SMH article about new recruits for 2014

[Ron's_Mate]

Article below. Taupau is the one I have highest hopes for.


Wests Tigers bolstered by return of prodigal sons

Adrian Proszenko
Published: December 15, 2013 - 3:00AM

Not all of the Wests Tigers' recruits are new faces.

One of the most active clubs in the recruitment market, the joint-venture outfit has overhauled its roster with a view to bringing down the average age of its squad to about 23. But with officials also mindful of the need for experience, prodigal sons Pat Richards and Dene Halatau were lured back to the den. The duo, part of the premiership-winning Tigers side of 2005, are joined by Martin Taupau (Bulldogs), Cory Paterson (Hull KR), Blake Austin (Panthers) and Keith Lulia (Bradford) in a revamped squad for next year.

The new additions have raised hopes the Tigers are ready to climb the ladder after finishing 15th in an injury-marred season.

''Getting used to the heat again is probably the hardest part but it's great to be back,'' said Richards, who enjoyed a successful eight-year stint with English glamour club Wigan. ''I have some great memories from over there but I'm not getting any younger. If I didn't come home now it's probably shut the door on coming back. The chance to come back at the Tigers was too good to refuse.''

All of the new signings have their own motivations for donning the black, white and orange. For former Bulldogs forward Taupau, it's an opportunity to cement himself as a regular first-grader.

''It's a great change, just what I needed,'' Taupau said. ''At the Bulldogs I wasn't moving so the Tigers has given me a fresh start and a great atmosphere.

''At the Dogs you've got the likes of Aiden Tolman, James Graham and Sam Kasiano. I can't get in front of them. I've learned from them and taken in everything from Jim Dymock, who worked with the forwards, and Des Hasler.

''It's a fresh start for me and hopefully my career can go up.''

Also making the move from the Bulldogs is Tigers favourite Halatau. The former New Zealand international returns to his old stamping ground to help mentor the club's rising batch of youngsters.

''When you change clubs it's like going to school on your first day,'' he said. ''You make new friends and build new relationships but, being here before, the place is pretty familiar to me. That's made it a lot easier.''

Having lost regulars including Benji Marshall, Lote Tuqiri, Blake Ayshford and Joel Reddy, the Tigers hope a new-look team will click under coach Mick Potter.

''We are looking to re-establish a bit of the culture at the club,'' Halatau said.

''Hopefully we can get an upward swing at the club. We're working really hard on the field to get some success and there are some good people at the club leading things. Hopefully we can push for the semi-finals and be a successful side.''

Wests Tigers chief executive Grant Mayer believes the club has struck the right balance with its roster management.

''In speaking to some of the new guys that have come in, there is a good mood in the place,'' Mayer said. ''You start talking to someone like Dene Halatau about the leadership things you can do here and you can't not get excited.

''We have to temper that excitement to a certain degree because this is not about a one-year fix, this is a two- or three-year program.''

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...y-return-of-prodigal-sons-20131214-2zdyk.html

 

[madunit]

2 or 3 year program...

 

[Shanghai Charlie]

Lets be honest...shit recruitment. Great retention of talent and cutting of dead weight. But not one recruited player is going to significantly improve this team. Not one is guaranteed a spot in first grade.

For farks sake, i hope there is truckload of cash for 2015 because we have bought jack shit this year and the last couple.

 

[innsaneink]

2 or 3 year program...

maybe we could work towards an 05 style season again, you know...where we jag a comp

 

[BrotherJim05]

Lets be honest...shit recruitment. Great retention of talent and cutting of dead weight. But not one recruited player is going to significantly improve this team. Not one is guaranteed a spot in first grade.

For farks sake, i hope there is truckload of cash for 2015 because we have bought jack shit this year and the last couple.

Thats a pretty narrow way to look at it. Patterson has had great success in England and is in good form. He is only on a one year deal so sink or swim it doesn't really matter.
Tupau is a fantastic buy. He is the exact type of prop we need to bolster our pack and he's young enough to develop as a WT player for the future.
Richards is a bloody excellent buy. Just his goal kicking alone will mean the difference between winning and losing for a number of games.

Leila, Austin and Halutau all have potential to fit well into a squad so no complaints there.

I agree that we didn't sign any massive names that will change everything but next year we will start to see WT chasing big name players and from what I've seen of Potter/Mayer they will do the sensible thing and go after back rowers and props

 

[R2Coupe]

Tapau is a great buy.

Does anyone believe the NSW Cup will have a very important role to play in producing our next wave for NRL players? I don't believe it is a coincidence Simona has done so well after serving an apprenticeship in the NSW Cup. We've had Woods, Fifita, Brooks and Lawrence pretty well go straight to the NRL but they are pretty decent players.

Just going through those names we have every reason to feel confident our system will produce a few more of this calibre and the club will move up the competition table.

 

[macnaz]

I Think we have enough good forwards to compete this year but our backs have a few problems. Half, five eight and centre positions could create some dramas if things dont fall in to place. We need Brooks to make the big step up to the NRL and Lawrence to produce some of his old form and that will sort 2 areas out leaving number 6 as our biggest worry. Hopefully everything works out early so we can have solid year without constant team changes.

 

[Tiger05]

I think our squad looks pretty good. We seem to have a good pack of forwards and quick outside backs.

I think the concern is the halves and possibly inconsistency as we have a lot of younger players and some experienced players who may be pretty poor on occasions. Anasta & Blair are definitely inconsistent. Richards might not fit in and end up being a slow outside back. He could kill it at the same time.

I'd just like to see Potter pick the best team possible and not give Richards/Halatau/Blair & Anasta a place in the team based on being senior players.

 

[benched tiger]

I agree to some extent that some automatic selections in the past have not helped our cause,hopefully those days are past and form is a key selection factor rather than reputation or name.

 

[magpie4ever]

I would like to believe we are a shot at the top 8. The 5/8 position is still the concern; other than that we have recruited well - solifided the forward pack and outside backs,

 

[BuffaloRules]

I would like to believe we are a shot at the top 8. The 5/8 position is still the concern; other than that we have recruited well - solifided the forward pack and outside backs,

"We"??

Are you referring to Wests Magpies SG Ball side?

 

[Vic Mackey]

I think our squad looks pretty good. We seem to have a good pack of forwards and quick outside backs.

I think the concern is the halves and possibly inconsistency as we have a lot of younger players and some experienced players who may be pretty poor on occasions. Anasta & Blair are definitely inconsistent. Richards might not fit in and end up being a slow outside back. He could kill it at the same time.

I'd just like to see Potter pick the best team possible and not give Richards/Halatau/Blair & Anasta a place in the team based on being senior players.

The last line is my main concern too. I don't see how halatau can fit into our side at all. I'd hate to see blokes like korobiete, Austin, seumanufangai etc playing well in nsw cup only for the said guys getting picked ahead of them whilst playing poorly purely on reputations.

Overall I think we have a very solid squad with good depth. The problem i see is that we have hardly any stand out players. Apart from Farah we wouldn't have one bloke that would be in the top 5 (or 7/8) for his position in the comp. To counter that I do believe if we our full strength team on the park we won't really have a weak link, but that make up for not having that genuine class?

Only time will tell.

 

[Matchball]

Halatau is back up hooker. Not a bad one compared to our back ups of old.

 

[madunit]

I'd prefer Luani to be our back up hooker.

Halatau will be our bench utility. Kind of like Matt Utai was, doing dummy half runs from out of our own half etc (Halatau was always pretty good at that)

 

[magpie4ever]

"We"??

Are you referring to Wests Magpies SG Ball side?

You'll get yours, Alice! :lol:

Stop stirring the pot, the girls will come out again.

 

[Vic Mackey]

I don't understand the halatau back up hooker thing. He made a few decent darts out of Dummy half in 05 when the play the ball was lightning quick. Now the ruck is three times slower, he has no ball skills and no kicking game. He has no purpose playing at Dummyhalf. Hell the dogs backup hooker was Joel romelo was one of the biggest spastics I've ever seen.

Halatau had a very good 2012 playing as a wide running back rower, he was starting for the dogs til he got injured late in the season, howerver this was on the back of a monster dominant pack which he won't have at wests

 

[Tiger05]

Halatau will be our bench utility. Kind of like Matt Utai was, doing dummy half runs from out of our own half etc (Halatau was always pretty good at that)

I think Halatau suits this role.

Halatau had a very good 2012 playing as a wide running back rower, he was starting for the dogs til he got injured late in the season, howerver this was on the back of a monster dominant pack which he won't have at wests

I see him as a backrower as well. Hopefully he has solid defence plus he can run the ball out wide as well as make some busts up the middle.

We won't have a monster pack but I'm hopeful our forwards go well this year.

 

[R2Coupe]

We finally have some depth in the forwards with the experience gained by Tapua, Ava S, Brown and co.

The competition in the backs will be interesting with pace from Lawrence, Simona, Korobeite and Nofoaluma. Add Kurtis Rowe who is a genuine speedster and we may see the best of Tedesco in terms of pace in his second year back.

 

[benched tiger]

We all know what we are going to get with Halatau,some of our options in the past to cover Farah have not been ideal,Dene at least should be able to hold is own.

 

[magpie guy]

We all know what we are going to get with Halatau,some of our options in the past to cover Farah have not been ideal,Dene at least should be able to hold is own.

Halatau has to have the worst dummy-half service of anyone I have seen. Can't pass left and is worse passing right.