I wouldn't take Schuster either. Where did this talk of Benji really liking him come from?
If we could get this guy 👍
i reckon if Schuster could still play against small kids he would still carve up like that.
these sort of comments are massive red flags.
wow. Can’t see us signing him if that’s what our new recruitment manager has said about him
@avocadoontoast schuster is a way better footballer than Talau . And Talau is very much surplus to requirements here , when AJ comes back and Blore finds some post injury form.
Schuster is an X factor player . Talau is the usual . And we arnt keeping him anyway .
The last lazy player with a crap attitude we got was Luciano Leilua , and he went from a star for us to a plodder for the cowboys .
For me it’s a no brainer. You make the deal , and if it doesn’t work out , so be it , he can play at 4 degrees for Huddersfield
Melbourne or Dolphins might be a better bet for him. We need players who bring good culture with them like Bateman, Api, Ipap, Klem.
these sort of comments are massive red flags.
@lestronge I’m not comparing the two. I think Schuster is an immense talent but appears to have a shocking attitude and is very injury prone. I just read he hasn’t played more than 4 games in a row since 2021. He’s also on big money, even if subsidised he still won’t come cheap.
But the main issue is where do you play him? He’s not an NRL 6, we have excellent back rowers signed up long term and we have Matamua coming through at 13.
I have no issue with Talau leaving at the end of the year but unless Manly are willing to chip in heaps I don’t think it’s worth the risk with Schuster. I might be wrong and I hope I am because I think all the dominos are falling in such a way that we’ll probably swap him for Talau.
I’d rather have a crack at Sam Williams or Ben Hunt.
Can’t post it right now but Fulton was signed without Sheens consultation. Was a Lee/Pascoe appointment.
So much for them not having any involvement on the football side…
Melbourne or Dolphins might be a better bet for him. We need players who bring good culture with them like Bateman, Api, Ipap, Klem.
these sort of comments are massive red flags.
Yes!!!
If we do for some crazy reason sign this guy, it's on Benji so he better be wearing his big boy pants and keep him in line!
I’m in two minds about Schuster. A great talent vs bad attitude. Maybe if the price is right at a subsidised $500k per year.
Schuster could be just the solution for our issues in the red zone. Has the size and skill to create opportunities.
Massive story imo
Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has defended the club’s decision to sign Scott Fulton as the club’s head of recruitment without consulting NRL coach Tim Sheens and his assistant Benji Marshall.
The Tigers last week secured the services of Bob Fulton’s son, a long-time talent scout at Manly, to join the club immediately.
The decision came as a surprise to Sheens and his right-hand man, Warren McDonnell, whose role in recruitment at the club has now been diluted.
Hagipantelis said the board, alongside chief executive Justin Pascoe, were responsible for negotiations and didn’t feel they had an obligation to keep the coach, or McDonnell, in the loop with their plans for the club.
“The decision was made in the best interest of the Wests Tigers,” Hagipantelis said. “An opportunity presented itself to the board. The board dealt with it quickly, undertaking all necessary due diligence. There was of course a great deal of commercial sensitivity given the gentleman involved was employed by another club, and we were very respectful of that.
“The decision was taken to deal with the matter at board level with our CEO. We acted promptly and in the best interest of the club. This is another resource which we’ve added to our football department and we’re very excited to welcome Scott to the Wests Tigers.”
Fulton will take over the recruitment of the NRL squad, while McDonnell has been told he will now focus on junior pathways.
The decision to pursue Fulton came after the club missed out on signing Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses after a widely publicised pursuit of the halfback.
McDonnell had asked to negotiate on his own with Moses’ agent Isaac Moses given his relationship with the player-manager and his preference to keep discussions confidential.
The Tigers board granted McDonnell his request but were disappointed with the outcome of the negotiations. An offer was never taken back to the board for approval, leaving Tigers powerbrokers concerned the club had been used as leverage for Moses to extract more money out of Parramatta.
Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe has twice previously moved on McDonnell from the club.
He returned to the club at the end of 2021 when Sheens made it a prerequisite for him accepting the job as the Tigers’ director of rugby league, with an ultimatum that forced the club to move on highly regarded former general manager Adam Hartigan.
Hartigan has since been employed by Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould to work alongside Cameron Ciraldo and the club’s recruitment staff.
Tigers sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the delicate nature of the situation, say that Sheens’ nose has been put out of joint by Fulton’s appointment but Hagipanetlis said he did not envisage any tension as a result of the club’s decisions.
“I do not anticipate there will be any concerns or issues with what is a wonderful addition to our football department despite the efforts of some to suggest that there may be,” Hagipantelis said.
“Everyone that is employed by the Wests Tigers is employed for the sole purpose of furthering the interest of the Wests Tigers only. This was not a situation of our making in that the opportunity was presented to the board.
“The board fully explored the opportunity and made the decision that the engagement of Scott would be in the best interest of the Wests Tigers. He’s employed in addition to our current resources and we think he will greatly benefit our recruitment program.”
Fulton had been in talks with the Dragons about joining the embattled club, which risks missing the finals for the fifth successive year.
But with the club yet to decide on who will be their coach beyond this season, the negotiations with Fulton never reached the pointy end. He became increasingly frustrated and was open to other opportunities.
That was when the Tigers pounced. It was only last week the board floated the prospect of luring Fulton to Concord, and within days the agreement had been brokered.
The Tigers recognise the speed with which Fulton closes out player deals, and were impressed at the ease in which their own negotiations with him progressed.
“The board and I acted swiftly when the opportunity was presented to us and we believe the appointment of Scott Fulton will be a great addition to the club and the current football program,” Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe said.
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@helmesy can someone who works in marketing please explain why our chairman would provide quotes to a journalist writing an article that the head coaches close friend has been moved aside to bring in another recruitment official, significantly changing the structure of the football department without consultation with the GM of football?
