The Easts Tigers have boosted their Intrust Super Cup squad with three significant signings; with Joel Romelo, Jake Foster and Brenton Horwood to all call Tapout Energy Stadium (Langlands Park) home in 2015.
Romelo and Foster add NRL experience to the Tigers pack, while Horwood will add substantial size.
The Easts Tigers have boosted their Intrust Super Cup squad with three significant signings; Joel Romelo, Jake Foster and Brenton Horwood will all call Tapout Energy Stadium (Langlands Park) home in 2015.
Romelo and Foster add NRL experience to the Tigers pack, while Horwood will add substantial size.
Joel Romelo:
In 2014, Romelo split his time between the Tigers and the Melbourne Storm; so Tigers fans will be pleased to hear that in 2015 he will be with the club fulltime. Known for his dynamic, high energy play, he has previously been predominately used as a hooker or halfback at NRL level, where he has won Man of the Match awards. Last year, the Tigers successfully experimented with him at lock and that is where he will see most of his playing time this year. As the Tigers look to evolve their style of play, coach Craig Ingebrigtsen said a smart, speedy ball player like Romelo would add another dimension.
He was one of the Tigers best late in 2014, particularly in the grand final qualifier victory over Wynnum, before his season was cruelly ended one game prematurely by a broken thumb. Now fully recovered, he will embark on a full preseason with the Tigers and he will doubtless be looking to make an even bigger impact this year.
Jake Foster:
Foster is an immensely talented player who joins the Tigers off the back of a stellar 2014 season that saw him represent NSW Residents, where he faced off against new team-mates Dane Hogan. He was also named captain of the NSW Cup Team of the Year. Foster brings NRL experience with the Canberra Raiders and Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and featured in the 2013 NRL Indigenous All Stars game.
At six foot two inches and 105kgs, he is a ball playing, edge running forward with excellent footwork and will slot straight into the backrow. He should complement the play of current back rowers Hogan and Troy Giess very nicely, giving coach Ingebrigtsen plenty of options to work with.
Brenton Horwood:
Brenton comes to the Tigers from the Newcastle Knights NYC team. A physical, hard running prop, he will look to dominate the ruck and fill the gap left by Steven Thorpe (Sheffield Eagles) and Mitch Garbutt (Brisbane Broncos). He is well regarded by many at Newcastle, including first grade coach Rick Stone, who was keen to keep him in the Knights system and his acquisition is a significant boost for the Tigers.
For some time now, a strong feature of the Tigers recruitment strategy has been about recruiting good people first and good players second. Coach Ingebrigtsen explained that the clubs key values include respect, humility and accountability and these three young men all epitomise these values and promise to be valuable additions to the club both on and off the field.
