Mooney

[Craigshark]

Forever grateful he was a big part of getting us our premiership in 2016.

however, since coming back. How does everyone feel we are going? Got Hynes, Finucane long term which is turning out not so good. I’m not privy to inside info, but from all reports we have spent our whole cap and have little to no room to move. I understand the idea of keeping the squad together etc, but rushing in signing some of our current squad to longer term deals (Moylan 2 years wtf) when it is obvious there are glaring weaknesses in our squad and the need for a couple of fresh faces (an enforcer front rower for example) just seems a little negligent.

there are reports we have already re-signed rudolf. Hopefully not on big coin.

I think this next 12 months is going to be a big test and might make or break the trust installed in Mooney etc. they’ve gone all in on the current squad, I don’t expect a premiership next season, but if there’s no improvement, it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

 

[R-15-3]

Think our non recruitment looks worse than it actually is.
If you leave out players that signed at interstate clubs, resigned with current clubs or got paid overs the list of potential options gets thin very quick.

Finucane signing was approved by 99.9% of us at the time, he hasn’t lived up to that on the field but who knows where some of our players would be without his influence off it.

Also don’t think our 24 recruitment is done just yet wouldn’t be surprised for a few changes still.

 

[Frenzy.]

I'd be more inclined to wonder what the cap management was like before Mooney and Fitz came,

 

[Craigshark]

I'd be more inclined to wonder what the cap management was like before Mooney and Fitz came,

yeah good point.

 

[Quicksilver]

I'd be more inclined to wonder what the cap management was like before Mooney and Fitz came,

Lol.

 

[Inferno]

How long has he been back?

I don't think I can be critical of the Moyza deal, he was in pretty good form last year in the run up to the finals.

It probably wasn't foreseen Nicho would be as good as he is and for him to have his contract doubled.

I do think the squad is a little unbalanced and a few players are probably on overs but I think we probably only need small adjustments to sort it out.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

we need an elite prop
none of the guys we have have that ceiling. maybe tommy. probs not

somehow, Blake Brailey is allowed to just play unchallenged at hooker. to the point where we don't have a replacement. we re-up berrell every year but he's not gonna get a run.
forget form. what if tinkerbell gets hurt?
then what? dunno?

 

[DJDL]

How long has he been back?

I don't think I can be critical of the Moyza deal, he was in pretty good form last year in the run up to the finals.

It probably wasn't foreseen Nicho would be as good as he is and for him to have his contract doubled.

I do think the squad is a little unbalanced and a few players are probably on overs but I think we probably only need small adjustments to sort it out.

I think most of us were ok with resigning Moylan.
As you said, he was in good form at the time.
It's the 2 years part that was questionable, and has since proven to have been an error.

 

[Cheese sandwich]

Moylan was a terrible re-signing and we did it twice after the first 4 years of injuries and overall poor form.

The blind faith we seem to have put in a whole squad of middle of the road players concerns me, we don't seem to have any players coming through our junior systems putting any pressure on the established lot either. Our reserve graders/fringe players are also very much the vanilla type who "can do a job" but none of them are ever going to burst out and help take us up a level or anything.

It's like we're just content not being part of the shit bunch of clubs that have been at the bottom like st george and the tigers.

Off topic while I'm at it - fix up the ball control before next season ffs

 

[fizman]

When assessing a Premiership Team, I always use the 2016 Sharks as the framework for comparison. If I am Coach in 2024, this is what I would commit too, but I also understand we are not even in the same Shire as that beautiful team of 2016.

1. Hynes - No Benny Barba but I believe is best at Fullback.
2. Katoa - Needs to become the reliable Feki.
3. Ramien - Consistency required. Not quite the value of Jack Bird but could come close with discipline and consistency.
4. Iro - It's time to see whether this young man has what it takes to play First Grade. Replicating the efforts of Leutele are achievable.
5. Mulitalo - Needs to become the 2016 Val.
6. Luai - (Read comments below) 3 time Premiership winner - will be keen to be successful elsewhere and prove he is a natural Leader.
7. Trindall - Do the 1%ers and be a better version of Chad.
8. Hamlin-Uele - Needs consistency, work on more 2nd phase football, does have some good footwork. He needs to be our Fifita of the team.
9. McInnes - Hooker is his natural position, I can easily see him being our modern day Ennis.
10. Finucane - He is a Prop only, he is not a ball playing Lock. Give him an off season to become our Matt Prior. If he is no good, we bring in Hazelton and sell him.
11. Wilton - By no means is Teig a Luke Lewis, but he does possess encouraging qualities.
12. Nikora - Love him! Certainly can match Wade, just without the kicking game.
13. Talakai - Doesn't have the work rate of Gal, but he can break the line. He does have soft hands and I would prefer to see him being the pivot in a backline move if required. Would also need to lift defensively as well.

14. Tracey - Not the perfect Utility, but I think he would be at least equal or better than Beale.
15. Williams - He will be our Heighington
16. Hazelton - He will be our Tagataese
17. Rudolph - He will be our Bukuya, Toby is not a Prop, he is a Second Rower. Played his best football in the 2nd Row for Redcliffe.

Additionally, I am happy to release Will Kennedy, Matt Moylan, Blayke Brailey and either Royce Hunt or Oregon Kafusi and throw all of that at an experienced Five-Eighth. I don't see Luai as a natural fit to our Club he has won 3 Premierships so I would at least have a conversation. I am sure we would be more attractive than Tigers or Dragons. Reflecting on our spine of Ennis, Townsend, Maloney and Barba, would a spine of McInnes, Trindall, Luai and Hynes win us a Premiership?

 

[Frenzy.]

When assessing a Premiership Team, I always use the 2016 Sharks as the framework for comparison. If I am Coach in 2024, this is what I would commit too, but I also understand we are not even in the same Shire as that beautiful team of 2016.

1. Hynes - No Benny Barba but I believe is best at Fullback.
2. Katoa - Needs to become the reliable Feki.
3. Ramien - Consistency required. Not quite the value of Jack Bird but could come close with discipline and consistency.
4. Iro - It's time to see whether this young man has what it takes to play First Grade. Replicating the efforts of Leutele are achievable.
5. Mulitalo - Needs to become the 2016 Val.
6. Luai - (Read comments below) 3 time Premiership winner - will be keen to be successful elsewhere and prove he is a natural Leader.
7. Trindall - Do the 1%ers and be a better version of Chad.
8. Hamlin-Uele - Needs consistency, work on more 2nd phase football, does have some good footwork. He needs to be our Fifita of the team.
9. McInnes - Hooker is his natural position, I can easily see him being our modern day Ennis.
10. Finucane - He is a Prop only, he is not a ball playing Lock. Give him an off season to become our Matt Prior. If he is no good, we bring in Hazelton and sell him.
11. Wilton - By no means is Teig a Luke Lewis, but he does possess encouraging qualities.
12. Nikora - Love him! Certainly can match Wade, just without the kicking game.
13. Talakai - Doesn't have the work rate of Gal, but he can break the line. He does have soft hands and I would prefer to see him being the pivot in a backline move if required. Would also need to lift defensively as well.

14. Tracey - Not the perfect Utility, but I think he would be at least equal or better than Beale.
15. Williams - He will be our Heighington
16. Hazelton - He will be our Tagataese
17. Rudolph - He will be our Bukuya, Toby is not a Prop, he is a Second Rower. Played his best football in the 2nd Row for Redcliffe.

Additionally, I am happy to release Will Kennedy, Matt Moylan, Blayke Brailey and either Royce Hunt or Oregon Kafusi and throw all of that at an experienced Five-Eighth. I don't see Luai as a natural fit to our Club he has won 3 Premierships so I would at least have a conversation. I am sure we would be more attractive than Tigers or Dragons. Reflecting on our spine of Ennis, Townsend, Maloney and Barba, would a spine of McInnes, Trindall, Luai and Hynes win us a Premiership?

It could as long as all the stars align. It's not always about the personnel.

Hodges, Lockyer, Perry and Berrigan won a comp in 2006. Of course, they had superstar non spine players which we don't.

Can't see why your spine couldn't. Nor would I rule out the likely Fitz Spine. I'm more concerned about the level the co stars can get to

 

[bad boy bubby]

The Sharks have been doing what has needed to be done at this certain time.
Have a look at who is available.
There isn't much to look at.
Look at who other teams are scrambling over. It's quite dreary. I'm glad we are not in that position.
The problem is that there isn't that great a talent available. This means that clubs are having to produce from within.
Our players that are off contract at the end of 2024 could achieve their own personal "Alan Bonds" so to speak. Look at the way some of the other clubs are talking of Conor Tracey. I mean CT is a good whole hearted player , but is he going to change a teams fortunes? Maybe a game here or there, but definitely not a clubs season.Though he would definitely be better than Hutchison, Mann, Salmon etc that the Dogs have bought.
The Sharks have been consolidating their pathway players. It's a building process for sustained success. In truthfulness the club has been doing it for a fair while but after Penrith have shown how to do it on a larger scale, we've had to upscale our levels.
Next season is a make or break year for some of our forwards. They really need to stand up, otherwise they can accept that they'll get paid overs to go to a shit house club.

 

[DJDL]

Spot on @bad boy bubby
I can't really think of any player movement where I've thought "damn, I wish we'd got him". The well is absolutely dry as far as elite level talent goes.

Different story next year, and we have 13 spots to fill for '25 so it's as good a time as any to get active.

As for forwards needing to stand up, I couldn't agree more.

Top of the list for me is BHU.
I was a fan early and had hoped he could develop into a similar style player to Feefs, but he just hasn't kicked on.
He's 100+ games into his career now. That's more than enough time to show what he's got.
For me, at 100 games if you're not a rep-level player you never will be.
He doesn't even seem to be on the periphery these days.

I know they can't all be rep players, but you definitely need some. Particularly in the engine room.


With big Tommy coming on in leaps and bounds this year, it's time to either aim up or move him on.

 

[carinashark]

We have to see more from BB, his defence is great but he needs to lift in attack. McInnes needs to share the hooking roll. We need to mix it up for the 80 min.
‘ Hynes to fullback is a must. We need to open up the halves to new blood.
Let’s not pay overs for new players. Let’s look deeper into what we have, there must be a dimond in there.

 

[Tiger Shark]

We have to see more from BB, his defence is great but he needs to lift in attack. McInnes needs to share the hooking roll. We need to mix it up for the 80 min.
‘ Hynes to fullback is a must. We need to open up the halves to new blood.
Let’s not pay overs for new players. Let’s look deeper into what we have, there must be a dimond in there.

McInnes days at hooker are done aside from the occasional fill in.

 

[shaggs]

I like how everyone thinks the answer to more attack from dummy half is to put McInnes there.

If that’s the case, he starts for 20 mins, then moves to lock for the remaining 60 allowing Brailey to have a fresh run at tired forwards.

Trindall to 7 and hynes at 6. WK to stay at 1
Talakai starts up front.

 

[Quicksilver]

Blayke needs a pack with more punch.

We get bullied.

 

[BatteredFlake]

Blayke needs a pack with more punch.

We get bullied.

Tru Dat! only got to look at Who beat us and how bb played.

 

[coolumsharkie]

One of my Bulldogs mates has been saying for 2 years now about the big money they have to spend on their cap, which they have. What a f**king rabble.

I agree about the pigs. We haven't got anything stand out quality in the props region, just potential that hasn't delivered thus far. Hazelton is another one of those 'has potential' type of units.

 

[Stake Removed]

Our edges I believe are good in Wilton and Nikora, the question is who is next in line, it maybe Colquhoun but we need to see more minutes from him.is Talakai and edge or middle, his days of being a centre are over

Williams can at pinch cover and edge but I believe is much better in the Middle.

Our problem is the middles, lock we are covered with McInnes he can play 80 if need be, and is a good link as well.

Starting props of Uele and Rudolf are issues they struggle to bend line and always good for a mistake about 20 minute mark when they fatigue.
Finucane is now a interchange player his form has dropped off so much in last 18 months.
Williams yes adds a lot of punch
Hazelton needs more minutes, probably better off as a starter he gives us more size.
Talakai again his role should be a middle
Kaufisi played his best football at Eels as interchange player.
Then the hooker BB he can make some dumb decisions in attack, and I can't understand the play him 80 minutes each week

We have now signed Berrell yet again this will be his 3rd year and not 1 minute for first grade is he good enough or not.

My pack for 2024.

8. Hazelton
9. Brailey
10. Williams
11. Nikora
12. Wilton
13. McInness


14. Talakai
15. Kaufisi
16. Colquhoun
17. Finucane/Uele/Rudolf/Berrell

That last spot is the hardest McInness can cover hooker for a while,