Sharks take a big bite out of Tigers
Roar Rookie By SportsFan, 19 Sep 2012 SportsFan is a Roar Rookie
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The Sharks have circled and got their men, with news both Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan have switched to the Shire, leaving the Tigers in disarray.
If the news is correct, the Sharks have done well to pick up two players who have shown glimpses of greatness in 2012. Ryan’s personality and football talents as well as Heighington’s no nonsense style of play will benefit the Sharks in 2013.
If Tigers fans thought their disappointing season couldn’t get any worse the announcement of Ryan and English international Heighington leaving Leichhardt for Cronulla will make even the hardiest of Tigers fans whimper.
There is still some confusion over the whole affair, after Beau announced earlier this year that he had signed a three year extension with the Tigers which seems to have fallen through, although contract bungling has been a trademark of the Tigers of late after the whole Moltzen affair.
The stark reality for the Tigers is the Sharks have taken a huge bite out of their football club, Ryan and Heghington are huge personalities whose presence will be missed in the sheds big time.
They will make up five former Tigers players to join the Cronulla club along with Bryce Gibbs, John Morris and Andrew Fifita.
It was getting hard to imagine how 2012 could get any worse for the Wests Tiger’s club, well it just did.
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September 19th 2012 @ 2:42am
peeeko said | September 19th 2012 @ 2:42am | Report comment
if i am not mistaken the sharks now have the following backrow forwards -chris heignington, paul gallen, luke lewis, anthony tupou, jeremy smith, wade graham and jason bukuya. heignignton is a good player but surely the sharks would be better getting another player in another position?
September 19th 2012 @ 8:59am
Jimbo Jones said | September 19th 2012 @ 8:59am | Report comment
I thought the same thing peeeko. Surely this is a case of money being spent poorly. It does show what kind of game plan they are looking to play though.
September 24th 2012 @ 2:59pm
David said | September 24th 2012 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
Peeeko – Smith is going to the knights, graham is a utility player, tupou only has one more season at the sharks, gallen will most likely play front row and not be asked to play 80 mins because he beats himself up more than most. An 80 min player like heighington will slot perfectly into this team.
September 19th 2012 @ 6:35am
Gabie said | September 19th 2012 @ 6:35am | Report comment
I do believe that the sharks have effected our club greatly. It’s the tigers fault for letting these players go. I am a huge Beau Ryan fan and I was crying when I found out he was leaving. Tigers wouldn’t give him his 3 year contract therefor making him leave!
Beau has to do what’s best for him. So again
its all the tigers fault!!
September 19th 2012 @ 7:21am
Blaze said | September 19th 2012 @ 7:21am | Report comment
Korobite or beau…. I’ll invest my time in the Fijian… Look, it’s sad to see players leave but if it means the young blokes stay and get a run, I’m ok with that… Of course the flaw in my opinion is the possible signing of kite… Even the Blair decision stumped me… But if the young blokes get more nrl time next year I can live with it.
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September 19th 2012 @ 9:30am
Matt F said | September 19th 2012 @ 9:30am | Report comment
I don’t know if this is really about a youth strategy. If it was then surely Tuqiri would have been cut instead of Beau?
September 19th 2012 @ 10:07am
Will Sinclair said | September 19th 2012 @ 10:07am | Report comment
Lote only wants a one year deal, while Beau wants a three year.
The Tigers have got two of the most exciting wing talents in years coming through the club, so don’t need older wingers on long term deals.
September 19th 2012 @ 10:54am
Matt F said | September 19th 2012 @ 10:54am | Report comment
I didn’t realise Beau was 27, I thought he was closer to 24. I’m starting to see why the Tigers didn’t offer him a 3 year deal. That being said he can play at fullback or in the centres so his versatility would have been an asset.
September 19th 2012 @ 11:28am
Will Sinclair said | September 19th 2012 @ 11:28am | Report comment
Don’t get me wrong, Matt.
As a Tigers fan, I would love to keep Beau. He’s a class act both on and off the field.
Unfortunately though, the salary cap favours clubs who poach talent and punishes those who develop it. And, when faced with a choice between upgrading two potentially brilliant youngsters in Koroiebete and Nofoaluma, or keeping Ryan on the sort of deal he deserves… the club has gone with the former.
It’s a pity, but until the NRL gets serious about salary cap concessions for local talent & long-serving players, a few clubs will continute to generate most of the talent. And continue to get punished for it.
September 19th 2012 @ 1:22pm
Renegade said | September 19th 2012 @ 1:22pm | Report comment
Beau Ryan is not a Tigers junior….
September 20th 2012 @ 2:30pm
Meesta Cool said | September 20th 2012 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
well said Will.
September 19th 2012 @ 4:01pm
Kickass Koala said | September 19th 2012 @ 4:01pm | Report comment
Well the tigers have kept on Tuqiri for another year, why ? If get rid of him over Beau any day. No idea what the tigers game plan is for the near future, i understand why a shakeup is needed but i feel the wrong players are leaving. Interesting to see who they plan on adding to the squad, could be a very different Tigers team next year.
Are they now known as the Cronulla Tigers ?
September 19th 2012 @ 7:52am
Don Marl said | September 19th 2012 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Poor blokes, I really feel for them. I mean the Tigers have hardly been great this year but to be fed to the sharks. Surely they are better than that ?
September 19th 2012 @ 8:08am
james said | September 19th 2012 @ 8:08am | Report comment
why on earth would you let go of Ryan but re-sign Lote. good effort tigers.
September 19th 2012 @ 8:23am
sledgeross said | September 19th 2012 @ 8:23am | Report comment
I think Ryan is a good signing, he can cover a few positions and can score some good trys (better than the current wingers anyway). Not Cronulla need Heighington though. Even if Smith goes, they have plenty of backrowers. WHile Heighington is a decent player and works hard, he doesnt get through teh advantage line like the other Sharks backrowers, and doesnt have the skills of Jeremy Smith.
September 19th 2012 @ 9:17am
Dayer said | September 19th 2012 @ 9:17am | Report comment
is there a local junior from the sharkie region in the forward pack? if not ,then what the bloody hell are they doing not developing their own players. seems like they are trying to buy a forward pack. Sorry to say Sharkie fans but this forward pack won’t win the GF next year or the year after that, the reason is Gallen and most of the forward pack are getting old or are old and have passed their use by date.
September 19th 2012 @ 11:37am
sledgeross said | September 19th 2012 @ 11:37am | Report comment
So, Tigers mismanage their roster and people start bleating about SHarks poaching players? Will, Tigers could have kept Fifita, gibbs etc but chose to chase Adam Blair. That was a roster decision. If coaches and clubs make a decision to go one way, and let entrenched players go, and another club signs them up, then that aint poaching (though I do agree about concessions for long serving players.
Dayer, lets be fair dinkum, its not about local juniors anymore. Its about recruiting players to play junior reps and then Toyota cup. Wake up mate, its not 1978!
September 19th 2012 @ 12:24pm
Dayer said | September 19th 2012 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
mate you must be living in 1978 where Manly was using the checkbook (just like the Sharkies are now) to buy a premiership. talking about waking up. The bottom line is there are just too many clubs in SYDNEY. have a nice day.
September 19th 2012 @ 12:24pm
Dayer said | September 19th 2012 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
mate you must be living in 1978 where Manly was using the checkbook (just like the Sharkies are now) to buy a premiership. talking about waking up. The bottom line is there are just too many clubs in SYDNEY. have a nice day.
September 19th 2012 @ 12:34pm
planko said | September 19th 2012 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
What team has not bought a premiereship ? Really …
September 19th 2012 @ 12:41pm
Matt said | September 19th 2012 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
Lots. There will always be new faces, the difference is a few buys a year vs in a year or two changing the majority of the squad. And sometimes the coach. Cough bulldogs cough. Newcastle didn’t have it work out so well.
Not that there’s anything wrong with trying to win, it’s just a bit of a “cheap way” of going about it.
September 19th 2012 @ 1:16pm
Will Sinclair said | September 19th 2012 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
Tigers in 2005!
Couldn’t even afford to spend the entire salary cap that year.
It remains one of the all time great against the odds triumphs!
September 19th 2012 @ 3:30pm
planko said | September 19th 2012 @ 3:30pm | Report comment
I would have said manly in 2007 but unfortunately they beaten by some cheats !!! Tongue in cheeks stormers !!
September 20th 2012 @ 2:41pm
Meesta Cool said | September 20th 2012 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
They were beaten by a team that had been developed .. the rest is mismanagement. I can’t really remember that far back, but I am sure that Manly had more ‘bought’ players on the field than Melbourne had!,, I also doubt that the Manly side were legitimately under the salary cap that year!.
Like I and others have said a billion times, ‘Melbourne got sprung’ other teams had better accounting systems and record trashing procedures. Where was the follow up on the independant assessors ( Dolittle ) visiting every club? Gallop promised it, but it didn’t happen — WHY, because they knew what they would find!. accept a scapegoat and hope it scares everyone else!. Yup
September 19th 2012 @ 12:17pm
Matt said | September 19th 2012 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
Tigers didn’t make the 8, why are the sharks trying to take all their players. Based on the sharks this year they only need a few players to improve. Granted I didn’t watch too many sharks games…
September 19th 2012 @ 1:46pm
sledgeross said | September 19th 2012 @ 1:46pm | Report comment
Dayer, the Sharks are not poaching players like Manly used to. The only incumbent rep players they have bought over the past 5 years are Tupou, Smith and next season Luke Lewis. Fact is players need to go somewhere if they are unwanted. I dont understand your assertions at all. Its more noticeable at the Sharks because they have had such a thin playing roster. How many “locals” are the Tigers developing from their areas? From their squad this season you could only say 5 at most are actual juniors. The rest are from NZ, the bush or other parts of Sydney.
Good point WIll, Tigers are probably the last team to claim they had players who came up thorugh the ranks to win a premiership.