2018 Forward Pack

[Cold Roses]

8. Gavet
9. Luke / Roache
10. Blair
11. Harris
12. Pulu / Love Henry / Papali'i ?
13. Mannering

Lisone
Sao
Vete
Afoa
* Another prop with 1st grade experience

Tevaga
Satae
Sipley

Ogden not being offered a new contact is making more sense now with Love-Henry being signed, and Papali'is good progress this year.

Definitely feels like we are still 1 experienced prop short, but at the same time it feels like the balance is coming together in the pack. A lot is going to rely on how much improvement Lisone and Vete show next year. If Corvo can get Lisone's lateral movement going, and his general defensive game Improves, he will actually start to look like a first grade prop. Despite all the grief he has received this year (yours truely included) he has definitely improved his yardage game, and is giving Gavet good support with Tackle Bust stats.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Thats a poor forward pack IMO. Ive seen most of those guys for 2 years now and even if you put them on PEDs you still wouldnt get a top 8 finish from that pack. Ive seen them time and time again and at their best theyre not that strong. To depend on a resurrgent Gavet leaves me with little hope. Gavet, like Kata, could be great one year and then a slump the next. I certainly dont want that to happen and find it hard to see that happen with Gavet but I have seen players fade quuckly.

 

[BLN2]

Yeah I think we're clearly 1 experienced prop short. Gavet is your bench impact prop, and remember the guy wasn't even selected for the first part of the season, we're basing our high opinions on a hot 10 game or so patch. Happy for a youngster battling it out for Thompson's jersey, about time we backed a young forward to develop into an NRL player..

We must have someone lined up, otherwise we'd be stupid in not offering Lillyman a 1 year deal to bridge the gap for next season.

 

[TJ64]

gavet
Luke
blair
harris
sao?
Mannering

vete
Pulu
Sao / satae
roache

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

I dont rate bunty
Cant remember him doing anything special in his career
Only remember him scoring 2 tries in Perth once

 

[TJ64]

I dont rate bunty
Cant remember him doing anything special in his career
Only remember him scoring 2 tries in Perth once

Yep doesn’t offer anything

 

[BLN2]

He needs to get fat. Looks under developed, I think it's because he's so fit and still very young TBH.

I'd tell him to put on 10kgs and tell him to run straight. We need props, he was always a prop in juniors, makes sense to me. He works hard and has some heart.

 

[Penrose_11]

Tony Williams with an off-season under Alex Corvo would look good in the backrow rotation. Would add a bit of punch that we've lacked the last couple of seasons. Just 28 yrs old so plenty of seasons left in him.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

from what ive seen from papalii hes levels ahead of bunty

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Tony Williams with an off-season under Alex Corvo would look good in the backrow rotation. Would add a bit of punch that we've lacked the last couple of seasons. Just 28 yrs old so plenty of seasons left in him.

T-Rex is available?? Get him!! Lets fufil his potential. I still think he has more brilliance to give to the game. Hes better than Bunty and Sao IMO.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

The last thing we need after cutting so much dead weight is to add T-Plod.

 

[JJ]

Only upgrade is Harris, otherwise clearly a worse pack than this year IMO

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

The last thing we need after cutting so much dead weight is to add T-Plod.

T-Plodd? How dare you...
T-REX pulvarises some of the tried and cringeworthy forwards we've endured this year.

Hes probably faster than Maumalo.

 

[Penrose_11]

T-Rex would provide a bit of X factor that is so poorly lacked. If he was fit and could churn out 30-35 mins a game, I really don't see why a low rated team like ours wouldn't take a shot at him. You can't tell me he's any worse than a Vete, Lisione, Afoa, Sao, Sate etc etc. For the right $$ I'd take him

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

T-Plodd? How dare you...
T-REX pulvarises some of the tried and cringeworthy forwards we've endured this year.

Hes probably faster than Maumalo.

T-Plod hasn't pulvarised anything that didn't appear on the buffet table since 2011 (oddly enough, same as us).

Fitness isn't the issue. I don't believe the Sharks let him get unfit. The problem with T-Plod is heart and desire.

We already have enough of that in our side and that's after cutting a fair whack of it too.

Really wouldn't sign someone who has the characteristics of the players we're trying to rid ourselves of, especially based on the maybe/if carrot.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

I really don't get the love for such a pea hearted plod that is Tony or Trex. He's so shit I can remember his stupid nickname but not his actual surname.

He's shit Zero lol we are concentrating on a new brand/breed of player. I hate Blair but he does have heart so willing to say he's better than Trex.

If we sign the likes of Bird or this phony then I would be 100 behind your comment about next year's pack being worse than this year's.

Loads of ???? on our next season f**k this off-season is gonna be long.

 

[JJ]

T-Plod hasn't pulvarised anything that didn't appear on the buffet table since 2011 (oddly enough, same as us).

.

Perhaps a nice symmetry - maybe we sign him and hope the stars align and it feels like 2011?

 

[jaseg]

A defensively poor error/penalty machine who has a well-earned reputation of being lazy? No thanks. He's an edge forward too guys, not a middle. I don't think he's ever played in the middle.

If we want to inject a big power guy into the pack sign Abraham Papalii on an NRL contract and parachute him straight into the team. At least he plays in the middle - could work, too. Not sure what the status of Nathaniel Peteru's contract is either (still being reported as unsigned, and I can't find anything saying otherwise), but he would be a nice one to bring back home. Then again, if he has a choice I can't see why he would want to with the rumours of Demetriou being the favourite to get the Titans job... should make them a much more attractive option than our mess.

Right now, the way I see our pack for next year..
Harris left edge (80 mins)
Pulu right edge (50-55 mins) - looks way better on the edge imo
Mannering middle while Pulu is on, right edge while he's off (75-80 minutes)
other middles;
Gavet (45-50 mins)
Blair (sigh... 50 mins)
Vete (35 mins)
Lisone? Tevaga? (30-35 mins)
Satae? Sao? (25-30 mins)

I'm counting on Blair underperforming, then on top of that you've still got two spots with question marks over them... Lisone, Satae, Tevaga, (Please sign A.Papalii to the NRL squad), Sao, Palavi... none are sure things. I've left Pat Sipley off because he's apparently set on leaving at the end of the year. If that's true there's no point in investing games in him.

On the plus(ish) side, that's probably the biggest edge forward duo in the NRL for 2018 (taking over from Harris' current club). Could get some decent metres out of them - but if the engine isn't running in the middle nothing will change.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

T-Plod hasn't pulvarised anything that didn't appear on the buffet table since 2011 (oddly enough, same as us).

Fitness isn't the issue. I don't believe the Sharks let him get unfit. The problem with T-Plod is heart and desire.

We already have enough of that in our side and that's after cutting a fair whack of it too.

Really wouldn't sign someone who has the characteristics of the players we're trying to rid ourselves of, especially based on the maybe/if carrot.

I really don't get the love for such a pea hearted plod that is Tony or Trex. He's so shit I can remember his stupid nickname but not his actual surname.

He's shit Zero lol we are concentrating on a new brand/breed of player. I hate Blair but he does have heart so willing to say he's better than Trex.

If we sign the likes of Bird or this phony then I would be 100 behind your comment about next year's pack being worse than this year's.

Loads of ???? on our next season f**k this off-season is gonna be long.

Fair enough men.

I look at what we have. I consider T-Rexs age (28 yrs prime) then I think back to his Manly days and then Im offering him a contract.

I dont know what the problems are with him but you guys seem to know.

Would you say Gavet was in a similar boat a couple of years back? I kind of think T-Rex just needs a shot. Ive seen enough of Sao and Afoa to know they are the real plodders personified.

Points taken but I would personally like to see T-Rex run out in a Warriors jumper.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Gavet's problem was off field demons and a bit of injury thrown in.

Williams just seems so unmotivated to me and that's a big part of the problem.

No arguments on Sao/Afoa, although Afoa is a prop who has been thrown on the edge. I'd like to see Afoa be given more time in ISP at prop to see what he can do.

I'd sooner test Maumalo as an edge back rower than try to sign Williams to fill the void. Regardless of performance, Maumalo has shown the willingness to work hard and improve his game, something Williams hasn't done for most of his career.