@avocadoontoast I don't know mate but clubs don't generally pay bucket loads on transfer fees.
I agree welsby and Williams would be great but can't see it happening
I don't see any other option. Sheens made a massive error persisting with Brooks when he was ready to go to Newcastle, so now he has to rectify the problem he created. There are no good options available for next year currently in the NRL so they have to simply pay whatever it takes to get Williams across ASAP. I'd also be throwing money at RTS. Make those two changes and we're winning more games than we're losing. Not sure who plays 6, probably Wakeham. AD and Brooks to stay in reserve grade.
@avocadoontoast The talk of transfer fees is all talk this will never happen this season ! Sheens has made his bed ,the Hastings decision was a major blunder he has put all his eggs in one basket in Brooks and anyone that has any knowledge of the game could see BROOKS was not an elite 7 years ago! It should have been Hastings at 7 and reluctantly Brooks at 6 and Doueihi who cares! The re signing of Nofoaluma is the catalyst of all that is wrong with this club … My opinion is that the CEO and Chairmen share a much to close relationship and this is clouding all important decision making ,I go as far as saying they both need to be removed from there positions as the club is now toxic and stagnated ,new blood in these positions needs to be brought on board .As far as Brydens sponsorship is concerned which is also entangled in this mess ,if removing the chairman means losing that sponsorship well and good as HARD decisions need to be made moving forward immediately .
Wakeham is as good a halfback as Hastings, probably better with a better kicking game without the toxic personality. Hastings was never an option.
I think the justification for getting rid of Brooks is that we need to create a roster space. Ideally throw him into reggies for a month and keep him there unless there is injuries.I wonder whether Bennet would look at Brooks for the remainder of this year given O’Sullivan is out with a peck injury. Bennet is the type of guy who could get the best out of Brooks I’d imagine.
brooks to dolphins, noffa to Melbourne and Laurie to parramatta.
wakeham and douhie to play in the halves this year as we bring in the UK spine for next year.
There is no need to get rid of Brooks to another club unless we have a replacement lined up. We can go with Wakeham/Doueihi, Wakeham/Laurie but we are only one injury away from Simpkin in the halves.
I wonder whether Bennet would look at Brooks for the remainder of this year given O’Sullivan is out with a peck injury. Bennet is the type of guy who could get the best out of Brooks I’d imagine.
brooks to dolphins, noffa to Melbourne and Laurie to parramatta.
wakeham and douhie to play in the halves this year as we bring in the UK spine for next year.
There is no need to get rid of Brooks to another club unless we have a replacement lined up. We can go with Wakeham/Doueihi, Wakeham/Laurie but we are only one injury away from Simpkin in the halves.
Of what i've seen of Simpkin I think he'd perform better than Brooks in the halves.
Agree with 95% of this Snake. It's not realistic to just pull someone out of Warrington (Williams) or St Helens (Welsby). Those players are not going move half away around the world on a weeks notice. Nor are their clubs going to release superstars mid season.@avocadoontoast The talk of transfer fees is all talk this will never happen this season ! Sheens has made his bed ,the Hastings decision was a major blunder he has put all his eggs in one basket in Brooks and anyone that has any knowledge of the game could see BROOKS was not an elite 7 years ago! It should have been Hastings at 7 and reluctantly Brooks at 6 and Doueihi who cares! The re signing of Nofoaluma is the catalyst of all that is wrong with this club … My opinion is that the CEO and Chairmen share a much to close relationship and this is clouding all important decision making ,I go as far as saying they both need to be removed from there positions as the club is now toxic and stagnated ,new blood in these positions needs to be brought on board .As far as Brydens sponsorship is concerned which is also entangled in this mess ,if removing the chairman means losing that sponsorship well and good as HARD decisions need to be made moving forward immediately .
A new half is only going to come from the NRL.
On your point about Sheens making his bed, in the old days he would have stuck with Brooks for the year for the reasons you describe. Today, he only has 18 months left on his contract as head coach and he has said repeatedly that long term roster management decisions are going to be left to Benji.
If Benji says to him today "Hey Tim, lets pull the plug on Brooks I dont want him here next year" then there's every chance Brooks leaves or is demoted in coming weeks.
Keep the faith!
I just asked ChatGPT who should WT buy as halfback for 2024:
As an AI language model, I don't have access to the latest updates and news about the Wests Tigers or the NRL. However, I can suggest some factors to consider when looking for a suitable halfback:
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Skill and experience: The halfback is a crucial position in rugby league, responsible for organizing the team's attack and defense. Look for a player with the necessary skills and experience to handle the pressure of the role.
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Age and longevity: Consider a player who has several years of playing ahead of them to provide a stable and consistent performance in the halfback position for the long-term.
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Compatibility with the team: It's essential to select a player who fits well with the Tigers' playstyle and can work effectively with the rest of the team.
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Availability: Consider players who are available for the 2024 season and are not already signed to another team.
Ultimately, the decision of who to sign as the Wests Tigers' halfback is up to the team's management and coaches, and they will have to assess the various available options according to their needs and preferences.
Depressingly, AI seems to have more of an idea of what to look for than our current management.
@avocadoontoast If things do not turn around on field and with this stadium strategy for next season ,playing out of two sub par suburban stadiums that struggle to break even on a good day every cent this club has will be needed . I have grave doubts this club will be that financial over the next few seasons so paying massive transfer fees would definitely be off the books IMO!
@avocadoontoast What is Ronald McDonald actually doing !Sheens great recruitment guru..
Agree with 95% of this Snake. It's not realistic to just pull someone out of Warrington (Williams) or St Helens (Welsby). Those players are not going move half away around the world on a weeks notice. Nor are their clubs going to release superstars mid season.@avocadoontoast The talk of transfer fees is all talk this will never happen this season ! Sheens has made his bed ,the Hastings decision was a major blunder he has put all his eggs in one basket in Brooks and anyone that has any knowledge of the game could see BROOKS was not an elite 7 years ago! It should have been Hastings at 7 and reluctantly Brooks at 6 and Doueihi who cares! The re signing of Nofoaluma is the catalyst of all that is wrong with this club … My opinion is that the CEO and Chairmen share a much to close relationship and this is clouding all important decision making ,I go as far as saying they both need to be removed from there positions as the club is now toxic and stagnated ,new blood in these positions needs to be brought on board .As far as Brydens sponsorship is concerned which is also entangled in this mess ,if removing the chairman means losing that sponsorship well and good as HARD decisions need to be made moving forward immediately .
A new half is only going to come from the NRL.
On your point about Sheens making his bed, in the old days he would have stuck with Brooks for the year for the reasons you describe. Today, he only has 18 months left on his contract as head coach and he has said repeatedly that long term roster management decisions are going to be left to Benji.
If Benji says to him today "Hey Tim, lets pull the plug on Brooks I dont want him here next year" then there's every chance Brooks leaves or is demoted in coming weeks.
Keep the faith!
I think asking the question about a SL player is possible under the circumstance we find ourselves. A lot would have to come together, so it's unlikely, but worth a try.
First you ask Williams if he wants to come. If yes, the secondly you ask Warrington if they are willing to do a swap with Brooks, if yes then thirdly you float the idea to Brooks. If 3 yes's then just financials need to be worked out.
It would have to be the perfect storm, but I can see it as a possibility we get 3 yes'. It would take 6 weeks though.
@tiger5150 Hastings certainly would of been the option this season even if he was going somewhere else in 2024.. at least the 7 issue would not be an issue this season then the club has a season to get a REAL 7.
@tiger5150 Hastings certainly would of been the option this season even if he was going somewhere else in 2024.. at least the 7 issue would not be an issue this season then the club has a season to get a REAL 7.
Disagree with you Snake. I genuinely dont think Hastings is an upgrade on Wakeham, and I dont thinkn we score those tries against Bulldogs with Hastings
@helmesy Parra fans are keen on Nofoaluma and I was told this morning that Parra are looking into him. I don’t know how accurate the info is but she claims to have links to the Eels (I normally just ignore her eels tip offs because I don’t care).
@jedi-tiger Maybe if rational decision making over the last few seasons had been made non off this would be an issue .. I am over this garbage there was no other coach that wanted the Tigers job that is crap !I could name at least 4 coaches that would have jumped at that position . We as supporters should not lower OUR expectations as the leaders of this club have !
Yep, it never sat right how the club looked at Ciraldo and jumped straight to Sheens/Benji.
For mine it was a goodwill signing for the partial invested fans by leaning on 2005.
@tiger5150 Hastings certainly would of been the option this season even if he was going somewhere else in 2024.. at least the 7 issue would not be an issue this season then the club has a season to get a REAL 7.
Disagree with you Snake. I genuinely dont think Hastings is an upgrade on Wakeham, and I dont thinkn we score those tries against Bulldogs with Hastings
It’s 50/50 really. Hastings may have had us more structured to score points at other opportunities. I don’t think he is a good half back and don’t think we lose anything in the long run by Hastings leaving but so far this season he would have added to the team.
@doug-heffernan well at present Brooks is off contract in 2024 so he can potentially sign with whatever SL club he wants to it wouldn't be a trade situation so it might not even be Warrington as an example. Then Warrington would still need to replace Williams with someone
