Tuivasa-Sheck Or Tomkins???

[stsae]

I think Tomkins will be a sensation in NRL. A ready made ball playing fullback with speed. Clubs will pay a fortune to get him and it will be money well spent considering the lack of quality fullbacks on the market.

I do believe $BW is off contract next season mate. As is Mini and Pearce and a fair few other well paid players at the club. I believe we would have that fortune if we want Tomkins next season.

But IMO if he wants to come it should be for the challenge first up. If he performs he will get his money I'm sure.

[stsae]

Spot on.. We don't even know if Tomkins is serious.. Remember the Paul brothers were always going to go to the NRL and would keep resigning with ESL clubs.. Any club who delays signing a player in the hope another player (who will be chased by 16 clubs) comes onto the market is going to be forever behind the 8 ball.

Exactly what I was thinking Coqqers. Feilden comes to mind also.

[stsae]

Maloney is not exactly sitting on a massive salary. He is a proven performer. His defence is no worse than other halves his size.

He is a good leader on the field and by the looks of it a great character off the field.

Everyone is dismissing him for his poor season last year but he was in good company. The same kid who everyone is touting as the next big thing flopped barring some individual brilliance. Johnson was mostly unseen during games.

Maloney is a great improvement over what we had (so is a log). He will compliment Pearce well and I'm looking forward to him running off the forwards which IMO is his best attribute.

Overall it was a very astute buy considering what he brings for the money spent.

Good post Mike.

[Rooster_6]

Hi Rooster_6,

Signing a proven NRL first grade performer puts us in a much better position than signing a young man with little to no first grade experience with no chance of him ever holding down a long term position because we have an eye on a season or two down the road. That kind of signing is precisely sitting around waiting for something to happen. It is wasting a season or two for no reason when there is no guarantee that Sam Tomkins will either come to Australia let alone decide our club is the right move for his career.

All of the players you mention are for next year and our administrators had already wasted season 2012 what purpose is there in wasting season 2013 as well? What are our options for this season? Mitchell Pearce currently has a capable partner in the halves and this is a positive move.

We don't need a "creative" playmaker we need a balanced team to play like a team and onr that is disciplined on and off the field. Canterbury-Bankstown made the grand final with a very ordinary halves pairing along with an average rake.

Of course signing a proven first grader over a youngster puts us in a better position for 2013, that's not what I'm debating though. I'm looking at the bigger picture, if Maloney isn't the right signing and I don't believe he is then we're another 3 years (his contract length) off from making a push for the premiership imo. That's a pretty bitter pill to swallow because I think we've already pretty much got the balanced team you call for, it just lacks that creativity, flair or class if you will.

The Bulldogs don't make the Grand Final without Ben Barba, of course you need creativity & flair. The best two positions to get it from is the fullback or 5/8 because they're the two players who touch the ball the most in open spaces.

RTS is the closest we go at the moment to having something in those positions with some class. And whilst I honestly believe he has every bit as much potential as Ben Barba no rational person could honestly expect him to start displaying that for a couple of years at the least. Barba was in and out of First Grade since 2007 before he finally put it all together...

Maloney is an improvement on what we had, we'll be a better side for having him in it, he'll help Pearce out more... I truly believe all of this. I don't believe though that he's the perfect fit that will take us to our next premiership though.

[SConcierge]

Maloney is an improvement on what we had, we'll be a better side for having him in it, he'll help Pearce out more... I truly believe all of this. I don't believe though that he's the perfect fit that will take us to our next premiership though.

so who would be ur pick for 5/8

[kakaruk]

so who would be ur pick for 5/8

Roger Tuivasa Sheck

[Guest]

Of course signing a proven first grader over a youngster puts us in a better position for 2013, that's not what I'm debating though. I'm looking at the bigger picture, if Maloney isn't the right signing and I don't believe he is then we're another 3 years (his contract length) off from making a push for the premiership imo. That's a pretty bitter pill to swallow because I think we've already pretty much got the balanced team you call for, it just lacks that creativity, flair or class if you will.

The Bulldogs don't make the Grand Final without Ben Barba, of course you need creativity & flair. The best two positions to get it from is the fullback or 5/8 because they're the two players who touch the ball the most in open spaces.

RTS is the closest we go at the moment to having something in those positions with some class. And whilst I honestly believe he has every bit as much potential as Ben Barba no rational person could honestly expect him to start displaying that for a couple of years at the least. Barba was in and out of First Grade since 2007 before he finally put it all together...

Maloney is an improvement on what we had, we'll be a better side for having him in it, he'll help Pearce out more... I truly believe all of this. I don't believe though that he's the perfect fit that will take us to our next premiership though.

FFS 6, the guy hasn't even played a game for the club yet and already you've decided he isn't the right fit. We put up with your man Braith stinking up the joint for years. Give Maloney a chance and stop crapping on about this better option and that better option

[novice chook]

I'd have Maloney over a bloke like Siezer any day - too many young blokes are hyped up before they play decent first grade and end up falling flat on their feet. Anyone remember Jordan Rankin who was the next big thing and has struggled to get to 10 first grade games in the next few years. And he's just one of many kids over the years who never quite made the grade.

And if Maloney doesn't work out, then we just pay another club to take him off our hands. It's not as if a contract means anything nowdays. Players are traded like used cars, you get the best price you can for them and cut your losses. Like we did with Mose and Taka and the Riff did with Jennings.

NC

[Rooster_6]

FFS 6, the guy hasn't even played a game for the club yet and already you've decided he isn't the right fit. We put up with your man Braith stinking up the joint for years. Give Maloney a chance and stop crapping on about this better option and that better option

So you're saying that we shouldn't hold opinions on signings until they have played for the club? That's a massively flawed and ignorant logic. You really are from News aren't you?

[Guest]

So you're saying that we shouldn't hold opinions on signings until they have played for the club? That's a massively flawed and ignorant logic. You really are from News aren't you?

When there are no obvious concerns about a guys overall ability, no you shouldn't. You just nitpick and bang on with your silly, pedantic faux-complex analysis re flair vs creativity vs vision or whatever the fark it is and how he won't suit our team blah, blah blah. Maloney is a classy player who played a big role in getting the warriors to a grand final. He's also an adaptable player, and there's no reason to suggest he can only play exactly the same type of role he did at the warriors. We've basically had no 5/8 at all ever since your man Braith came to the joint in 2006. Your suggestion that we'd be better off signing a player who can't get a go at another club is ridiculous. I know, in your eyes, no-one can ever replace Braith, but I can assure you, Maloney is 5 times the player Anasta is. The real shame is that we didn't fark your man off earlier.

[Guest]

Teabags is firing up today..

[Rooster_6]

When there are no obvious concerns about a guys overall ability, no you shouldn't. You just nitpick and bang on with your silly, pedantic faux-complex analysis re flair vs creativity vs vision or whatever the fark it is and how he won't suit our team blah, blah blah. Maloney is a classy player who played a big role in getting the warriors to a grand final. He's also an adaptable player, and there's no reason to suggest he can only play exactly the same type of role he did at the warriors. We've basically had no 5/8 at all ever since your man Braith came to the joint in 2006. Your suggestion that we'd be better off signing a player who can't get a go at another club is ridiculous. I know, in your eyes, no-one can ever replace Braith, but I can assure you, Maloney is 5 times the player Anasta is. The real shame is that we didn't fark your man off earlier.

So because someone has ability you should never question whether their ability will be a good fit or compliment to the team?

This just keeps on getting better an better, head in the sand much?

It's not my fault if your Rugby League knowledge doesn't go beyond 'he's a good player, he must be good a good signing, look he made a grand final, must be good'. At least others on here have made valid arguments about why they think he'll be a good fit.

You've just said

1) I shouldn't have an opinion on him until he's played for the club
2) I shouldn't question whether he's the right signing because he has ability and;
3) He made a Grand Final with another team, so obviously he must be a great fit for our team.

The logic of a 10 year old.

[Guest]

Teabags is firing up today..

He is...and I agree with him.

Chook.

[stsae]

Teabags is firing up today..

I'm beginning to have some serious no-homo man love for the Korean Teabagging one and Only.

Geez that sounds bad.

[Guest]

So because someone has ability you should never question whether their ability will be a good fit or compliment to the team?

This just keeps on getting better an better, head in the sand much?

It's not my fault if your Rugby League knowledge doesn't go beyond 'he's a good player, he must be good a good signing, look he made a grand final, must be good'. At least others on here have made valid arguments about why they think he'll be a good fit.

You've just said

1) I shouldn't have an opinion on him until he's played for the club
2) I shouldn't question whether he's the right signing because he has ability and;
3) He made a Grand Final with another team, so obviously he must be a great fit for our team.

The logic of a 10 year old.

6, I'm simply saying give your boringly negative over-analysis a rest, and let the new signing have a few games at the club before you condemn him as the wrong choice. And be happy in the knowledge that, above all else, your man Anasta is gone