2025 recruitment & retention

[manly al]

Guys, think about this a second: We could potentially at times have this on the field:

09. Lachlan Croker (doesn't run the ball)
11. Haumole Olakau'atu (complete power player)
12. Jazz Tevaga (on par with Jake pace/shape wise)
13. Jake Trbojevic (likely the slowest player in the entire NRL)

You add say Nathan Brown and/or say Toff Sipley up front, that's the slowest group of forwards by SOME margin to any other team in the league, and completely in contrast to what the game has morphed into in 2024 / 2025.

There's a reason we don't beat top 4 teams (most of the time). They run us ragged. They enable quick play the balls, build momentum, and drive us miles backwards, through our lack of defensive line speed, and agility.

If this isn't addressed (now that we've become slower with Jazz), I promise you, we aren't improving on this year. Nathan Brown also competes and is aggressive. But he became completely ineffective towards the end of the season. These aging, slow as mud, pre-retirement type forwards (Lodge, Brown, Woods, Tevaga etc etc etc) aren't it.

Just don 'tt have the cap space to land a real big fish in the forward line up .
Bearing in mind that the Shu will be diverting 200 K per season for a coupe of years yet .
Apparently had a crack at the Rooster's backrower Tupouniva some time ago but Dogs must have offered him some decent coin and would not really rate him in the general elite category .
Maybe some cap equilibrium if a deal and cap subsidy with Bateman can be worked out and he is worth the effort to recruit him .
Burbo is not slow , hardly dynamic but also may have to do and again hard when Jake , Haumole and Alioai are chewing up something like 2 , 2 [ or more ] mil in the cap .
No question Haumole can justify his value but obviously a major problem with Alioai and Jake .
Maybe the Cows and Dogs backrow recruits can measure up a bit and no idea with Tevaga
See where you are coming from but a few limitations recruiting and other circumstances not helping either

 

[Leighbra]

Sione Mata'utia, former Knight and St Helens, might be a useful option. I believe he moved into the second rower in England, still only 28, with 200 games of experience, and is coming back to Australia. He could potentially be a better option than Bateman, although I'm not completely off the Bateman idea. If we can control his aggression and get him to play with structure, I think he can be handy for us.

 

[jbb/james]

Guys, think about this a second: We could potentially at times have this on the field:

09. Lachlan Croker (doesn't run the ball)
11. Haumole Olakau'atu (complete power player)
12. Jazz Tevaga (on par with Jake pace/shape wise)
13. Jake Trbojevic (likely the slowest player in the entire NRL)

You add say Nathan Brown and/or say Toff Sipley up front, that's the slowest group of forwards by SOME margin to any other team in the league, and completely in contrast to what the game has morphed into in 2024 / 2025.

There's a reason we don't beat top 4 teams (most of the time). They run us ragged. They enable quick play the balls, build momentum, and drive us miles backwards, through our lack of defensive line speed, and agility.

If this isn't addressed (now that we've become slower with Jazz), I promise you, we aren't improving on this year. Nathan Brown also competes and is aggressive. But he became completely ineffective towards the end of the season. These aging, slow as mud, pre-retirement type forwards (Lodge, Brown, Woods, Tevaga etc etc etc) aren't it.

The Nathan Brown experiment IMO highlights why we are not a strong team. I imagine back fence Brownie loved the attention and fame but the poor bastard was left on his own. He is a talented ball player and decoys and runners on his hip gives him options but more importantly some protection from the gang tackle. Really poor team effort from the TEAM

It is exactly why Tom is always busted or under pressure. Left on his own, isolated with too much work to do

We do not act like a TEAM in these situations, rather we sit back and leave it to a mate to do it all. Its why we are mediocre, good players, not much team fabric when it really counts

 

[stoodamire]

Ben Hunt at 9? 😂

 

[ManlyArmy]

Hear me out....

Turbo
Saab
Talau
Garrick
Hoppa
Brooks
DCE
Paseka
Hunt
Jake
Bateman
Hamoule
Tevaga

Burbo
Aloiai
Brown
Bully

 

[frank stokes]

Hear me out....

Turbo
Saab
Talau
Garrick
Hoppa
Brooks
DCE
Paseka
Hunt
Jake
Bateman
Hamoule
Tevaga

Burbo
Aloiai
Brown
Bully

Maybe if we can borrow the Rorters' sombrero...

 

[SeaEagleSI1]

The Gold Coast Titans have confirmed that they granted Tanah Boyd an early release from the remainder of his contract, with the playmaker joining a new NRL club.

Originally contracted through to the end of the 2025 NRL season, Boyd has signed a two-year deal with the New Zealand Warriors effective immediately until the end of the 2026 NRL season.

“Tanah's arrival will create healthy competition among our halves,” said New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster.

 

[maxta]

The Nathan Brown experiment IMO highlights why we are not a strong team. I imagine back fence Brownie loved the attention and fame but the poor bastard was left on his own. He is a talented ball player and decoys and runners on his hip gives him options but more importantly some protection from the gang tackle. Really poor team effort from the TEAM

It is exactly why Tom is always busted or under pressure. Left on his own, isolated with too much work to do

We do not act like a TEAM in these situations, rather we sit back and leave it to a mate to do it all. Its why we are mediocre, good players, not much team fabric when it really counts

I was a Big fan of Brown and his Attitude, he was basically bashing himself and the opposition from day 1 at Manly and was a great buy...
The problem I found with browny by week 2 of finals, he has pulverised himself to a point he was playing a bit battered, sore, worn down and didn't have the same impact as early season....but I would never k nock his commitment, there were much bigger players who lacked his gusto, that I really hoped would step up more when it counted...I mean he led the way and showed them how to do it most the season.
I would argue the only other angry forward was Oka who was a 1 man wrecking machine and though I added a recent post about Paseka getting more mongrel, I agree with the sentiments of "Smokin Joe" that he has gone to another level under Seibold and played great, more aggression will ice this Massive cake, but he is still young in prop years and has the potential to be anything.

 

[master blaster]

The Gold Coast Titans have confirmed that they granted Tanah Boyd an early release from the remainder of his contract, with the playmaker joining a new NRL club.

Originally contracted through to the end of the 2025 NRL season, Boyd has signed a two-year deal with the New Zealand Warriors effective immediately until the end of the 2026 NRL season.

“Tanah's arrival will create healthy competition among our halves,” said New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster.

We missed him by. that much...

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Don’t know if this one is true or not but saw it in InstaTwitFace

 

[Disco]

EDIT: I will say, this did sound a lot like something Manly would do...

SHOOSH II

Which club offered an international player a train and trial deal which was quickly rejected?

Taukeiaho?

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Terrell May has apparently been told by the Roosters that he's free to find another club. Some question marks over whether he actually enjoys playing rugby league, but no question that he is very, very good at it…

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Terrell May has apparently been told by the Roosters that he's free to find another club. Some question marks over whether he actually enjoys playing rugby league, but no question that he is very, very good at it…

That family weren’t in the queue when brains were being handed out, he plays ok but not worth the ticking time bomb in the squad going on their past records

 

[The Wheel]

The next week or two could be interesting 🧐

 

[double hoops]

Certainly plenty happening

 

[madmax]

L

Front planning for DCE being absent , also his games after origin really lacked that competitive nature for far too many weeks. Its time to transition him gently from stating 7 every week.

Yeah i like bateman for the same reason, i can actually see him and benji being a poor match. Benji comes across as believing his own press , regularly sooked when his opinion was challenged when he did stints on 360 and well harsh realities are required with spoon bowl in the clubs major achievement

Terrell May has apparently been told by the Roosters that he's free to find another club. Some question marks over whether he actually enjoys playing rugby league, but no question that he is very, very good at it…

And guess who’s after him? Bulldogs again! With all the other names they’re after it’s become a total joke with their salary cap.
Paps, May, Thompson, Hunt……plus plus!

 

[master blaster]

L



And guess who’s after him? Bulldogs again! With all the other names they’re after it’s become a total joke with their salary cap.
Paps, May, Thompson, Hunt……plus plus!

But they never get questioned

 

[maxta]

L



And guess who’s after him? Bulldogs again! With all the other names they’re after it’s become a total joke with their salary cap.
Paps, May, Thompson, Hunt……plus plus!

Yep getting like Roosters
At the brink of their cap and get rid of Addo Carr, so can now afford to sign 5 rep players and the funny part is the media....no questions about the cap, but called as shrewd signings.
But then again, if they can get away with it, why not ?

 

[Disco]

Not sure what his go off field but on field Terrell May would be perfect

 

[Dion Johnson]

POTENTIAL NRL LIFELINE FOR FORMER ROOSTER

Manly are prepared to throw former Rooster Siosiua Taukeiaho a lifeline having held discussions about securing the premiership-winning forward.

Taukeiaho, who had informal chats with his former club the Roosters about a potential return, now seems likely to join the Sea Eagles with Manly keen to add some experience to their middle stocks. Canterbury had also been keen on landing Taukeiaho after prolonged discussions with Taukeiaho even undergoing rehabilitation at the Bulldogs in recent weeks.

However, Manly now seem his most likely destination with the Sea Eagles wanting to get him across – initially on a train-and-trial deal and then into a top 30 spot. It is a similar situation to that of Nathan Brown who signed with the Sea Eagles on a train and trial contract before earning a full-time contract.

The Sea Eagles remain interested in out of favour Tigers forward John Bateman but those talks seemed to have stalled in recent days. Manly want some experience and toughness to add to their pack but need to potentially move a player on to accommodate Bateman.

The 32-year-old Taukeiaho last played in the NRL for the Roosters in 2022. He almost joined the Bulldogs ahead of this year but failed a medical on his ongoing knee problem.

Taukeiaho played for Catalans last year and was cut by the French based club in July.

A move to have Taukeiaho play out the rest of this year with the Bulldogs was blocked by the NRL given it was after the June 30 transfer window. Taukeiaho was sacked by the Catalans after he skipped a training session to attend a music concert alongside fellow former NRL player Jayden Nikorima. The players pretended to be ill to attend the concert in England.