Wests Tigers re-sign Jacob Liddle

[Magpies Forever]

That would be perfect

He is good goal kicker too

A girl at my work is married to his cousin, he still owns a house in Sydney. I’ll see if I can find out any info.

Doesn't Luke have a connection with McGuire too? If so, lets get it done.

 

[Vic Mackey]

Doesn't Luke have a connection with McGuire too? If so, lets get it done.

Won a comp at Souths and Maguire picked him back in the NZ team

 

[Old Time Tiger]

He use to live in Earlwood (I know someone who lives there and Luke lived around the corner) and 5hats not far from Burwood/Concord Oval.

 

[gordsy]

Not sure Luke would come cheap, for the money he'd ask maybe McInnes might be better value.
All I know is we need someone who is an out and out hooker can play 80 as well as someone like Cherrington as a backup. Taylor is rubbish.

 

[Old Time Tiger]

'This won't finish me': Luckless Liddle vows to return from setback

Luckless Wests Tigers hooker Jacob Liddle will drawn upon the mental strength that got him through two shoulder surgeries to bounce back from his latest injury setback, declaring: “I’ll come back bigger and stronger.”

Starting in the No.9 jersey for the first time this year in place of the injured Robbie Farah, Liddle tore his ACL against Manly. While the exact recovery time won’t be known until he consults the surgeon, the initial prognosis is anywhere between seven and 12 months after he damaged all three ligaments in his knee. If it is the worst-case scenario, the 22-year-old will all but write off next season as well as this one.

It is a cruel blow for the former Australian Schoolboy, who has been restricted to just 38 NRL appearances due to two previous surgeries to his shoulders. However, Liddle believes the resilience he built up during previous stints in the injury ward has steeled him for another comeback.

“It’s going to be a long road, it is the sport that we play,” Liddle told the Herald.

“I’ll come back bigger and stronger . . . I’ve had two shoulder recos and you just take it day by day.

“You don’t think about the long haul, you just think about the daily things, doing the recovery.

“It’s all mental really. You get back on the horse and plough ahead.”

Liddle well get a better indication of his surgery options and a potential return date when he consults with the specialist this week.


“I’m not really sure about all the technical stuff'"he said.

“I just know I did the ACL, which is the major thing in terms of damage around the knee. I know I need surgery but I’m not sure how long I’m out until I talk to the surgeon and physio first."

The Tigers are almost out of dummy half options. It’s unclear whether Robbie Farah will play again after the retiring veteran suffered a fractured tibia. Liddle was seen as Farah’s long-term replacement, prompting the club to re-sign him for a further two seasons earlier this month.

Coach Michael Maguire is likely to turn to out-of-favour utility Josh Reynolds to share the dummy half duties with Elijah Taylor for the remainder of the season as the Tigers battle to stay in finals contention.


The joint-venture outfit has recruited promising Brisbane teen Jake Simpkin from next year, although he is unlikely to be ready to start next year in first grade.

Liddle said he will devote himself to his recovery and throw himself into his university studies – he has begun an accounting degree – during his latest sabbatical.

“I’m doing uni which is good for keeping my mind off things,” he said.

“At school I was a bit of a maths head. I did engineering but I let that go because it was too much load with full-time training. I’m doing accounting instead so it’s that or finance.


“My girlfriend Caitlin, my parents, all the boys in the club and coaching staff have been amazing through my last surgeries.

“Long term I want to play good footy.”

The Tigers aren’t currently in a position to buy a replacement hooker or recruit any other player due to salary cap issues. They are attempting to offload Reynolds, Russell Packer, Chris McQueen, Taylor and Ben Matulino in a bid to revamp the roster.

In Matulino’s case, his knee injury, which is not, could be a career-ending one. If he is medically retired, the Tigers are considering applying for a salary cap exemption for the final year of his contract.

The Tigers need to beat Newcastle at Campbelltown next Saturday to keep their slim play-off hopes alive.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/th...s-to-return-from-setback-20190818-p52i90.html

 

[Tiger05]

The Tigers aren’t currently in a position to buy a replacement hooker or recruit any other player due to salary cap issues. They are attempting to offload Reynolds, Russell Packer, Chris McQueen, Taylor and Ben Matulino in a bid to revamp the roster.

This is a massive issue isn't it. Those players are killing us. The only positive is that it is coming to an end.

 

[axl rose]

. They are attempting to offload Reynolds, Russell Packer, Chris McQueen, Taylor and Ben Matulino in a bid to revamp the roster.

That is one ugly roster. NRL should exempt us from the rules requiring near 100% of the cap to be spent if thats what we fill it with. As much as i hate the merkins at Melbourne, name me a player currently wasting thier salary cap space? our waste fills half a team!

 

[Vic Mackey]

This is a massive issue isn't it. Those players are killing us. The only positive is that it is coming to an end.

Sadly I think next year will be a horrible year. We’re a real chance for the spoon imo. I do genuinely believe though that Maguire will get us going in the right direction. For 2021 he’ll have a heap of salary cap room and won’t waste it like Cleary did

 

[Tiger Ted]

On top of all the unproductive overpaid players who will b very difficult to move on b4 expiry of their contracts we also have the fine imposed for next season due to Pascoes oversight.We currently r in need of so much luck for ‘20 with moving garbage on & young kids transitioning rapidly to the NRL.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Sadly I think next year will be a horrible year. We’re a real chance for the spoon imo. I do genuinely believe though that Maguire will get us going in the right direction. For 2021 he’ll have a heap of salary cap room and won’t waste it like Cleary did

2021 will be a pivotal year with all this turmoil amid salary cap restrictions, overpaid players and underperforming and/or unwanted players. To top it off McGuire's contract ends 2021- and he is expected to be judged on all this crap not of his making. To show confidence in him and allow for the first time a long time at WT, especially in having a roster match coaches desires, I'd extend McGuire now for a further 2 years to allow a real judgement of his ability and impact in 2023, not 2021. 2021 is too unfair, of course he may wish to depart after steadying the good ship TITANIC but I hope not.

Edit to put it in another way coaching stability once we actually get roster matching coaches wants and desires. Why finally get to that place in 2021-22 and get new coach and the merry go round starts all over again. Futility........

 

[The Charlatan]

So who do we go after now. Even if liddle comes back mid way through next year it will be 2021 before he is fully confident in the knee and has pre season under his belt.

And that's assuming he doesn't become a paraplegic after being hit by a 5km/h breeze in between then and now.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Got to say my gut feeling is that the club and Liddle will part ways. He might even end up medically retiring no matter what is said now. These run of injuries takes a huge toll on body and mind. May just not be worth another crack for the poor bloke. You'd wouldn't even wish this situation on your worst enemy........

 

[Tiger05]

Sadly I think next year will be a horrible year. We’re a real chance for the spoon imo. I do genuinely believe though that Maguire will get us going in the right direction. For 2021 he’ll have a heap of salary cap room and won’t waste it like Cleary did

I hope we don't blow our load again. We get into trouble and then fix it and then we stuff it again.

Next year is looking rough. I think we have re-signed players that we need but no recognised hooker in the squad is a massive blow.

 

[The unknown]

I hope we don't blow our load again. We get into trouble and then fix it and then we stuff it again.

Next year is looking rough. I think we have re-signed players that we need but no recognised hooker in the squad is a massive blow.

At the rate we're going we might need to fast track Simpkins the youbg dummy half from Brisbane and upgrade him into the top 30...can we do that?

 

[The Charlatan]

At the rate we're going we might need to fast track Simpkins the youbg dummy half from Brisbane and upgrade him into the top 30...can we do that?

Don't want to be bringing him on until he is ready. Playing NRL every week at 18 in one of the most demanding roles on the field is fraught with danger. If he's ready sure, but it's a big ask of a kid who isn't ready.

 

[gordsy]

So next year we have simpkins and taylor as the hookers unless Reynolds plays on.
Either that or we sell reynolds too someone else for 300-400k and as someone else said use that money to buy cherrington and pat politini or someone of the like

 

[Das Hassler]

Cherrington or Politini ...nah...may as well just promote Soni Luke.
I'd simply be telling Reynolds.. that's your gig for '20 if you're staying so bulk up and harden up over the offseason and make it your own....with some overdue good fortune i think he'd kill it...great vision and short kicking game ....tough enough?....he'll just have to be

 

[gordsy]

2021 will be a pivotal year with all this turmoil amid salary cap restrictions, overpaid players and underperforming and/or unwanted players. To top it off McGuire's contract ends 2021- and he is expected to be judged on all this crap not of his making. To show confidence in him and allow for the first time a long time at WT, especially in having a roster match coaches desires, I'd extend McGuire now for a further 2 years to allow a real judgement of his ability and impact in 2023, not 2021. 2021 is too unfair, of course he may wish to depart after steadying the good ship TITANIC but I hope not.

Edit to put it in another way coaching stability once we actually get roster matching coaches wants and desires. Why finally get to that place in 2021-22 and get new coach and the merry go round starts all over again. Futility........

I would extend McGuire for another few years. Not like he can do much before 2021.

Cherrington or Politini ...nah...may as well just promote Soni Luke.
I'd simply be telling Reynolds.. that's your gig for '20 if you're staying so bulk up and harden up over the offseason and make it your own....with some overdue good fortune i think he'd kill it...great vision and short kicking game ....tough enough?....he'll just have to be

Big ask to say to a kid to play 80 mins at hooker and we'd still need a back up hooker in case he got hurt, suspended or his form dropped.

 

[Tigerm]

Cherrington or Politini ...nah...may as well just promote Soni Luke.
I'd simply be telling Reynolds.. that's your gig for '20 if you're staying so bulk up and harden up over the offseason and make it your own....with some overdue good fortune i think he'd kill it...great vision and short kicking game ....tough enough?....he'll just have to be

I think he will be biting at the bit to get back to NRL, he'll do it.

 

[Ron's_Mate]

Short doc at the club website of Jacob's rehab
https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2020/01/29/moving-forward-part-one/