Farewell Ice, you join a long list of hyped recruits who delivered diddly squat.
He was like The Knack with My Sharona. A one hit wonder. (although I do highly recommend the Video)
@avocadoontoast good deal for both parties. He has come to the tigers after winning back rower of the year and completely underperformed. Clearly doesn’t want to be here or in fact never wanted to be here after he tried to back out of the deal. Also frees up some much need cash to lock down Galvin and maybe go out to market.
Yep, agree. We are many many years away from being a competitive team, so getting rid of large contracts that aren't playing up to their value makes sense so we can allocate that to people who will play to their value. In saying that, we've also made the mistake of signing the wrong people on relatively low contracts too. I've harped on this before but the Twal, Seyfarth, To'a extensions were just braindead decisions.@avocadoontoast good deal for both parties. He has come to the tigers after winning back rower of the year and completely underperformed. Clearly doesn’t want to be here or in fact never wanted to be here after he tried to back out of the deal. Also frees up some much need cash to lock down Galvin and maybe go out to market.
@avocadoontoast good deal for both parties. He has come to the tigers after winning back rower of the year and completely underperformed.
He came to the Tigers a year after winning backrower of the year and in the preceeding year completely underperformed at Parra as well. he has played at the Tigers exactly as he has played at every club he has been at except for 2021.
Clearly doesn’t want to be here or in fact never wanted to be here after he tried to back out of the deal. Also frees up some much need cash to lock down Galvin and maybe go out to market.
IMO he is not shirking and is playing to his ability.....but this IS his ability. He has only had one year where he caught fire and lightning doesnt strike twice. This is his standard.
Having said that, the biggest problem with him is his (slightly) overs contract value. I agree Ice isnt setting the world on fire, but he is probably still our best option for back row, possibly second best option behind a 20yo rookie. All well and good to get rid of Ice but I'll remind everyone that last week he was replaced by.......Alex Seyfarth.
Tigers better have someone in mind to replace him with otherwise IMO this is a potential step backwards.
Yep, agree. We are many many years away from being a competitive team,
So how do you build a competitive team? Best players in each position or moneyball? Is this team more competitive without Papali'i and Seyfarth wearing the 11?
In saying that, we've also made the mistake of signing the wrong people on relatively low contracts too. I've harped on this before but the Twal, Seyfarth, To'a extensions were just braindead decisions.
and yet last week Ice was replaced by Seyfarth.
Seems like the Shredder is starting to warm up.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
Im not too fussed about losing him, has always been a little uninterested, is not a bad contributor, however you would value a player with his output for us at half of what we are paying him. I'm hoping there is some sort of play going on with Richo and Benji, otherwise releasing him early does not make a great deal of sense....they must be close to some sort of target player for next season and need to move Ice on to make it work.
Yep, agree. We are many many years away from being a competitive team,
So how do you build a competitive team? Best players in each position or moneyball? Is this team more competitive without Papali'i and Seyfarth wearing the 11?
In saying that, we've also made the mistake of signing the wrong people on relatively low contracts too. I've harped on this before but the Twal, Seyfarth, To'a extensions were just braindead decisions.
and yet last week Ice was replaced by Seyfarth.
I'd be ensuring every signing or re-signing I make is to the betterment of the team. Does To'a or Seyfarth add anything at all? I think they're both reserve graders at best. We're stuck with Seyfarth until the end of next year, and To'a until the end of '26.Twal doesn't add much either because our team needs impact, and he adds none. We're stuck with Twal until the end of 27'. I'm not saying Twal is a terrible player, but he's not suited to our team. We lack impact badly. Nathan Brown was available last season - he would have cost very little and has averaged over 100 impact metres off the bench each game. Could have got him on a 1 year deal rather than being stuck with Twal for 4 seasons.
Seyfarth won't wear the 11, Bateman will, with Fainu on the other edge.
The big problems we had very early last season were known, but instead of identifying and trying to rectify those problems, we re-signed those exact players, 2 of them on lengthy deals. How can we improve as a club when we're signing these guys to long deals? Everybody thinking next year will be a drastic improvement are going to experience disappointment.
On your second point, yep, he was replaced by Seyfarth. But that was more about Papali'i being terrible.
Stuck with him and Staines until end 25. Neither of those guys will be picked up by anyone.Hopefully Naden is next 🤞
Yep, agree. We are many many years away from being a competitive team,
So how do you build a competitive team? Best players in each position or moneyball? Is this team more competitive without Papali'i and Seyfarth wearing the 11?
In saying that, we've also made the mistake of signing the wrong people on relatively low contracts too. I've harped on this before but the Twal, Seyfarth, To'a extensions were just braindead decisions.
and yet last week Ice was replaced by Seyfarth.
I'd be ensuring every signing or re-signing I make is to the betterment of the team. Does To'a or Seyfarth add anything at all? I think they're both reserve graders at best. We're stuck with Seyfarth until the end of next year, and To'a until the end of '26.Twal doesn't add much either because our team needs impact, and he adds none. We're stuck with Twal until the end of 27'. I'm not saying Twal is a terrible player, but he's not suited to our team. We lack impact badly. Nathan Brown was available last season - he would have cost very little and has averaged over 100 impact metres off the bench each game. Could have got him on a 1 year deal rather than being stuck with Twal for 4 seasons.
Seyfarth won't wear the 11, Bateman will, with Fainu on the other edge.
The big problems we had very early last season were known, but instead of identifying and trying to rectify those problems, we re-signed those exact players, 2 of them on lengthy deals. How can we improve as a club when we're signing these guys to long deals? Everybody thinking next year will be a drastic improvement are going to experience disappointment.
On your second point, yep, he was replaced by Seyfarth. But that was more about Papali'i being terrible.
I dont disagree with your point about T'oa or Seyfarth (FWIW I think Twal is not bad as a bench middle) but my point is, does replacing Ice in the team with Seyfarth make us a better or more competitive team? Clearly not.
Clearly Ice didnt regain his 2021 form, and hasnt set the world on fire, I just dont see how we are a better team without him right now, particularly ina position we have no depth in.
Additionally, IMO Ice did serve a valuable purpose for this club (and potentially would next year) when a player like Lauia or Turuva considers whether to join us or not and casts his eye over our team and squad, its much better to have Papali'i, I rather than Tumeth, B.
Unless we are going in for Crichton or someone, I can't see this being a good thing. We need to start upgrading positions and filling out the roster with quality.
In saying that I am very disappointed with Ice. It shows that all the carry on before he got here was true and his heart has never been in it. He will probably Kevin Durant/James Tedesco his way into a comp, all will be forgotten except by us tigers. Sorry for the sad sack post, just getting very over this crap.
@tiger5150 oh we’re definitely weaker without him, it just depends if we can find a better option for what he’s costing us. I don’t think his performance was anywhere near good enough for $650k a year.
I wonder if we are looking at Mitch Barnett from warriors his contract finishes end of 2025
Perhaps Barnett to Tigers and Papali to warriors
