Quite a handy backline they’ll have in 2024 that’s for sure. Moses might find that enticing especially if the Dogs can get near $1.2 mill a year for him. Having Mahoney and Kikau there too would help. They’d probably have to let players like Thompson & Flanagan go, might free up $500,000-600,000 or so. If he’s impressed with Ciraldo’s vision then the Dogs might be favourites to get him. You do get the feeling that if he really wanted to play with the Tigers he’d already have snapped up the big money contract.Stephen Crichton will be a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldog in 2024 with the two-time premiership-winning Penrith centre to ink a four-year deal in excess of $3.3 million.
The Bulldogs must be close to filling their cap for the next few years. They seemed to be signing a quality player every couple of weeks.
I agree, I think the longer it goes the less our chances.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
John Bateman remains stranded in the north of England because of visa issues, with the Wests Tigers hopeful – but not 100 per cent certain – of having their international recruit in the country by the time the new NRL season kicks off.
Tigers coach Tim Sheens said there were plenty of people working behind the scenes to fast-track Bateman’s paperwork, and that the back-rower had in the meantime been inundated with plenty of video footage of the club’s training sessions and set plays to study while back home.
Bateman needed a contract with the Tigers registered before he could officially apply for a working visa, only for the Christmas period to cause further delays to the process.
The 29-year-old Bateman and his Australian partner also have to apply for a visa for their newborn son.
Bateman, a former Canberra Raider who was only cut loose by Super League club Wigan once the Tigers paid a substantial transfer fee, joins David Klemmer, Api Koroisau, Isaiah Papali’i and Charlie Staines under the new Sheens and Benji Marshall regime.
Because Bateman was involved in England’s World Cup campaign, Sheens said even if the forward had been in the country, he would not have started with the Tigers until a couple of weeks ago.
The Tigers’ first trial against the New Zealand Warriors kicks off in just three weeks’ time. The second, on February 18, is against Canberra where Bateman spent two seasons, including an appearance in the 2019 Grand Final loss to the Sydney Roosters.
“There have been a couple of issues with the visa, and the government [departments] in both countries shut down over Christmas, so that slowed us down [further],” Sheens told the Herald.
“We’re not putting a date on when he’ll be here. We’ve got immigration people and experts trying to sort it out.
“It’s a bit unusual, but he’s also not coming on his own.
“We wouldn’t use him in the first trial, but we’d aim to have him play in the second trial. We need to get him here first.”
Bateman has posted photos of himself working out back home in Bradford, and Sheens was confident the forward would make an immediate impact the moment he did arrive.
“He’s still doing plenty of weights and general fitness,” Sheens said.
“We’re sending him videos of our training sessions and plays, and I’m in constant touch with him – we’ll speak two or three times a week. He’s aware of everything we’re doing here.
“He’s just a quality back-rower, it’s as simple as that. He’s an international player with experience who adds to our young squad and a handful of very experienced players.”
Bateman’s four-year deal with the Tigers was made official on Boxing Day with the hard-nosed workhorse admitting he was impressed with the direction the club wanted to take.
Bateman, Papali’i and Klemmer, even Koroisau and the returning Shawn Blore play with an uncompromising and physical brand of football, something the Tigers pack has lacked in recent years.
“I can’t wait to begin a new chapter at a club that I know is going places,” Bateman said.
“There has been a lot of change at Wests Tigers over the past few months and everything I hear is positive. I want to be a part of the rebuild at the club and I’m really excited to be coming back to the NRL.”
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
@helmesy I think it is the cba issue that is the delay, why would he sign until its sorted.
Dogs would need to shed Thompson and Flannigan
Parramatta will be struggling to hold Moses and Penisini, Jones is already made him a target for Rugby Australia
We are the best bid and we have built a good pack, we woukd be the front runners still
@helmesy I think it is the cba issue that is the delay, why would he sign until its sorted.
Dogs would need to shed Thompson and Flannigan
Parramatta will be struggling to hold Moses and Penisini, Jones is already made him a target for Rugby Australia
We are the best bid and we have built a good pack, we woukd be the front runners still
Nit convinced on that outcome.
@garry prequel to Captaincy announcement?
I think Brooks will be captain, though I'd prefer he wasn't.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
Quite a handy backline they’ll have in 2024 that’s for sure. Moses might find that enticing especially if the Dogs can get near $1.2 mill a year for him. Having Mahoney and Kikau there too would help. They’d probably have to let players like Thompson & Flanagan go, might free up $500,000-600,000 or so. If he’s impressed with Ciraldo’s vision then the Dogs might be favourites to get him. You do get the feeling that if he really wanted to play with the Tigers he’d already have snapped up the big money contract.Stephen Crichton will be a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldog in 2024 with the two-time premiership-winning Penrith centre to ink a four-year deal in excess of $3.3 million.
The Bulldogs must be close to filling their cap for the next few years. They seemed to be signing a quality player every couple of weeks.
I agree, I think the longer it goes the less our chances.
I don't have any mail on this but I do reckon Parra are currently trying to shed a player for 2023 so they can front load Moses new contract. It seemed like a decision was imminent until WT stepped away from the Nathan Brown negotiations.
So many articles this off season listing clubs 'Top 17.' Yes you need your top 17 on the field, as clubs like the Cowboys showed - and it really helped them. For the majority of clubs, your next 10 players are also really important. Clubs are naive about the extent to which injuries impact your club's fortunes.
These clubs like the Dogs that are loading up on super stars are going to feel the squeeze more in 2024 than previous years because the lowest paid players in your Top 30 are getting something like a 50% pay rise. Canterbury are going to have 6-8 players on decent money and the rest will be playing for nothing.
'
Quite a handy backline they’ll have in 2024 that’s for sure. Moses might find that enticing especially if the Dogs can get near $1.2 mill a year for him. Having Mahoney and Kikau there too would help. They’d probably have to let players like Thompson & Flanagan go, might free up $500,000-600,000 or so. If he’s impressed with Ciraldo’s vision then the Dogs might be favourites to get him. You do get the feeling that if he really wanted to play with the Tigers he’d already have snapped up the big money contract.Stephen Crichton will be a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldog in 2024 with the two-time premiership-winning Penrith centre to ink a four-year deal in excess of $3.3 million.
The Bulldogs must be close to filling their cap for the next few years. They seemed to be signing a quality player every couple of weeks.
I agree, I think the longer it goes the less our chances.
I don't have any mail on this but I do reckon Parra are currently trying to shed a player for 2023 so they can front load Moses new contract. It seemed like a decision was imminent until WT stepped away from the Nathan Brown negotiations.
So many articles this off season listing clubs 'Top 17.' Yes you need your top 17 on the field, as clubs like the Cowboys showed - and it really helped them. For the majority of clubs, your next 10 players are also really important. Clubs are naive about the extent to which injuries impact your club's fortunes.
These clubs like the Dogs that are loading up on super stars are going to feel the squeeze more in 2024 than previous years because the lowest paid players in your Top 30 are getting something like a 50% pay rise. Canterbury are going to have 6-8 players on decent money and the rest will be playing for nothing.
'
Those are good points. I think we wanted Brown but it was too closely linked with the Moses deal and now it’s all at a stalemate.
Absolutely, you need stars, but there’s no point having 7 or 8 star players and then a group of reserve graders. That’s where Penrith are excelling - the development system they have is giving them a ready supply of young replacements that can come in and perform at a high level. This often leads to these guys leaving for opportunities elsewhere (Staines for example). Aside from the Bulldogs big recruits they seem like the same B grade side (at least at present).
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few young Panthers go there over the next couple of seasons. They’ve got so much good young talent out there and Ciraldo would have sound knowledge of a lot of them. Will be interesting to see that. The Dogs aren’t too different to us in this regard although we’ve probably put more into pathways, at present, than them. And we’re also scouting young talent elsewhere as well as hoping some come through our systems in the next few years.Quite a handy backline they’ll have in 2024 that’s for sure. Moses might find that enticing especially if the Dogs can get near $1.2 mill a year for him. Having Mahoney and Kikau there too would help. They’d probably have to let players like Thompson & Flanagan go, might free up $500,000-600,000 or so. If he’s impressed with Ciraldo’s vision then the Dogs might be favourites to get him. You do get the feeling that if he really wanted to play with the Tigers he’d already have snapped up the big money contract.Stephen Crichton will be a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldog in 2024 with the two-time premiership-winning Penrith centre to ink a four-year deal in excess of $3.3 million.
The Bulldogs must be close to filling their cap for the next few years. They seemed to be signing a quality player every couple of weeks.
I agree, I think the longer it goes the less our chances.
I don't have any mail on this but I do reckon Parra are currently trying to shed a player for 2023 so they can front load Moses new contract. It seemed like a decision was imminent until WT stepped away from the Nathan Brown negotiations.
So many articles this off season listing clubs 'Top 17.' Yes you need your top 17 on the field, as clubs like the Cowboys showed - and it really helped them. For the majority of clubs, your next 10 players are also really important. Clubs are naive about the extent to which injuries impact your club's fortunes.
These clubs like the Dogs that are loading up on super stars are going to feel the squeeze more in 2024 than previous years because the lowest paid players in your Top 30 are getting something like a 50% pay rise. Canterbury are going to have 6-8 players on decent money and the rest will be playing for nothing.
'
The Bateman visa issue is a bit of a concern. I would’ve thought he’d need a good pre-season to get up to scratch with the NRL and, more particularly, the combinations he’ll need to be part of this season. Will one month be enough to be in tune with attacking & defensive structures come rd 1?
The Bateman visa issue is a bit of a concern. I would’ve thought he’d need a good pre-season to get up to scratch with the NRL and, more particularly, the combinations he’ll need to be part of this season. Will one month be enough to be in tune with attacking & defensive structures come rd 1?
I’m not too worried, it’s not ideal but I don’t see it as being a massive issue especially if the club is keeping in close contact with him and including him in strategy/plays etc.
On a side note, Nathan Brown has reportedly gone down with a hamstring injury at Eels training and could be sidelined for six weeks.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
@helmesy Marty tapau to Parramatta has gone pretty quiet too
Parramatta probably desperate to front load Moses in 2023 ?
@helmesy Marty tapau to Parramatta has gone pretty quiet too
Parramatta probably desperate to front load Moses in 2023 ?
Looks like Marty Taupau to the Broncos.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
Personal opinion, as always when the club tries to land a “big name” player the WT get used just to bump up contracts. I know we have signed really well for 2023. I thought by now we would at least one more signing for 2024. Who are we going to use this marquee $$$ on? By all reports Brooksy has resigned, not sure Douhei is a top line NRL half, happy to be proven wrong.
