2014 new boys thread!

[The Elephant In The room]

Jnr Paulo is my pick for breakthrough season.

I'm quietly confident that if all our promising rookies have break through years in 2014 we are good things for a top 12 spot, maybe even top 10.

Seriously though, and I know we are coming off some lean years so the expectations are low, I haven't been this excited about our recruitment and rookies for some time.

 

[Twizzle]

He was one player that really improved his game as the weeks went by last year. hopefully he continues to get better.

did some good things but he's a lazy prick

needs to learn how to play for 70-80 minutes

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He's a front rower. Forty minutes is long enough.

 

[Twizzle]

I would not pigeon hole this kid as a front rower, he could play anywhere in the pack or even in the backline imo. He has played at prop and back row for our HC team.

I have never seen a front rower who can run, step and distribute the ball like this kid. I think he will be much more suited to the back row.

 

[hindy111]

So with Tanginoa-loko -pauli pauli-Uaelsi-Paulo-Terepo and Tepai destined for first grade we have some great forwards coming thru.
hope they all make it but i just think its a large amount and surely they all cant be stars?

I hope they are thou : )

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I would not pigeon hole this kid as a front rower, he could play anywhere in the pack or even in the backline imo. He has played at prop and back row for our HC team.

I have never seen a front rower who can run, step and distribute the ball like this kid. I think he will be much more suited to the back row.

I have seen him attacking out wide, and I agree his footwork is incredible for such a lump of a bloke.

But being that big he'll never be able to defend effectively on the edges.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So with Tanginoa-loko -pauli pauli-Uaelsi-Paulo-Terepo and Tepai destined for first grade we have some great forwards coming thru.
hope they all make it but i just think its a large amount and surely they all cant be stars?

I hope they are thou : )

I'll be happy if they all turn into first graders. Currently the best thing about them is that they're cheap. That won't last.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

So with Tanginoa-loko -pauli pauli-Uaelsi-Paulo-Terepo and Tepai destined for first grade we have some great forwards coming thru.
hope they all make it but i just think its a large amount and surely they all cant be stars?

I hope they are thou : )

Add: Santi, Roe, and Fuimaono and we have a large chance of a strong back-row. And then Kaufusi, and Pua and there's a strong front-row. Definitely some exciting times ahead on the forwards front.

 

[lingard]

I'm quietly confident that if all our promising rookies have break through years in 2014 we are good things for a top 12 spot, maybe even top 10.

Seriously though, and I know we are coming off some lean years so the expectations are low, I haven't been this excited about our recruitment and rookies for some time.

If our halves click, I still think we can come fourth. I reckon our backline will be as good as Cronulla's or Canterbury's. In fact, if our halves click, I think our backline will be on a par with Souths, Manly, Melbourne and Easts. I know Corey Norman is a fantastic five-eight. Just remains to be seen how Sandow goes.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I'll be pretty happy if we go into most games with a credible chance of winning.....and I think we can do that. But whether that translates into 12th position or 5th I dunno....depends whether you get the lucky bounce when the score is 18-18 or when the score is 30-6

 

[eels81236]

If our halves click, I still think we can come fourth. I reckon our backline will be as good as Cronulla's or Canterbury's. In fact, if our halves click, I think our backline will be on a par with Souths, Manly, Melbourne and Easts. I know Corey Norman is a fantastic five-eight. Just remains to be seen how Sandow goes.

I understand that you think we aren't necessarily terrible but to consider our backline on par with dce, foran, Lyon, Matai, Jorge, and whoever is better than the wolfman is a little far fetched I reckon.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I think we have a solid mid-table squad, so how we go will depend on injuries, as well as how every other mid-table squad goes.

There's not much between 5th and 12th. Last year it was three and a half wins (in 24 games) and a points differential of 51 (just over 2 points a game).

 

[strider]

what pou said ... injuries will play a part cos we aint that deep

but i think alot will also depend on whether arthur can get us trusting eachother - confidence and trust in your teammates is a miraculous thing (see 2009)

 

[T.S Quint]

I think we have a solid mid-table squad, so how we go will depend on injuries, as well as how every other mid-table squad goes.

There's not much between 5th and 12th. Last year it was three and a half wins (in 24 games) and a points differential of 51 (just over 2 points a game).

Pretty much this.
We've been unlucky the past couple of seasons with injuries (Hayne in particular).
Hopefully that luck can turn around and be on our side for once.

 

[The Colonel]

I think we have a solid mid-table squad, so how we go will depend on injuries, as well as how every other mid-table squad goes.

There's not much between 5th and 12th. Last year it was three and a half wins (in 24 games) and a points differential of 51 (just over 2 points a game).

We are deeper this year than we have been for the past two seasons. Inexperience is probably a bigger issue than depth. It's a young team that is probably more capable of competing consistently in 2015.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Agreed. My point was that there are at least eight mid-table squads, and probably more. Obviously with that many average rosters, some are going to finish at very different ends of the ladder from each other, and ultimately it will come down to luck - whether injury or personalities gelling or the same variables occurring (or not) in other clubs.

 

[Jake the snake]

Come on Jake, they don't even play the same position you f**ken ratbag.

lol yeah I think Tepai will end up in the front row eventually. He's a big boy.

 

[Jake the snake]

We are deeper this year than we have been for the past two seasons. Inexperience is probably a bigger issue than depth. It's a young team that is probably more capable of competing consistently in 2015.

Agree. Our young forwards will be cannon fodder to the likes of the bulldogs pack who have a big experienced pack. 2015 should see a big improvement from the young forwards hopefully.

 

[Gary Gutful]

lol yeah I think Tepai will end up in the front row eventually. He's a big boy.

Diversion.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Agree. Our young forwards will be cannon fodder to the likes of the bulldogs pack who have a big experienced pack. 2015 should see a big improvement from the young forwards hopefully.

Diversion.