2014 Team

[Randy81]

Our recruitment has been so sh*t for years and these days it is 1000% improved. Players like Taylor, brown, segayaro, peachey, kite, k.naqiama, whare, Soward, Wallace, John compared to those in the last decade is light years apart. Juniors are emerging and are seemingly being groomed better than they ever have before.

Exciting times are ahead so I just don't get the need to be so negative. As you pointed out we have heaps of "weapons" across the fields which I think is the key. Hell if dogs can make the gf with kris Keating....:sarcasm:

 

[chrisD]

Perhaps some of you could create a 2014 positive discussion only thread.

I would hope Wallace or Soward will get dropped if they play poorly, but I'm not sure they will. There was great stubbornness in how long they persevered with Whare at fullback.

 

[franklin2323]

Ok would anyone here rather Walsh?

Then Wallace yep but Soward will do 95% of things so he had to go. You know with Walsh you will get atleast repeat sets and a good game a month. Wallace you get defence but Nathan Smith gives you that

 

[franklin2323]

Perhaps some of you could create a 2014 positive discussion only thread.

I would hope Wallace or Soward will get dropped if they play poorly, but I'm not sure they will. There was great stubbornness in how long they persevered with Whare at fullback.

Exactly. We have to base next years team on what we have seen.

I think from prior years and what the coach has done in the past this is set in stone besides injuries:

Moylan
Mansour

Whare
Simmons
Soward
Wallace
Kite/Grant/McKendry/Plum
Kingston
Kite/Grant/McKendry/Plum
Manu
Brown
Taylor

Sege
Kite/Grant/McKendry/Plum
Kite/Grant/McKendry/Plum

The coach isn't even in the country let alone watched others train so we only have speculation to work with. I think he has shown he like the basic player and that it will take injury for others to start.

 

[franklin2323]

No it isn't, many former rep players would make terrible signings and Wallace is chief among them.

Yep. Lets look at recent ex-reps to get starts.

Eric Grothe
Reni Maitua
Brett Finch
Craig Gower

How many would be anywhere near our top 17?

 

[mxlegend99]

Wallace and Sosard are younger and more recently rep experienced then those guys. They were all signed by top 8 teams aswell. Gower and Finch both played part in sides that made the top 8, while Maitua and Grothe were signed by sides who made the top 8.

A decent coach can get the best out of these sorts of players, even if it just ends up being to help develop a younger guy. Maitua and Grothe wouldn't stand a chance at cracking our 2014 team. Gower and/or Finch would probably be in with a shot. If you can get a half with that sort of experience for decent money, they will add something to the team. Would love having Gower at the club working with Foster.

 

[franklin2323]

That's not the point though. Rep players are great to have around the club but may not be the best fit for the 17 at full strength. IMO Kite and Wallace fit into that category as will be the case with Maitua and Grothe.

The rookies will learn a great deal in regards to preparing for games, Training well and staying out of trouble off the field etc. Whether they cut the grade on the field is the question

 

[Scotty03]

Still going on about Wallace? Ffs we finally have options in key positions (foster moylan john wallace soward etc etc) Those in the best form will emerge for selection under a competitive environment.

We have a good squad with quality prop rotation, exciting backrowers, lightning quick/ emerging backs and arguably some of the best impact with peachey and Segeyaro.

Cheer up Ffs.

Exactly.

 

[betcats]

Like most i wasnt thrilled with either of Wallace or Sowards signings but after watching two average halves win a premiership with the Roosters I seen no reason we can't be a good side with a Wallace/Soward combo. Both the forward pack and the outside backs have current and future rep players in it which shows a good mix of youth and experience.

If Jamie and Peter can find somewhere near their best form we will give this comp a real shake up.

 

[hardbaby]

Like most i wasnt thrilled with either of Wallace or Sowards signings...If Jamie and Peter can find somewhere near their best form we will give this comp a real shake up.

The key to Soward is his mindset. He was a nobody at the Roosters then Bennett got him. All of a sudden his running game became great. Then his passing. His kicking was always a strength. Even his defence improved enormously (with a lot of help from Beau Scott).

Bennett moved on and the inner creature grabbed his throat and choked the life out of his game. There are only a handful of guys that can turn Soward around. I think Phil Gould is one of them. From that perspective, you have some hope.

If Soward fires you blokes are Top 6. I hope he does and I hope you make it. I'd happily cheer the Panthers through the finals. Sadly, I don't think my team will be there.

 

[kiwipete]

I don't think any single player being injured would hurt us too much. I also think front row is where we would be hurt the most with injury. I think the drop from Grant, McKendry, Kite and Plum to the rest is the biggest gap in quality. Backs we could arguably find even better players with injury, second row injuries would just make team selection easier. Hooker I think we are fine with Segs, Kingston, Foster , Moseley and if needed Brown or Taylor. Wallace and/or Soward injured brings in John and possibly a look at Moylan in the halves.

Front row we go from international quality to promising depth in Sam Anderson to reserve grade quality.

I don't think our front row rotation is a problem at all. After our top four, we managed to use Docker,Latimore and Anderson and from what I saw we didn't lose too much at all. Docker for his weight is a freak, Latimore is safe and steady and I think Andersons' debut versus the Storm was excellant, if he hadn't been injured vs the Warriors the following week I reckon he would have played a lot more NRL this year. Who can forget too, that he got up and played the ball after THAT Tackle with Tagatese vs Cronulla at the end of the year?
I think our centres are where we lack depth, Whare was great in the world cup but if we have to resort to Lewis Brown again next year we are in big trouble. Wouldn't seeing Mansour or Peachey get a run out there although neither of them are great defenders,terrific attackers though. Can't wait till round one, bring on the Knights!!

 

[Tone83]

Like most i wasnt thrilled with either of Wallace or Sowards signings but after watching two average halves win a premiership with the Roosters I seen no reason we can't be a good side with a Wallace/Soward combo.

This is pretty much my stance.

They're both shit, there's no denying that, BUT it just might not matter. The rest of the team is great, and the roosters showed us how overrated the importance of halves is when you're stacked with dangerous players in other positions.

 

[MrAnonymous]

They are both shit but you rate Chris Sandow.
Makes sense.


merkins seem to forget how good Soward was until he was playing under Price.

The negativity from you merkins is f**king lol
Wait till the season starts before you start whinging

 

[MrAnonymous]

[youtube]otVoUn5MEbU[/youtube]

 

[chrisD]

Post the Wallace highlights too.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Post the Wallace highlights too.

[youtube]0KcNvy_xiSQ[/youtube]

 

[meek]

They are both shit but you rate Chris Sandow.
Makes sense.


merkins seem to forget how good Soward was until he was playing under Price.

The negativity from you merkins is f**king lol
Wait till the season starts before you start whinging

This reads like a post a 14yr old would post
LOL
Like the merkins bit tho

 

[maple_69]

Interesting reading the halfback thread over on the NRL board. Obviously none of us are stoked with the Wallace signing but when you look at it in the context of the talent at half at the momejt and it doesn't look so bad..
Cronk, DCE, Pearce, Reynolds, Johnson are probably the only guys you'd say are good halves.
Roberts, Kelly are good prospects with some runs on the board.
The rest is a mix of rubbish like Sandow and untested guys like Cornish and Brooks.

Pretty worrying that these are the best we have at the moment.

 

[mxlegend99]

Given the Idris signing, and thinking more about the players we have. My revised team for what I'd like to see at full strength, based on expected performances.

1. Kevin Naiqama
2. James Roberts (LW)
3. Jamal Idris (LC)
4. Dean Whare (RC)
5. Josh Mansour (RW)
6. Jamie Soward
7. Peter Wallace
8. Brent Kite
9. James Segeyaro
10. Tim Grant
11. Sika Manu (RSR)
12. Matt Robinson (LSR)
13. Elijah Taylor

14. Lewis Brown
15. Nigel Plum
16. Sam McKendry
17. Adam Docker / Tyrone Peachey / Bryce Cartright / Anthony Cherrington / Vaipuna Tia Kilifi

Would love to see Nabouli, Jennings and DWZ get a run in the backs at some point.
Would love to see Moylan, Foster and John given a crack at the halfback and/or utility spots.
Wouldn't want to be the coach deciding between which second rowers get picked and who plays reserve grade. Might even be worth going for a rotation policy... there's too many quality options and we might not have even seen the best ones in a Panthers jersey yet.

This team should push for the top 4. If Wallace fails at halfback, which is probably a 50/50 chance at the moment. I'd look at Isaac John as his first choice replacement. I'd also give Moylan and Foster a chance (from the bench) to show what they offer. Honestly I'd probably even try and work it so they get that chance regardless of how Wallace performs. It would be pretty hard not to look great behind that forward pack, feeding the ball to those centres. :lol:

 

[abpanther]

No way Simmons isn't starting in Week 1