Official thread and signing news
I think they are hoping that Lazarus Vaalepu will add something - I hope he isn't a dud.
https://www.qrl.com.au/players/qrl-prem ... s-vaalepu/
https://www.qrl.com.au/players/qrl-prem ... s-vaalepu/
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Storm Spirit
- Tropical Cyclone
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- Location: Under the Black Dot
If was it was the last line in a story about the rosters spending money to buy players in the Telegraph on the 23/11/2023. Here is the whole story.
ROOSTERS’ SPENDING SPREE NETS ANOTHER STAR
The Sydney Roosters’ spending spree is set to net another star as back rower Sitili Tupouniua prepares to commit his future to the club for at least another three seasons.
Tupouniua was off contract at the end of the 2024 but it is understood that rival clubs circling the international forward have been told that he is close to finalising a new deal at the Roosters that will ensure he remains at the club until the end of the 2027 season.
The Roosters have announced a series of signing coups in recent days. This week alone they have extended the contracts of Sandon Smith, Siua Wong, Billy Smith and utility Connor Watson as they set about shoring up their future.
Joey Manu is the biggest star yet to sign a new deal but he is widely expected to stay at the club for the foreseeable future despite interest from elsewhere, most notably St George Illawarra.
The 26-year-old Tupouniua, meanwhile, is going nowhere. Tupouniua made only eight appearances last season, having missed a chunk of 2022 with a knee injury before suffering a neck injury that brought a premature end to his 2023 campaign.
The Roosters missed him but the good news is that he should be fit to start next season and he will do so with a healthy new contract in his back pocket.
The other player the Roosters are focused on retaining is prop Terrell May, although his retention is becoming increasingly problematic as rival clubs look to strengthen their ranks with a forward who made huge strides this season.
The Bulldogs and Storm are among the clubs weighing up moves for May.
ROOSTERS’ SPENDING SPREE NETS ANOTHER STAR
The Sydney Roosters’ spending spree is set to net another star as back rower Sitili Tupouniua prepares to commit his future to the club for at least another three seasons.
Tupouniua was off contract at the end of the 2024 but it is understood that rival clubs circling the international forward have been told that he is close to finalising a new deal at the Roosters that will ensure he remains at the club until the end of the 2027 season.
The Roosters have announced a series of signing coups in recent days. This week alone they have extended the contracts of Sandon Smith, Siua Wong, Billy Smith and utility Connor Watson as they set about shoring up their future.
Joey Manu is the biggest star yet to sign a new deal but he is widely expected to stay at the club for the foreseeable future despite interest from elsewhere, most notably St George Illawarra.
The 26-year-old Tupouniua, meanwhile, is going nowhere. Tupouniua made only eight appearances last season, having missed a chunk of 2022 with a knee injury before suffering a neck injury that brought a premature end to his 2023 campaign.
The Roosters missed him but the good news is that he should be fit to start next season and he will do so with a healthy new contract in his back pocket.
The other player the Roosters are focused on retaining is prop Terrell May, although his retention is becoming increasingly problematic as rival clubs look to strengthen their ranks with a forward who made huge strides this season.
The Bulldogs and Storm are among the clubs weighing up moves for May.
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Storm Spirit
- Tropical Cyclone
- Posts: 2327
- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:49 am
- Location: Under the Black Dot
Thanks glennbglennb wrote: ↑Fri Nov 24, 2023 6:55 am If was it was the last line in a story about the rosters spending money to buy players in the Telegraph on the 23/11/2023. Here is the whole story.
ROOSTERS’ SPENDING SPREE NETS ANOTHER STAR
The Sydney Roosters’ spending spree is set to net another star as back rower Sitili Tupouniua prepares to commit his future to the club for at least another three seasons.
Tupouniua was off contract at the end of the 2024 but it is understood that rival clubs circling the international forward have been told that he is close to finalising a new deal at the Roosters that will ensure he remains at the club until the end of the 2027 season.
The Roosters have announced a series of signing coups in recent days. This week alone they have extended the contracts of Sandon Smith, Siua Wong, Billy Smith and utility Connor Watson as they set about shoring up their future.
Joey Manu is the biggest star yet to sign a new deal but he is widely expected to stay at the club for the foreseeable future despite interest from elsewhere, most notably St George Illawarra.
The 26-year-old Tupouniua, meanwhile, is going nowhere. Tupouniua made only eight appearances last season, having missed a chunk of 2022 with a knee injury before suffering a neck injury that brought a premature end to his 2023 campaign.
The Roosters missed him but the good news is that he should be fit to start next season and he will do so with a healthy new contract in his back pocket.
The other player the Roosters are focused on retaining is prop Terrell May, although his retention is becoming increasingly problematic as rival clubs look to strengthen their ranks with a forward who made huge strides this season.
The Bulldogs and Storm are among the clubs weighing up moves for May.
Remember this day, men, for it will be yours for all time
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Lennart Bedrager
- Hail Storm
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- Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:08 am
Looking like the olam blore swap deal may be on hold/scuttled due to to tigers trying to go all in on luai.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... a5c35589ea
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... a5c35589ea
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riders of the storm
- Thunderstorm
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- Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2005 8:08 pm
Tele reporting the Storm have signed Blore for next season.
Tigers are looking to create cap space for Luai.
Tigers are looking to create cap space for Luai.
The Wests Tigers have lost the fight to keep Shawn Blore after it emerged that the back-rower was ready to join the Melbourne Storm in 2025.
Blore was at the centre of a potential swap deal involving Storm centre Justin Olam that eventually collapsed when the Tigers put their energy into signing Penrith playmaker Jarome Luai.
However, the Storm pushed on with their bid to sign Blore regardless and it appears they have won the day – Sport Confidential understands the aggressive back-rower has agreed to join the Storm at the end of next season.
It is understood Melbourne have signed Blore to play on an edge as they look to shift young forward Trent Loiero into the middle of the field.
Blore has had his injury problems in recent seasons but he played 15 games for the Tigers in 2023 – the vast majority from the interchange bench.
He almost joined the Storm midway through this year, meeting Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy only to be told by the Tigers that they wanted to keep him.
Blore, however, had his head turned by the Storm and he looks to have made his call. Pressure will now grow on the Tigers to release Blore a year early, a move which would potentially help them in their pursuit of Luai and Warriors forward Addin Fonua-Blake.
Olam, meanwhile, could explore other options on the open market after his move to the Tigers suffered a seemingly terminal setback.
Olam is no certainty to start next season in the NRL given the Storm are preparing to move Nick Meaney to the centres, where he is expected to start the season paired with either Marion Seve or Reimis Smith.
Jack Howarth has also impressed in training as he looks to force his way into calculations.
I really don't know how this helps. We still have no signings/replacements for 2024.
Blore was at the centre of a potential swap deal involving Storm centre Justin Olam that eventually collapsed when the Tigers put their energy into signing Penrith playmaker Jarome Luai.
However, the Storm pushed on with their bid to sign Blore regardless and it appears they have won the day – Sport Confidential understands the aggressive back-rower has agreed to join the Storm at the end of next season.
It is understood Melbourne have signed Blore to play on an edge as they look to shift young forward Trent Loiero into the middle of the field.
Blore has had his injury problems in recent seasons but he played 15 games for the Tigers in 2023 – the vast majority from the interchange bench.
He almost joined the Storm midway through this year, meeting Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy only to be told by the Tigers that they wanted to keep him.
Blore, however, had his head turned by the Storm and he looks to have made his call. Pressure will now grow on the Tigers to release Blore a year early, a move which would potentially help them in their pursuit of Luai and Warriors forward Addin Fonua-Blake.
Olam, meanwhile, could explore other options on the open market after his move to the Tigers suffered a seemingly terminal setback.
Olam is no certainty to start next season in the NRL given the Storm are preparing to move Nick Meaney to the centres, where he is expected to start the season paired with either Marion Seve or Reimis Smith.
Jack Howarth has also impressed in training as he looks to force his way into calculations.
I really don't know how this helps. We still have no signings/replacements for 2024.
So if you believe any of that we’re moving Meaney into a position he’s never played before(?) because none of the other options we have are good enough and we’ve recruited literally nobody.
We’re also moving Loiero to the middle in 12 months time because we don’t think he’s good enough on the edge? But we’re keeping him there next season anyway because we’ve literally recruited nobody.
And let’s not gloss over how we’ve screwed this Olam situation either
We’re also moving Loiero to the middle in 12 months time because we don’t think he’s good enough on the edge? But we’re keeping him there next season anyway because we’ve literally recruited nobody.
And let’s not gloss over how we’ve screwed this Olam situation either
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Papenhuyzen23
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Kind of an interesting one, surely the Tigers release Blore for this upcoming season, no point holding onto a player who wants out.
As for being stuck with Olam I agree it’s not ideal, and I’m not sold on Meaney in the centres either, no where near strong enough defensively and I fear he will be absolutely clobbered by the bigger rangier prototypical NRL centres.
That last little tidbit about Howarth impressing in the centres in preseason is interesting, he was a centre prodigy when he was younger and then filled out and got moved to the pack, maybe he could be a real bolter out wide for us, I also think Reimis will bounce back he had some pretty rough injuries to deal with but is very capable when fit.
Still doesn’t solve the Fa’alogo issue either, where he plays is anyone’s guess, Bellamy has a lot of decisions to make, the easiest should be who starts in the back row instead of Loiero, the answer is absolutely anyone. Chan, NAS, Lewis, Howarth, I don’t care just get Trent out of the side, he might be an ok middle but he can’t play on the edge anymore, it’s criminal he got a whole season there this year.
As for being stuck with Olam I agree it’s not ideal, and I’m not sold on Meaney in the centres either, no where near strong enough defensively and I fear he will be absolutely clobbered by the bigger rangier prototypical NRL centres.
That last little tidbit about Howarth impressing in the centres in preseason is interesting, he was a centre prodigy when he was younger and then filled out and got moved to the pack, maybe he could be a real bolter out wide for us, I also think Reimis will bounce back he had some pretty rough injuries to deal with but is very capable when fit.
Still doesn’t solve the Fa’alogo issue either, where he plays is anyone’s guess, Bellamy has a lot of decisions to make, the easiest should be who starts in the back row instead of Loiero, the answer is absolutely anyone. Chan, NAS, Lewis, Howarth, I don’t care just get Trent out of the side, he might be an ok middle but he can’t play on the edge anymore, it’s criminal he got a whole season there this year.