Sio Siua Taukeiaho Signed

You might change your mind if you watch the interview. Wonder why he's not coming back to the Roosters. Doesn't want to let THEM down. He then proved his statement by managing only 7 games in the whole season for Catalans

He played 10 games this year in total. 7 regular season, 2 finals including the GF and 1 challnge cup.
 
Deluded!

He is physically not up to NRL standard. If only Raymond would watch that podcast and take SST's advice, do the right thing by the club and move on.
How's that being deluded?

All I'm saying is that he need to be judged on the present. Which is what the club will do.

Fuck knows whether he's good enough but judging that based on what he said on a past podcast is true delusion ....
 
I would hazard a guess that Gould and Cirro didn’t know this podcast interview existed at time of signing,
Thsi interview have been an alarm bell to the Catalan Dragons as a precursor to what actually happened (surprise surprise) where he spent 90% of the season injured.
When someone tells you they body can’t hack the nrl anymore you have to listen- two years later when that player is mid thirties mind you
I think it has since been made aware to Gus and cC l he said this and this is partly why his SIGNING wasn’t announced earlier.

I see SSTs game. He’s angling for a medical retirement. He can’t get that in the ESL. Medical retirements are only 2 seasons forward so a three year deal wasn’t required.
I believe he might be a decent enough human to try his best in 2024 and try to see how far his luck takes him but as soon as he goes down it’s curtains. Watch. I’m telling you.
I agree. Very good chance Gus and the club were unaware of this interview until after they made serious enquiries about SST. Wouldn't surprise me if Gus still hasn't watched it actually with his stubborn attitude. When they played this clip on NRL 360 Braith Anasta said he was originally for the SST signing but after watching that he totally changed his mind and all the other panel members agreed it was a bad signing. If SST plays a handfull of games for us next season and maybe even less in 2025 while we're getting smashed week after week through the middle of the field who'se going to be unhappy about it ? EVERYONE. Those against his signing don't want to be saying "I told you so". We want our best players on the field. We hope the club did their due diligence and the medical was really thorough. Maybe he failed it for all we know. I really thought Jordan McLean was a better option who signed for unders with the Cows for 1 year.

If SST said that stuff but then played the majority of games in Super League then I'd be fine with his signing but when a player says his body is shot and as soon as he recovers from one injury he gets another and he then physically proves he can't get on the field for the majority of games in a comp that's actually less strenuous than NRL I don't get why anyone would fail to believe what he said in that interview is true. Wishful thinking maybe and a potential waste of 500K a season that could stop us signing someone better in the next 2 years. People on here are even doubting the 500K. Yes we don't know it's true 100% but that's what's reported. We don't know it's not true either. Is there something wrong with some people not wanting us to sign a potential cripple (another Thompson who spends most of his time on the sidelines) ?
 
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I would say it’s a done deal. No way they would have finalised the 4 signings last week and not left a spot for SST
 
Taukeiaho’s Bulldogs switch hits hurdle as Super League club stalls
Adam Pengilly

ByAdam Pengilly
November 13, 2023 — 5.00am

Siosuia Taukeiaho has yet to secure a release from Super League giants Catalans with his planned return to the NRL with the Bulldogs also contingent on the club opening up a roster spot before the 2024 season.
Having made a significant splash in the player market with a slew of signings, Taukeiaho had been identified as a key plank in the Bulldogs’ forward rebuild, but his switch has hit a hurdle and is yet to be formalised as Cameron Ciraldo’s squad begins pre-season training this week.

It had been widely reported Taukeiaho had signed a two-year deal with Canterbury, but club sources speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing talks said the veteran prop has still not secured an official release from the Catalans and is yet to put pen to paper.
It has left his immediate future in limbo as the former Roosters premiership-winner eyes a return to Australia for family reasons.

Despite announcing more than three months ago they were going to release Taukeiaho from the remainder of his Super League deal, Catalans have yet to rubber stamp the move, leaving his NRL return in the balance.
Catalans owner Bernard Guasch even admitted in August the club wouldn’t stand in Taukeiaho’s way of resuming his NRL career, saying: “We’ve had a discussion with Siua and we understand his decision to return to Australia.”
Former Roosters forward Siosuia Taukeiaho.

Former Roosters forward Siosuia Taukeiaho.CREDIT:GETTY

Complicating matters is the fact the Bulldogs have already filled all 30 spots on their official roster for next season after the recent captures of Josh Curran, Kurt Mann, Drew Hutchison, Jake Turpin and Poasa Faamausili.
Faamausili is an NRL experienced forward who has only been signed to a development deal, while another player who made an impression at NRL level in 2023, Harrison Edwards, is also on a second-tier deal.

It means the Bulldogs desperately need to create a vacancy on their roster to accommodate the potential arrival of Taukeiaho, who has spoken about a desire for another shot at the NRL despite turning 32 before the start of next season and being restricted to just nine matches for Catalans, including the 10-2 grand final loss to Wigan.

Canterbury general manager Phil Gould met club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner and his manager on Saturday to discuss the forward’s future after he was advised he could stay away from a return to pre-season training.
Faitala-Mariner has been given permission to negotiate with rival clubs despite having two years left on his deal with the Bulldogs, and Gould said Canterbury is “rightfully unimpressed” a picture of the meeting inside Canterbury League Club was leaked to the Daily Telegraph.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Gould said: “Leagues Club CCTV has recorded the person responsible. He has now been identified. I am told that he is a professional photographer. I have an image of him, and we also have his name.

“Again, these things never worry me. But I just wonder why a professional photographer happened to be at that particular venue, at that time of day, in a very quiet lounge of the club, and prepared to take the photo that he did?”
The Bulldogs have been the most active club in the player market for next year with Stephen Crichton, Blake Taaffe, Jaeman Salmon and Bronson Xerri also joining the club.
 
I truly hope Catalans actually stick to their guns and we don't sign him. I rather give his position to Edwards. I did want him but now I'm turned off it. Imagine losing SST first couple games into the season.

Kennel would meltdown
 
I would say it’s a done deal. No way they would have finalised the 4 signings last week and not left a spot for SST

His spot is currently being occupied by RFM. So if that situation goes nowhere then someone else would need to be cut. Not as easy to do as you think. With the quality in our roster. You cannot just cut someone without another club wanting them.
 
His spot is currently being occupied by RFM. So if that situation goes nowhere then someone else would need to be cut. Not as easy to do as you think. With the quality in our roster. You cannot just cut someone without another club wanting them.

I’d be very confident neither rfm or topine are here for season
 
I truly hope Catalans actually stick to their guns and we don't sign him. I rather give his position to Edwards. I did want him but now I'm turned off it. Imagine losing SST first couple games into the season.

Kennel would meltdown
Which guns?

The ones where they announced they would release him or the ones where they refuse to do it?
 
“Complicating matters is the fact the Bulldogs have already filled all 30 spots on their official roster for next season after the recent captures of Josh Curran, Kurt Mann, Drew Hutchison, Jake Turpin and Poasa Faamausili.”

Dafuq is this guy talking about??
Top 30 isn’t finalized till march.
 
“Complicating matters is the fact the Bulldogs have already filled all 30 spots on their official roster for next season after the recent captures of Josh Curran, Kurt Mann, Drew Hutchison, Jake Turpin and Poasa Faamausili.”

Dafuq is this guy talking about??
Top 30 isn’t finalized till march.

It’s just lazy journalism based off the inaccurate squad lists nrl.com published on Friday.
 
“Complicating matters is the fact the Bulldogs have already filled all 30 spots on their official roster for next season after the recent captures of Josh Curran, Kurt Mann, Drew Hutchison, Jake Turpin and Poasa Faamausili.”

Dafuq is this guy talking about??
Top 30 isn’t finalized till march.
24-30 of the Top 30 needs to be done by 1st Monday in November. No issues for 16 out of 17 clubs.

Yes a roster is pending to change. Bulldogs currently have 30 out of 30 spots filled.

Canberra, Canterbury, Parramatta, Souths, Wests the 4 clubs who have all 30 filled at this current moment.

Sydney Roosters the least with 26.
 
I’d be very confident neither rfm or topine are here for season

100% they will not play for us. But if nobody else picks them up we cannot just get rid of them. Their contracts will be runout on gardening leave. But the contract will stand.
 
His spot is currently being occupied by RFM. So if that situation goes nowhere then someone else would need to be cut. Not as easy to do as you think. With the quality in our roster. You cannot just cut someone without another club wanting them.
100% they will not play for us. But if nobody else picks them up we cannot just get rid of them. Their contracts will be runout on gardening leave. But the contract will stand.

“Complicating matters is the fact the Bulldogs have already filled all 30 spots on their official roster for next season after the recent captures of Josh Curran, Kurt Mann, Drew Hutchison, Jake Turpin and Poasa Faamausili.”

Dafuq is this guy talking about??
Top 30 isn’t finalized till march.
24-30 of the Top 30 needs to be done by 1st Monday in November. No issues for 16 out of 17 clubs.

Yes a roster is pending to change. Bulldogs currently have 30 out of 30 spots filled.
It’s just lazy journalism based off the inaccurate squad lists nrl.com published on Friday.
Top 30 is pretty much irrelevant for the 2024 season since the only difference between a Top 30 Player ($130k) and a Supplementary Player ($80k) is their contract minimum per annum. You can pay a Supplementary Player the same as you pay a Top 30 Player and they can both play from Round 1, so no difference there either.

Best to think of it as Top 38 (maximum).


Always a Bulldog
 
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