Looking at our depth for 2018

[burgibigbash]

Who are all these great players that are playing reserve grade every week at other clubs? Without looking it up, who were the bench 4 for Parra? Or Manly? Or Penrith? It isn't 1971, you can't field a 2nd grade team filled with good to great talent. Our players 16 through to 30 are average to below average first graders, but thats the same at almost every club.

Here is a list of the guys who played for us in 2014, but not in the GF:
- Joe Picker
- Luke Burgess
- Nathaniel Neale
- Beau Champion
- Nathan Merritt
- Cam McInnes
- Ben Lowe
- Joel Reddy
- Bryson Goodwn
- Isaac Luke (what a travesty that was)

Of that group, Joe Picker, Nathan Merritt and Nathaniel Neale didnt play in the NRL ever again. Beau Champion played 2 more games for Parramatta and Ben Lowe and Joel Reddy played one more season. Those guys were all either not first graders anymore or never were.

Does that mean you really think we are missing a Luke Burgess and Cam McInnes? Our team is completely f**ked because we don't have the worst Burgess or a 21 yr old McInnes (that you have spent the last 3 years tearing down)?

We won a f**king premiership with way shittier depth than we have now! Get over it!

Exactly right mate.

At the end of 2013 we got rid of 12 players from the previous year and bought in Auva'a, Reddy and Lote. Maybe Picker as well.

Peats, King, Roy, Lima, Crocker, Taylor, Farrel , Evro, were some of the names we got rid of. I remember everyone being up in arms.
I believe the amount of quality youngsters coming through will see our depth improve and the overall quality of the top 17 as well.

Angus
Fuimaono
Murray
Jennings
Musgrove
Talakai
Graham
Are all quality young players who should go even better next year.

It's the senior players that really need to step up after a disappointing couple of years.

Turner, Reynolds, the Twins, AJ Clarky , Sutto, Farah are all premiership winning players and need to lift. Even Sam need to get the crap and mistakes out of his game and of course GI must fire consistently.

 

[Rabbits20]

Who are all these great players that are playing reserve grade every week at other clubs? Without looking it up, who were the bench 4 for Parra? Or Manly? Or Penrith? It isn't 1971, you can't field a 2nd grade team filled with good to great talent. Our players 16 through to 30 are average to below average first graders, but thats the same at almost every club.

Here is a list of the guys who played for us in 2014, but not in the GF:
- Joe Picker
- Luke Burgess
- Nathaniel Neale
- Beau Champion
- Nathan Merritt
- Cam McInnes
- Ben Lowe
- Joel Reddy
- Bryson Goodwn
- Isaac Luke (what a travesty that was)

Of that group, Joe Picker, Nathan Merritt and Nathaniel Neale didnt play in the NRL ever again. Beau Champion played 2 more games for Parramatta and Ben Lowe and Joel Reddy played one more season. Those guys were all either not first graders anymore or never were.

Does that mean you really think we are missing a Luke Burgess and Cam McInnes? Our team is completely f**ked because we don't have the worst Burgess or a 21 yr old McInnes (that you have spent the last 3 years tearing down)?

We won a f**king premiership with way shittier depth than we have now! Get over it!

Sorry but we are currently worse off than this for next season...

It's clear cut for me to see....

 

[Rabbits20]

God, you're so friggin negative, its truly depressing

Well we tried to be very positive these past 2 seasons....

Now I am choosing to be realistic......

Would you like to see the depth of lots of other clubs compared with ours???

I can make it happen if you want......

 

[Rabbits20]

To me, depth is players ability from 18 - 30 and our depth in 2014 with Reddy and Picker and Ben Lowe is no different to today. Our starting side is obviously worse than the GF team, but that's not depth. We don't have a depth problem like R20 keeps telling everyone, we have a talent problem. I would say that there are 3 guys stopping us from being a top 4 team. If GI plays like he's worth a million bucks and Reyno plays like he is a top 5 halfback (like he is being paid) and George plays like he is top 5 prop (like he is being paid), then we are right in there with some of the best.

We do have a depth problem and we have too many rookies....

The balance is all wrong!

Look at our squad now:

GI
AJ
Gagai
Jennings ( still very young and a back up player imo)
Burns (still very young and a back up player imo)

With no Hunt, Goodwin or Gray we already have to rely on 2 rookies to start the season with!!!

Cody
AR
Tom
Cook
Sam
Fuimaono (still very young)
Crichton (still very young)
Murray (still very young)

Sutton (getting old)
Musgrove (still young)
Clark (back up player)
Tom


Turner (back up player)
Farah (too old and past it)
Britt (park footballer)
Graham (still very young)
Talakai (still very young)
Douehi (still very young)
Arthars (still very young
Johnstone (still very young)
Kennar (park footballer)
Nicholls (park footballer)
Rodwell (very young still)
Taukamo (very young still)
Tracey (very young still)


Half of that squad is all inexperience...............

We had more depth clearly in 2014............... it's blatantly obvious.

Just look at DKOR' post. He gives the evidence.......

We don't have a good back up hooker, we don't have a solid player like Lowe who had experience, we don't have a back like Lote........ we don't have a player like Goodwin or Te'o or McQueen with experience.......


Go zero tackle and look at the rosters and work your way through....

Roosters, Sharks, Manly, Cowboys, Dragons and Storm all have better squads and depth to start with.........


Someone in here said we are top 4 contenders and I can't stop laughing.....

If everything goes well injury wise a top 8 chance at the bottom of the 8 yes but not the 4.

We are similar in some ways to the Broncos.....

 

[Curns13]

We do have a depth problem and we have too many rookies....

The balance is all wrong!

Look at our squad now:

GI
AJ
Gagai
Jennings ( still very young and a back up player imo)
Burns (still very young and a back up player imo)

With no Hunt, Goodwin or Gray we already have to rely on 2 rookies to start the season with!!!

Cody
AR
Tom
Cook
Sam
Fuimaono (still very young)
Crichton (still very young)
Murray (still very young)

Sutton (getting old)
Musgrove (still young)
Clark (back up player)
Tom


Turner (back up player)
Farah (too old and past it)
Britt (park footballer)
Graham (still very young)
Talakai (still very young)
Douehi (still very young)
Arthars (still very young
Johnstone (still very young)
Kennar (park footballer)
Nicholls (park footballer)
Rodwell (very young still)
Taukamo (very young still)
Tracey (very young still)


Half of that squad is all inexperience...............

We had more depth clearly in 2014............... it's blatantly obvious.

Just look at DKOR' post. He gives the evidence.......

We don't have a good back up hooker, we don't have a solid player like Lowe who had experience, we don't have a back like Lote........ we don't have a player like Goodwin or Te'o or McQueen with experience.......


Go zero tackle and look at the rosters and work your way through....

Roosters, Sharks, Manly, Cowboys and Storm all have better squads and depth to start with.........


Someone in here said we are top 4 contenders and I can't stop laughing.....

If everything goes well injury wise a top 8 chance at the bottom of the 8 yes but not the 4.

We are similar in some ways to the Broncos.....

You just completely ignored my whole post. No point in talking to you about it. Anyone who says Robbie Farah is a worse backup hooker than rookie McInnes and Api isn't thinking things through.

 

[ouryear]

Good to see you guys are tipped for big things in 2018.
$13 to win the flag!
6th favourite!

Storm and Rorters $6
Mary $15

Thoughts?

 

[Rabbits20]

You just completely ignored my whole post. No point in talking to you about it. Anyone who says Robbie Farah is a worse backup hooker than rookie McInnes and Api isn't thinking things through.

No I didn't ignore it..... I replied to it...

Farah is a waste of time and money....

I've thought it through very clearly....

I was outlining to you how our depth imo is poor and has question marks on.....

Storm, Roosters, Cowboys, Manly, Cowboys and Dragons all have better squads than us..... just look at their depth and it speaks for itself....

I looked at Brisbane and we are similar to them....

I still have another 8 teams to go through.....


For 2018 I predict us to finish anywhere between 7th and 15th.....

 

[Curns13]

We do have a depth problem and we have too many rookies....

The balance is all wrong!

Look at our squad now:

GI
AJ
Gagai
Jennings ( still very young and a back up player imo)
Burns (still very young and a back up player imo)

With no Hunt, Goodwin or Gray we already have to rely on 2 rookies to start the season with!!!

Cody
AR
Tom
Cook
Sam
Fuimaono (still very young)
Crichton (still very young)
Murray (still very young)

Sutton (getting old)
Musgrove (still young)
Clark (back up player)
Tom


Turner (back up player)
Farah (too old and past it)
Britt (park footballer)
Graham (still very young)
Talakai (still very young)
Douehi (still very young)
Arthars (still very young
Johnstone (still very young)
Kennar (park footballer)
Nicholls (park footballer)
Rodwell (very young still)
Taukamo (very young still)
Tracey (very young still)


Half of that squad is all inexperience...............

We had more depth clearly in 2014............... it's blatantly obvious.

Just look at DKOR' post. He gives the evidence.......

We don't have a good back up hooker, we don't have a solid player like Lowe who had experience, we don't have a back like Lote........ we don't have a player like Goodwin or Te'o or McQueen with experience.......


Go zero tackle and look at the rosters and work your way through....

Roosters, Sharks, Manly, Cowboys, Dragons and Storm all have better squads and depth to start with.........


Someone in here said we are top 4 contenders and I can't stop laughing.....

If everything goes well injury wise a top 8 chance at the bottom of the 8 yes but not the 4.

We are similar in some ways to the Broncos.....

I tried to leave it alone, but couldnt so here we go.

Your problem isnt with our depth, its with our starters. Lote started, Teo started, McQueen came off the bench. These are not depth guys. You are sick of seeing depth signings and want the big name who will make a difference. Our depth is fine, the guys who are 18th - 30th on our roster shouldnt be very good. If they were, they'd be in the team or requesting a release to go play first grade somewhere else.

Comparing depth players from the 2 years:

18. Luke B - Nicholls
19. Lowe - Turner
20. Api/Cam - Farah
21. Bryson - Graham

Turner is as good or better than Lowe at that point who only played 13 more games in his career. Farah is better than Api/Cam. Nicholls is nearly as good as Luke B, I mean he played 9 games for the most dominant team in a decade just this year. So we are short a Goodwin type in our depth, but who knows what Graham is capable of next year. Would you have thought Some could start in our premiership team at the beginning of 2014? No way. No one had any idea who he was.

As far as balance goes, lets look at games played by some of our premiership winning team before 2014:

AJ - 0
Walker - 16
Some - 0
Keary - 10
Turner - 0
Tom B - 9
Api - 0

Those guys had sweet FA experience before 2014 and won us a premiership.

Its not about lack of depth or lack of experience, its about lack of talent. I agree we aren't a premiership threat next year. We probably won't be a top 4 team and may not make the 8, but this team isn't set up for next year. Its set up for 2020. Then it'll be something like:

1. AJ
2. Burns
3. Inglis
4. Gagai
5. Graham
6. Walker
7. Reyno
8. Musgrove
9. Cook?????
10. Sam
11. Fui
12. Gus
13. Murray
14. Talaki
15. Johnstone
16. Rodwell
17. Tom

Almost everyone on that team has 50+ games experience. Chrichton, Musgrove, Gagai, Murray are all SoO level players. AJ, Reyno and Walker are solid experienced footballers. GI and Sam are the senior statesmen. Johnstone and Graham are the next big things. That is where this team is building.

Alright, I'm done. Hope this might help get that sparkle back in your eye, R20.

 

[Rabbits20]

Good to see you guys are tipped for big things in 2018.
$13 to win the flag!
6th favourite!

Storm and Rorters $6
Mary $15

Thoughts?

St George seem to have a bit of a better roster than us and they have very very good halves and a really strong pack..... they have more experience than Souths......

 

[ouryear]

St George seem to have a bit of a better roster than us and they have very very good halves and a really strong pack..... they have more experience than Souths......

With GI, Gagai and a new coach with some new ideas,you will go well I reckon.

 

[Rabbits20]

I tried to leave it alone, but couldnt so here we go.

Your problem isnt with our depth, its with our starters. Lote started, Teo started, McQueen came off the bench. These are not depth guys. You are sick of seeing depth signings and want the big name who will make a difference. Our depth is fine, the guys who are 18th - 30th on our roster shouldnt be very good. If they were, they'd be in the team or requesting a release to go play first grade somewhere else.

Comparing depth players from the 2 years:

18. Luke B - Nicholls
19. Lowe - Turner
20. Api/Cam - Farah
21. Bryson - Graham

Turner is as good or better than Lowe at that point who only played 13 more games in his career. Farah is better than Api/Cam. Nicholls is nearly as good as Luke B, I mean he played 9 games for the most dominant team in a decade just this year. So we are short a Goodwin type in our depth, but who knows what Graham is capable of next year. Would you have thought Some could start in our premiership team at the beginning of 2014? No way. No one had any idea who he was.

As far as balance goes, lets look at games played by some of our premiership winning team before 2014:

AJ - 0
Walker - 16
Some - 0
Keary - 10
Turner - 0
Tom B - 9
Api - 0

Those guys had sweet FA experience before 2014 and won us a premiership.

Its not about lack of depth or lack of experience, its about lack of talent. I agree we aren't a premiership threat next year. We probably won't be a top 4 team and may not make the 8, but this team isn't set up for next year. Its set up for 2020. Then it'll be something like:

1. AJ
2. Burns
3. Inglis
4. Gagai
5. Graham
6. Walker
7. Reyno
8. Musgrove
9. Cook?????
10. Sam
11. Fui
12. Gus
13. Murray
14. Talaki
15. Johnstone
16. Rodwell
17. Tom

Almost everyone on that team has 50+ games experience. Chrichton, Musgrove, Gagai, Murray are all SoO level players. AJ, Reyno and Walker are solid experienced footballers. GI and Sam are the senior statesmen. Johnstone and Graham are the next big things. That is where this team is building.

Alright, I'm done. Hope this might help get that sparkle back in your eye, R20.

In 2014 we had:
GI
Merritt
Champion
Dylan Walker
Goodwin
Auva'a
Tuqiri
AJ


We had that veteran back with a strong will for success.
We had a good first grader in Goodwin...
Auva'a had that grunt and aggression...
AJ is a finisher and has real pace and is good under the high ball on the wing...

Let's compare that to now:

GI
AJ
Gagai

These are our three best but it gets tough after that:

We have Jennings who at this point in time has a poor tackling technique and can't catch.....
We have Burns who struggles under the high ball.....

Maybe Jennings will go a bit better in 2018 but they aren't the finisher that AJ was when he broke out on the scene....

Graham is very dodgy defensively
Arthars is the one that excites me most......

Then we come back to Fui who is a solid back up but then we lose a bit in the forwards.......

AJ, Auva'a came onto the scene and took their chances whereas Burns and Jennings haven't kicked along yet......


We need another winger like Robinson I reckon....


Then:

George (newbie)
Issac (experienced)
Tom (newbie)
Sutton (experienced)
Te'o (experienced)
Sam (experienced)

McQueen (experienced)
Lowe (experienced)
Turner (newbie)
Api (newbie)

Clark (experienced)
Tyrrell (experienced)


Now it's

George
Cook
Sam
Fui (inexperienced)
Crichton (still inexperienced)
Murray (inexperienced)

Sutton (too old)
Musgrove (inexperienced)
Turner (gone backwards)
Tom

Farah (too old)
Clark

Then all inexperience.



You can't just say it's a team for 2020 as Tom and George may further deteriorate and our youngsters could chase money elsewhere....


We had much more experience and depth in 2014 with a handful on youngsters and how there are too many handfuls of youngsters meaning our depth is poor.......

We have such a young side like Newcastle.............


If we get Robinson and Cronk then we are well and truly back in business.....

 

[Rabbits20]

With GI, Gagai and a new coach with some new ideas,you will go well I reckon.

GI may not last the season though......

Our depth is really really thin compared to other clubs.....

 

[ouryear]

GI may not last the season though......

Our depth is really really thin compared to other clubs.....

I think GI will have learnt more how to look after himself on the field, while still playing strong attacking football.

Plus a coach who will make sure he is sweet ....while also playing strong.

You guys finished the season playing well.....it will be a good year for the rabbits

 

[Curns13]

In 2014 we had:
GI
Merritt
Champion
Dylan Walker
Goodwin
Auva'a
Tuqiri
AJ


We had that veteran back with a strong will for success.
We had a good first grader in Goodwin...
Auva'a had that grunt and aggression...
AJ is a finisher and has real pace and is good under the high ball on the wing...

Let's compare that to now:

GI
AJ
Gagai

These are our three best but it gets tough after that:

We have Jennings who at this point in time has a poor tackling technique and can't catch.....
We have Burns who struggles under the high ball.....

Maybe Jennings will go a bit better in 2018 but they aren't the finisher that AJ was when he broke out on the scene....

Graham is very dodgy defensively
Arthars is the one that excites me most......

Then we come back to Fui who is a solid back up but then we lose a bit in the forwards.......

AJ, Auva'a came onto the scene and took their chances whereas Burns and Jennings haven't kicked along yet......


We need another winger like Robinson I reckon....


Then:

George (newbie)
Issac (experienced)
Tom (newbie)
Sutton (experienced)
Te'o (experienced)
Sam (experienced)

McQueen (experienced)
Lowe (experienced)
Turner (newbie)
Api (newbie)

Clark (experienced)
Tyrrell (experienced)


Now it's

George
Cook
Sam
Fui (inexperienced)
Crichton (still inexperienced)
Murray (inexperienced)

Sutton (too old)
Musgrove (inexperienced)
Turner (gone backwards)
Tom

Farah (too old)
Clark

Then all inexperience.



You can't just say it's a team for 2020 as Tom and George may further deteriorate and our youngsters could chase money elsewhere....


We had much more experience and depth in 2014 with a handful on youngsters and how there are too many handfuls of youngsters meaning our depth is poor.......

We have such a young side like Newcastle.............


If we get Robinson and Cronk then we are well and truly back in business.....

As I said, Champion and Merritt played a combined 2 games after 2014 and got no where near the GF. Some and AJ hadnt played a single game of first grade, we had no idea how they'd go. Most thought Tuqiri was washed up, no one wanted him. I guarantee there would not have been one man who would have picked our GF 1-5 at the start of 2014.

I agree that if we have let Hunt go we need at least one more outside back. I would also like a prop but only a depth prop signing. With Sam, Tom, Musgrove and George, whoever we pick up wont pay much.

Also, this was Tom's best ever year, he isnt declining. And I havent even included George in my top 17 for 2020, Johnstone might have taken his spot by then.

 

[Rabbits20]

I think GI will have learnt more how to look after himself on the field, while still playing strong attacking football.

Plus a coach who will make sure he is sweet ....while also playing strong.

You guys finished the season playing well.....it will be a good year for the rabbits

Well I've just heard and read Richo has said our cap is full....

I find that very very alarming......

Have you not seen our roster???

Full of rookies and youngsters who could have second year syndrome)

GI
AJ
Gagai
Jennings (big unknown)
Burns (big unknown
Cody
AR
Tom (big unknown)
Cook
Sam
Fui (still young)
Crichton (still young)
Murray (still young)

Sutton (ageing)
Musgrove (big unknown)
Clark
George (big unknown)

Turner
Farah (overpaid waste of space)
Talakai (rookie)
Arthars (rookie)
Britt (rookie)
Douehi (rookie)
Nicholls (park footballer)
Graham (rookie)
Kennar (waste of space)
Johnstone (rookie)
Rodwell (rookie)
Tracey (rookie)
Taukamo (rookie)



Half our squad is rookies........

 

[Curns13]

GI may not last the season though......

Our depth is really really thin compared to other clubs.....

Our depth is fine. Our talent in the outside backs is thin, not our depth.

 

[Rabbits20]

As I said, Champion and Merritt played a combined 2 games after 2014 and got no where near the GF. Some and AJ hadnt played a single game of first grade, we had no idea how they'd go. Most thought Tuqiri was washed up, no one wanted him. I guarantee there would not have been one man who would have picked our GF 1-5 at the start of 2014.

I agree that if we have let Hunt go we need at least one more outside back. I would also like a prop but only a depth prop signing. With Sam, Tom, Musgrove and George, whoever we pick up wont pay much.

Also, this was Tom's best ever year, he isnt declining. And I havent even included George in my top 17 for 2020, Johnstone might have taken his spot by then.

I'm confident in Arthars but no one else in that rookie bunch in the backs.....

Johnstone still has lots of bloody hard work to do.......

 

[Curns13]

I'm confident in Arthars but no one else in that rookie bunch in the backs.....

Johnstone still has lots of bloody hard work to do.......

You are underselling Graham. And Johnstone will do it over the next 3 years.

 

[Rabbits20]

Our depth is fine. Our talent in the outside backs is thin, not our depth.

So you're confident in Britt, Talakai and and Nicholls plus Kennar????

Against the likes of Tetevano, McLean, Bukuya, etc..........

 

[Rabbits20]

You are underselling Graham. And Johnstone will do it over the next 3 years.

Graham needs to bulk up more and stop rushing in off his wing......

Anywhere between a 7th and 15th finish I predict....