2025 recruitment & retention

[Terry Zarsoff]

Heard a rumour he slept with Connor Watson's wife lmao. Can't verify the accuracy of that, but that would certainly get him kicked lol.

I heard a rumour he slept with Connor Watson’s wife’s husband. In other words, Mr Connor Watson.

OK, I am making that one up.

 

[madmax]

I would be looking at moving on Aloiai. I don’t think that will happen as we only just extended him.
Not too sure who else on decent money at the club we could move on

Jrbo hahaha?

 

[eaglebuzz]

If we could somehow find a way to fit May and Bateman in, especially if it were Aloiai that we let go, we would be a real threat in 2025. I still think we won't win a comp with Croker at 9 though.

 

[Phobia]

Even if he moves back to the wing he's still on at least 700k which is way too much for a winger

He is on <600K as per Daily Telegraph listing richest players. I'd say 500k at most, given Saab is on like 250k.

"The team is only as strong as it's weakest link"

The weakest link on the goal line is Garrick. I'm a Garrick defender, and even to me, that is obvious enough. However, if you got rid of Garrick, they'd start targeting Talau, Koula, or someone else. Thinking that he's the difference between us now and conceding 100 less points in a season is flawed. The team's true weakest link is our pathetic defence through the middle, and lack of commitment to winning games. If it's not Garrick they'll find someone else, when they march through us to the goal line.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

I thought Josh Hello Vera was signed up until the end of 2026, if not 2027?

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Well thought of mate. We absolutely need to change up the forwards and become more agile (2025 type team). I'd go with:

01. Tom Trbojevic
02. Jason Saab
03. Tolu Koula
04. Tommy Talau
05. Lehi Hopoate
06. Luke Brooks
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Taniela Paseka
09. Jake Simpkin
10. Terrell May
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12.
13. Caleb Navale

14. Jake Arthur
15. Josh Aloiai
16. Ethan Bullemor
17.

Yep, guys like Croker, Jake Turbo, Ben Turbo, Brown, Lodge, Sipley, James, Tevaga miss out, but they are too slow for today's game. Also, Garrick had a terrible year (particularly defensively), and we have better options now. Any of those players could find an alternative home to create cap space. Being kind and loyal has literally gotten us nowhere, and this bringing in aged, broken, over the hill forwards isn't cutting it.

Can’t go along with that at all in regards to Jake being too slow for the game etc. I will cast your mind back to 1 night in particular, 78mins into a contest, working himself to a standstill as always, Cowboys have the winning field goal leaving their boot, and the game is saved by an old slow bloke being the 1 player who is there getting his hand to it to knock it away. And that is not the first time that scenario has played out either. As Christian Welsch also pointed out, Jake runs the most supports/decoys of any player in the comp, which takes a defender away from the contact for Paseka and co which helps them with their go forward

Don’t get too carried away with stereotypes of how things are meant to look, 10 years ago we heard that in the modern game, all wingers had to be 6’4” and a big leap in them, no place in the game at all for short wingers. Since then Brian To’o has been one of the best wingers of all time

 

[Ben]

Jrbo hahaha?

Would be nice if he took a great big hair cut. $300k over payed IMO

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

I am sure SOMETHING happened but if it aint criminal than tbh idgaf as the kid is a gun...

Yeah I get your point, but you’d like to know exactly what went on, before you went balls deep into getting his signature, sometimes a poor attitude can negate the ability of the player in a squad environment. Have no idea on the guys character

An example of above in Fonua-Blake. We know his character, and this season he won the Dally M prop of the year and is among the absolute elite in his position, yet from multiple different sources with good connections in the Warriors, behind the scenes he was the reason the Warriors had such a poor year.

The difference in the situations though is that May wouldn’t be a leader within the club so shouldn’t be able to have that sort of impact if he is a douche

 

[Ryan]

IMO we are a worse team without Jake in it. He is the glue both on and off the field. And whilst I agree the pack on a whole needs to be be more agile that doesn't mean there isn't space for a player of Jakes quaility.

Don't get me wrong, I understand he's a fan favorite, and I also get why, he's heart and soul and one of my favorites as well. But unfortunately the style of the game morphs from year to year, and unfortunately the game moves past some styles of players.

We were lucky to snag 7th mate. Year before 12th. Year before that 11th. Year before that 4th. Year before that 13th. Year before that 5th. Year before that 15th. Year before that 8th. Year before that 13th. Year before that 9th. Year before that 2nd (average 9th over his career) - 5 years of finals in 11, and he's a marquee player (along with Tom and DCE).

Despite adoring him, I just don't think the results have been either consistent or good enough. I'm not going to get into the finals games and wins versus losses, because that would just make it appear like an agenda.

It is actually very hard for me to not include him, but honestly, when he's given the ball in attack, it's almost embarrassing. It's play over. Done. Slowest player in the NRL lumbering forward through mud.

I don't know. Is it weird I never want him to retire, but also don't want him in the team? I'm also sorry to all the Jake lovers, but I will also say, I'm one of you.

 

[manlyfan76]

I heard a rumour he slept with Connor Watson’s wife’s husband. In other words, Mr Connor Watson.

OK, I am making that one up.

Wasn't conner pongas boyfriend?
"Allegedly"

 

[manlyfan76]

Sipley is 29?
This is his year. Injuries or not.

 

[Ryan]

Can’t go along with that at all in regards to Jake being too slow for the game etc. I will cast your mind back to 1 night in particular, 78mins into a contest, working himself to a standstill as always, Cowboys have the winning field goal leaving their boot, and the game is saved by an old slow bloke being the 1 player who is there getting his hand to it to knock it away. And that is not the first time that scenario has played out either. As Christian Welsch also pointed out, Jake runs the most supports/decoys of any player in the comp, which takes a defender away from the contact for Paseka and co which helps them with their go forward

Don’t get too carried away with stereotypes of how things are meant to look, 10 years ago we heard that in the modern game, all wingers had to be 6’4” and a big leap in them, no place in the game at all for short wingers. Since then Brian To’o has been one of the best wingers of all time

Fair points too Kiwi. It is also pretty rough criticizing him, and it makes me feel like a cockhead at the same time, so I'll leave it well alone 🙂

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Fair points too Kiwi. It is also pretty rough criticizing him, and it makes me feel like a cockhead at the same time, so I'll leave it well alone 🙂

Lol don’t leave it alone mate, it is all good. 2 sides to the game, and on the side without the ball he is one of the best you will see, love watching how forwards returning the kickoffs are stopped dead when they meet him.

When the game is on the line as well, you will normally find that the play the ball before DCE kicks the game winner will be from 1 of the Trbojevics

I was a bit gutted he wasn’t in the Aussie team, but at least we got to see Tom play last week, when the made the big break my 6 year old boy was yelling “Go Tom” in amongst all the Kiwis fans. I’m probably biased too that no matter how he plays, I’ll never not want him in the side

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Wasn't conner pongas boyfriend?
"Allegedly"

You have raised a bit of a stink there.

 

[frank stokes]

Yeah I get your point, but you’d like to know exactly what went on, before you went balls deep into getting his signature, sometimes a poor attitude can negate the ability of the player in a squad environment. Have no idea on the guys character

An example of above in Fonua-Blake. We know his character, and this season he won the Dally M prop of the year and is among the absolute elite in his position, yet from multiple different sources with good connections in the Warriors, behind the scenes he was the reason the Warriors had such a poor year.

The difference in the situations though is that May wouldn’t be a leader within the club so shouldn’t be able to have that sort of impact if he is a douche

Yeah I cant argue with that but new club, new personalities and new opportunity... as I said b4, we just finished dealing with schu's attitude but, seriously, if this kid has not been giving 100% and STILL played the way he did this year then I for 1 am BALLS DEEP IN @kiwieagle (literally, of course lol)

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

I heard a rumour he slept with Connor Watson’s wife’s husband. In other words, Mr Connor Watson.

OK, I am making that one up.

Cum Wat(son) May, we may never know the real story

 

[ManlyTragic]

I heard a rumour he slept with Connor Watson’s wife’s husband. In other words, Mr Connor Watson.

OK, I am making that one up.

Not that there is anything wrong with that!

Just sayin’

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Not that there is anything wrong with that!

Just sayin’

Until it interferes with team cohesion in the showers, post-game.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Gees your drawing a long bow there Waz.

Just sayin’

Pass the cider.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Cum Wat(son) May, we may never know the real story

Channel 9 Sydney’s Danny Weidler will be all over it, with exclusive footage.