News Wests Tigers sign Apisai Koroisau

jof

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Wests Tigers are pleased to announce that representative hooker and dual premiership winner Apisai Koroisau has agreed to join the club from the start of the 2023 NRL season.

The 29-year-old Koroisau — who is contracted with the Penrith Panthers for the 2022 campaign — has signed with Wests Tigers on a two-year deal with a mutual option for the third season.

A Berala Bears junior, Koroisau made his NRL debut for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2014, going on to win the Grand Final later that season.

The talented dummy-half has played 145 NRL games across eight seasons with the Rabbitohs, Panthers and Sea Eagles, and was an instrumental piece in Penrith’s premiership success in 2021.



On top of winning two grand finals across his career, Koroisau has played at the highest level in rugby league — featuring in 13 Tests for Fiji before making his State of Origin debut for New South Wales earlier this year.

Wests Tigers Director of Football Tim Sheens said he was thrilled to see Koroisau sign on with Wests Tigers ahead of the 2023 season.

“We’re very pleased to have secured Apisai from the start of the 2023 season,” Sheens said. “He not only adds a further level of experience in a key position of the spine, but he has shown himself to be successful alongside Head Coach Michael Maguire previously in his career.

“It is always a big positive to sign a player with international and State of Origin experience, and what Apisai has achieved at both club and representative level will be a great addition to what we are building here.”

“On behalf of everyone at Wests Tigers, I’d like to share how pleased we are to have signed Koroisau from the start of 2023,” Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe added.

“He will join us with a wealth of experience to his name, having represented Fiji on the international stage and the Blues in State of Origin, and we look forward to him and adding plenty to our club in the coming years.”
 

Bulldogsteve

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Another weird one. He'll be turning 31 in 2023 and I can't see him becoming any less injury prone. Would've thought they'd be settled on Liddle or Simpkin by then.
fantastic buy, brings experience what the tigers need. Simpkin will stay but Liddle will go i assume
 

bradyk

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I think it's a very good buy for the Tigers. I think Koroisau's the 3rd best hooker they could of signed and they were no chance for the other 2 (one in which we got :grinning: ). Ideally you'd want 2 years because of his age but that's never going to happen when you're a bottom team. No idea what he'll be on but if it's around 600k-700k I think it's fair.
 

bradyk

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fantastic buy, brings experience what the tigers need. Simpkin will stay but Liddle will go i assume
Going off this year they rate Liddle higher but Simpkin younger and in theory has more potential. Simpkin was the best hooker coming out of QLD after Grant.
 

ddt192

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Good for them.
 

NPC83

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Another weird one. He'll be turning 31 in 2023 and I can't see him becoming any less injury prone. Would've thought they'd be settled on Liddle or Simpkin by then.
That was my concern when we were trying to get him. But I guess if tigers want to buy a good established player they need to pay up regardless they don’t have a lot of options.
 

Bulldog1966

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Idc if they succeed or fail but you would want the guy for next year being 30 early next year meh their BBQ.8 years in played 145 games, they will be hoping they get at least the 18 game avg out of him, good luck...
 

Bulldogsteve

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Going off this year they rate Liddle higher but Simpkin younger and in theory has more potential. Simpkin was the best hooker coming out of QLD after Grant.
simpkin has an extra year on his contract compared to Liddle, thats all.
 
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Total Fool

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SMH article:- Storm have offered Tigers B Smith in return for their prop Stefan Utimoko (whatever his name is) for 2022 with the prop to return to the Tigers In 2023

No doubt the Storm don’t want Smith, Scum roosters seem like their happy to wait for 2023 which seems crazy??
 

Dognacious

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You have to pay overs for the first few name players when rebuilding. I think we paid overs for Cotric and Thompson for example. But once u get a few in, it can snowball like with us. After that the signings are closer to value. I think we got Ado, Burton, kikau, tpj, Mahoney at fair prices.
 

bradyk

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You have to pay overs for the first few name players when rebuilding. I think we paid overs for Cotric and Thompson for example. But once u get a few in, it can snowball like with us. After that the signings are closer to value. I think we got Ado, Burton, kikau, tpj, Mahoney at fair prices.
Just in the past regardless of the signings the Tigers make they don't look like an anymore attractive destination. That's also above the roster with the CEO and coach.
 

senshidog

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Panthers are going to be a very different team next year.
 

ShepardDog

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Tigers were most likely his only destination since he is refusing to get vaxed. I wouldn't be surprised if they signed him a little bit less than his value. Yet again it is the tigers so who knows.
 

MatstaDogg

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Tigers were most likely his only destination since he is refusing to get vaxed. I wouldn't be surprised if they signed him a little bit less than his value. Yet again it is the tigers so who knows.
A Fox News article i seen said it was close to 2 million for 2 years, but we know that the news corps assume these numbers also.

We also know that the Tigers are renowned for paying overs as well.
 
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