2014 Team

[betcats]

I'd have Mansour in a heartbeat! Those young guys look like stars in 20's and NSW Cup but NRL they all have long way to get to Mansour.

Usually I would agree with taking the proven FGer over the young guys but all the guys I listed potential is through the roof. Atleast 2 of them will comfortably surpass Mansour as a player imo.

Mansour is very good, strong as a bull and plenty of heart and fight in him and an excellent finisher. But he is slow and short for a winger and can be found out defensively on ocassion.

Imagine big athletic Nabuli catching Soward bombs and superfast Roberts chasing grubbers...the attacking potential is huge.

 

[franklin2323]

Agreed.

I don't like the chances of Mansour being re-signed since we have Nabuli, Roberts, Moylan, Jennings, Blake, DWZ all waiting in the wings.

I think Simmons may even go after this year potentially.

I think Plum may go after 2014 as well

So we have significant depth this year but a lot of guys will go at year's end as you say and be replaced by younger, local players which can only be a good thing.

I see Roberts being in over Mansour. Idris gives us the size Mansour brought only more speed etc.

1st injury or a streak of losses Simmons will be out.

Plum was touch and go for this season even so no guarantee his body will hold up.

We don't have depth all over. Jennings was a winger in NYC should be a centre will take time in the 3. Foster is a better hooker yet played halves all last year. Blake looked a machine last year but Satini did the year before and fell right off.

No word on Dallen and the mormon yet. So we have enough depth but no one demanding to be picked yet

 

[franklin2323]

Hmm I agree. Simmons and to a lesser extent Mansour earned the right last season to start 2014 as our wingers but there is too much talent coming through. Simmons probably wont ever have a season as good as last year and while Mansour can certainly improve on a good year i think the potential of Nabuli, Roberts, Naqiama, Jennings is too high not to give them a shot.

DWZ also might be ready this season. It will be very interesting too see how we manage all these guys, I am slightly nervous.

Yeah backs look settled atleast early on. Idris means our backs come round 1 should be:

Moylan
Mansour
Idris
Whare
Simmons

Moylan I want to see have a run in the halves. Moss' support play running off Idris would be great ala Wesser in 03.

Again Mansour should be replaced with faster more athletic wingers at some stage

Simmons on form can't be dropped but not overly fast and no footwork certainly better talents not in the side.

 

[Luke Bowden]

Yeah backs look settled atleast early on. Idris means our backs come round 1 should be:

Moylan
Mansour
Idris
Whare
Simmons

Moylan I want to see have a run in the halves. Moss' support play running off Idris would be great ala Wesser in 03.

Again Mansour should be replaced with faster more athletic wingers at some stage

Simmons on form can't be dropped but not overly fast and no footwork certainly better talents not in the side.

Simmons had a good year, but, I think that was thanks to Whare, I'd love to see one of the quicker guys outside of him!

 

[Big Mick]

DWZ imo will be brought along like Roger Tuivasa-Scheck.

 

[betcats]

DWZ imo will be brought along like Roger Tuivasa-Scheck.

I hope he is brought along like that. Can he play both sides? Would love to see him outside Whare.

 

[franklin2323]

DWZ imo will be brought along like Roger Tuivasa-Scheck.

He's a hard one to gauge. He was SG Ball eligible so still very young so they would want to hold him back.

If he goes on the mormon mission and we hold him back. Say FB NYC this year with the odd game in NSW Cup. FB NSW Cup 2015. Just when his ready to go he will be ready.

I think you go hard with him. Give him a taste or 1st grade and the mormon mission keeps him keen to comeback and have more

 

[franklin2323]

Simmons had a good year, but, I think that was thanks to Whare, I'd love to see one of the quicker guys outside of him!

You won't get an argument from me. I want speed and skill over 'reliable' all over the park. Though we went through 2 years of rebuilding and found a great right side so you keep it and fix the rest

 

[soc123_au]

Simmons has done enough to own his spot outside Whare imo. In saying that a drop in form & he wont keep it long. Once he looses it either through form or injury he would be at long odds to be able to reclaim it.

 

[murraymob]

interesting how the chain gang comes out for Simmons

So what is a wingers role

scoring tries.He made very few mistakes during the year unlike his competition for the wing spot.He deserves first crack at the spot .I have always believed a first grade jersey should be earned.If they play better they get his spot

 

[umina panther]

It's not that straight forward. Sometimes when you have gun juniors who have the potential to be rep centres/fullbacks you have to play them so they wont leave the club and the wing is where they normally start.
I want Simmons on the wing round 1 but I definitely don't want him there by origin time.

 

[murraymob]

It's not that straight forward. Sometimes when you have gun juniors who have the potential to be rep centres/fullbacks you have to play them so they wont leave the club and the wing is where they normally start.
I want Simmons on the wing round 1 but I definitely don't want him there by origin time.

you also have to prepare those gun players or there cannon fodder once they make first grade.They will start the season in reserves except DWZ who should start at fullback in the u20 team

 

[magpie4ever]

Your traitor club is now cursed, thank Murraymob for it.

 

[franklin2323]

interesting how the chain gang comes out for Simmons

No chain gang everyone says he has earnt a starting spot. Regardless of skill he will be 30 next year who else has a 30yo winger.

Add to that we won NYC. GF in NSW Cup generally outside backs come in to the team 1st.

line up DWZ, Jennings, K.Naiqama. Roberts. Moss, Nabuli and the 2 that will likely start Mansour/Simmons. Speed, footwork etc Mansour/Simmons would be last.

So it's only a matter of time until they get overtaken. While they are scored tries etc they are fine though if it stops.

 

[murraymob]

moylan had a bad 2nd part of the year .I think he may not see first grade unless there are injuries

 

[mxlegend99]

Simmons had a great year without doubt, but the fact is that he's an average winger who is 30 years old and doesn't excel in any area. Plus his great form was largely due to Dean Whare.

Meanwhile we have many freakish talents who have blistering pace and/or are extremely powerful, that could turn even more of the opportunities that Whare creates into points.. Ontop of creating many of their own. Imagine James Roberts playing outside of Idris or Whare and how many tries he could score due to his pace and the amount of space they create. Simmons is never in the clear, as he is one of the slower wingers and not overly strong or elusive.

 

[murraymob]

you dont think catching the ball and tackling are important for a winger.These are things roberts is miles behind simmons on

 

[chrisD]

I hold doubts that either Roberts but especially Nabuli will ever have the hands for first grade, but Gould is rather openly dead set on both of them.

I hope we maintain Mansour and try him in the back row, he is already better in contact than the rest of our back row. Besides Cartwright we have no dead set first graders coming through in the back row. A lot depends on how his body shapes and ages for that though.

 

[mxlegend99]

Simmons isn't outstanding in either area. He has shockers in him aswell, just far fewer when playing outside a gun centre.

 

[murraymob]

mx
it would not matter how well he played you would bag him.Simple fact he scored a lot of tries some where outstanding finishes.He clearly has a great combination with whare and deserves to start the season as first choice winger.If his form drops then yes he loses his spot.
But a first grade jumper must be earned .We are now with competition for positions in a place where this can happen