The Way too Early Team 2026 Thread

[macavity]

Yep agreed.

I actually like our team for next year tbh. The spine is weird and might not work but individual talent wise it’s a clear step up on this season (not hard I know).

I like our forward pack a lot better too just given we have some genuine middle forwards with size compared to this season where we mostly had to rely on small second rowers there. I like Croker and Jones enough but when they’re depth we’ll know we’re in a good spot.

Agreed on Crokes and Brodie - great club men but on talent they should be teaching our cup team to be professionals and playing an odd game here and there to cover. Not first grade mainstays.

 

[macavity]

While he wouldn’t have an ironclad guarantee and can’t just loaf through pre-season and still expect to have it, you can lock in Trey Mooney as a starter too I reckon. And Dom on one of the wings.

Probably for both - but don't want to guarantee either anything when they don't have the runs on the board.

 

[macavity]

And just on Smith - a crafty 9 can control a game just as well as a 7. It may well be the making of us if he moves there and blitzes it. Who knows.

 

[Woody90]

While he wouldn’t have an ironclad guarantee and can’t just loaf through pre-season and still expect to have it, you can lock in Trey Mooney as a starter too I reckon. And Dom on one of the wings.

I don’t think Dom is guaranteed tbh. He and Marzhew make a heap of errors. AOB was always happy to put up with their errors for their positive flip sides, but Holbrook might not.

 

[HarVeeGee]

Agreed on Crokes and Brodie - great club men but on talent they should be teaching our cup team to be professionals and playing an odd game here and there to cover. Not first grade mainstays.

Crokes was wearing down so badly as the year went on, I hated that Eels game for him because I think he was one of the few still trying.

We’ve needed over 40 mins from him 13 times this season. If we get to a point where we only need that 3-5 times from him at NRL level in a year, he’ll play a lot better.

 

[HarVeeGee]

I don’t think Dom is guaranteed tbh. He and Marzhew make a heap of errors. AOB was always happy to put up with their errors for their positive flip sides, but Holbrook might not.

The next guy up after them (besides Fletch) is Schiller though, or Kepaoa, or children like Flunt and Votano. All more error prone than him.

I’m backing Dom to have a huge pre-season and bounce back year, I think he was just really unhappy in Sydney.

 

[Yosh]

You guys know that feeling where you shudder and pee a little in your pants whenever the team was named on Tuesday and Cogger was always there. Glad I don't have to bring two pairs of undies to work every Tuesday now.

 

[macavity]

You guys know that feeling where you shudder and pee a little in your pants whenever the team was named on Tuesday and Cogger was always there. Glad I don't have to bring two pairs of undies to work every Tuesday now.

You need to do some kegels yosh

 

[Burwood]

Dom came back to the club pretty strongly, but then suffered when Gags shifted to the back. If he’s not playing outside of Hunt or Schiller, I think Dom’s a certain starter.

And if our halves and forwards do their job and win us the battle for territory, Marzhew’s place is under huge risk. He’s good carting the ball up 10m out on the second tackle, but he’s pretty useless for the other 90m.

 

[SamSepi0l]

I think Marz is relatively safe for as long as we try and play without a pack.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Not sure a tonne of our middle forwards getting injured was the clubs decision

Besides, having outside backs that can make tough carries is integral to all successful teams in the modern game. Penrith have a great pack but still rely on their backs to make yardage as it allows their pigs to keep fresh legs for fast line speed in defence.

Marz is good at this but i dont think hes by any means safe given his other flaws. Sharpe showed that a lighter faster winger can do the same job by applying a different approach of getting between defenders and getting to elbows and knees fast.

 

[HarVeeGee]

Exactly right Axe. Another example is Jye Gray - 170cm, 78kg - damn near breaking the record for run metres in a single game. 350, 253 of them non-kick return metres, no line breaks. That ability to find little pockets of space with late footwork can go a long way.

Guess he's not playing on the wing, but there's plenty of lighter wingers who are good at it too. Ideally you want that perfect Brian To'o blend of elusiveness and power, but someone like Sunia Turuva is also very good in yardage at 181cm and 88kg and is definitely not a battering ram either. Being hard to get to grips with in the first place goes a long way.

From memory Sharpe averaged about 135 run metres on the wing and that was without ever training as an outside back before he went there. That's perfectly fine, and when you add the pace, nose for the line better defence, better game awareness/ability to come up with "big plays", it's just a way better package than Marzhew overall.

I think the best version of Fletcher as a fullback in future is one who's bulked up just a little anyway - I'm very optimistically envisioning a Dylan Edwards/Ryan Papenhyuzen hybrid - so I think full time training as a back up fullback & outside back isn't something which hurts his development like people are for some reason assuming.

 

[Burwood]

Let’s be honest- we want McManus v2.0.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Let’s be honest- we want McManus v2.0.

Honestly? No not really

Jimmy Mac was good in his time when his peers were guys like the Wolfman, Dave Simmons and Jason Nightingale.

The modern game requires more

 

[HarVeeGee]

Fletcher Addo-Carr if he's on the wing, or Fletcher Tabuai-Fidow if he's at centre. That's what we should be chasing.

Hammer is the same height as Fletch and 3kg heavier, which may literally just be because he's 24, but plenty would still call him underweight for a centre. But he's awesome there because that combination of ability to beat his man 1-on-1 + elite support play + ad-lib footy skills are all very desirable traits for centres.

 

[Knight Tales]

Hammer is going to be on mega dollars soon. If he is not already.

 

[HarVeeGee]

Yeah mate he's on like 950. They're about to have a two million dollar centre combo (Hammer's a horrific defensive fullback, they're better with Trai Fuller back there).

 

[Burwood]

Honestly? No not really

Jimmy Mac was good in his time when his peers were guys like the Wolfman, Dave Simmons and Jason Nightingale.

The modern game requires more

That’s selling him a bit short. Exceptional under the high ball, one of the better defenders, always got between defenders and on his front to earn a quick play the ball, more than handy finisher. Only weakness was that he didn’t have blistering speed. He’d be considered one of the top 3-4 wingers in the club’s history, and that’s even after his career was cut short.

 

[Knight Tales]

The anxiety around Sharpe is not necessary within the fanbase. He would not have signed for the next three years if he was worried about where he would be playing. He loves the club. No chance in hell he would be let go so we can keep Kalyn. He will be our fullback long term. He may actually become a world class fullback by playing wing or centre first. He could help talk to his defence by being acutely aware of how a centre and winger play in defence. Slater started as a winger .

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

Brailey wasn’t that bad was he? He was just overpaid imo

He was average/decent before the multiple serious knee injuries. He offered absolutely nothing in the end.