Wests Tigers target Joey Leilua after missing out on Latrell Mitchell
After Latrell Mitchell’s snub, Wests Tigers know they need to make a statement signing ahead of the new NRL season, and are ready to try to reign in one of the game’s most erratic players.
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Wests Tigers have made some poor recruitment decisions in recent years. Now they are ready to gamble on one of the NRL’s most volatile players.
But while the anticipated signing of Joey Leilua is another decision that could easily backfire, it also has the makings of a terrific partnership.
That is providing Leilua also agrees to make a change to his game that many have been calling for from him for years.
Leilua is ready to make the move from Canberra to Concord after a meeting with Michael Maguire on Monday.
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There is no denying some people around the game are privately wondering how Leilua will fit in with Maguire’s hard-edged coaching style, fearing this could be another deal that ends in tears for the Tigers.
But it’s important to acknowledge it is not Maguire who has to change his ways, it’s Leilua.
At 28, Leilua has been basically forced out of Canberra following Curtis Scott’s arrival from Melbourne and he has no one to blame for that bar himself.
Ricky Stuart gave him plenty of chances over the years but in the end the Raiders said all they needed to say when they went and signed Scott, regardless of the fact Leilua still had a year to run on his contract.
The Tigers have their own concerns given they had previously put an offer on the table but it fell well short of what Leilua was asking for.
But it is now expected a deal could be finalised in the coming days following Monday’s catch up.
The Tigers are becoming increasingly desperate to land a significant signing after missing out on Latrell Mitchell among others this off-season.
It is no use having more than $1 million available in their salary cap for this season if it means finishing out of the top-eight again.
The fact is the Tigers boast the longest finals drought of any NRL club having not made the play offs since Tim Sheens was in charge in 2012.
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The last significant spending spree the club went on was before Maguire arrived when Ivan Cleary was in charge and they signed the likes of Russell Packer, Josh Reynolds, Ben Matulino and Chris McQueen, none of which exactly set the world on fire.
But while they have a squad of players that rarely give anything but their best, it can’t be ignored that they just don’t have the strike power to consistently match it with the best rosters.
No one can argue when he is on his game Leilua is as good as any centre in the comp, which is why he can be a great signing for the Tigers.
All he has to do is commit to getting rid of some of the mug tactics that he should have dumped years ago.
Originally published as Wests Tigers target Joey Leilua after missing out on Latrell Mitchell