2026 recruitment & retention

[Buddy Love]

No thanks. He reminds me of T-Rex

He's nothing like trex He's been a beast for years. He just needs a change of scenery and Manly is no better place 🙂

 

[Buddy Love]

Does he rarely deliver though?

Averaged 129m a game last year which was No1 for edge backrowers in the NRL.

Average 5 tackle busts a game last year which was No1 for edge backrowers in the NRL.

Had 36 offloads last year, only 4 edges had more.

Was 6th overall fr edges for line breaks and 2nd overall for edges for line break assists.

I think his issue is people expect him to be the best backrower in the comp and he is certainly not. That said his is still a very good player.

All that at the titans. With us he'd be unstoppable!!! He wouldn't be the goto guy all the time with Tom Brooks DCE Ola taking pressure off him to make the big play. He is exactly what we need on that left edge. Like you said Ola and fifi offfft!

 

[Buddy Love]

It would be a huge risk. We lost out with The Shoe. Both have heaps of potential but rarely deliver.
I just don't think our decision-makers would have the courage.

You know fifi played origin and for Australia? They're nothing alike. This guys an absolute beast! The stats disco provided prove he's still a great player, he just needs a change and in a better team he'd flourish.

 

[ManlyTragic]

This may be an unpopular opinion....but if Titans chipped in a touch I'd happily go Fifita.

Haumole on the right, Fifita left....oooft

… I didn’t think Fifita wanted to play on the left? Isn’t that the problem?

 

[Disco]

… I didn’t think Fifita wanted to play on the left? Isn’t that the problem?

Oh is that so?

Played plenty on the left so didnt think it was an issue.

 

[GCourts]

… I didn’t think Fifita wanted to play on the left? Isn’t that the problem?

He didn’t want to play in the right side

 

[ManlyTragic]

He didn’t want to play in the right side

Oh OK thanks

 

[Stuey Davis’s Socks]

Does he rarely deliver though?

Averaged 129m a game last year which was No1 for edge backrowers in the NRL.

Average 5 tackle busts a game last year which was No1 for edge backrowers in the NRL.

Had 36 offloads last year, only 4 edges had more.

Was 6th overall fr edges for line breaks and 2nd overall for edges for line break assists.

I think his issue is people expect him to be the best backrower in the comp and he is certainly not. That said his is still a very good player.

Hey mate, do you have any defensive stats for the big fella?

 

[KNUCKLES]

I reckon chooks are releasing players to get fifita in this year.

 

[Hertera]

I reckon chooks are releasing players to get fifita in this year.

Not after last time

 

[KNUCKLES]

I cant see manly letting dce walk this year. who else could they be clearing the deck for? 2 players in the space of a day been granted releases. They have someone in mind. My guess is fifita, especially the timing of media reports

 

[Disco]

Hey mate, do you have any defensive stats for the big fella?

I do

So if we compare him to our current edges for 2024

*as an aside looks like Fox sports aren't tracking cumulative player stats this year which is annoying

Tackle efficiency
Haumole 88%
Fifita 86%
Burbo 80%

Line breaks conceded
Haumole 11
Fifita 14
Burbo 17

Try causes
Burbo 7
Haumole 8
Fifita 10

Penalties conceded
Fifita 9
Burbo 9
Haumole 14

Errors
Burbo - 9
Fifita - 13
Haumole 14

So defence is a tricky one because things like tackle efficiency is a flawed stat because if you dont make it to the tackle you dont register anything.

However is is the stat we have and Fifitas TE is better than Hudson Young, Crichton, Nikora, Martin and Kikau.

All in all I'd say defence isnt he main attribute but he certainly isn't a poor defender.

 

[Ohgeez]

I cant see manly letting dce walk this year. who else could they be clearing the deck for? 2 players in the space of a day been granted releases. They have someone in mind. My guess is fifita, especially the timing of media reports

Dom Young leaving with rumours Manu back

 

[Ohgeez]

Parra have given Ryan Matterson permission to leave immediately. Wouldn’t be surprised if he was offered some sort of deal to play with his brother the rest of the season as we don’t have much depth in the back row. Would probably compete for a place on our bench straight away over Waddell, is he worth a 6 month deal? eels have already paid part of his contract & would most likely chip in the rest of the year

 

[47MVEagle]

Parra have given Ryan Matterson permission to leave immediately. Wouldn’t be surprised if he was offered some sort of deal to play with his brother the rest of the season as we don’t have much depth in the back row. Would probably compete for a place on our bench straight away over Waddell, is he worth a 6 month deal? eels have already paid part of his contract & would most likely chip in the rest of the year

No thanks, concussion-prone (& aparently takes games off if he has a bad feeling about getting concussed again).

 

[Saabnaldo]

No thanks. He reminds me of T-Rex

Trex the bloke who played for Aus and NSW?

 

[Saabnaldo]

Dom Young leaving with rumours Manu back

Manu and the DCE coming next year? Surely not

 

[JakeyB789]

Matterson even at this stage of his career is an upgrade on Waddell as a bench forward that can cover both the edge/middle, and would probably be an upgrade on Burbo in the starting side as well. If we can get him cheap for the rest of this year with his brother here I don't know why we wouldn't, it's not like we are brimming with backrow depth and you generally don't get the chance to improve your roster mid-season. Get it done IMO.

 

[maxta]

Trex the bloke who played for Aus and NSW?

To be fair, he was hot and cold....but all was forgiven the day he trampled over Slater....was a Monster at his Best !!

 

[Ohgeez]

Manu and the DCE coming next year? Surely not

I’m fairly sure the Japanese Rugby competition Manu is in ends this month. I think they want to dump Dom Young & pick up Manu this season. Guess we’ll see