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gettyimages.com Looking forward to 2016, there have been some magnificent recruitment decisions.
Sezer to the Raiders, RTS to the Warriors, Maloney to the Sharks, the list goes on. I will cover this at same stage soon and rank the top 10.
That being said, there have been more than a few absolute head scratchers. Without giving anything away, here are our top five:
5. Beau Scott to the Eels On the surface, signing a current Origin back-rower isn’t exactly a head scratcher per say, but when looking close, it’s one of the stranger decisions made recruitment wise.
Heading into 2015, the Eels invested big money in Anthony Watmough, who has unfortunately not lived up to expectation.
For the second year straight the Eels will entrust big dollars into a forward the wrong side of 30.
It’s not like the squad is short on talented young forwards either. You have to wonder where this leaves them, with both Watmough and Scott set to be in the starting 13 when fit.
19 year-old Tepai Moeroa is one of the best young forwards in the game, and should be a major priority for the Eels.
Manu Ma’u, at 26, is also a great long-term option at Parramatta. David Gower at 29 has plenty of years left in him. Not to mention 21 year-old Pauli Pauli and 23 year-old Peni Terepo.
Scott’s form has been all over the shop in 2015, although at his best, he can definitely provide plenty in terms of ability and experience.
That being said, his recruitment is a short-term one, and may cost them elsewhere. Plus his recent injury history is of major concern.
4. Todd Lowrie to the Knights This is a similar, albeit much cheaper, version of the Beau Scott recruitment. Lowrie is 32 years old, and will replace the 31 year-old Scott on the Hunter.
Looking at the Newcastle pack, I’m not sure where Lowrie fits in. Jeremy Smith and Chris Houston provide plenty of experience, while Tariq Sims and young Joseph Tapine are absolute priorities.
The main reasoning behind the signing, I believe, is that they have recruited an experienced forward to replace Beau Scott, at a fraction of the price.
That and the fact that Lowrie is a Newcastle junior, and a former member of the club.
I don’t see this a bad signing per say, just a strange one.
With Newcastle’s well documented squad concerns, I would have thought a younger forward was the way to go.
Then again, perhaps Lowrie has been signed as a squad player, and will chime in when needed.
As long as he doesn’t take a spot away from Tapine, Mataora, or one of the expected NYC graduates, then I suppose the risk factor isn’t huge on this one.
3. Ian Henderson to the Roosters For those who don’t remember Henderson, he is a 32 year old hooker who has spent the past four years playing for Catalans in the ESL.
He has played plenty of NRL, with 65 games under his belt at the Warriors, but his main experience comes in the form of the Super League.
The Roosters don’t need a front line hooker, they have the brilliant Jake Friend. There is no chance he will be usurped as the first choice number nine.
Given he is 32, I can only guess the Roosters coaching staff aren’t confident with their back up options should Friend suffer an injury.
With the very talented Jackson Hastings on the books, as well as the reported signing of equally talented Jayden Nikorima, Henderson’s signing becomes all the stranger.
If Nikorima is confirmed, either he or Hastings will join Mitchell Pearce in the halves, with the other playing off the bench.
Once again, I suppose Henderson’s signing is a squad signing. That said, at 32, it’s a short term one to say the least.
2. Tyrone Roberts to the Titans The Titans, after missing out on Daly Cherry-Evans, have embarked on an aggressive recruitment drive to replace the player they believed would lead them into the future.
Unfortunately they also missed out on a list of big name halves to partner the brilliant Kane Elgey from 2016 onwards.
The future started to look quite a bit brighter when the Titans announced the signing of Brisbane prodigy Ashley Taylor.
The 20 year-old heads south carrying huge wraps from some of the best judges of talent in the game.
Tyrone Roberts big money signing means he will now surely partner Elgey in the halves next season, which asks questions over Taylor’s future.
I doubt the youngster was moving clubs to play QLD Cup, and I don’t believe Roberts is the king of player worth risking the future of such a talented youngster for.
Don’t get me wrong, at his best, Roberts can play, but his good performances have been few and far between over the past two-or-so years.
If the reports of Roberts’ $400,000 worth are true, he’s certainly not going to sit in QLD Cup.
Unless the plan is to play Roberts at nine, with new recruit Nathan Friend off the bench, I don’t really see a need to sign Roberts.
If Roberts is happy to play reserves, and mentor the two young halves, then fair play to him, but the Titans have over spent if that is the plan.
1. Tim Moltzen to the Sea Eagles The Sea Eagles will say goodbye the premiership winning five-eight Kieran Foran, and will replace him with a man who hasn’t even been able to put together consistent NSW Cup appearances together over the past few seasons.
Moltzen is a talented player, but injuries and lack of form have meant he is hasn’t been sighted in first grade for the Tigers.
The Sea Eagles trumpeted his signing as a utility, so there may be a thought of moving Jamie Lyon to the halves and playing Moltzen at centre, or use him in case of injuries.
Either way, the Eagles have the brilliant Tom Trbojevic in the waiting. If not for a brilliant hattrick against Souths, I believe Peta Hiku, a New Zealand representative no less, would have made way for Trbojevic this weekend.
I understand the appeal of signing a player who can play anywhere across the back, as well as in the halves, but I would have thought a younger, less injury prone player, was the way to go for Manly.
On a side note, I have nothing against any of the five and hope they all have brilliant 2016’s, just as a whole, their recruitments are a little left of centre.
Suppose that’s why I’m not an NRL coach.
More:
http://www.zerotackle.com/nrl/five-recruitment-head-scratches-for-2016-18631/
Topic: Five recruitment head scratchers for 2016
