Welcome to Tigerland - Tim Taranto | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
  • IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.

Welcome to Tigerland - Tim Taranto

graystar1

Tiger Legend
Apr 28, 2004
6,879
1,801
Both Taranto and Hopper seem to be the goods.
Here's hoping they remain injury free and fulfil the expectations of the Tiger membership and fans.
Would hate to think the big wraps are just hype.
Will see shortly when the season starts against the dreaded Blues.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

DuD_Delist

Tiger Superstar
Sep 30, 2014
1,237
1,423
Both Taranto and Hopper seem to be the goods.
Here's hoping they remain injury free and fulfil the expectations of the Tiger membership and fans.
Would hate to think the big wraps are just hype.
Will see shortly when the season starts against the dreaded Blues.
Our track record with "Targeted Players" since 2016 has been amazing.
Even someone like Townsend become a solid player for 6 weeks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9 users

eZyT

Tiger Legend
Jun 28, 2019
21,434
25,772
Would hate to think the big wraps are just hype

Its not hype Gstar.

Theyre not promising 20 year olds,

Theyre full furnished 24/5 yos with big statistical CVs , resplendent with accolades.

Only injury will stop either making a huge on field difference

And thats not a controllable

In october, the prevaling narrative amongst the magnamanious will be,

How did RFC pull off the biggest recruiting heist in history?

Which is to say, the prevailing narrative will be things like richmond cheated, dusty is on drugs, how great are the Scott brothers?, and geelongs dozen AA's
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Love
Reactions: 16 users

richards42

making the crowd roar
Sep 15, 2005
1,014
802
Gold Coast
If the pair went to another club I would be extremely jealous/worried. We are very lucky. We weren’t too far off last year. These guys may help us win the close ones and give us our best shot in September.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9 users

fastin bulbous

Tiger Champion
Mar 30, 2010
4,121
4,218
Darwin
I’d love to see the competition wide stats that they feature in. I imagine contested possessions, tackles and clearance numbers would be up there.

I am really excited. As others have said, these 2 are a steal. Add Prestia or Bolton or Cotchin for a blue chip midfield combination that gets the clearances rolling and covers a lot of ground.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

richards42

making the crowd roar
Sep 15, 2005
1,014
802
Gold Coast
I’d love to see the competition wide stats that they feature in. I imagine contested possessions, tackles and clearance numbers would be up there.

I am really excited. As others have said, these 2 are a steal. Add Prestia or Bolton or Cotchin for a blue chip midfield combination that gets the clearances rolling and covers a lot of ground.
Their stats will probably be higher in our team. GWS batted a lot deeper in the midfield so they weren’t always the most used in the middle
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

year of the tiger

Tiger Legend
Mar 26, 2008
9,445
6,511
Tasmania
Both Taranto and Hopper seem to be the goods.
Here's hoping they remain injury free and fulfil the expectations of the Tiger membership and fans.
Would hate to think the big wraps are just hype.
Will see shortly when the season starts against the dreaded Blues.

I am in the bullish but nervous camp.

They are quality players but even at GWS they were behind the likes of Kelly, Coniglio, Whitfield and Green for starting centre bounces. I think they will need to step up a cog if they are to help get us to that last day in Sept.

The good news from my perspective is that I think they have the character and skills to do just that - new club, new challenges by training with our team, massive crowd support etc could help lift them again.

They were a high cost, so their is some risk but the rewards could be anything.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users

Leysy Days

Tiger Legend
Feb 26, 2004
21,331
7,933
Yeah agree. There is risk and it is moreso with Hopper ILO.

Our midfield (and game in general) is built around our entire team being able to transition (except the great man).

That is an area of the game Hopper isn't great at.

Be a big watch how playing him impacts that. The additional big body and clearance work is certainly a massive plus, but like you say there is a potential downside in bringing a slowish player with only OK endurance (from what leysy can tell) into the mix.
 
Jul 26, 2004
78,241
38,240
www.redbubble.com
I am in the bullish but nervous camp.

They are quality players but even at GWS they were behind the likes of Kelly, Coniglio, Whitfield and Green for starting centre bounces. I think they will need to step up a cog if they are to help get us to that last day in Sept.
I think this is a healthy perspective.
They'll help for sure but we also have mids who are another year older.
There's no guarantee that it takes us to the top again.
 

fastin bulbous

Tiger Champion
Mar 30, 2010
4,121
4,218
Darwin
I don’t understand the cynicism around these two. My prediction is that they will have an immediate positive impact on clearance and link up play (Taranto the athletic beast) and we will see Martin/Cotchin play important cameos rather than carrying the team.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 13 users

Stewlander

Tiger Cub
Jan 20, 2016
66
189
I am in the bullish but nervous camp.

They are quality players but even at GWS they were behind the likes of Kelly, Coniglio, Whitfield and Green for starting centre bounces. I think they will need to step up a cog if they are to help get us to that last day in Sept.

The good news from my perspective is that I think they have the character and skills to do just that - new club, new challenges by training with our team, massive crowd support etc could help lift them again.

They were a high cost, so their is some risk but the rewards could be anything.
You make a good point but I can assure you Hopper was picked in the guts every day of the week in front of Kelly, Coniglio and Whitfield. The only reason Taranto wasn’t is because he had the ability to play forward, unlike others eg Green, Hopper, Ward. These two along with Prestia will form a formidable engine room. It allows Bolton and Martin to play forward of Centre which is huge. Not sure how you can be anything but excited by this!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 17 users

Dyer'ere

Licensed to kazoo
Sep 21, 2004
19,101
6,950
Tim Taranto tested like Cotchin but played his U18 finals like Dustin Martin.

3.0 for 20m or thereabouts. 187/87. Very Cotchin youngster. Cotchin was 2.8 when he wanted to interdict. Young Taranto is not as quick but is more elusive when the game is hot. Clutch goal Taranto was to be expected in his U18 finals campaign.

After he was drafted to GWS Taranto got many supercoach points but was imo ineffective. Nothing like the younger player.

Smart. Deft. Can sieze a game. Badly educated imo. If Mr Damien Hardwick can cultivate Taranto into a more Cotchin like role things will get very interesting,

This will take time. Taranto has hurt in his game - not as much as Martin - but can hit a pack as hard defensively as Cotchin if he can be trained.

This guy is a project player.
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: 9 users

fastin bulbous

Tiger Champion
Mar 30, 2010
4,121
4,218
Darwin
Tim Taranto tested like Cotchin but played his U18 finals like Dustin Martin.

3.0 for 20m or thereabouts. 187/87. Very Cotchin youngster. Cotchin was 2.8 when he wanted to interdict. Young Taranto is not as quick but is more elusive when the game is hot. Clutch goal Taranto was to be expected in his U18 finals campaign.

After he was drafted to GWS Taranto got many supercoach points but was imo ineffective. Nothing like the younger player.

Smart. Deft. Can sieze a game. Badly educated imo. If Mr Damien Hardwick can cultivate Taranto into a more Cotchin like role things will get very interesting,

This will take time. Taranto has hurt in his game - not as much as Martin - but can hit a pack as hard defensively as Cotchin if he can be trained.

This guy is a project player.
Exactly mate. Talented freaks are a dime a dozen at gws and neither nurtured or educated only placed on an empty ground for a bit of kick, mark, stand. That’s it. Hopper and Taranto will ignite with a bit of tiger juju in their veins.
 
  • Like
  • Love
  • Wow
Reactions: 4 users

eZyT

Tiger Legend
Jun 28, 2019
21,434
25,772
I actually reckon Hopper will be better than Taranto.

And I reckon Taranto will be great.

Since selwood retired , hopper is the closest related species to trent cotchin left in the world.

i cant wait to see cotchy run out gripping a couple of table tennis balls in his eye sockets and, miked up, whisper to Jacob

'Patience, grasshopper'

At the opening bounce, with 90,000 in the G

both blokes have played to 80% capacity, under exile in the far plastic sydney cultural desert

The tiger army will grow them 2 inches and hand them 2 lengths

Especially in September
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 13 users

craig

Tiger Legend
Aug 19, 2004
45,627
29,174
Melbourne
both blokes have played to 80% capacity, under exile in the far plastic sydney cultural desert

The tiger army will grow them 2 inches and hand them 2 lengths

Especially in September
I reckon I grew an extra 2 inches during September in 17 19 and 20 :))
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 3 users