you reckon Laurie is anywhere near stopping those tries today ?
Or even non obvious ones like, Bula making a tackle on the edge getting stuck at marker , then he sprints behind the ball and gets there for a line drop out.
No disrespect to Laurie , but that is the difference between having a shot at a 10 year career , and not getting an offer of a second contract.
It’s not heart , it’s just perpetual motion. Constantly moving . Which is what all the top fullbacks do not named Lattrell.(he’s just a freak of nature . An albatross) .
I can see Laurie having a long career for Salford . Or plying 14 in and out of first grade for the cowboys/ titans .
@tiger5150 he exposed lazy forwards out of the ruck twice. Stepped inside Ice for no one to cover .
Putrid middle defence on both occasions. Twal and Joffa switched off .Rare real defensive misktakes . 2 in one game wouldn’t happen very often I don’t think .
It’s quite rare to find a young half that has the mental resilience to make it early in their career given how much pressure is on that position. Nicho Hynes has exploded onto the scene but his 26. Dragons have very young talent around the spine but bringing all together at once is just too hard these days. It’s a good lesson for us when we are thinking about how these juniors come into grade. You need strong and experienced players around them to show them the way and knock off some of the worst habits of the types of young kids who have always dominated through the juniors.
I'm not a fan of this SJ talk. He can be a rocks or diamonds player of Benji performance then on top of that tends to go missing. I haven't seen much of him lately but he was like that for many years at previous clubs. I would take Townsend over him for number 7 and if needed just leave Brooks at 6, if we can't get a good upgrade.
But I really think Hunt would suit us perfectly. He would thrive with Api and our forward pack around him and the young guys coming through. And surely he would be happier not having to carry the entire team week after week? Would definitely be making strong enquiries there with a big contract at hand.
I don't think we should be going after two young halves at the same time.
@tiger5150 he exposed lazy forwards out of the ruck twice. Stepped inside Ice for no one to cover .
Putrid middle defence on both occasions. Twal and Joffa switched off .Rare real defensive misktakes . 2 in one game wouldn’t happen very often I don’t think .
For a young bloke, big right foot step against big forwards is the easiest move to make. Passing and kicking game is what I want to see from a young half. Everything else is touch footy skills.
I'm not a fan of this SJ talk. He can be a rocks or diamonds player of Benji performance then on top of that tends to go missing. I haven't seen much of him lately but he was like that for many years at previous clubs. I would take Townsend over him for number 7 and if needed just leave Brooks at 6, if we can't get a good upgrade.
But I really think Hunt would suit us perfectly. He would thrive with Api and our forward pack around him and the young guys coming through. And surely he would be happier not having to carry the entire team week after week? Would definitely be making strong enquiries there with a big contract at hand.
I don't think we should be going after two young halves at the same time.
I think SJ is a very different player this year than what i've seen in the past. Not as flashy and a lot more structured - he's playing great and looks genuinely happy. In saying that, I think part of the reason we're seeing a bit of a renaissance is because he's back at the Warriors. Some players just suit certain clubs.
I'm not a fan of this SJ talk. He can be a rocks or diamonds player of Benji performance then on top of that tends to go missing. I haven't seen much of him lately but he was like that for many years at previous clubs. I would take Townsend over him for number 7 and if needed just leave Brooks at 6, if we can't get a good upgrade.
But I really think Hunt would suit us perfectly. He would thrive with Api and our forward pack around him and the young guys coming through. And surely he would be happier not having to carry the entire team week after week? Would definitely be making strong enquiries there with a big contract at hand.
I don't think we should be going after two young halves at the same time.
I don't see any possibility of us getting Hunt.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
Johnson is 32, turns 33 in September, a 2 year deal would be probably a decent go for us, but we need a 6 and a 7, the idea of keeping Brooks because he will be cheaper is false economy, he has had every chance this year, and once again has failed, time to move onI have always been a proponent of zigging when others zag. I'd offer Volkman the $700-800K right now.
Is Volkman an improvement on Brooks?
IMO yes and importantly, the type of halfback we need. Johnson is playing really well, IMO because he is happy and comfortable at home. We will get an uncomfortable 34 to 36yo Johnson and Im not sure it would end well and would tie up money and time for years. I think we need to take a punt on a young unproven half like Volkman, Hawkins, Trindall (my preference) etc. Trindall is my preference but he seems to have a very clear career path in front of him to replace Moylan in the short term. What I mean by the zig when others zag is that with Johnsons rich form, if Warriors re-sign him, its going to block Volkman with Metcalf and TMM there. A preemptive strike on Volkman, for "overs" would possibly shake him loose.
Mitchell Pearce deal could be back on.
Mitchell Pearce is a genuine chance at finishing his career back in the NRL, with a number of Australian clubs desperate to sign a veteran halfback.
Veteran halfback Mitchell Pearce says he’s still open to a return to the NRL but remains committed to seeing out the season with Catalans in the English Super League.
The 34-year-old had been linked to the Wests Tigers as a possible replacement for Luke Brooks, who is off contract at the end of the year, but he knocked that back which led to speculation that he’d finish his career in the south of France.
Pearce is in his second season at the club after a decorated career with the Roosters and Knights, and while there is an option to stay at Catalans in 2024, the former State of Origin playmaker hasn’t closed the door on the NRL.
Halfbacks are hard to find and there aren’t many on the open market. A team like the cashed-up Raiders could make a play for Pearce, while a return to the Roosters could be a left-field option if they can’t settle on a halves pairing.
“I’m still open. I’ll wait and see what happens,” Pearce told SEN Radio.
“Obviously, the Tigers thing came up the other week, but I declined on that. I was really grateful, and it was nice respect from the Tigers, but I’m committed here for this season and I’m loyal to the club to try to win the comp this year.
“We’ll wait and see what happens next year. I’m obviously getting older and you appreciate every season you play at this age.
“I still feel like I’ve got some footy in me, but I’m fully committed to this season. I’ll see what happens after that.”
Pearce returned from a minor calf strain over the weekend to help Catalans beat St Helens in a game that was overshadowed by a rampaging bull that got loose during the pre-game warm-up and forced players to flee in fear.
“It was bizarre,” Pearce laughed.
“The club owner had organised some bulls to do a show lap before the game. He’s in the meat industry – that’s his business – so it was obviously a bit of a promotion thing.
“As we all came out to do the warm-up, we all had red shirts on because that’s the colour of the club, so the bulls got a bit worked up and just started charging at the boys in the warm-up.
“It was crazy. Our captain Benny Garcia had to jump the fence (because) one of the bulls was charging at him. It was a bit weird because you’re trying to concentrate on the game, but then everyone was having a laugh and everyone was kind of scared.
“It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Catalans chairman Bernard Guasch came up with the idea, but Pearce doesn’t think we’ll see it happen again in Perpignan.
“It’s not a common thing,” the halfback said.
“The CEO got us in before the game and mentioned there was going to be some pre-match entertainment. I don’t think they’ll be doing that again.
“I sent it to all my mates back home after the game and I was laughing at that.
“We didn’t know what was going on because we were going through our quick hands (drill) and then one of the bulls started charging at the team, and the boys were flying from every direction.
“One of the bulls escaped (from a gate to let the players onto the field) and all the fans were around there running for cover.”
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
Hell no on Pearce. Too old and getting into the injury prone era. He’d spend most of the time on the sidelines.
Just remember guys, the player we are looking at signing MUST be a goal kicker aswell. Unless Jaream can slot them.
could large be a realistic proposition for 2025? If so , do we really want to lock ourselves in to anyone ?. Which is why Brooks isn’t a bad option . Sorry all you haters . A Brooks /SJ combo for 2 years would be fine IMO.
It buys us time , because they’re an absolutely no one out there . And people talking up career reserve graders withstanding.
In saying that , a Fresh start should be the right option if we can land a halves pairing that’s half decent .
But I’ll say this once again , and scream it from the rafters , whilst brooksy might be only good for a max 4 tries , the guy saves a couple each game.
And too many people never look at the defensive side of the ball.
If we , for example had a combo of Schuster and Walker (just saying for arguements sake), whilst that would be dynamic and electric , it would also mean we are giving teams a 12 point head start, because of how woeful their defence is .
Bring on the flamboyant tigers , im really looking forward to it again , but we have to find the right halves. Both in attack and defence . And sorry Avo , that just means we can’t rule out Brooksy , no matter how he’d it is for you . I’m sure even you can see how we’ve got a million dollars for a Ferrari , but there’s none available until 2026 . Do we go without a car , because the old Beamer has lost its lustre ?
@lestronge interesting take. I think that Brooks is worth keeping IF we get a half who is going to lead the attack preferably an experienced one. He’s a ball runner who’s trying to be an organiser.
Luke’s defence isn’t that great BTW he has missed the 10th most tackles in the league this season. Api sits at 2nd.
For the record I’m not a Brooks hater I can just see the major weakness in this team is the halves. The fact he hasn’t been signed yet indicates the club is looking to go in a different direction if it can. If not Brooks has no other suitors so he’s ready any time we decide we are left without a date.
@lestronge he’s playing U16s this year so I doubt we see him before 2026. He looks physically a pretty solid kid but it’s pretty rare to see a kid come into first grade before 20 and succeed in the halves. This is why the Moses option was so great as we don’t really have any halves that are likely in the next 3 or 4 years
