Season 2025

[Nutz]

For me:
Seyfarth, Pole and Matamua are must keeps.

Pole

 

[Perth Tiger]

Pole only

the rest depend on performance and what we can get in the market

 

[Vic Mackey]

Who do they keep, who do they not?

im still a fan of matamua, not sure the coaching staff are though

 

[Tigerm]

Our future under 22yo
Bula
Pole-22
Sa Fainu-20
Latu Fainu-19
Galvin-19
TDS-19
L Laulilli-18
K laulilli-19
Matamua-21
Miller-19

Probably missed someone.
But if we can keep them, the future (not all for next year) looks a lot better than the last decade.

 

[Nutz]

Our future under 22yo
Bula
Pole-22
Sa Fainu-20
Latu Fainu-19
Galvin-19
TDS-19
L Laulilli-18
K laulilli-19
Matamua-21
Miller-19

Probably missed someone.
But if we can keep them, the future (not all for next year) looks a lot better than the last decade.

Not enough players with the letter i in their names

 

[Nutz]

Practically every team has an enforcer, one that attracts multiple defenders. Some on this list are on their way out but the principal remains. Some teams have 2-3 of these type of players.
Warriors - Fonua-Blake
Storm - T. Kamikamica, N. Asofa-Solomona
Eels - R. Campbell-Gillard
Brocos - P. Haas
Cowboys - J. Taumalolo
Sharks - O. Kaufusi
Roosters - S. Leniu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
Manly - T. Paseka
Panthers - J. Fisher-Harris
Dolphins - Pangai Jnr
Titans - D. Fifita
Raiders- J. Papali'i
Bunnies - K. Koloamatangi
WESTS TIGERS??????????

 

[Tigerm]

TIGERS
2024 squad: Adam Doueihi (2025), Aidan Sezer (2024), Alex Twal (2027), Alex Seyfarth (2025), Apisai Koroisau (2026), Brandon Tumeth (2024, PO 2025), Brent Naden (2025), Charlie Staines (2025), David Klemmer (2025, MO 2026), Fonua Pole (2025), Isaiah Papali’i (2024), Jahream Bula (2026, MO 2027), Jayden Sullivan (2027), John Bateman (2026), Jordan Miller (2026), Josh Feledy (2025), Junior Tupou (2024), Justin Matamua (2025), Justin Olam (2026), Lachlan Galvin (2026), Latu Fainu (2027), Samuela Fainu (2027), Sione Fainu (2024), Solomon Alaimalo (2024), Starford To’a (2026), Stefano Utoikamanu (2024, MO 2025), Tallyn Da Silva (2026)


Development players: Alex Lobb (2025), Chris Fa’agutu (2025), Kit Laulilii (2025), Solomone Saukuru (2025), Tony Sukkar (2025), Solomona Faataape (2024)

2024 gains: Latu Fainu (Sea Eagles), Samuela Fainu (Sea Eagles), Jayden Sullivan (Dragons), Aidan Sezer (Leeds Rhinos), Solomon Alaimalo (Super Rugby), Solomona Faataape (Brisbane Tigers), Justin Olam (Storm)

2024 losses: Luke Brooks (Sea Eagles), David Nofoaluma (released), Tommy Talau (Sea Eagles), Daine Laurie (Panthers), Aitasi James (Sea Eagles), Rua Ngatikaura (North Sydney Bears), Tuki Simpkins (Dolphins, train and trial), Brandon Wakeham (Blacktown Workers), Triston Reilly (released), Brandon Webster-Mansfield (released), Shawn Blore (Storm), Jake Simpkin (released), Asu Kepaoa (Panthers)

2025 gains: Sunia Turuva (Panthers), Jarome Luai (Panthers)

2025 losses: Isaiah Papali’i (Panthers), Junior Tupou (Dolphins),
Coach: Benji Marshall (2027)

Storm centre heads overseas; teen freak snubs ‘strong’ Eels bid in Ryles blow: Transfer Centre

Storm centre heads overseas; teen freak snubs ‘strong’ Eels bid in Ryles blow: Transfer Centre

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Tiger05]

1. Jahream Bula
2. Luke Laulilii
3. Justin Olam
4. Sunia Turuva
5. Charlie Staines

6. Latu Fainu
7. Jarome Luai

8. Alex Twal
9. Apisai Koroisau (c)
10. Fonua Pole
11. Samuela Fainu
12. Adam Doueihi
13. Justin Matamua

14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Lachlan Galvin
16. Alex Seyfarth
17. Sione Fainu

I assume at the moment we'd put a team like that on the park.

I think the backs are fine. I think they are good enough to move us up the ladder.The only issues are Fainu, Galvin and Sullivan get one spot and are costing us a fair chunk of change. Doueihi and To'a might make the centres but I wouldn't rely on either of them.

Our forwards are puss especially having Doueihi on an edge but I don't see any other option. We need to make some good purchases in relation to edge backrowers and middle forwards.

 

[Pezz70]

1. Jahream Bula
2. Luke Laulilii
3. Justin Olam
4. Sunia Turuva
5. Charlie Staines

6. Latu Fainu
7. Jarome Luai

8. Alex Twal
9. Apisai Koroisau (c)
10. Fonua Pole
11. Samuela Fainu
12. Adam Doueihi
13. Justin Matamua

14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Lachlan Galvin
16. Alex Seyfarth
17. Sione Fainu

I assume at the moment we'd put a team like that on the park.

I think the backs are fine. I think they are good enough to move us up the ladder.The only issues are Fainu, Galvin and Sullivan get one spot and are costing us a fair chunk of change. Doueihi and To'a might make the centres but I wouldn't rely on either of them.

Our forwards are puss especially having Doueihi on an edge but I don't see any other option. We need to make some good purchases in relation to edge backrowers and middle forwards.

Lualilii and Staines is a disaster. Luke might come good but they just don’t make the yards needed out of the red zone, and both are pretty ordinary under the high ball.

We haven’t had a decent foundation off the back three for years, it’s probably up there with our biggest dramas.

We’re a losing side all over the paddock atm, there’s not really one player who dominates his opponent from week to week. I see light but I’ve seen the same light dim pretty quickly on a few occasions in the past 15 years.
7 years since we won three in a row. 5 seasons since we got our wins into double figures, 13 seasons since we have won more than half our games in a season. The last three seasons we have won 4 games a season, and we still manage to blow the salary cap. Still a basket case.

 

[Tigerm]

1. Jahream Bula
2. Luke Laulilii
3. Justin Olam
4. Sunia Turuva
5. Charlie Staines

6. Latu Fainu
7. Jarome Luai

8. Alex Twal
9. Apisai Koroisau (c)
10. Fonua Pole
11. Samuela Fainu
12. Adam Doueihi
13. Justin Matamua

14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Lachlan Galvin
16. Alex Seyfarth
17. Sione Fainu

I assume at the moment we'd put a team like that on the park.

I think the backs are fine. I think they are good enough to move us up the ladder.The only issues are Fainu, Galvin and Sullivan get one spot and are costing us a fair chunk of change. Doueihi and To'a might make the centres but I wouldn't rely on either of them.

Our forwards are puss especially having Doueihi on an edge but I don't see any other option. We need to make some good purchases in relation to edge backrowers and middle forwards.

We are letting players go atm, so I think the club has a plan to replace them (f**king hope so anyway), but if Doueihi is in our pack, I think we are in trouble.

 

[Tiger05]

Lualilii and Staines is a disaster. Luke might come good but they just don’t make the yards needed out of the red zone, and both are pretty ordinary under the high ball.

I like both of them. I'm happy to go with these two and Bula. Lualilii is a risk and he has shown a remarkable ability to make a mistake but he is also a kid and I think it's worth giving him a shot.

The only thing is Bula hasn't been performing great this year and someone mentioned a while back that Turuva may get the fullback spot. I can see Bula moving to the centres.

They aren't big and I can see your point.

We’re a losing side all over the paddock atm, there’s not really one player who dominates his opponent from week to week.

This is though why I'm okay with that backline. I think we have too many inconsistent players week in and week out and I think that backline has the chance to actually score some points.

 

[Tiger05]

We are letting players go atm, so I think the club has a plan to replace them (f**king hope so anyway), but if Doueihi is in our pack, I think we are in trouble.

It's the biggest weakness in our team. I don't know where else you play Doueihi. He has shown an ability to play awesome footy at times but his defense is often terrible especially his lateral movement and he goes missing. I think if you play him on an edge he might create something at times and he has more chance of not being a liability in defense but that is just clutching at straws.

To be honest I can't see it working but I can't see Doueihi working out anywhere. We desperately need an edge backrower.

I think we need to buy forwards but geez I don't want to see us purchase guys that don't deliver again.

 

[TheDefinitionOfMadness]

What we need more than anything else is a player who delivers what Meninga did for Canberra when he arrived.

Not just a great player who leads by example, but someone who demands accountability from everyone else and drives high standards in every aspect of the team.

Only then will the culture of the club change. Hopefully we have that in Luai.

Until that happens we'll just have lumps like Stefo, Woods, and Brooks etc, who just want to go to other clubs and leech off the hard work of others to get success, rather than staying, and being fully committed to improve themselves, the team, and the club.

 

[Tigerm]

It's the biggest weakness in our team. I don't know where else you play Doueihi. He has shown an ability to play awesome footy at times but his defense is often terrible especially his lateral movement and he goes missing. I think if you play him on an edge he might create something at times and he has more chance of not being a liability in defense but that is just clutching at straws.

To be honest I can't see it working but I can't see Doueihi working out anywhere. We desperately need an edge backrower.

I think we need to buy forwards but geez I don't want to see us purchase guys that don't deliver again.

They stopped negotiating with AFB at the beginning of the season, I think that was a huge error.
Not saying he would have come here, but at least we were talking to players that we need.

 

[Fordy20]

What we need more than anything else is a player who delivers what Meninga did for Canberra when he arrived.

Not just a great player who leads by example, but someone who demands accountability from everyone else and drives high standards in every aspect of the team.

Only then will the culture of the club change. Hopefully we have that in Luai.

Until that happens we'll just have lumps like Stefo, Woods, and Brooks etc, who just want to go to other clubs and leech off the hard work of others to get success, rather than staying, and being fully committed to improve themselves, the team, and the club.

I agree, but I don't reckon one will be enough to change the culture. There's not doubt signing Luai is huge for us, just like Stephen Crichton has been huge for the Dogs, but prior to signing Crichton, the Dogs already had recruited a bunch of journeyman toilers to lift standards across the board. That's the same thing the Panthers did early on to mentor the younger talent coming through, but for us we don't have that core vets there, so it feels like we are trying to take shortcuts.

Bateman and Klemmer were supposed to provide that leadership as senior players, but they've been exceeding underwhelming.

 

[TheDefinitionOfMadness]

I agree, but I don't reckon one will be enough to change the culture. There's not doubt signing Luai is huge for us, just like Stephen Crichton has been huge for the Dogs, but prior to signing Crichton, the Dogs already had recruited a bunch of journeyman toilers to lift standards across the board. That's the same thing the Panthers did early on to mentor the younger talent coming through, but for us we don't have that core vets there, so it feels like we are trying to take shortcuts.

Bateman and Klemmer were supposed to provide that leadership as senior players, but they've been exceeding underwhelming.

You're probably right. I'm hoping that if Luai can do this, then that will get Api really interested again. Things should snowball from there. I hope.

TBH if the Luai signing doesn't pan out we may as pull up stumps and give the licence to another team. If it doesn't work I can't ever see us making the 8 again, let alone challenging for a comp. Especially on a regular basis, which is what we all want.

 

[Fordy20]

It's the biggest weakness in our team. I don't know where else you play Doueihi. He has shown an ability to play awesome footy at times but his defense is often terrible especially his lateral movement and he goes missing. I think if you play him on an edge he might create something at times and he has more chance of not being a liability in defense but that is just clutching at straws.

To be honest I can't see it working but I can't see Doueihi working out anywhere. We desperately need an edge backrower.

I think we need to buy forwards but geez I don't want to see us purchase guys that don't deliver again.

I don't get the desperation around an edge backrower. Porter seems fine to me, but it seems like a pretty easy position to recruit an adequate player in. I reckon wing is the main problem at the moment and has been since Tupou signed elsewhere.

I take you're point on Doueihi though. He's on contract, but he's not the best pick in any position. Giving him the opportunity to take the offseason to train in the second row seems like a reasonable move. It worked for Kepaoa.

 

[Pezz70]

I don't get the desperation around an edge backrower. Porter seems fine to me, but it seems like a pretty easy position to recruit an adequate player in. I reckon wing is the main problem at the moment and has been since Tupou signed elsewhere.

I take you're point on Doueihi though. He's on contract, but he's not the best pick in any position. Giving him the opportunity to take the offseason to train in the second row seems like a reasonable move. It worked for Kepaoa.

Douehi’s versatility makes him a great bench player. Fullback, centre, 5/8 he’d be useful

 

[Tiger05]

I don't get the desperation around an edge backrower. Porter seems fine to me, but it seems like a pretty easy position to recruit an adequate player in. I reckon wing is the main problem at the moment and has been since Tupou signed elsewhere.

I take you're point on Doueihi though. He's on contract, but he's not the best pick in any position. Giving him the opportunity to take the offseason to train in the second row seems like a reasonable move. It worked for Kepaoa.

I hope you are right on Porter. I don't think he'll offer any impact but he does look solid. Maybe that is enough. I'm not worried about our outside backs right now. I just think we have enough players to get the job done there but the forwards look pretty poor. There is no depth and the best pack doesn't look great.

A player like To'o would be huge for us though. We don't have a star outside back or forward. Out strength will be our halves and if Benji gets something out of Galvin, Latu and Luai. The problem is how do you play all 3 if there are no injuries.

 

[Tigerm]

I hope you are right on Porter. I don't think he'll offer any impact but he does look solid. Maybe that is enough. I'm not worried about our outside backs right now. I just think we have enough players to get the job done there but the forwards look pretty poor. There is no depth and the best pack doesn't look great.

A player like To'o would be huge for us though. We don't have a star outside back or forward. Out strength will be our halves and if Benji gets something out of Galvin, Latu and Luai. The problem is how do you play all 3 if there are no injuries.

It’s been said, that Gal could end as the 13?
He needs to put on a bit of beef, but he doesn’t shirk the defensive stuff, so who knows.
But I think if he doesn’t and stays in the halves (not a problem) then either he or Latu will leave when there contracts expire.
I still think we are a big bopper short, it’s so noticeable when the other sides big bopper is giving it to us.