Andrew Johns has warned the Wests Tigers against recruiting veteran NRL star Dale Finucane, advising the club to look for a younger version of the Origin lock instead.
The Tigers have been linked to unwanted Brisbane Broncos star Tevita Pangai Jr, as well as Finucane, who is on Brad Fittler's extended bench for the Blues. The Bulldogs, Dragons and Sharks have also been reported to have interest in Finucane, but re-signing with the Melbourne Storm is still on the table for the 29-year-old.
However Johns said time is not on Finucane's side to make a significant impact for the club, despite his the value he brings beyond the footy field.
"There's clubs climbing over each other to get him," Johns said on Wide World of Sports' Immortal Behaviour.
"And it's not necessarily what he does on the field, it's the way he prepares. I saw the way he prepares at Origin a couple of years ago, it is just so methodical the way he does it, so professional and it rubs off on other players.
"But Dale has played a lot of tough footy. I don't know how much footy he's got left."
Johns said the Tigers are better off searching for 'the next Dale Finucane' who can develop at the club as they rebuild.
"Go find the Dale Finucane who is 19, 20, 21. And they're out there," he said.
The question though, is whether the Tigers have the comprehensive talent scouting that the Melbourne Storm do.
"The Storm don't recruit talent, they recruit character," Johns said.
"There's no one better [at recruitment]. They lose [Greg] Inglis, [Israel] Folau, [Cooper] Cronk, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith – we're talking about five champions, once in a generation players, and they're still on top of the table."
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