Rumours (signings, sackings & other NRL stuff)

[Das Hassler]

Yep, credit where it’s due, Sheens and Co, have done very well with recruitment.
Now just a good to very good back (fullback or centre) would be the icing on the cake, for me.

The signings thus far have charged the magnet right up....never know who will be thinking ...hmmm ok

 

[Tiger Ted]

Yep, credit where it’s due, Sheens and Co, have done very well with recruitment.
Now just a good to very good back (fullback or centre) would be the icing on the cake, for me.

We should b now focusing all of our attention on the sublime Roger T-S instead of the lowlife mercenary Moses.

 

[Smug Panther]

Bateman has been pretty awful for Wigan from what I've seen and read.

But hopefully he can lay a decent platform for your new number 1 Charlie Staines, I love the bloke

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Bateman has been pretty awful for Wigan from what I've seen and read.

But hopefully he can lay a decent platform for your new number 1 Charlie Staines, I love the bloke

He’s barely announced and the insane jealousy has set in already.

A lot of these smuggies, they go into the toilet with a copy of our roster.

They should come clean, pull down their pants and out themselves as WT fans.

Get in touch with their inner Brooksy.

Be true to themselves.

Enjoy the ride, I for one, I don’t discriminate , I welcome them.

 

[The Rosco]

Bateman has been pretty awful for Wigan from what I've seen and read.

But hopefully he can lay a decent platform for your new number 1 Charlie Staines, I love the bloke

I DGAF what he's been like at Wigan, to be fair.
Watched him play for the poms, and he went pretty good.
We've seen what he's capable of at Canberra . . . so hopefully he regains some of that form.
Hope Staines goes above expectations, too. You just don't know what a new environment will do for a bloke. He might have thought some of his old team were knobs. Who knows ? In your team he didn't really stand out, but in ours, he should. And who knows how much good that will do for his confidence ?
There's very few, if any decent, mobile, hard hitting angry forwards available right now. I think he'll go well here.

 

[Smug Panther]

I DGAF what he's been like at Wigan, to be fair.
Watched him play for the poms, and he went pretty good.
We've seen what he's capable of at Canberra . . . so hopefully he regains some of that form.
Hope Staines goes above expectations, too. You just don't know what a new environment will do for a bloke. He might have thought some of his old team were knobs. Who knows ? In your team he didn't really stand out, but in ours, he should. And who knows how much good that will do for his confidence ?
There's very few, if any decent, mobile, hard hitting angry forwards available right now. I think he'll go well here.

Charlie is an out and out fullback. Never really got a shot in first grade with us but he did hold out Laurie in every grade

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I DGAF what he's been like at Wigan, to be fair.
Watched him play for the poms, and he went pretty good.
We've seen what he's capable of at Canberra . . . so hopefully he regains some of that form.
Hope Staines goes above expectations, too. You just don't know what a new environment will do for a bloke. He might have thought some of his old team were knobs. Who knows ? In your team he didn't really stand out, but in ours, he should. And who knows how much good that will do for his confidence ?
There's very few, if any decent, mobile, hard hitting angry forwards available right now. I think he'll go well here.

He’s just fiddling with himself, he doesn’t mean any harm. Just look the other way if you’re embarrassed.

 

[The Rosco]

Charlie is an out and out fullback. Never really got a shot in first grade with us but he did hold out Laurie in every grade

Agree that Staines is better suited to f/b . . . but ole shifty has priors in inventing new positions for players
Mate, I'm happy with the changes in and around our team. Who knows ? . . . in 5 years we might have uncovered a crop like your blokes !!

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Charlie is an out and out fullback. Never really got a shot in first grade with us but he did hold out Laurie in every grade

@stryker could hold out Laurie in every grade.

He’s more reserved about Bateman, but I think he’s one of Gods gifts in terms of attitude.

Its still a mystery why the raiders were fooling about with him. Stupid mind games. Ricky is on the nose.

But no question that Tim was in the uk to get up to no good. Hopefully has picked up his wife to help him through the chaos ahead.

Recruitment score: 6/10 so far.

 

[Old Time Tiger]

Recruitment score: 6/10 so far.

Gee on recruitment I’d go higher than 6. Just stand the guys we have now alongside who they will replace and it would be 9 point something for me.

Retention, on the other hand would be less than 6. Retaining Brooks and not retaining Hastings would be a 1 for me.

 

[Vic Mackey]

Haha chricton wouldn't go anywhere now that the salary cap just went to 12.1 million, theres now enough (2.6m extra ) to keep any players at any clubs really, mitch wont move..
All the clubs were working off a possible 9.5 mill salary cap... bateman signing greenlit the moment PVL said 12.1... coincidence??

Every NRL contract has a ratchet clause in it. No club has that extra amount of extra money

 

[Vic Mackey]

Bateman has been pretty awful for Wigan from what I've seen and read.

But hopefully he can lay a decent platform for your new number 1 Charlie Staines, I love the bloke

Yep he certainly wasn’t 2019 Canberra Bateman, thought he was strong in the WC though. The fact that out edge forward stocks are so low has me ok with the signings, however of all of our recruits he’s the least I’m pumped for. Is a very Sheens style player, let’s see how it goes.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Gee on recruitment I’d go higher than 6. Just stand the guys we have now alongside who they will replace and it would be 9 point something for me.

Retention, on the other hand would be less than 6. Retaining Brooks and not retaining Hastings would be a 1 for me.

I plead guilty, you are dead right.

I’m pretty happy with his signing, but happier about paps. That was a genuine coup. That’s almost neck and neck with Api.

Klem I’m less sold on. Watch and act.

Ask the sloth:

Justin was frothing at the mouth during the start of that interview when Klem said how immortal and wonderful everything was.

The COE was Xanadu, the promised land for every player in the NRL. Interviewing Klemmer was a deeply religious experience for Justin.

He couldn’t have answered the questions better himself.

Lee would want Klem shortlisted for club captain.

 

[Shredder]

Pack looks good on paper now. Make or break year for Brooks (hopefully).

One spot left and some cap space, I would like to see us go all out on Ramien to fill that glaring hole at center.

 

[Ned Kelly]

Pack looks good on paper now. Make or break year for Brooks (hopefully).

One spot left and some cap space, I would like to see us go all out on Ramien to fill that glaring hole at center.

Oh Yeah !

 

[BrotherJim05]

Pack looks good on paper now. Make or break year for Brooks (hopefully).

One spot left and some cap space, I would like to see us go all out on Ramien to fill that glaring hole at center.

My memory could be off, but I feel like the Knights put a pretty solid team together and Ramien was found out to be lazy at center. I would much rather we persist with developing To'a for peanuts rather than splashing out for someone who could easily be rocks and diamonds.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Every year is another “ no more excuses for Brooksy” year followed by yet another excuse to keep him.

Id be playing “900” at hb, Laurie or another to 5/8 and Charlie to fb.

I can sense Brooks is up for another shocker and will let everyone down as per usual.

Last year he was rubbish for his experience and price and the year before that and the year before that.

A couple of hunger more gets you a Moses or my evergreen fave, Ben Hunt.

 

[Tiger Ted]

Brooks won’t be letting me down coz I know for certain the status quo will be maintained re how shithouse he will play in ‘23.I’m expecting that b4 mid season the pathetic no.7 will be introducing himself to the wests nsw cup team.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

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

 

[Ron's_Mate]

‘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