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The Way too Early Team 2026 Thread

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HarVeeGee

Juniors
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858
If Crossland is at hooker and he goes down we go to a rotation of two players with a lot of reserve grade experience. That’s not an atypically small amount of cover at hooker. The Panthers have to pick a guy with almost the exact same amount of experience as Harrison Graham at 9 tonight.

You look at Melbourne, and they have an atypically large amount of spine cover, and the reason for that is because they brought guys like Wishart, Pezet, Garlick, Faaologo in *before* they had achieved anything in first grade, and developed them.

Whether or not we have great depth in round 1 next year isn’t the way to look at it IMO. It’s: what is the pathway towards *developing* strong depth, and does it look like the club is doing that?
 
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O

Old dog

Bench
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Crossland down which two players with lots of reserve grade experience and what other positions do we weaken
Not often your vague Harv
 
H

HarVeeGee

Juniors
Messages
858
Graham and Arthur would both come into the team (if Arthur not already in the 17). No other change to the spine.

Assuming my preferred option of Sandon Smith at 7.
 
H

HarVeeGee

Juniors
Messages
858
Holbrook doesn't like small locks either going by team selections at the Titans & him pushing for Radley to play on an edge more at the Roosters. At least not in his starting side.
 
Knight Tales

Knight Tales

Bench
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3,697
I do not see any way that Smith and Brown aren’t the starting halves next season under Holbrook. He is not going to start his career here by manufacturing a 9.
 
The Axe of Druss

The Axe of Druss

Bench
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2,912
HarVeeGee said:
Holbrook doesn't like small locks either going by team selections at the Titans & him pushing for Radley to play on an edge more at the Roosters. At least not in his starting side.
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It was the ESL and it was 6 years ago but he played Morgan Knowles at lock in his St Helens days. Knowles is on the smaller side for a middle
 
H

HarVeeGee

Juniors
Messages
858
Knight Tales said:
I do not see any way that Smith and Brown aren’t the starting halves next season under Holbrook. He is not going to start his career here by manufacturing a 9.
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Yeah and I don't think it's reading too much into it to note that Sandon allegedly had a last minute change of heart to join us, Holbrook was announced on literally the first weekday after the Roosters were eliminated, and Holbrook is mentioning that Sandon has signed for the club in interviews that must have occurred before he officially got the job, even though Sandon hasn't actually been announced by the club yet.

I think there has been some element of this process being a bit of a formality, they always knew they wanted Justin and were just doing their due diligence, and Justin has tipped Sandon - a half who he's familiar with and has worked with very closely, who would understand the principles of how Holbrook likes to attack - that he'll be playing in the halves under him. Could be proven wrong but Holbrook experimented with AJ Brimson at 6 and gave up on it after 8 weeks, and preferred Tanah Boyd over trying to turn someone like Campbell into a 7. I would be surprised if he wants to play Fletch in the halves.

The Axe of Druss said:
It was the ESL and it was 6 years ago but he played Morgan Knowles at lock in his St Helens days. Knowles is on the smaller side for a middle
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True, but yeah different comp, different time, and also Knowles still has almost 10kg on Phoenix I think?

He preferred Isaac Liu starting at lock over Erin Clark at the Titans though, and I'm pretty sure Whyte/Wong playing lock forward a lot for the Roosters this year has something to do with him. I suspect he'll want Mooney at 13 for us.
 
macavity

macavity

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21,302
HarVeeGee said:
Yeah and I don't think it's reading too much into it to note that Sandon allegedly had a last minute change of heart to join us, Holbrook was announced on literally the first weekday after the Roosters were eliminated, and Holbrook is mentioning that Sandon has signed for the club in interviews that must have occurred before he officially got the job, even though Sandon hasn't actually been announced by the club yet.

I think there has been some element of this process being a bit of a formality, they always knew they wanted Justin and were just doing their due diligence, and Justin has tipped Sandon - a half who he's familiar with and has worked with very closely, who would understand the principles of how Holbrook likes to attack - that he'll be playing in the halves under him. Could be proven wrong but Holbrook experimented with AJ Brimson at 6 and gave up on it after 8 weeks, and preferred Tanah Boyd over trying to turn someone like Campbell into a 7. I would be surprised if he wants to play Fletch in the halves.


True, but yeah different comp, different time, and also Knowles still has almost 10kg on Phoenix I think?

He preferred Isaac Liu starting at lock over Erin Clark at the Titans though, and I'm pretty sure Whyte/Wong playing lock forward a lot for the Roosters this year has something to do with him. I suspect he'll want Mooney at 13 for us.
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I would feel A LOT better with Mooney at 13 and Peen at 14. We are really lacking a proper 9 though.

As for Sharpe, wonder if we put him at centre and move Gags to the wing. He is too good to not be in the 13.

Maybe we put Sharpe at 9....
 
H

HarVeeGee

Juniors
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858
The main issue Fletcher Sharpe had in the halves is that he’s not a natural ball player, basically no deception, really bad pass selection except in a general “sometimes he just gave Bradman early ball and that’s good” sense, legitimately the dude struggled with the basics of putting the ball in front of the recipient in shape… likely because at every grade he’s been able to just burn guys for pace and hasn’t really had to develop this sort of craft.

Yeah sounds like a hooker to me…

But we’re also in for another long season if we leave him in the halves. To what end? He can’t be left there without hindering both Dylan Brown and Kalyn Ponga.

He’s a gun fullback prospect. Like most young fullbacks he’s naturally better as an outside back than a half. Don’t talk to me about Jahrome Hughes, he is the exception, not the rule.

I want him to be tried at centre because the potential upside is highest there, and it’s way way less of an upheaval to just put him on the wing, where we already know he’s good, if it doesn’t work out. Camp him on the left wing outside slick Brown-Ponga-Best backline moves and he very well may be the top try scorer next season. Maybe that would assuage concerns about “wasting” him.

Our first choice fullback also gets injured all the bloody time so, I don’t know, maybe that’s where our best back up spine option should do most of his training. Crazy suggestion?

It’s not even a debate IMO. Sandon Smith is our best halfback. Expect Justin Holbrook to simplify things rather than back himself to have four different players learn new roles at once.
 
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H

HarVeeGee

Juniors
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858
Yosh said:
Why not just play Sharpe on the wing? Keep Gagai there and drop Marzhew?
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Would be fine with it. Some people seem to think it’s a waste and like he can’t impact the game there, but tell that to Marky Mark and Xavier Coates.

He arguably was the #1 most responsible player for the late 2024 turnaround on the wing too, as the only guy who could finally properly replace Dom.
 
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