Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Eternal Tiger]

Wouldn't be any time left to sell hats either.

Up 3.8% as I understand it

 

[hank37w]

I won't be holding my breathe for us to sign a player from another club equal to or better than Joff. If clearing space in the top 30 take a leaf out of Gus' book and "move on" two fringe players as he did a couple of weeks ago.

Happy to eat my words if we get an established first grade half or outside back in for the remainder of the year though... expect Atasi James to be promoted.

I agree, there is no way James should be promoted to the top 30 in a hurry, or at all for that matter.

He can play in the top grade now if we need him and he needs to prove himself there before being upgraded and take up a top 30 position.

Hope we learnt something from the dud Doueihi contract extension that didn't need to be done when it was.

 

[hank37w]

Don't trouble yourself with the rantings of morons and steer entirely clear of that show.

I find it's good for a laugh especially when they all gang up and give it to the old buzzard.

 

[Harvey]

Apparently Joe can't leave until next week. Needs to stay to cover Pole who is in doubt.

Lucky we have all those young forwards coming through. They must also be unavailable this weekend.

 

[Wearyfan22]

Fonua Pole is ill, so WT have asked Joe to play one more game. 😂😂😂😂😂 wasn't everyone saying
"We've got plenty of middles who are better"
One gets the flu and you ask the guy you just agreed you don't need, to stay 1 more week. Yeah, I trust these guys with our Cap. 😂😂

You couldn't script this... I can picture them sitting around the coaching table and panicking when they realise they are literally 1 injury from having to play seyfarth for the rest of the year. The panicked call to Jofa would have been something to behold. Amateur stuff.

 

[tigger19]

Please tell me this wasn't just another dumb decision

 

[Eternal Tiger]

You couldn't script this... I can picture them sitting around the coaching table and panicking when they realise they are literally 1 injury from having to play seyfarth for the rest of the year. The panicked call to Jofa would have been something to behold. Amateur stuff.

It's Freebairn and Dias all over again. Cue the 70 point loss in Rds 19-22

 

[Tigersmurf]

You couldn't script this... I can picture them sitting around the coaching table and panicking when they realise they are literally 1 injury from having to play seyfarth for the rest of the year. The panicked call to Jofa would have been something to behold. Amateur stuff.

You reckon it's panic? my take is we owe Parra no favours so lets let them wait one more week...just as an inconvenience.

 

[Wearyfan22]

You reckon it's panic? my take is we owe Parra no favours so lets let them wait one more week...just as an inconvenience.

Why would they let him go if they have no one that could have walked in this week to replace him? We are a much weaker squad for 2023 without him there.

It feels like they have given up this year already. The good clubs would have moved on your Tukis or Seyfarths. Maybe Jofa in the off season. They would not weaken their starting 17.

 

[Kelce68]

Why would they let him go if they have no one that could have walked in this week to replace him? We are a much weaker squad for 2023 without him there.

It feels like they have given up this year already. The good clubs would have moved on your Tukis or Seyfarths. Maybe Jofa in the off season. They would not weaken their starting 17.

You mean like your Musgroves and Liddles?

 

[Eternal Tiger]

You reckon it's panic? my take is we owe Parra no favours so lets let them wait one more week...just as an inconvenience.

You seriously over estimate this Club.

 

[boonboon]

You reckon it's panic? my take is we owe Parra no favours so lets let them wait one more week...just as an inconvenience.

Me too reckon it's a little up yours to the Eels for their stuff with Ipap and Stef. Think it's great and we are in no rush

 

[Eternal Tiger]

Me too reckon it's a little up yours to the Eels for their stuff with Ipap and Stef. Think it's great and we are in no rush

And we all expect Jofa to run at full tilt and bust his ass on Saturday night and jeopardise his new Contract?
Cool

 

[gallagher]

Tis a nice feeder club we've built.

 

[Wearyfan22]

You mean like your Musgroves and Liddles?

You mean like your Musgroves and Liddles?

Maybe im wrong, but didnt both left in the off season? With Klemmer and Api as replacements? I would have been happy for us to offload Jofa in in off season, giving us time to find a replacement. My issue is timing and not having someone of the same level to replacement him.

 

[rihannafan1]

NBWT

With Joe O moving on, would also expect WT to table a decent extension for Stefano soon, which may also have factored into funds allocation for the middle forwards. Stefano has a mutual option in 2025 so effectively can field offers from Nov 1 this year.

You read NBWT on Twitter? He's a good follow.

 

[Tigersmurf]

And we all expect Jofa to run at full tilt and bust his ass on Saturday night and jeopardise his new Contract?
Cool

Absolutely, Joffa has shown he is a true professional and I admire him for that. This is a win win for both clubs as we have plenty of forward depth coming through and they need to be shown there is opportunity at this club. Parra screwed us over a few times now, and this is a nice shot across their bow.

Don't underestimate Sheens, he has been around a long time and knows the games. Parra will get there man, when it suits us.

 

[Tigersmurf]

Maybe im wrong, but didnt both left in the off season? With Klemmer and Api as replacements? I would have been happy for us to offload Jofa in in off season, giving us time to find a replacement. My issue is timing and not having someone of the same level to replacement him.

Timing is critical - you are right. We have until June to strengthen the squad. For that we need roster space and we now have it. The press will turn everything around to make WT look stupid, and we have deserved it more often than not, but our actions over the last 6-8 months have been planned and I have no reason do doubt that this has been very thoroughly thought through.

 

[tigerballs]

I agree that our attack has regressed but I think it has regressed for good reason. I have no doubt that Sheens and Co expected much much more from Brooks and AD than they were capable of delivering behind a much improved pack.

We tried to play an expansive game with a poor halves combination and a team with little game time together and we were punished for it. I think we can all agree that the attack was stripped right back to basics after the bye. The bye was probably a good circuit breaker to enable this to happen.

I'm not thrilled by the coaching so far; however, I do believe they now understand the problem and have stripped it right back to build from a solid foundation. We are playing a style that can be repeated consistently. Despite not scoring enough points, it is a step in the right direction.

We can continue to build combinations with the players we know will be the backbone of 2024 and start to put the polish on the basics that are now in place. It is not too far from where we are to be able to run X/Y and block plays at opposition weaknesses. It is the XY/Block combinations that we can work while still having average halves.

Throw more experience at Bula around the ruck, get ICE and Bateman running plays in and around Toa and Naden to punch the line or bring about second phase play and we can trouble most sides.

Find a competent half or 5/8 in the back half of the season as well and things will look much better.

I'm not happy with where we are, but I think the rose coloured glasses of our coaching staff have been shattered and they are now working with reality. I trust we will see a week by week improvement in our attack as we build from what is now a pretty solid, but not inspiring, base.

At this stage of the season in 2005 we were 125/1 to win the comp. Improvement was exponential.

 

[Kelce68]

Maybe im wrong, but didnt both left in the off season? With Klemmer and Api as replacements? I would have been happy for us to offload Jofa in in off season, giving us time to find a replacement. My issue is timing and not having someone of the same level to replacement him.

Ah OK. I thought you were referring more generally to offloading deadwood in the squad.

At that I think they've been exemplary.