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Rumours (signings, sackings & other NRL stuff)

Messages
3,211
BrotherJim, I have thought about this a few times at the end of the season games, give the captaincy to Luciano.

He plays full minutes, whilst he has plenty of weaknesses, he tries, plays with hearts and I can see the younger guys in the forwards lifting for him.

Better than the guys they used these season.
 

Pezz70

Juniors
Messages
1,636
BrotherJim, I have thought about this a few times at the end of the season games, give the captaincy to Luciano.

He plays full minutes, whilst he has plenty of weaknesses, he tries, plays with hearts and I can see the younger guys in the forwards lifting for him.

Better than the guys they used these season.
Not leadership material too many mistakes in him. Maybe two or three years down the track. I’m not the worlds biggest Twal fan, but I reckon the captaincy is a job he’d thrive with.
 

Mario chalmers

Juniors
Messages
581
He's on the official WT forum, I think he works for the club or has an insider that gives him info. He gets a lot of stuff right.

I'm glad we are persisting with Madge. Hopefully we can get a few half decent signings on board. Tariq Sims would be huge for us but I doubt it would happen. Wouldn't be surprised if we sign Elliot, Woods and Scott but as along as they are max 2 year deals I see no issues.

Potential round 1 if everything goes our way.:
  1. Laurie
  2. Nofa
  3. Gidart
  4. Scott*
  5. Maumalo
  6. Brooks
  7. Hastings
  8. Tamoa
  9. Liddle
  10. Stefano
  11. Sims*
  12. Luciano
  13. Twal
  14. Woods*
  15. Mikale
  16. Elliot
  17. Simpkins/Blore
Talau and Kepoa fighting for 18th man and ready to take Gidart/Scott's spot the moment they f**k up.
Doeuihi to replace Brooks or Hastings (whoever can't implement Madges game plan).
Tamoa won't last long if he keeps playing like he does so I imagine Woods or Twal would take his spot eventually. If Madge can get the best out of Elliot then he could be the lock that Madge is looking for.

All speculative based on who we can actually sign but it looks better than with Mbye/MCK/Packer/BJ in the top squad


Im very wary of signing Scott or Elliot. We've tried the bad boy redemption/ low cost deals with BJ and the Jet. These have failed miserably.

The core group of young players all seem like good blokes. Whether by design or just a stroke of luck, there's a no dickhead policy among the squad.

Roosters and Melbourne have built their success on signing good characters who add to culture.

There will be players made available over summer as is always the case. Clubs are under cap pressure.

I can assume that Canterbury will have to move a back or two over summer because they are stacked right now.

I also think the Dragons might move on an outside back given Moses Suli has just been signed.

Sims, Woods, Scott, Elliot are all nos for me.

I saw someone on Twitter throw up a David Klemmer for Luke Brooks trade. I think Klemmer would be a great addition but Im not sure we can afford to lose Brooks especially if AD is out for the first half dozen games?
 

WT Unity

Juniors
Messages
236
Speculation around who to sign and who not to sign is difficult as the player market is very tough this off-season as there's not a whole heap of talent and I'm not sure that it suits us positionally anyway. In other words what we need (well just IMHO) is not readily available. Let me just stress one area and it conflicts with us signing another big bopper front rower / middle third forward because I don't think we need one, and if we do sign one we absolutely must release one who is surplus to requirements. What I think we need is a lighter, cleverer, link playing forward with faster legs an ability to pass the footy and a big motor. Let's look at the number 13's left in the last 4. Jake Turbo, Cam Murray, Yeo & Finucane (however the Storm rotate this very quickly when Harry comes on and the Cheese plays as a #13). Also look at a couple of other top 8 teams #13 - Roosters have Radley, Parra - Nathan Brown and the Knights used Connor Watson in a way that replicates what the Storm do and he plays big minutes as a smaller running middle forward.
The days of 3 big bopper, non passing middle third forwards (essentially 3 props) playing all game is goooooonnne!

I believe we need a player of this type to balance things out in our forward pack.

Oh and Canberra do something similar to what the Storm (Finucane, Grant, Smith) do with Starling and Hodgson.

There were rumours that Hodgson wasn't happy at the Raiders - Geez I wish we could prise him out of Canberra a year early and if it meant making a play for him as soon as the Nov 1 deadline allows then I hope we do!
 

Hoofhearted

Juniors
Messages
719
Bit of a left field suggestion, but I wonder if Sheens has been looking at any of the young stock in the UK. Most people dont realise that the last time the Aus Schoolboys toured (2018) they lost the series to England. That team had the likes of Tesi Niu, Crichton, Saab, Best, Talau, Deardon, Madden and Cini in it, most of the England team are now playing in the Super League and doing quite well. Players like Jack Welsby (scored the winning try in last years GF), Harry Newman, Harry Smith (Hastings halves partner at Wigan) and Morgan Smithies. All these guys are 19/20yo, same as a certain Sam Burgess when he came out to Australia.
 
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The Rosco

Bench
Messages
2,867
Bit of a left field suggestion, but I wonder if Sheens has been looking at any of the young stock in the UK. Most people dont realise that the last time the Aus Schoolboys toured (2018) they lost the series to England. That team had the likes of Tesi Niu, Crichton, Saab, Best, Talau, Deardon, Madden and Cini in it, most of the England team are now playing in the Super League and doing quite well. Players like Jack Welsby (scored the winning try in last years GF), Harry Newman, Harry Smith (Hastings halves partner at Wigan) and Morgan Smithies. All these guys are 19/20yo, same as a certain Sam Burgess when he came out to Australia.
Do you know what their mums look like ?
Asking for a friend.
 

stryker

First Grade
Messages
5,277
Bit of a left field suggestion, but I wonder if Sheens has been looking at any of the young stock in the UK. Most people dont realise that the last time the Aus Schoolboys toured (2018) they lost the series to England. That team had the likes of Tesi Niu, Crichton, Saab, Best, Talau, Deardon, Madden and Cini in it, most of the England team are now playing in the Super League and doing quite well. Players like Jack Welsby (scored the winning try in last years GF), Harry Newman, Harry Smith (Hastings halves partner at Wigan) and Morgan Smithies. All these guys are 19/20yo, same as a certain Sam Burgess when he came out to Australia.
No wonder that Oz Schoolboys side lost…3 tigers in it?
I like the suggestion though.
 

simmo1

First Grade
Messages
5,340
No wonder that Oz Schoolboys side lost…3 tigers in it?
I like the suggestion though.

Ha. I was just thinking the only great player there is Crichton, then realised he is referring to Stephen not Angus.

With V'landysball having such an emphasis on attacking play, the English guys would have to be a better shout than in years past.
 

stryker

First Grade
Messages
5,277
Yep the current crop of English players would be better defensively than those coming through our ranks.
 

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902
Six tackles with gus podcast

Gus says I spoke to Michael maguire last week about a potential player transfer involving our two clubs.

https://wwos.nine.com.au/podcasts/six-tackles-with-gus think its about 3 mins in
A good listen, cheers.

The point he made on what the press can do to a club or coach (with no facts) was interesting and so true in our case, and I haven’t heard one journo state they got it totally wrong?
 

The Rosco

Bench
Messages
2,867
A good listen, cheers.

The point he made on what the press can do to a club or coach (with no facts) was interesting and so true in our case, and I haven’t heard one journo state they got it totally wrong?
Yep. The other night on nrl360, Rothfield straight up had the shits because he had run his article in the following day's paper about how Madge got the sack.
He was shitty because the WT postponed that "meeting" . . . then proceeded to rip into us for not being professional.
FMD. Just FMD.
 

Ned Kelly

Juniors
Messages
1,641
Peachy is available. We are interested. He qualifies by being old enough to join us but good enough for other clubs to be interested so stand by for an announcement he is not the kind of player we want at our club.
 

Ron's_Mate

Bench
Messages
4,037
Yep. The other night on nrl360, Rothfield straight up had the shits because he had run his article in the following day's paper about how Madge got the sack.
He was shitty because the WT postponed that "meeting" . . . then proceeded to rip into us for not being professional.
FMD. Just FMD.
This must have cut significantly into his drinking time, hence the outrage. Plus the fact that he couldn't manipulate his mate Flanno into the job.
 

simmo1

First Grade
Messages
5,340
Wigan (Hastings and Gildart's team) lost their semi final today 8-0 today to Leeds.

Hastings was completely unthreatening throughout the game, and was outplayed by Rob Lui. In his defence, the commentators did say it was very unlike him to be kept quiet, so perhaps just a bad day at the office.

Gildart looked bog average. He will be fringe first grade at best (based on my sample size of one game watched).
 

WT Unity

Juniors
Messages
236
Wigan (Hastings and Gildart's team) lost their semi final today 8-0 today to Leeds.

Hastings was completely unthreatening throughout the game, and was outplayed by Rob Lui. In his defence, the commentators did say it was very unlike him to be kept quiet, so perhaps just a bad day at the office.

Gildart looked bog average. He will be fringe first grade at best (based on my sample size of one game watched).
I've only seen a small highlights package and TBH there weren't many, and read some match reports. 8- Nil and only a single try and it came from a kick. Maybe hard to judge them based on that game which by reports was a pretty dour struggle. I'm not necessarily saying I'm overly excited about Gildart, however, tough to judge a centre in a game which only produced one try and was apparently an arm wrestle. Something that worries me more was a stat that I read which said Wigan had struggled to score points all year and only averaged 16 ppg. With Hastings being the man (or one of the main men) pulling the strings...That's a bit of a concern.
But Hey - Let's stay positive! We've gotta have some hope cos it's all we got left!
 

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
I'm hopeful the two new recruits from ESL are going to be decent players for us. Gildart looks good when he gets the ball. Hastings from what I've seen can play.

I think defensively they both are going to have to improve especially Gildart.

I wonder if we get a backline like this next year:-

1. Laurie
2. Nofo
3. Talau
4. Gildart
5. Ken M
6. Doueihi
7. Hastings

That backline has a lot of flaws but it's probably an improvement on this year. We really need a couple of class backline players.

Maybe Brooks and Hastings will be in the halves and AD comes back into the centre role.
 

simmo1

First Grade
Messages
5,340
I've only seen a small highlights package and TBH there weren't many, and read some match reports. 8- Nil and only a single try and it came from a kick. Maybe hard to judge them based on that game which by reports was a pretty dour struggle. I'm not necessarily saying I'm overly excited about Gildart, however, tough to judge a centre in a game which only produced one try and was apparently an arm wrestle. Something that worries me more was a stat that I read which said Wigan had struggled to score points all year and only averaged 16 ppg. With Hastings being the man (or one of the main men) pulling the strings...That's a bit of a concern.
But Hey - Let's stay positive! We've gotta have some hope cos it's all we got left!

Yeah, as I said it was the only game I've seen him play, so its hard to be too definitive. He didn't look likely to create a chance though. Very easily contained by his opposite number all night. In saying that, he kept his opposing centre easily contained as well.
 

Hoofhearted

Juniors
Messages
719
Something has been missing at Wigan all year, they have been average. It hasn't been because of Hastings though, he has single handedly tried to carry the team all year but I think they just ran out of puff. Leeds are also missing a lot of players, they have a veteran halfback playing fullback at the moment, so they are not going great either.
My best point of reference for Hastings is his last year at Salford 2019, they are a bottom team that he managed to get to the Grand Final, basically on his own. As a comparison to other players, from what I've seen he is a better player than George Williams who managed to go ok in the NRL.
I'm happy to give Gildart a bit of grace, he has only just come back from a long term injury into a non performing team so may be a factor. I have seen him play in previous years and he looked strong, the video below was his test debut against a strong Kiwi team and he was very good, he scores a good try around the 7 minute mark of the video.
 
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