Choc was a spot defender in the 2007 GF as well.
Perhaps a 23 year old player who has already shown some good signs still has some improvement left in him ?
Bateman
- Thread starter Sir Pigman
- Start date
Perhaps a 23 year old player who has already shown some good signs still has some improvement left in him ?
Ryan
Journey Man
Absolutely, and while he develops those skills to a first grade standard, I'm sure Blacktown would enjoy his services. It's like saying, lets make Kiwi Eagle head of ANZ Bank right now, because one day, he might grow into the role and improve.
We aren't a charity mate. We need to be ruthless with personnel. Look at the players The Panthers let go. James Fisher Harris, Jarome Luai etc, but they keep rolling the conveyor belt of quality players to keep them at the top.
Maybe we have to let some favorites go to maybe start contending.
He has shown those skills numerous times, not as consistently as we would like due to many circumstances, but he has had many very good moments in first grade, that show he had a future as a wide ball runner
We can look at Penrith, where was Yeo when he was 23 ? He just looked like a standard first grader alternating between centre and backrow, they didn’t show him the door though and what have they got now ?
We can also look at mid 00s Manly where Matai couldn’t defend and Ashley Alberts was the better future option. Glenn Stewart was too small to ever be anything in first grade and was only here so we could hold onto his brother. Can Ben hit those heights, probably not, but he can be a more than effective first grader
Let’s be clear, Penrith didn’t “ let those players go “, they were both offered huge deals by other clubs and chose , towards the end of their careers , to take the money.
The Panthers had no choice, they couldn’t match the dollars
God our crap is screwed if that’s even close to the truth. Where did the schuster money go? Jazz ****ing tevanga?
despite our limited success, we are in more of a Premiership window now than we will be in three years. Dces successor will take years to be consistent quality, turbo is in his peak years now and the age of the rest of our squad says, we would be better of trying to win one now with ready to roll recruitment rather than persevering with too much youth. I love the youth policy, but our time is now. Gotta get dudes like Bateman in for the short term. We are unlikely to have players the ilk of turbo, ola and dce (together) again
And puss dudes like croker and burbo off. They won’t win ****
despite our limited success, we are in more of a Premiership window now than we will be in three years. Dces successor will take years to be consistent quality, turbo is in his peak years now and the age of the rest of our squad says, we would be better of trying to win one now with ready to roll recruitment rather than persevering with too much youth. I love the youth policy, but our time is now. Gotta get dudes like Bateman in for the short term. We are unlikely to have players the ilk of turbo, ola and dce (together) again
And puss dudes like croker and burbo off. They won’t win ****
Manly is poised to terminate interest in backrower John Bateman but the English star is still highly unlikely to remain at Wests Tigers.
This masthead has been told two other NRL clubs have expressed preliminary interest in Bateman, who has two years remaining on his current contract at Concord. His annual salary is about $650,000.
Wests Tigers were prepared to pay Manly about $300,000 a season to take Bateman but a roster-full Sea Eagles are reluctant to move any players for the Englishman.
Manly hasn’t totally dismissed Bateman but the odds of him playing at Brookvale are lengthening.
Bateman’s fallout with Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall all but guarantees the ex-Canberra grand final forward won’t be at Concord in 2025.
There have even been suggestions Wests Tigers would be prepared to pay more than $300,000 a season for a rival club to sign Bateman.
This masthead has been told two other NRL clubs have expressed preliminary interest in Bateman, who has two years remaining on his current contract at Concord. His annual salary is about $650,000.
Wests Tigers were prepared to pay Manly about $300,000 a season to take Bateman but a roster-full Sea Eagles are reluctant to move any players for the Englishman.
Manly hasn’t totally dismissed Bateman but the odds of him playing at Brookvale are lengthening.
Bateman’s fallout with Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall all but guarantees the ex-Canberra grand final forward won’t be at Concord in 2025.
There have even been suggestions Wests Tigers would be prepared to pay more than $300,000 a season for a rival club to sign Bateman.
It’s just pressure being applied during a stale
mate.
mate.
Ryan
Journey Man
Well, I guess that's it then. Our roster is set. Lost Schuster, Humphreys, Lodge & Lawton, and have acquired:
Scraped into 7th, after coming 12th & 11th the years before.
Guess we are going to need marked improvements from....honestly, I don't even know anymore....to lift us into competing with the top 4 (or contending for a title).
There were games we literally got blown away with aggressive defensive lines, fast play-the-balls, and explosive speed. How our three acquisitions fix that? Who knows? Guys like Taukeiaho (who's body shape is more akin to Lodge / Sipley now) has played 10 games in the past 2.5 years at 33.
Anyways, apparently I'm Mr negativity, it's all roses, and we are just magically going to improve. Sadly, I have VERY little hope.
- Jazz Tevaga (likely to make the top 17) - slower than Lawton (will take his 12 spot)
- Michael Chee-Kam (may or may not make the top 17) - could replace Brown maybe?
- Siosiua Taukeiaho (may or may not make the top 17) - may battle for that last bench prop spot - Lodge replacement maybe?
Scraped into 7th, after coming 12th & 11th the years before.
Guess we are going to need marked improvements from....honestly, I don't even know anymore....to lift us into competing with the top 4 (or contending for a title).
There were games we literally got blown away with aggressive defensive lines, fast play-the-balls, and explosive speed. How our three acquisitions fix that? Who knows? Guys like Taukeiaho (who's body shape is more akin to Lodge / Sipley now) has played 10 games in the past 2.5 years at 33.
Anyways, apparently I'm Mr negativity, it's all roses, and we are just magically going to improve. Sadly, I have VERY little hope.
Not only them, but for some stupid reason we gave Aitasi James and Dean Matterson NRL contracts for 2025, when we signed/re-signed them in 2023. Stupid
And yet..
Sportsbet has Manly 5th favourite to make the top 4.
Ahead of Dogs, Chooks, Souths, Cows etc.
So... we're the best fancied of the also-rans, I guess that's something
Worth noting that Lodge, Schuster and Humphreys played 10 games between the 3 of them last year.
We've not regressed in terms of our 2024 output by losing them.
Lawton had a decent year an had certainly won that left edge but He is hardly moving the needle IMO.
Stewbojevic
Reserve Grader
I agree that the roster hasn’t improved with these changes but I don’t agree that it’s got worse. Same same. Just moving the deck chairs at the bottom half of the roster.
Ryan
Journey Man
Well, Humphreys was a rookie, so it's rough including him in the numbers. I do however hope you acknowledge our mistake if al& when he lights it up for Souths. You do have a penchant for claiming any player leaving us is mid, where any player arriving is a world beater.
Saw goes for Schuster really. If Souths can re-ignite his career, fitness, attitude, mentality, I hope you will acknowledge Manly's inability to make it work for whatever reason, because you do seem to suggest any failing at club level is never the fault of the actual club.
Lawton to Tevaga is an absolute downgrade. He makes Jake look like Usain Bolt. There's a reason he was unwanted at The Warriors - the game is speeding up. We've extended retirement packages to Taukeiaho & Chee-Kam. Hopefully they give a boost to the Blacktown boys, filling the void that Condon and Woods have left. Generally, a strong NSW Cup team means a strong first grade team.
We are running a very fine line with all these ageing, very injury prone players. Tom is glass. Brown is always injured. Aloiai suspended or injured. Lodge was always injured. Taukeiaho is always injured. I get it, they are all very old for footballers.
Anyways, proof will be in the pudding. I hope we all call it for what it is though next season when the results come in.
Saw goes for Schuster really. If Souths can re-ignite his career, fitness, attitude, mentality, I hope you will acknowledge Manly's inability to make it work for whatever reason, because you do seem to suggest any failing at club level is never the fault of the actual club.
Lawton to Tevaga is an absolute downgrade. He makes Jake look like Usain Bolt. There's a reason he was unwanted at The Warriors - the game is speeding up. We've extended retirement packages to Taukeiaho & Chee-Kam. Hopefully they give a boost to the Blacktown boys, filling the void that Condon and Woods have left. Generally, a strong NSW Cup team means a strong first grade team.
We are running a very fine line with all these ageing, very injury prone players. Tom is glass. Brown is always injured. Aloiai suspended or injured. Lodge was always injured. Taukeiaho is always injured. I get it, they are all very old for footballers.
Anyways, proof will be in the pudding. I hope we all call it for what it is though next season when the results come in.
Ryan
Journey Man
If that's the case, we need to hope and pray the rest of league and teams don't improve, because staying the same means regression otherwise.
Patolo is my bet to take Lawton's edge position by the end of season 2025. It might not happen in the first part of the season, but I think Seibold will play him on the edge in the pre-season, and NSW Cup initially. He looks like he has far more potential for us in that role than being added to our middle rotation.
Paseka
Tevaga
Jake
Olakak'atu
Patolo
Navale
Simpkin
Bullemore
Taukeiaho/Sipley
Brown/Aloiai
Chee-Kam
Is this directed at me?
If so give me so clarity on the below?
"You do have a penchant for claiming any player leaving us is mid, where any player arriving is a world beater."
Happy for you to quote me on me referring to to our new signings as world beaters? Search function is pretty easy, shouldn't taking you long.
I've been fairly underwhelmed on most if not all. Though I dont tend to slander a player.....go back to last years too if you want.
As for those leaving, again happy for you to show me where I've done some big turn around.
Schuster I was obviously huge on and I do think he could still kick on, but it wasnt go to happen here.
Humphreys we've disagreed on for a while, I think he could play some grade but I dont think it will be a career of note.
Lawton Is a solid player, but I was fine when rumours were for him to be released prior to to 24 and also fine with him getting a deal at the Cowboys.
Without being harsh, Lawton's output is not too difficult to replaced.
You slate Burbo but he offers more offensively. Lawton was though a stronger defender.
Stewbojevic
Reserve Grader
I like this angle but I don’t see Tevaga starting at 9. He’s a utility off the bench at best.
What makes you think Patolo will give it a crack and make it on an edge?
He mostly played as an edge backrower when he was coming through the Bulldogs pathway system. I feel that the Bulldogs tried to reimagine him as a middle due to their shortage of effective middles st the time, and may well have set him back in his development as an NRL player by doing so. I dont believe that Seibold will make the same mistake.
CHRIS PATOLO
Patolo, a local junior from the Bankstown Sports club is a talented edge back rower or middle forward. He has been a member of the club’s Harold Matthews and SG Ball sides, as well as representing the NSWCCC side in 2018. Patolo is a graduate of the club’s High-Performance Youth Program and will be a first year Jersey Flegg player in 2021.
Official - Bulldogs 2021 Development Squad
Bulldogs 2021 Development squad bulldogs.com.au - Thu 12 Nov 2020, 02:38 PM The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are pleased to announce Matt Doorey, Paul Karaitiana, Jackson Topine, Kurt Picken and Chris Patolo as the club's development players for the 2021 season. Every club is allowed up to...
Chris Patolo
A local junior from Bankstown Sports, Patolo can play either on the edge or in the middle, and has moved into the Jersey Flegg side this season and also made his NSW Cup debut.The forward came through both the Harold Matthews and SG Ball system with Canterbury, and is a player with enormous potential.
Analysing every NRL club's development list and their chances of playing first grade | Sporting News Australia
With round 11 upon us, NRL clubs are now allowed to pick from their development squad for first grade fixtures without having to ask for an exemption.
I would only play Tevaga as the starting hooker for 20 minutes, and then bring Simpkin on for the next 60 minutes. Tevaga is a good defender in the middle, and would give Simpkin an opportunity to come in and control the ruck after the defensive intensity in the middle has dropped off somewhat. Tevaga would then join the bench rotation due to his utility value. (Covers all positions in the forwards)
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