The Tip Sheet - 2023 Ep 94: Preaseason Week 1 & Pacific Championships Wrap Up

Week 1 of the preseason finally hits The Tip Sheet as Sixties, Forty20 and Clint look at how the Blue & Gold shape up in their return to action. There is no marquee back signing to be sighted but the Eels have made some transactions with the acquisitions of Riley Smith and Javahn Stevenson-Hala. How do they fit into Parra and where will they be playing? New Zealand and Papua New Guinea bounced back from humbling defeats to stun Australia and Fiji respectively in the Pacific Championships finals. The show looks at how these results came about and what it means for all parties involved. In the Northern hemisphere, England completed a clean sweep of Tonga and the boys wrap up that series as well. Canterbury continue their madcap signing spree of utilities as Kurt Mann, Drew Hutchinson and Jake Turpin enter the fold alongside prop forward Poasa Faamausili. Where does this leave their squad? Elsewhere, Addin Fonua-Blake has agreed to put his immediate release request on the backburner for the 2024 season as the Warriors secure a minor win there. The show concludes with a deep dive into the new salary cap structures and considerations. The supplementary list has replaced the development list and the overall cap is set to increase. Will it shake up the competition or is it business as usual?