe) salute the prawns and try to wake them up and I bet he won’t even raise an eyebrow.

They can put Robbie, Sheens and Benji in suspended animation too. Thaw them out some time in the distant future, halfway through a seven year plan.

 

[Phil Gould]

…they gotta be quick to get sheens on ice though.

 

[Das Hassler]

It’s great to have these players, but they are getting to their end of their careers.

Like who?...we've been in dire need of genuine "concurrent" peak capability and experience ....Klemmer brings that and there's been nothing to suggest he can't keep at it like JWH. Api...he may not even be at his peak....think about how Cameron Smith was able to play to 37 and could have gone to 40? He played smart in that he stayed out of harm's way and used his head the way it's meant to be used...watching Api and it's clear to see that a broken body won't be what calls time on him either. Pap...still on the rise with a couple of contracts at least left in him. Bateman...29 is not old at all and he brings (winning!) experience and the "do as I do" win at all costs tenacity that we've been renowned for NEVER having had. Then we have 22 year old speedster Staines...just a pup.
As for this bunch being " at least an improvement" I'd say that's the understatement of the off-season.
The way I think I see it today...see how it looks tomorrow

 

[TheDefinitionOfMadness]

The pack is like a New Hi Lux and we’ve got a Smurf behind the wheel who can barely see out.

Definitely not brainy smurf either.

 

[TheDefinitionOfMadness]

I'd give the recruitment drive an A, from what the Shennius / Benji, and Madge before them, have achieved. We've only ever been able to attract 1 name player per year and it's because of that they've fallen into the tigers trap of playing like they'd checked out and not giving a shit. With 4 new quality players, plus Staines could make it 5, it's more likely the current players will lift their game. For the first time in years I'm pumped for the season to start. I still don't expect to make the 8, but we could. But in the words of Morgan 'Red' Freeman, hope can be a dangerous thing......

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Like who?...we've been in dire need of genuine "concurrent" peak capability and experience ....Klemmer brings that and there's been nothing to suggest he can't keep at it like JWH. Api...he may not even be at his peak....think about how Cameron Smith was able to play to 37 and could have gone to 40? He played smart in that he stayed out of harm's way and used his head the way it's meant to be used...watching Api and it's clear to see that a broken body won't be what calls time on him either. Pap...still on the rise with a couple of contracts at least left in him. Bateman...29 is not old at all and he brings experience and the "do as I do" win at all costs tenacity that we've been renowned for NEVER having had. Then we have 22 year old speedster Staines...just a pup.
As for this bunch being " at least an improvement" I'd say that's the understatement of the off-season.
The way I think I see it today...see how it looks tomorrow

I think comparing Cameron Smith to any other other player is a bit of a stretch. Api is not another Cameron Smith, not in our wildest dreams.

Klemmer is nowhere close to the player he once was and his price (Hastings) was way too high.

Bateman had an ordinary season in the esl, clubs don’t often release players at peak.

Paps is way ahead of the curve and….also my example of the type of player we need.

Staines is Ok, but he’s no Dylan Edwards. He has a lot to do.

I’m comfortable with my caution and certainly not buying into the “bears dancing on barrels” hurrah the club is anxious for us to stare at in total bewilderment as to how f**king wonderful things are.

That’s how we’ve been clubbed to death before without knowing and I’m not waiting in that line ever again.

 

[Das Hassler]

I think comparing Cameron Smith to any other other player is a bit of a stretch. Api is not another Cameron Smith, not in our wildest dreams.

Klemmer is nowhere close to the player he once was and his price (Hastings) was way too high.

Bateman had an ordinary season in the esl, clubs don’t often release players at peak.

Paps is way ahead of the curve and….also my example of the type of player we need.

Staines is Ok, but he’s no Dylan Edwards. He has a lot to do.

I’m comfortable with my caution and certainly not buying into the “bears dancing on barrels” hurrah the club is anxious for us to stare at in total bewilderment as to how f**king wonderful things are.

That’s how we’ve been clubbed to death before without knowing and I’m not waiting in that line ever again.

All I can reply with is maybe try re- reading what I wrote