2014 Team

[mxlegend99]

I'm not bagging him. I said he played well, but I also know that we have many better players sitting behind him. David Simmons is a very average player who tries hard and was fortunate to have Dean Whare move to the centres and feed him quality ball. That's not bagging him out... that's a simple case of stating the facts. There's nothing wrong with him being an average NRL player, it's more then 99% of the people who play this game can ever say.

You throw in a bloke with more pace, better footwork, a bit younger and some actual tackle breaking ability, and they're even more dangerous outside of Dean Whare then David Simmons is.

We have too many genuinely talented potential superstars waiting for a spot in first grade to keep him just because he is doing a solid job now that he has a decent centre. Everyone will be filthy when we lose all these potential greats because they couldn't get a run in first grade ahead of an average 30 year old winger. I think the likes of Roberts, Naiqama, Jennings, Nabouli could come in and be immediately as effective as Simmons is, if not moreso. Ontop of that they would have the added advantage of developing as a player and getting better with each game. They are all faster and more powerful then Simmons, and as a winger outside of a classy centre they should all be try scoring beasts.

 

[franklin2323]

Spot on MX. We all know Roberts is far from 1st grade consistency. Yet he on the other wing averaged over 1 try a game. In fact the article in the OP in the 9's thread stats wise he was the most dangerous in the comp. Put him outside Whare he would be even better. Simmons should & will be on the wing come round 1. Have long for is the question.

 

[mxlegend99]

I really like Manosur and think he deserves a spot in the team, but looking at who is waiting even he could be out of the side by seasons end. There's just so many players with class and speed waiting for a chance.

Simmons IMO should be first to go, he's the easiest to replace. He's just doing the job any winger does (finishing) and lucky to be doing it outside of a great centre. Once someone has come in and proven themselves on his wing (Roberts IMO will be first up), there's still Eto Nabouli, George Jennings, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and possibly Kevin Naiqama (if he's not fullback) waiting for a crack at that other wing spot.

Based on the talent we have sitting there, our entire back 3 are in danger of losing their spots. Moylan probably already has, SImmons is next and then Mansour. Idris and Whare as centres are both safe with the majority of depth better suited to the wing, especially outside of class like them. Mansour offers a hell of a lot to the team with his strength, but even that isn't enough if someone else can offer similar with twice the pace.

 

[Luke Bowden]

I'm on the same page as MX.

Nothing against David Simmons at all. There is just a bunch of potential superstars lining up behind him.

 

[mxlegend99]

Round 1 we will probably see:
1. Matt Moylan
2. David Simmons
5. Josh Mansour

By Round 26 it will probably be:
1. Kevin Naiqama
2. James Roberts
5. Eto Nabouli

I'd like to think the workhorse wingers like Mansour have a place in the game. The guy is an animal and was our best and most consistent player up until his injury in 2013. Late 2013 he looked to be back to his best and finished some nice tries.

But when you have guys who are strong and ridiculously quick, tall and can create opportunities from nothing... you have to use them. Roberts and Nabouli are potential match winners, and not many wingers can say that. It's a great problem to have, but we can't afford to think that Simmons has done a decent job for us in 2013, he gets to keep his position until injured. Or else these superior athletes might not ever get a chance with us, and they might not stick around knowing that they could easily get a run elsewhere.

 

[umina panther]

Sharks should be all over Mansour

 

[murraymob]

you can not put players into first grade who are not ready .Jennings has been a quality u20 player but struggled at windsor.Nabuli has hands like you mx couldnt catch a cold DWZ is at least half a season away from first grade.Dwz i think should start u20 at fullback a position he can own very fast .Then start bringing him up.
I have no doubt by the end of the year the kids will be there and deserve to be there but lets not kill them first.Moylan is the perfect example he killed them in his early games.Then a shocker in Darwin and he never recovered

 

[umina panther]

Roberts is ready imo. He has flaws but easily makes up for them

 

[mxlegend99]

you can not put players into first grade who are not ready .Jennings has been a quality u20 player but struggled at windsor.Nabuli has hands like you mx couldnt catch a cold DWZ is at least half a season away from first grade.Dwz i think should start u20 at fullback a position he can own very fast .Then start bringing him up.
I have no doubt by the end of the year the kids will be there and deserve to be there but lets not kill them first.Moylan is the perfect example he killed them in his early games.Then a shocker in Darwin and he never recovered

So you think that not one of James Roberts, Eto Nabouli, George Jennings or Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is ready for first grade? That none of them could stand on the wing outside of Dean Whare and do the same job that David SImmons has done?

I disagree. I think everyone of them could come in and finish off tries just aswell as David Simmons has, if not better. That's not to say they wouldn't make mistakes or have their flaws. But the good far outweighs the bad with them IMO.

Also some players don't seem to thrive until hitting first grade. Isaac John is a perfect example. He was deadset awful for Windsor prior to his run in first grade, and he really took his game to another level when picked. Some players are better under pressure. Others fail miserably. David Simmons was deadset awful a few years back, one of the biggest chokers running around in his final year for the Sharks. The amount of simple things he stuffed up was incredible. But we managed to minimize those mistakes in his game and turn him into a competent first grade winger. But he will never be more then that, and the absolute best we can hope for from him is that he is a solid finisher. Everyone of those other players offers more then that, potentially from their very first game. Especially James Roberts, who would be the fastest player in the NRL and would have cemented himself into first grade if it wasn't for an injury in the trials. Missing half a season set him back considerably.

I would have Roberts on the wing and Naiqama at fullback from round 1. Then let Nabouli, Jennings, DWZ and Simmons fight for Mansours wing over the course of the year. If none of the younger guys look ready for first grade to replace Mansour in the event of injury or poor form, by all means use David Simmons. But we shouldn't be holding back superior players because he managed to do his job well outside of Dean Whare. Anyone of those players has the skill to finish off tries... it's the skill of Dean Whare that meant instead of being equal with average wingers for tries scored, he was up the top of the try scorer list.

 

[Copperhead]

Where's all this talk of Nabuli having poor hands coming from? He wasn't at his best in the grand final that's for sure, but that isn't typical. He was still miles better than the rest of ours anyway.

 

[franklin2323]

Murraymob. Atm Mansour & Simmons will be our wingers come round 1.

Nabuli into his 2nd year at NSW Cup 28 tries in his 1st year. Assuming he goes well in the trials/9's goes back & starts well. Can't say his not ready.

K.Naiqama been around lower grades for 2 or 3 seasons. Looked good in the top grade. So there's no guarantee come round 10 they won't be infront of Simmons.

 

[murraymob]

Murraymob. Atm Mansour & Simmons will be our wingers come round 1.

Nabuli into his 2nd year at NSW Cup 28 tries in his 1st year. Assuming he goes well in the trials/9's goes back & starts well. Can't say his not ready.

K.Naiqama been around lower grades for 2 or 3 seasons. Looked good in the top grade. So there's no guarantee come round 10 they won't be infront of Simmons.

he will be in front of moylan at fullback

 

[franklin2323]

he will be in front of moylan at fullback

I am not so sure. Soward likes the ball playing fullback. I would put Moss back there with Roberts/Naiqama on the wings. Moylan in the halves at some stage.

 

[Big Mick]

Where's all this talk of Nabuli having poor hands coming from? He wasn't at his best in the grand final that's for sure, but that isn't typical. He was still miles better than the rest of ours anyway.

From people who only saw him play one game in the Grand Final.

 

[Copperhead]

From people who only saw him play one game in the Grand Final.

Yep, that's what I thought LOL.

 

[franklin2323]

From people who only saw him play one game in the Grand Final.

Yep even then he scored 2 great tries. 1 try I saw him score against Manly at Windsor was crazy. Cross field kick he was 10m from the defender right on the sideline. Ran on the angle caught it while running scored 10m in. That stuff you can't coach

 

[hindy111]

WHy the Simmons hate? I also recall him running thru defense lines on his own and always runs hard has good hands and good under the high ball

 

[Doomednow]

People don't give him much credit because his awesome year coincided with Whare moving permanently inside him and he was a bit average before that. I think he did a pretty good job on his own merits (although Whare certainly helped).

He deserves more respect imo, but in saying that we might have better talent waiting in the wings.

 

[mxlegend99]

No one hates Simmons. He's just not as talented as some of the freaks we have waiting for a chance at first grade. Honestly not much he, Mansour or Moylan can do to compete with players like Eto Nabouli, Kevin Naiqama and James Roberts. These guys have physical attributes that cannot be reached with any amount of gym work or training. They are simply superior athletes.

Put Simmons into Naboulis body and he could probably be the best winger to ever play the game. But sadly he isn't anywhere near as tall, or fast, or as powerful as Nabouli.

 

[chrisD]

WHy the Simmons hate? I also recall him running thru defense lines on his own and always runs hard has good hands and good under the high ball

Which defensive line has Simmons ever ran through?