Rumoured Targets 3

[Johns Magic]

Griffin is a straight swap for Kostjasyn. A hooker/lock type.

If Levi gets injured next yer we don't want to be running with Buhrer at 9 for 80 minutes. I rate Tom Starling but clearly Brown thinks he isn't there yet.

 

[Old dog]

Do we want Griffin, Buhrer or Starling playing hooker long term if Levi goes down early in season, better with Licha or similar type also puts pressure on Levi

 

[Still Nutty]

Do we want Griffin, Buhrer or Starling playing hooker long term if Levi goes down early in season, better with Licha or similar type also puts pressure on Levi

As I've suggested before, IMHO there are 2 things with Lichaa 1) he isn't going to want to come here without a guaranteed first grade spot...it is a step backwards for him and 2) he is also going to be looking for a lot more coin than Griffin I'd reckon, so he doesn't offer enough value for money that we would want to get into a bidding war for him.

Based on Brown and Mooney's philosophy on player recruitment to date, the interest is much more focussed on buying their experience in club culture as much as anything else in the players we are chasing so I also don't see Lichaa being a genuine prospect in fitting into our squad needs.

 

[macavity]

Having Griffin means we can play Buhrer in the back row for 80

I don't think Buhrer is one of our three best backrowers. I simply don't understand the massive love he gets in here for producing not much.

Guerra
Sione
Barney

Fitzgibbon
Saifiti
Buhrer

So... 6th.

Add in saifiti, ese ese, lillyman, king and probably another prop signing.

Playing griffin means leaving one of those out.

Who?

 

[slotmachine]

Buhrer just won the coaches award so Brown obviously rates him.

My only issue with Griffin is that he's not a very good hooker.really. Neither is Buhrer. If you want hooker cover go and buy a hooker, not a backrower who can play there if you're desperate.

 

[Caped Crusader]

my point is we already have that player in Buhrer.

And if Buhrer gets injured?

Not every signing is a permanent FGer . Depth is key to a successful club

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I don't think Buhrer is one of our three best backrowers. I simply don't understand the massive love he gets in here for producing not much.

Guerra
Sione
Barney

Fitzgibbon
Saifiti
Buhrer

So... 6th.

Add in saifiti, ese ese, lillyman, king and probably another prop signing.

Playing griffin means leaving one of those out.

Who?

Sorry mate I can't agree with you on the above re Buhrer not making our starting side. Even just using our most recent game as an example I thought Buhrer was pretty influential. He came up with a great offload near the sharks line which allowed us to spread the ball back towards the middle and score our first try, and then later on he got a really quick play-the-ball which enabled Levi to scoot from dummy half and score from. That's two plays that we wouldn't have scored from without his direct involvement, not to mention a bunch of little things he does consistently well in every game.

He's an intelligent footballer for sure and reads the game really well in my view. He's not the kind of guy who will bust a bunch of tackles and run over the top of people but he's really good at choosing when to pass and when to run and he's got decent footwork as well. Also he's usually one of the first guys back there after a break and does a heap of clean up work when we're getting out of trouble.

He probably doesn't do as much stuff that would make the highlights reel, but I would argue he's a more complete player at the moment than Sione/Fitz/Barnett etc. and to be fair these players probably have a higher ceiling than Buhrer but until they reach that level I think Jamie deserves his starting spot.

 

[Glendale]

Buhrer just won the coaches award so Brown obviously rates him.

My only issue with Griffin is that he's not a very good hooker.really. Neither is Buhrer. If you want hooker cover go and buy a hooker, not a backrower who can play there if you're desperate.

IMO, Buhrer at hooker is very underrated. Infact, I reckon if he picked that early on in his career and just started working on dummy half play to become a genuine number 9 I reckon he'd have gone very well, let's not forget he played there in an Origin game (yes I'm aware it was only 9 minutes). He brings the forwards onto the ball really well, and his defence in the middle is top notch. Then Levi comes on at the back end of the half and does his thing. I really like the Buhrer/Levi rotation and with the depth we have in the backrow next year, that's what I at this stage see Buhrer's role being next year. I don't see Griffin making the first grade squad unless Levi or Buhrer are injured.

9. Buhrer
11. Sione
12. Guerra
13. Barnett

14. Levi
15. Fitzy- he can be a great impact player.

How good is this though? In 2018, for the first time in a very long time, we can say that the Knights will have genuine depth. How long has it been?

 

[Frederick]

I don't think Buhrer is one of our three best backrowers. I simply don't understand the massive love he gets in here for producing not much.

Guerra
Sione
Barney

Fitzgibbon
Saifiti
Buhrer

So... 6th.

Add in saifiti, ese ese, lillyman, king and probably another prop signing.

Playing griffin means leaving one of those out.

Who?

The way I see things ATM are:

8. Daifiti
9. Levi
10. Ese'ese
11. Sione
12. Guerra
13. Buhrer

14. Griffin
15. Jaifiti
16. Lillyman
17. Barnett

18. King
19. Fitzgibbon
20. Yates

Right now, that's our full strength pack. Between now and the start of next year this will change as we still have cash to burn and are still on the hunt for more props

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

There is no way fitzy missed out on a spot come round 1. Unless he has a terrible pre season or something. Fitzy will be one of the first picked. His form at the end of this season warrants his selection in round 1, he deserves first crack.

I'd go

8. Daifiti
9. Buhrer
10. Lillyman
11. Sione
12. Guerra
13. Barnett

14. Levi
15. Jaifiti
16. Ese ese
17. Fitzgibbon

I think griffin will have to be the one to miss out come round 1. I thought we could fit him in but I just can't see who her gets the nod over in that pack.

As has been said, buhrer is good for playing hooker for the first 15-20 min until Levi comes on and I think this rotation will be the best for the team.

 

[macavity]

Sorry mate I can't agree with you on the above re Buhrer not making our starting side.

If he does, it is at 9.

No way he starts at 13, pretty much every club uses 13 as an extra prop who can play big minutes - i.e. Barney or King.

Griffin isn't coming here to play reserves, he is chasing minutes. Which indicates he has been told he will be playing some.

So again, who misses out? Our current best attacking forward in Fitzy? Our captain in Sione? Our player of the year in Barnett?

Absolutely puzzling signing given he isn't an upgrade on the other options for that role.

 

[slotmachine]

Er, Buhrer is captain...

Sione might get the (c) next to his name as well but he's not the one talking to the refs.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

If he does, it is at 9.

No way he starts at 13, pretty much every club uses 13 as an extra prop who can play big minutes - i.e. Barney or King.

Griffin isn't coming here to play reserves, he is chasing minutes. Which indicates he has been told he will be playing some.

So again, who misses out? Our current best attacking forward in Fitzy? Our captain in Sione? Our player of the year in Barnett?

Absolutely puzzling signing given he isn't an upgrade on the other options for that role.

Personally I don't think that Brown is guaranteeing anyone a spot next year. It's pretty clear that he's trying to build a team with plenty of depth and the old sense of entitlement that players in the red and blue used to have is well and truly gone now. Everyone should be made to work for their spot and naturally when you have a club with good depth that means there will be some good players who end up in reserve grade each week. It's actually a good thing that we're even having this conversation at the moment.

For arguments sake though, I can see that you feel Slade Griffin will be in the 17 next year. So let's just say Brown rates him and wants him in the team, if that's the case then here's what I would like our forward pack to look like.

8. D. Saifiti
9. Levi
10. Ese'ese
11. Sione
12. Buhrer
13. Guerra

14. Lillyman
15. Barnett
16. J. Saifiti
17. Griffin

The actual side that gets named for round 1 next year may end up looking nothing like that but to me that's a decent forward pack. I know that it would mean that Fitz would be playing reserve grade but that's the way it's gotta go if we want to have depth. I know he's shown some great form towards the back end of the year but he also missed plenty of tackles and still had some errors in his game and for mine he will still have plenty of opportunities to lock down a spot later in the year after spending some time working on his deficiencies in NSW cup.

Also we're not factoring in trial form at this stage. Brown may not settle on his team until after we've played our trial matches.

 

[perverse]

Why is Sione an automatic starter?
Just because he was co captain this year?
No way he should start ahead of Fitzy or Barnett.

Fitzgibbon has barely played more good games than can be counted on a single hand. The guy has tonnes to prove long term yet. There's promise there for sure, but there's a ways to go before he's an automatic start over any of our other options, including Sione. He may not even make the regular 17 next year.

Barnett has done enough to say he'll be in there somewhere, but I wouldn't say is guaranteed much more of a start than Sione. Barnett might have got player of the year, but Sione was named captain for a period, too. The coach obviously thinks highly of both. More than likely we're approaching a point where form will play a significant part in who is picked week to week, and that's a good place to be.

I'd be surprised if anyone in the squad is a 100% lock to start at this point, especially in the forwards. Ponga and Watson pretty likely to get first shot at 1 and 6 provided they have good off seasons, although Lamb and Hodkinson could certainly change that equation too.

 

[Old dog]

So are we going to buy another prop or two so they or someone already signed can play cup but are dead against signing a hooker to cover Levi. At this stage nearly everyone has consigned Fitz and King with others likely if more signings. Can't improve the team and keep your favourites

 

[Zoidberg]

And if Buhrer gets injured?

Not every signing is a permanent FGer . Depth is key to a successful club

This.

It's a great thing to have options.

 

[macavity]

If we wanted a back up hooker, Lichaa was the choice.

Griffin is an undersized back rower who fills in at hooker. And again, we have that player in Buhrer.

He doesn't improve our team.

Hence my confusion.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Fitzgibbon has barely played more good games than can be counted on a single hand. The guy has tonnes to prove long term yet. There's promise there for sure, but there's a ways to go before he's an automatic start over any of our other options, including Sione. He may not even make the regular 17 next year.

Barnett has done enough to say he'll be in there somewhere, but I wouldn't say is guaranteed much more of a start than Sione. Barnett might have got player of the year, but Sione was named captain for a period, too. The coach obviously thinks highly of both. More than likely we're approaching a point where form will play a significant part in who is picked week to week, and that's a good place to be.

I'd be surprised if anyone in the squad is a 100% lock to start at this point, especially in the forwards. Ponga and Watson pretty likely to get first shot at 1 and 6 provided they have good off seasons, although Lamb and Hodkinson could certainly change that equation too.

Surely that last spot comes down to fitzgibbon vs griffin. Even though you can only count fitzgibbons good games on one hand, it's probably more than griffin. In those good games fitzgibbon has played he has shown that he can really swing momentum in a game, try scoring forwards that run those lines are a great asset to have.

Obviously is that end of season form drops off or he slackens off at training, it opens the door wide open for griffin.

This is just what I think will happen. My personal opinion is that Sione should drop off, but that won't happen. Sione is a turnstile even at second row and has ran a good line about 3 times last season. But whatever. Out of anyone that needs time in reserves to work on his game, sione is the one that needs it the most even though he has played 100 games, he has played less good games than fitzgibbon did.

 

[perverse]

Surely that last spot comes down to fitzgibbon vs griffin. Even though you can only count fitzgibbons good games on one hand, it's probably more than griffin. In those good games fitzgibbon has played he has shown that he can really swing momentum in a game, try scoring forwards that run those lines are a great asset to have.

Obviously is that end of season form drops off or he slackens off at training, it opens the door wide open for griffin.

This is just what I think will happen. My personal opinion is that Sione should drop off, but that won't happen. Sione is a turnstile even at second row and has ran a good line about 3 times last season. But whatever. Out of anyone that needs time in reserves to work on his game, sione is the one that needs it the most even though he has played 100 games, he has played less good games than fitzgibbon did.

I wouldn't have Fitzgibbon ahead of Sione or Griffin unless he slays it during the off-season and trials. I wouldn't have anyone locked in bar the 2 names I mentioned, though... I think D Saifiti is the only forward I would have locked in, with Ese'ese to feature somewhere but not necessarily a starter. The backrow is very open for mine, and each one of them will have to earn it between now and then.

 

[macavity]

I wouldn't have Fitzgibbon ahead of Sione or Griffin unless he slays it during the off-season and trials. I wouldn't have anyone locked in bar the 2 names I mentioned, though... I think D Saifiti is the only forward I would have locked in, with Ese'ese to feature somewhere but not necessarily a starter. The backrow is very open for mine, and each one of them will have to earn it between now and then.

If Guerra carries over his late season form, he is instantly our best back rower, possibly forward full stop.