Stefano Utoikamanu

[Nutz]

I’m saying scrap the cap. It’s not able to be monitored.
I don’t see clubs folding, the worst case scenario may be they have to sell the club, I’m sure there would be plenty of buyers, this is how a lot of systems in other sports work now.
If a club pays $m’s for a player, they can, but they still need to be inside the rating system.
I would think that clubs are already doing this, outside of the salary cap anyway.

If you scrap the cap just how much are players going to be paid... ridiculous amounts of noney. Australia isn't like England and the US.
I can't see clubs like WT being able to fork out 12mil or 20mil a year??? The club ran at a loss remember.
As you hinted clubs would be sold off.
Nah I don't like it nor do I think it would work. Just make it more transparent and possibly have a combination of the cap and the points system like you mentioned.

 

[Nutz]

Yeah I know what you mean. It's clear they're suggesting that Melbourne are cheating the cap, and with bloody good reasons:

1. Unless they dump NAS they have about $5.5 million of their cap tied up in 6 players. How could they possibly be under?
2. It's not like Melbourne don't have form on the board.

If the NRL is serious about making the competition even (which I don't believe they have any interest in at all) then they need to:

1. Enforce all contracts for their full duration, both club and player.
* They won't do this as they consider the constant contract scuttlebutt to be a good form of entertainment.
2. Don't allow players to accept lesser money to play at elite clubs.
3. All TPA's need to be publicly posted, including details of how the chain of events, from inception to signing of the agreement were managed and by who.
*This might create a bit too much work for the salary cap and investigations units. In addition, smart supporters will probably, and quite easily find violations. Can't have that.
4. All player salaries must be publicly posted showing how each team is managing their cap.
* Can't see this ever get taken up due to privacy concerns, even though the muck rakers publish this info quite regularly.
5. The salary cap has a maximum cap, but NO minimum cap.
* The collective bargaining agreement has them over a bit of a barrel here. The NRL need to fight to scrap this next time the agreement comes up.

Unless they do something like this they may as well just do away with the cap altogether. They won't though because teams will start going broke trying to catch up, and this will breach the NRL's agreements with 9 and Fox re # of games per week.

On NRL tonight Crawls is calling for transparent wages and contracts. It was practically word for word with our recent posts... proof that they read this forum

 

[TheDefinitionOfMadness]

On NRL tonight Crawls is calling for transparent wages and contracts. It was practically word for word with our recent posts... proof that they read this forum

I just saw that. Of course the players were dead set against it. They don;t want the illegal TPA gravy train to end.

 

[Nutz]

I just saw that. Of course the players were dead set against it. They don;t want the illegal TPA gravy train to end.

There are so many jobs that not only disclose salaries but advertise vacancies and their salaries.
I don't know why players are so different, especially when there is money, bonuses ect associated with winning plus betting on matches.
It's not as if we demand personal intimate facts and phone logs and bank details...just tell us exactly how each club has spent their cap and players TPA's.

 

[Tigerm]

I don't recall him spilling any blood for us?
I didn't watch the game, but by all counts, he is still a loafer, thank f**k, we didn't resign him and miss out on May.

 

[Nutz]

I don't recall him spilling any blood for us?
I didn't watch the game, but by all counts, he is still a loafer, thank f**k, we didn't resign him and miss out on May.

He was partly responsible for Storm's loss. Dumb and dumber.

 

[Wizardman]

The best Stefano has ever played in his career is his first month of his last season with us. From there, once he decided to play dead in order to not activate an extension with us, he has been crappy ever since. He has been at best average for the Storm and he cost them dearly yesterday. His loss has certainly been our gain.

 

[Ron's_Mate]

Can't blame the guy, he wanted to improve and is excelling in a good system.


‘I did my time there’: Utoikamanu says reaching grand final vindicates decision to leave Tigers
Christian Nicolussi
By Christian Nicolussi
September 27, 2025 — 7.30pm

Stefano Utoikamanu says reaching his first NRL grand final has vindicated his decision to leave Wests Tigers for the Storm this time last year – a move which had “everyone … trashing me on the way out”.

Melbourne’s 22-14 win over Cronulla in Friday night’s preliminary final saw Utoikamanu become the second player to swap a wooden spoon for a place in the NRL decider within 12 months of leaving the Tigers.

Shawn Blore achieved the feat last year, and now Utoikamanu – who has been hailed as the best front-rower in the game during the past couple of months by Storm coach Craig Bellamy – has followed suit.

Utoikamanu rejected a lucrative offer to stay at the Tigers to join the Storm, having been impressed by Bellamy’s sales pitch, which led to him being booed by home fans one night at Leichhardt Oval. He told this masthead earlier this month that had he stayed in Sydney, he would have joined the Bulldogs.

The NSW representative prop produced one of his best performances in a Melbourne jersey on Friday night, laying the foundation for the Storm’s all-star playmakers to fire them into yet another grand final.

Asked if Tigers fans were entitled to wonder what might have been had Utoikamanu stayed and produced similar football for their club, he said: “I feel like I did my time there; I was there four years and played a lot of footy for them.

“I’m not saying I wasn’t a part of the problem for not winning, I was a part of that team. I feel like it’s something I have to say, that I was there, I tried my best. Us not being successful, I was also a part of the problem.

“Towards the end of the year, I was a bit off it with everyone dragging me down, even though I wore my heart on my sleeve playing for that club.

“To see everyone trash me on the way out, the fans, and the media a bit, it was a shit way to go out. But it’s in the past, I’m here, and next week we get to play in a grand final.

“It’s pretty crazy. I was with ‘Blorey’ at the Tigers, we had some tough times there and it’s good to come out the other side and come to a great club like this.”

Utoikamanu admits he was “jealous” watching another finals series last year from his couch, but knew that joining perennial September specialists Melbourne would boost his chances of tasting play-off action at last.

“This time last year, I was watching from the sidelines, and probably jealous these players were playing in these great games,” Utoikamanu said.

“It’s something I wanted to do. Coming here and being a part of it, it’s pretty mad next week I get to play in one. I’ve played in two finals for two wins, hopefully I can get a third one.”

Bellamy smiled when discussing Utoikamanu after Friday night’s victory: “When he first came here, we did things a bit differently to what he was used to,” Bellamy said. “I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, but he took a little while to understand what his role was, and how to do his role in this team.

“The last eight to 10 weeks, I don’t think I’ve seen a better front-rower in the competition. He was outstanding and led the way. He’s such a modest guy; he’s a down-to-earth, lovely bloke.”

Utoikamanu was punished for spitting on a wrestling mat during one of his first training sessions, and learnt the hard way what was expected down south.

“I have to give Craig a rap because he’s helped me so much, as have all the coaches,” Utoikamanu said. “The prep they do for us during the week gives me the confidence to go out there and play my best footy.”

Utoikamanu, whose form was rewarded with another call-up to the NSW Origin squad this year, played in a NSW Cup grand final for Wentworthville in 2019, and said the last decider he played in was as a teenager.

He has already pledged his allegiance to Tonga, which will pit him against New Zealand’s Moses Leota and Samoa’s Payne Haas, with that pair to lock horns on Sunday for Penrith and Brisbane respectively.

‘I did my time there’: Utoikamanu says reaching grand final vindicates decision to leave Tigers

Stefano Utoikamanu was sick of ‘winning’ wooden spoons with Wests Tigers. A year after joining the Storm, he’s 80 minutes away from a premiership.

www.smh.com.au

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Can't blame the guy, he wanted to improve and is excelling in a good system.


‘I did my time there’: Utoikamanu says reaching grand final vindicates decision to leave Tigers
Christian Nicolussi
By Christian Nicolussi
September 27, 2025 — 7.30pm

Stefano Utoikamanu says reaching his first NRL grand final has vindicated his decision to leave Wests Tigers for the Storm this time last year – a move which had “everyone … trashing me on the way out”.

Melbourne’s 22-14 win over Cronulla in Friday night’s preliminary final saw Utoikamanu become the second player to swap a wooden spoon for a place in the NRL decider within 12 months of leaving the Tigers.

Shawn Blore achieved the feat last year, and now Utoikamanu – who has been hailed as the best front-rower in the game during the past couple of months by Storm coach Craig Bellamy – has followed suit.

Utoikamanu rejected a lucrative offer to stay at the Tigers to join the Storm, having been impressed by Bellamy’s sales pitch, which led to him being booed by home fans one night at Leichhardt Oval. He told this masthead earlier this month that had he stayed in Sydney, he would have joined the Bulldogs.

The NSW representative prop produced one of his best performances in a Melbourne jersey on Friday night, laying the foundation for the Storm’s all-star playmakers to fire them into yet another grand final.

Asked if Tigers fans were entitled to wonder what might have been had Utoikamanu stayed and produced similar football for their club, he said: “I feel like I did my time there; I was there four years and played a lot of footy for them.

“I’m not saying I wasn’t a part of the problem for not winning, I was a part of that team. I feel like it’s something I have to say, that I was there, I tried my best. Us not being successful, I was also a part of the problem.

“Towards the end of the year, I was a bit off it with everyone dragging me down, even though I wore my heart on my sleeve playing for that club.

“To see everyone trash me on the way out, the fans, and the media a bit, it was a shit way to go out. But it’s in the past, I’m here, and next week we get to play in a grand final.

“It’s pretty crazy. I was with ‘Blorey’ at the Tigers, we had some tough times there and it’s good to come out the other side and come to a great club like this.”

Utoikamanu admits he was “jealous” watching another finals series last year from his couch, but knew that joining perennial September specialists Melbourne would boost his chances of tasting play-off action at last.

“This time last year, I was watching from the sidelines, and probably jealous these players were playing in these great games,” Utoikamanu said.

“It’s something I wanted to do. Coming here and being a part of it, it’s pretty mad next week I get to play in one. I’ve played in two finals for two wins, hopefully I can get a third one.”

Bellamy smiled when discussing Utoikamanu after Friday night’s victory: “When he first came here, we did things a bit differently to what he was used to,” Bellamy said. “I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, but he took a little while to understand what his role was, and how to do his role in this team.

“The last eight to 10 weeks, I don’t think I’ve seen a better front-rower in the competition. He was outstanding and led the way. He’s such a modest guy; he’s a down-to-earth, lovely bloke.”

Utoikamanu was punished for spitting on a wrestling mat during one of his first training sessions, and learnt the hard way what was expected down south.

“I have to give Craig a rap because he’s helped me so much, as have all the coaches,” Utoikamanu said. “The prep they do for us during the week gives me the confidence to go out there and play my best footy.”

Utoikamanu, whose form was rewarded with another call-up to the NSW Origin squad this year, played in a NSW Cup grand final for Wentworthville in 2019, and said the last decider he played in was as a teenager.

He has already pledged his allegiance to Tonga, which will pit him against New Zealand’s Moses Leota and Samoa’s Payne Haas, with that pair to lock horns on Sunday for Penrith and Brisbane respectively.

‘I did my time there’: Utoikamanu says reaching grand final vindicates decision to leave Tigers

Stefano Utoikamanu was sick of ‘winning’ wooden spoons with Wests Tigers. A year after joining the Storm, he’s 80 minutes away from a premiership.

www.smh.com.au

Thanks for posting RM but he’s nothing but a rat to me.

I’ll criticise our club up hill and down dale, but hell will f**king freeze over before I betray her

He cheated v sharks by stripping the ball in a ten man tackle.

No mercy for traitors to our cause for they are the pox ridden scum of the league.

It’s who we are.