Official thread and signing news

[yanjarra]

Wishy gone to Perth as well….it was surprising it took so long to be announced. Must have been a tough decision. Can only wish Nick & Tyran all the best for their futures…they both get exactly what they needed and couldn’t get at Storm…a massive financial pay day for Nick and a starting 13 spot for Tyran. Go well guys and thank you for your service to our Club…

One things for sure, the bears are quietly building a really good roster. I rate every signing so far. Big mal and queeenslander billy are doing well. With a couple of our guys in the start up, and a few of my favorite players coming from the reds(albeit a differant organistation now) to feature in our 99 premiership team, will be hard not to have a soft spot for em.

[yanjarra]

2027 really is going to be a big rebuild year for the club, we will have quite a bit of money in the kitty to sign some big fish and a few holes to fill in the squad.

1. Sua FA’ALOGO
2. Xavier COATES
3. Moses LEO (club option)
4. JACK HOWARTH
5.
6. Cameron MUNSTER
7. Jahrome HUGHES
8. Stefano UTOIKAMANU
9. Harry GRANT (c)
10. Josh KING
11. Oryn KEELEY
12. Elisea KATOA*
13. Trent LOIERO

14. Alec MACDONALD
15. Josiah PAHULU
16. Joe CHAN
17. Ativalu LISATI

18. Lazarus VALEEPU
19. Manaia WAITERE


Blore, Warbrick, Kamikamika, Toelau and Hethrington remaining players without a contract for 2027.

Targets include Tino, Lomax and Purdue according to media reports.

Will be interesting to see how the dominoes fall, I think Blore and Tui are gone, Warbrick I wouldn’t be offering a big deal to, if he stays it should be on the cheap, Toelau and Hethrington can earn another year with a strong showing this season.

If we can jag Lomax/Tino/Purdue I think we are looking VERY good for 2027 especially if Katoa can also get back on the paddock.

Any other ideas for 2027?

Certainly isnt the most confidence inspiring squad, cant see it winning a comp as listed. Add the signings you've listed and a few of the young blokes coming along though and we are back in the game. I am starting to think Hugo Peel is going to be the stand out from the emerging group too. A lot depends on how sua go's which is still a bit unkown for me, im really worried about his durability. If sua really lights up not sure where peel might go if nrl ready by 27, perhaps he comes in on wing for brick.

To put us back as a genuine favorite i still think we need one more high quality middle addition as well as tino. I'm still not convinced on macca despite popular opinion and if we dont see a stride forward on what has been a pretty middling couple of years from him would shift him on also. Depends on how pahulu and hetherington go also, and potentially this cooper clarke coming along.

Will become a lot clearer by mid season.

[yanjarra]

Wonder if we can get someone like Tyrell Sloan to replace Meaney in 2027? I think someone has mentioned him before?

Wishart needs to get away from Bellamy and find out if he can actually be a legitimate first grader in one position. Unfortunately for him he wasn’t getting that at the Storm.

Surely you're joking. You dont want lomax...So you toss up sloan?

He's flat out keeping his spot at the dragons. He's destined for the uk or on another scrap heap in the next few years. Not nrl standard.

Dude is 24 in June and has the speed and talent to be a legitimately good player if someone gets through to him. He won’t cost a lot either. Can play wing or fill in at fullback if needed. He’s not a like for like replacement for Meaney but….why would we not see if Bellamy can get the best out of him?

Signing him wouldn’t mean not bringing in Lomax either.

He would have to be absolute minimum wage or train and trial or it'd be a horrendous acquisition. Why we wont see it, is he aint a bellamy or storm style of player. He's thick and not very coachable, not know as a hard worker, or reliable to carry out his job/role under pressure - most of the checklist they look for in a player. That said, i may have put hetherington in the same boat based off on field, but by all reports hes a pretty smart dude.

[yanjarra]

https://youtu.be/cVCmPCPq6YE?si=GrGj_Ff8HPpN_zdM



Looking foward to seeing how this one pans out

[Storm Spirit]

https://youtu.be/cVCmPCPq6YE?si=GrGj_Ff8HPpN_zdM



Looking foward to seeing how this one pans out

He’s got a shit ton of ability as a RL player and ‘could’ be a brilliant signing based on skills and aggression but it’s all dependent on the coaching staff being able to reign in his regular poor discipline

[Storm Spirit]

Surely you're joking. You dont want lomax...So you toss up sloan?

He's flat out keeping his spot at the dragons. He's destined for the uk or on another scrap heap in the next few years. Not nrl standard.

Dude is 24 in June and has the speed and talent to be a legitimately good player if someone gets through to him. He won’t cost a lot either. Can play wing or fill in at fullback if needed. He’s not a like for like replacement for Meaney but….why would we not see if Bellamy can get the best out of him?

Signing him wouldn’t mean not bringing in Lomax either.

He would have to be absolute minimum wage or train and trial or it'd be a horrendous acquisition. Why we wont see it, is he aint a bellamy or storm style of player. He's thick and not very coachable, not know as a hard worker, or reliable to carry out his job/role under pressure - most of the checklist they look for in a player. That said, i may have put hetherington in the same boat based off on field, but by all reports hes a pretty smart dude.

Taking Sloan on a deal that favours Storm would be worth the risk. Could be the wake up call the guy really needs to make him knuckle down. I don’t think we can overestimate the absolute benefit of taking certain guys out of the Sydney rugby league bubble and letting them just become ordinary citizens down in Melbourne.

[Stormszn]

https://youtu.be/cVCmPCPq6YE?si=GrGj_Ff8HPpN_zdM



Looking foward to seeing how this one pans out

Either Craig gets him to channel his aggression properly and he becomes the enforcer type we’ve been missing off the bench, or he spends the year in cup. No in between.

[Papenhuyzen23]

Dream/Realistic 2027 best 17

Coach : Craig Bellamy (please)

1. Sua Fa’alogo
2. Xavier Coates
3. Jaxon Purdue (Cowboys)
4. Jack Howarth
5. Zac Lomax (Eels)
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jahrome Hughes
8. Stefano Utoikamanu
9. Harry Grant (c)
10. Josh King
11. Oryn Keeley
12. Elisea Katoa
13. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Titans)

14. Kurt Mann (Bulldogs)
15. Josiah Pahulu
16. Joe Chan
17. Alec MacDonald

[Stormszn]

Dream/Realistic 2027 best 17

Coach : Craig Bellamy (please)

1. Sua Fa’alogo
2. Xavier Coates
3. Jaxon Purdue (Cowboys)
4. Jack Howarth
5. Zac Lomax (Eels)
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jahrome Hughes
8. Stefano Utoikamanu
9. Harry Grant (c)
10. Josh King
11. Oryn Keeley
12. Elisea Katoa
13. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Titans)

14. Kurt Mann (Bulldogs)
15. Josiah Pahulu
16. Joe Chan
17. Alec MacDonald

I would go Lomax centre, Warbrick wing, Howarth backrow and Keeley bench over Chan. Not sure we need a 34 year old Kurt Mann.

[yanjarra]

Dream/Realistic 2027 best 17

Coach : Craig Bellamy (please)

1. Sua Fa’alogo
2. Xavier Coates
3. Jaxon Purdue (Cowboys)
4. Jack Howarth
5. Zac Lomax (Eels)
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jahrome Hughes
8. Stefano Utoikamanu
9. Harry Grant (c)
10. Josh King
11. Oryn Keeley
12. Elisea Katoa
13. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Titans)

14. Kurt Mann (Bulldogs)
15. Josiah Pahulu
16. Joe Chan
17. Alec MacDonald

I'll play along for fun on a no footy sunday ...although, this is probably better of in off season chatter.

Mines a combination of whats realistic and what i think. What the actual 17 will end up being will be different for sure.

1. Sua
2. Brick
3. Purdue
4. Lomax
5. Coates
6. Munster
7. Hughes
8. Uto
9. Grant
10. Tino
11. Howarth
12. Katoa
13. Loiero

14. Keeley
15. King
16. Hetherington
17. Pahulu.

If a spine member went down there'd have to be a shuffle of keeley to 2nd row, howarth to centre, lomax to 5/8. Not sure who our next good utility is with wish gone so would depend on that also.

Depending heth/pahulu progress or if we couldnt land purdue( which I highly doubt will happen) and leo aimed up instead.... would recruit a high quality middle and likely shift hetho on unless he turns his career around this year.

Imo we need to leave cap space and allow for the possibility sua dont work out in which case we go after an elite fb


With the coach...you know what, ONLY if he's ready and willing to go, I'd call it time for belza and start a new exciting era with Billy Slater. Despite being a huge fan, and imo he is the greatest coach of all time, i think he's missed the mark on making a couple of hard calls that have cost us this last couple of years that were quite obvious, due to softening in his age and getting to close to people personally in the joint. He looks like hes gone about correcting that now, but we've just let 2 premierships slip. Billy showed his ruthlessness and team first this year when calling time on dce.

[Storm98]

Not in a million years could I imagine billy giving up the life he's got to become an NRL coach. Wish he would though haha

I reckon he might be a bit sensitive/emotional to coach a team all year round.

[Bullucked]

Not in a million years could I imagine billy giving up the life he's got to become an NRL coach. Wish he would though haha

I reckon he might be a bit sensitive/emotional to coach a team all year round.

I hope he never does, no better way to ruin a legacy.

[yanjarra]

Not in a million years could I imagine billy giving up the life he's got to become an NRL coach. Wish he would though haha

I reckon he might be a bit sensitive/emotional to coach a team all year round.

I hope he never does, no better way to ruin a legacy.

Coaching the mighty storm to a few premierships?

Haha, you are both right of course. Not sure why Billy would do it, but if you've got the bug you've got the bug, and i think it'd be good for us ....never mind billy

If not he, then who, is the frightening thought. What other option is there? Looking at the great things Ryles is doing I'm worried we slept on him....

[Lucas]

What great things is Ryles doing? Sorry if that was satire.

[yanjarra]

What great things is Ryles doing? Sorry if that was satire.

*Parra changed their style to an exciting , youthful fast brand last year from a totally differant style/structure the previous year.

*Despite results, it was across the game universally regarded as an improved parra and that you could see ryles vision and style coming together. This, missing their best player pretty much all year- moses.

* He brought in and developed and played Iongi, williams, jacks, katoga papalii who all had tremendous years, made hard calls to shift on senior players like gutho and rcg, and had fox playing his best again. They look a very happy group all around.

* He has attracted the best young 9, and best young 7 in the game- da silva and pezet on the back of iongi.

*He impresses every time he speaks and has a clear plan

Parra go mighty close to the 8 this year. Would you like to make your own prediction where they finish? Are you saying ryles is doing a poor job? I'm interested in your own opinion since you must not have observed what I've just stated to be asking the question.