Here are the 4 players I hope take the remaining contracts
Adam Elliott - 180 NRL Games
Tim Johannssen - 1 NRL Game
Isaiah Tass - 70 NRL Games
Haze Dunster - 19 NRL Games
Total 269 additional games
I ran a quick check of our 2026 NRL squad against two other randomly selected teams so as to get some data to assess the Benji Marshall claim that the club needs more experience. The data only collected the Top 28 NRL contracted players but the results make it clear that we are still very short on NRL match ready players.
To really change the culture and establish an experienced base of players the club needs to also spell this plan out to young players who have previously come to expect a debut straight out of High School. This should not happen.
The culture must be one where development paths are honoured so we need to make it clear to every junior coming up through the grades - you will not play NRL until or unless you have played a minimum of 25 NSW Cup games. This ensures staggered development for guys like Makasini and Tavana who were clearly not ready when thrown in this year.
One of the better performing rookies this year was Vaka Aho - the only young player whose development path was honoured. If Johannsen is not an option then Aho should get his Top 30 contract.
I’d take Tim Johannssen in a heartbeat. No opinion on the rest.Here are the 4 players I hope take the remaining contracts
Adam Elliott - 180 NRL Games
Tim Johannssen - 1 NRL Game
Isaiah Tass - 70 NRL Games
Haze Dunster - 19 NRL Games
Total 269 additional games
I ran a quick check of our 2026 NRL squad against two other randomly selected teams so as to get some data to assess the Benji Marshall claim that the club needs more experience. The data only collected the Top 28 NRL contracted players but the results make it clear that we are still very short on NRL match ready players.
To really change the culture and establish an experienced base of players the club needs to also spell this plan out to young players who have previously come to expect a debut straight out of High School. This should not happen.
The culture must be one where development paths are honoured so we need to make it clear to every junior coming up through the grades - you will not play NRL until or unless you have played a minimum of 25 NSW Cup games. This ensures staggered development for guys like Makasini and Tavana who were clearly not ready when thrown in this year.
One of the better performing rookies this year was Vaka Aho - the only young player whose development path was honoured. If Johannsen is not an option then Aho should get his Top 30 contract.
I’d take Tim Johannssen in a heartbeat. No opinion on the rest.Here are the 4 players I hope take the remaining contracts
Adam Elliott - 180 NRL Games
Tim Johannssen - 1 NRL Game
Isaiah Tass - 70 NRL Games
Haze Dunster - 19 NRL Games
Total 269 additional games
I ran a quick check of our 2026 NRL squad against two other randomly selected teams so as to get some data to assess the Benji Marshall claim that the club needs more experience. The data only collected the Top 28 NRL contracted players but the results make it clear that we are still very short on NRL match ready players.
To really change the culture and establish an experienced base of players the club needs to also spell this plan out to young players who have previously come to expect a debut straight out of High School. This should not happen.
The culture must be one where development paths are honoured so we need to make it clear to every junior coming up through the grades - you will not play NRL until or unless you have played a minimum of 25 NSW Cup games. This ensures staggered development for guys like Makasini and Tavana who were clearly not ready when thrown in this year.
One of the better performing rookies this year was Vaka Aho - the only young player whose development path was honoured. If Johannsen is not an option then Aho should get his Top 30 contract.
How would you use him?
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Good grief. I respect the likely intent of the post (i.e. we want WT be a competitive NRL club) but, beyond that, we're expected to accept his/her defintion of "culture" and the expectations of rookie players straight out of high school. And, the commets are supposedly data driven? So, more sucessful clubs have a policy of a minimum of 25 NSW Cup games before being promoted to first grade?Here are the 4 players I hope take the remaining contracts
Adam Elliott - 180 NRL Games
Tim Johannssen - 1 NRL Game
Isaiah Tass - 70 NRL Games
Haze Dunster - 19 NRL Games
Total 269 additional games
I ran a quick check of our 2026 NRL squad against two other randomly selected teams so as to get some data to assess the Benji Marshall claim that the club needs more experience. The data only collected the Top 28 NRL contracted players but the results make it clear that we are still very short on NRL match ready players.
To really change the culture and establish an experienced base of players the club needs to also spell this plan out to young players who have previously come to expect a debut straight out of High School. This should not happen.
The culture must be one where development paths are honoured so we need to make it clear to every junior coming up through the grades - you will not play NRL until or unless you have played a minimum of 25 NSW Cup games. This ensures staggered development for guys like Makasini and Tavana who were clearly not ready when thrown in this year.
One of the better performing rookies this year was Vaka Aho - the only young player whose development path was honoured. If Johannsen is not an option then Aho should get his Top 30 contract.
Yeh? Nah.
I'm wanting to be persuaded that someone can convince me that WT has a viable future as a competitive NRL club. But this ain't it.
@mercy-rule happy to hear your ideas on how to use the last roster spots? It's just my opinion at the end of the day
I maintain that other successful clubs put players on a development path that is honoured
Melbourne Storm is the best example
Will Warbrick - 15 games Q Cup
Tyran Wishart - 16 games Q Cup
Jack Howarth - 43 games Q Cup
Joe Chan - 20 games Q Cup
Harry Grant - 40 games Q Cup
These guys have had to earn their stripes in lower levels but then again maybe im just looking for data to suit my view. We'll see who Benji has in mind for the last roster spots
I’d take Tim Johannssen in a heartbeat. No opinion on the rest.
How would you use him?
Bench - Prop rotation
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
@joel I have posted many times that Latu needs help with his tackling technique but unfortunately when his options are a very inexperienced coaching staff this does not help him.Realistically playing him last night was not a good idea he has hardly played all season no real game fitness and really looked like carrying some weight couple that with him pumped and hitting hard this was bound to happen . I have not thrown the towel in about Latu but feel a more professional approach by himself and the coaching staff would be to his benefit,I feel a lot of his issues revolves around himself .
I’d take Tim Johannssen in a heartbeat. No opinion on the rest.
How would you use him?
Bench - Prop rotation
Does Seyfarth not cover this in a bench with Hunt, Sione and Frizell?
You can always use more props. Easy for any or all of them to get injured. I’m not sold on Frizell, regardless of how well he played in the GF. Age will catch up with him this year. I’ve seen this scenario before, many times at Wests Tigers. Hunt going at full steam off the back fence, there is also every chance he’ll be injured again at some point. I really like Hunt but he is not getting any younger either.
Api possible broken jaw during World Cub clash Fiji vs NZ
Api possible broken jaw during World Cub clash Fiji vs NZ
Apparently it won’t affect his preseason.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
