Season 2025

[Tigerm]

Tumeth has a mutual option, we're obviously not going to take it up so upto him if he wants too. Considering he played all the jnr reps he may get a gig elsewhere.

Doeuihi being re-signed was the stupidest idea ever. I dont care if he's on $1, hes taking up a spot that we desperately need.

Yes, the Doueihi resigning, is up there with one of our biggest mistakes ever.

 

[Nutz]

Doeuihi being re-signed was the stupidest idea ever. I dont care if he's on $1, hes taking up a spot that we desperately need.

So true, ridiculous.
In the big picture though, we don't see the hours of hard dedicated rehab he has done as he came back in good shape and scored that runaway try beating a speedster to the line. He could easily have won the hearts of Richo and Benji because he wants to be here and willing to fight.
But we are a professional sport not a charity. He should have been put on a train and trial contract for 2025 until things worked out with the roster. Unsure if that is possible though, can't see why not.

 

[Tiger05]

Tumeth has a mutual option, we're obviously not going to take it up so upto him if he wants too. Considering he played all the jnr reps he may get a gig elsewhere.

Doeuihi being re-signed was the stupidest idea ever. I dont care if he's on $1, hes taking up a spot that we desperately need.

Factually we have 31 spots filled right now out of 30 and ideally we need another middle forward plus re-sign Sione. I also think Faataape deserves a top 30 contract. He was our best centre last season. Olam was injured or suspended way too much and To'a hardly played.

The Doueihi signing is shocking and I bet it isn't a minimum value contract.

We need to get rid of some players.

 

[Tiger05]

In the big picture though, we don't see the hours of hard dedicated rehab he has done as he came back in good shape and scored that runaway try beating a speedster to the line. He could easily have won the hearts of Richo and Benji because he wants to be here and willing to fight.

He plays one good game and 10 bad ones. His defensive efforts are terrible. I can't see him being a first grade player in any position other than an edge backrower and there is no way he is anything other than a development player in that role.

Richo f**ked this one up big time.

 

[Tiger05]

This is my go at the roster for next year. I've included Sione Fainu as we really need a middle forward and he has been good for us.

2025
1. Jahream Bula
2. Sunia Turuva
3. Justin Olam
4. Starford To’a
5. Jeral Skelton

6. Lachlan Galvin
7. Jarome Luai

8. David Klemmer
9. Apisai Koroisau (c)
10. Fonua Pole
11. Samuela Fainu
12. Jack Bird
13. Alex Seyfarth

14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Alex Twal
16. Royce Hunt
17. Sione Fainu -- needs to be signed

Forwards:-
18. Jordan Miller
19. Justin Matamua
20. Kit Laulilii
21. Adam Doueihi -- try and get rid of
22. Brandon Tumeth -- try and get rid of
23. Tony Sukkar
24. Chris Faagutu
25. John Bateman -- try and get rid of
Hookers/Halves/Utilities:-
26. Jayden Sullivan -- try and get rid of
27. Latu Fainu
Outside Backs:-
28. Josh Feledy
29. Solomone Saukuru
30. Luke Laulilii
31. Brent Naden
32. Charlie Staines

Outside Top 30

Tim Johannssen -- junior with potential
Reuben Porter -- average first grader
Heath Mason -- junior with potential

Unsigned but should be signed:-
Solomona Faataape -- average first grader

I reckon our 1-7 are pretty good and we have good depth. Staines is a first grader and he can play in the centres or on the wing. He might even start over To'a. Latu as a back-up half is crazy stuff but injuries will happen and maybe he will rotate with TDS off the bench.

The forwards can do the job and the depth is pretty good but mostly because of Johannssen & Porter being outside of the top 30.

Our big issue is we have way too many signings that are not giving us any value and some of them are on top dollars. Maybe we also have to get rid of some our depth outside backs.

I can't see us signing anyone else until we clean that roster up.

I thought the Bird signing was okay but now I think we shouldn't have made that signing.

 

[Nutz]

Factually we have 31 spots filled right now out of 30 and ideally we need another middle forward plus re-sign Sione. I also think Faataape deserves a top 30 contract. He was our best centre last season. Olam was injured or suspended way too much and To'a hardly played.

The Doueihi signing is shocking and I bet it isn't a minimum value contract.

We need to get rid of some players.

It was 150k.
If in fact we do have 31 players that I listed all have a contracts for 2025 then this is a problem. Also I think they were hoping for Johnny not to come back.
If there are no more signing news for a while it will be because of no spots available.
There are a few clubs in need of a ½back urgently, maybe a loan of a player like we did with Bateman could give us some breathing space???
We have to be 30 not 31 to be able to compete. We might need to pay a club to take over a contract, now that will suck.

 

[Tiger05]

It was 150k.

How do you know ? That guy has been paid big bucks for years and he doesn't even try at times.

If in fact we do have 31 players that I listed all have a contracts for 2025 then this is a problem. Also I think they were hoping for Johnny not to come back.
If there are no more signing news for a while it will be because of no spots available.

It's an issue. We need to get rid of I reckon at least 4players. Our top team looks good but we have too many passengers in relation to depth.

 

[Nutz]

How do you know ? That guy has been paid big bucks for years and he doesn't even try at times.



It's an issue. We need to get rid of I reckon at least 4players. Our top team looks good but we have too many passengers in relation to depth.

AD sacked his manager and tried to go it alone asking for 800k. He then got injured and decided to take up our offer of a minimum wage deal for 1 year.

Tigers star extends despite minimum-wage offer

'I know my best years are ahead of me'

www.nine.com.au

In the next article it hinted that there might have been some back scratching.. who knows.
Quote...."Doueihi's negotiation wasn't straight forward, having rejected an initial minimum wage $150,000 offer. Eventually, the club and player saw eye to eye"

'Should've waited': Star's contract regret after stunner

'I saved the club a bit of cash'

www.nine.com.au

 

[Nutz]

The damage is done, let's help Richo get the club out of this mess, become a 2025 member otherwise our suggestions will lack substance and credibility.
Get on board.
There you journos, put that in "X"

 

[Tiger05]

It's also September now. There is a lot of time until pre-season starts and typically we end up with some movements late in the pre-season.

When was the last time we had a backline like the one we will have next year. We have lost Stef and IP in the forwards but Stef in my opinion wasn't very good for us. IP though is a big loss.

Hunt is also a different player to the forwards that we have.

I don't want to get too excited because we are always shit and there are issues. Can Benji coach ? Can Api tidy up his game and be maybe the best 9 in the comp.

 

[Tiger Ted]

AD sacked his manager and tried to go it alone asking for 800k. He then got injured and decided to take up our offer of a minimum wage deal for 1 year.

Tigers star extends despite minimum-wage offer

'I know my best years are ahead of me'

www.nine.com.au

In the next article it hinted that there might have been some back scratching.. who knows.
Quote...."Doueihi's negotiation wasn't straight forward, having rejected an initial minimum wage $150,000 offer. Eventually, the club and player saw eye to eye"

'Should've waited': Star's contract regret after stunner

'I saved the club a bit of cash'

www.nine.com.au

My sources tell me AD is on 300k next yr..Hopefully he gets his body(knee) right during the off season & we finally get value for money out of him however I’m not holding my breath.

 

[Nutz]

My sources tell me AD is on 300k next yr..Hopefully he gets his body(knee) right during the off season & we finally get value for money out of him however I’m not holding my breath.

Your probably right because he did say in that article that they came to an agreement.
It's the holding onto a spot that's the issue hey. If he was a marquee centre then how good would that be.

 

[Fordy20]

Outside Top 30

Tim Johannssen -- junior with potential
Reuben Porter -- average first grader
Heath Mason -- junior with potential

Unsigned but should be signed:-
Solomona Faataape -- average first grader

Agree we should be re-signing Sione Fainu and Faataape, but we might be in a similar situation to the Knights. They want to offer contracts to Brodie Jones and Mat Crocker, but they have sort out what's happening elsewhere with the roster first.

Here's a few more outside the Top 30

Lachlan Broederlow
Jaxson Rahme
Kobie Wilson
Vaka Aho
Tristan Hope
Eiden Acklan

Don't know if Rahme or Aho will factor into the forwards, but I'm glad we've got some hooker depth with Hope and Wilson.

 

[Fordy20]

We have lost Stef and IP in the forwards but Stef in my opinion wasn't very good for us. IP though is a big loss.

Hunt is also a different player to the forwards that we have.

What I like about our signings is although we just seem to replacing who we lost, in most cases the replacement is an upgrade. Luai is an upgrade on Sezer, Hunt is an upgrade on Stef, Bird is an upgrade on Kepaoa and Turuva is an upgrade on Tupou, but that might be just down to Turuva's ability to stay on the pitch. I feel like we're still a prop shot, even if Fainu is re-signed.

 

[Nutz]

What I like about our signings is although we just seem to replacing who we lost, in most cases the replacement is an upgrade. Luai is an upgrade on Sezer, Hunt is an upgrade on Stef, Bird is an upgrade on Kepaoa and Turuva is an upgrade on Tupou, but that might be just down to Turuva's ability to stay on the pitch. I feel like we're still a prop shot, even if Fainu is re-signed.

Good way of looking at it Fordy and I agree.
Is the coach assistant coach an upgrade...lose Roɓie gain Hodgo? (that's if rumours are true)
It's quiet clear that our biggest downfall this year was in Defense. Have you got faith in Morris. Was he partly to blame and should he be replaced?
I think his job is safe but something has to change with our defense strategy.

 

[Tigerm]

Good way of looking at it Fordy and I agree.
Is the coach assistant coach an upgrade...lose Roɓie gain Hodgo? (that's if rumours are true)
It's quiet clear that our biggest downfall this year was in Defense. Have you got faith in Morris. Was he partly to blame and should he be replaced?
I think his job is safe but something has to change with our defense strategy.

I’m not keen on putting all the blame on coaches, the players showed in some games that they were up to the challenge, but generally clocked off in a lot of games.
As a club, there isn’t a lot the coaches can do once they are on the field, without depth and players under contract, except keep plugging away with what they have to work with.
Imo, a lot of players weren’t willing to do what was required, but we didn’t have much choice in replacements.
Recruitment is super important.
I think Api was good, but led by example, he was not a leader, as a few let him do all the work.
I’m really hoping Luai takes on that mantle of leading the troops on the field.

 

[Nutz]

I’m not keen on putting all the blame on coaches, the players showed in some games that they were up to the challenge, but generally clocked off in a lot of games.
As a club, there isn’t a lot the coaches can do once they are on the field, without depth and players under contract, except keep plugging away with what they have to work with.
Imo, a lot of players weren’t willing to do what was required, but we didn’t have much choice in replacements.
Recruitment is super important.
I think Api was good, but led by example, he was not a leader, as a few let him do all the work.
I’m really hoping Luai takes on that mantle of leading the troops on the field.

A coaches responsibilities lay mainly during training and with the game plan, rehearsing over and over until it becomes instinctive.
I agree that a coach can't do the tackling but are you saying that you haven't seen the same defensive stuff ups week in week out. I could name several stuff ups/poor technique that we were doing at the start of the season right thru to the last game. For one, arm grabbing, two.. setting oneself on his heels, three.. body height, four..switching off in covering.
Seriously I could name heaps of errors that we keep making.

 

[Tigerm]

A coaches responsibilities lay mainly during training and with the game plan, rehearsing over and over until it becomes instinctive.
I agree that a coach can't do the tackling but are you saying that you haven't seen the same defensive stuff ups week in week out. I could name several stuff ups/poor technique that we were doing at the start of the season right thru to the last game. For one, arm grabbing, two.. setting oneself on his heels, three.. body height, four..switching off in covering.
Seriously I could name heaps of errors that we keep making.

Agree, but what can you do about it, is my point.
The obvious thing would be to drop them, but who do you drop them for?
They certainly wouldn’t train to arm grab and as I mentioned, they have had some good defensive games, they are just not consistent.
Will a new coaches voice be heard any better? I don’t know.
It is a results business and change will continue, but players have contracts and it is not that easy to change them, mid contract.
Recruitment is the key.

 

[Nutz]

Agree, but what can you do about it, is my point.
The obvious thing would be to drop them, but who do you drop them for?
They certainly wouldn’t train to arm grab and as I mentioned, they have had some good defensive games, they are just not consistent.
Will a new coaches voice be heard any better? I don’t know.
It is a results business and change will continue, but players have contracts and it is not that easy to change them, mid contract.
Recruitment is the key.

Look at how many points we leaked compared to other clubs, it's disgraceful.
Our boys have proven they can defend but rarely for 80mins. That comes down to two things, coaching and player's attitude.
I'm saying our coaching is hugely to blame as the buck stops there.

 

[Tiger Ted]

Look at how many points we leaked compared to other clubs, it's disgraceful.
Our boys have proven they can defend but rarely for 80mins. That comes down to two things, coaching and player's attitude.
I'm saying our coaching is hugely to blame as the buck stops there.

The diabolical ineptitude in defense has been my biggest bugbear.Year in year out this concord shitshow display zero ability intelligence or improvement in defense.Its a huge reason y they’ve collected 3 consecutive spoons & will b favourites for a 4peat.Its farcical that the coach was a noted pissweak defender who until
he played under SuperCoach WB never understood the importance of playing with discipline & grinding out wins.The team in many ways r a mirror image of the coach in that they r unwilling to earn wins with a strong work ethic & a take no prisoners attitude for the full 80 mins each wk.