The Tigers have signed former Manly recruitment manager Scott Fulton in what could be a “hugely significant signing” for the merger club.
The son of Immortal Bob Fulton will reportedly join Warren McDonnell, running the Tigers’ recruitment and retention after departing the Brookvale-based club in the off-season.
The Tigers have struggled to retain their top talent in years gone by, with players such as James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses now thriving at rival clubs.
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The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield believes Fulton arriving in Leichhardt could be a huge boost to the Tigers.
“Scott Fulton has been hired on good coin to become the head of recruitment at the Wests Tigers, and there are no rules in rugby league around recruitment,” Rothfield said on NRL360 on Monday night.
“So if there are some boys coming off contract or there are some unsettled figures at Manly, of course he’s going to go for them.
“The reason the Tigers have signed Scott Fulton is because of his network of contacts apart from his eye for talent.
“He knows every junior player in this state and in Queensland, it is a hugely significant signing for them.”
He also revealed a number of other clubs were chasing Fulton to oversee their football department.
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“There’s a decade long history at that club of signing blokes on $800,000 contracts who have not aimed up for various reasons,” Rothfield said.
“They identified Scott Fulton, Newcastle Knights were chasing Fulton, St George Illawarra were chasing him, they’ve actually done something proactive and positive.”
NRL360 co-host Paul Kent echoed Rothfield’s opinion and signalled a potential shift in the Tigers’ inner workings.
Previously, the club’s best talent have been poached after flying onto the scene in their first contract with the Tigers.
However, Kent believes Fulton will be able to identify the players the club must retain and “turn them into winners”.
“The Tigers’ problem hasn’t been an inability to recruit people, they’ve just always paid too much,” Kent said.
“(When you are running last) you have got to pay overs, but what you have got to do is start bringing them from that level up.
“And let’s go through the players if you want to start talking about that, the guys who have come through and on their second or third contract have left the club.
“Tedesco, Papenhuyzen, Addo-Carr, Mitch Moses. This is where your recruitment guy says under no circumstances do we let these guys go.
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“He will turn them into winners, that runs through the Fulton blood.
“I dare say Scott Fulton’s role at the club is going to be something bigger than just recruitment, and from what we’ve seen of the Wests Tigers the last decade or so, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
While Fulton’s recruitment could be a positive signing for the Tigers — one issue has emerged surrounding the club’s approach to hiring the 50-year-old.
Tigers powerbrokers signed Fulton without consulting Tim Sheens, Benji Marshall or any member of the club’s football staff.
NRL360 Braith Anasta hailed the bizarre move as “crazy”.
“This was done with Sheens, Benji or Warren McDonald who is the current head of recruitment,” The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read said.
“I spoke to Lee Hagipantelis today and he asked if I was going to be critical of it, and I said yes.”
“I think it is crazy, the coach has got to be all over it… how does the coach now have a say in that?” Anasta said.
