2019 team line up

[RufusRex]

Mary's use of the bench

Two props that get between 30-40 minutes of game time
One middle who gives a 15 minute breather to Jack (may not be an issue now)
One edge who doesnt play

How can anyone suggest dufty/widdop/norman for our bench with Mary in charge.

 

[possm]

Aitken has played 80 NRL games .. he is no rookie anymore and three seasons of his 4 has played 22 games or more .. That is not quite a full season but near enough.

He burst onto the scene with strength and vigor in his running but obvious areas of weakness - the prime two areas being ability to set up his wing man and decision making in defence. Now Coops never really had the ball playing but his decision making was spot on .. You would have hoped that in 80 games of NRL these deficiencies would have been addressed but whilst there is minimal improvement in them they remain problems in his game. 80 games is more than enough to make a decision on. We are certainly well down the Mitch Rein path with him. For all the talk of Aitken and origin, every time Freddy talks about him he talks about these issues and Nene destroyed him with a single tweet.

Now left centre may be an option but i fail to see how this will address the two holes in his game.

Lomax has played 3 games (4 if you include his 5 minute stint) ... That is nothing in comparision to 80. There are centres in the past 15 years though who have either debuted straight at centre or served a very short apprentiship on the wing and been effective. Jamie Lyon debuted as a centre and played in the grand final qualifier, Gas played centre in his 3rd game, then a couple more on the wing before centre again. More recently Croker played 1 game on wing before every other at centre. Lomax is not the finished product by any stretch .. But if the club is willing to give 80 to aitken flaws and all then it is not a stretch to so the same with a better prospect. His defensive decision making and ball playing are already superiour to Aitkens - he obviously doenst have the running game though.

The question to pose is this: Why after 80 games and no seemingly apparent improvement in the areas of weakness is Aitken a must have in the team? What is wrong with making a brutal decision that improves the team? It took how many seasons of Rein before the club woke up to his weaknesses?

Miss-guided loyalty and favouritism by Mary is a big part of the problem.

 

[BLM01]

14? Totally disagree with you there. He has one season left with us so we need to make the most of it. No need to punish him to the detriment of the team. 2019 could be our year.

I dont think it will be our year yet DQ, because of the unsettled nature and lack of depth in the backs and who plays where etc. We are are 1 or 2 injuries in the backs away from what could be a disastrous year.
I am not punishing him, but we have got to get our spine right for the future as well as this year. Might as well start now, Lomax can kick goals, Norman and Hunt can build combos. He will get plenty of time starting. Someone has to miss out. If you muck Dufty around we lose all likely lose all our fullback options for 2020 unless somone like a Masters / Field springs out of the box and improves heaps.
There are no good fullback options to pirchase for 2020 at this very point in time.

 

[possm]

Mary's use of the bench

Two props that get between 30-40 minutes of game time
One middle who gives a 15 minute breather to Jack (may not be an issue now)
One edge who doesnt play

How can anyone suggest dufty/widdop/norman for our bench with Mary in charge.

I'm tipping Robson in 14 - hooker rotation.

 

[possm]

I dont think it will be our year yet DQ, because of the unsettled nature and lack of depth in the backs and who plays where etc. We are are 1 or 2 injuries in the backs away from what could be a disastrous year.
I am not punishing him, but we have got to get our spine right for the future as well as this year. Might as well start now, Lomax can kick goals, Norman and Hunt can build combos. He will get plenty of time starting. Someone has to miss out. If you muck Dufty around we lose all likely lose all our fullback options for 2020 unless somone like a Masters / Field springs out of the box and improves heaps.
There are no good fullback options to pirchase for 2020 at this very point in time.

If Field and Masters have asperations for the fullback position, they had both better work on their defensive skills in the off-season and through the 2019 season.

 

[RufusRex]

There are no good fullback options to pirchase for 2020 at this very point in time.

Valentine Holmes is potentially very available if NFL fizzles.

 

[BLM01]

Valentine Holmes is potentially very available if NFL fizzles.

Sharks or Cowboys have mortgages on him if that fizzles so they say.

 

[muzby]

Sharks or Cowboys have mortgages on him if that fizzles so they say.

I’m sure if he returns, Holmes would prefer living closer to Kogarah than Perth..

 

[BLM01]

If Field and Masters have asperations for the fullback position, they had both better work on their defensive skills in the off-season and through the 2019 season.

I agree like I said if we lose Dufty and those players dont step up we are in a hole in regards to fullback.

 

[BLM01]

I’m sure if he returns, Holmes would prefer living closer to Kogarah than Perth..

But not Townsville!

 

[RufusRex]

He wont play at the sharks in 2020 ... that ship sailed ..
Townsville is the big competition for sure. We almost had holmes several years ago when Muholland left ..

 

[Dragonslayer]

I agree like I said if we lose Dufty and those players dont step up we are in a hole in regards to fullback.

The Dufty scenario is an intriguing one. One important fact is that Dufty is not signed (at present) beyond next season. If he is relegated to the bench or even ISP my guess us that he will leave, maybe sooner than later. He'd be a sensation in the ESL and would probably earn a nice sum of cash whilst there.

Our options as a replacement lie (at present) at the feet of Field. A lot of work in defense for him in 2019.
Masters is a good young kid, but is developing more into an edge forward imo.
Other options include transitioning one of the wingers.

 

[BLM01]

The Dufty scenario is an intriguing one. One important fact is that Dufty is not signed (at present) beyond next season. If he is relegated to the bench or even ISP my guess us that he will leave, maybe sooner than later. He'd be a sensation in the ESL and would probably earn a nice sum of cash whilst there.

Our options as a replacement lie (at present) at the feet of Field. A lot of work in defense for him in 2019.
Masters is a good young kid, but is developing more into an edge forward imo.
Other options include transitioning one of the wingers.

Not promising isnt it and if Dufty does improve, we lock him up quick smart. I would give him and he has deserved 1st crack at fullback this year. hence my Widdop to 14 out there statement.

 

[Drag Queen]

I dont think it will be our year yet DQ, because of the unsettled nature and lack of depth in the backs and who plays where etc. We are are 1 or 2 injuries in the backs away from what could be a disastrous year.
I am not punishing him, but we have got to get our spine right for the future as well as this year. Might as well start now, Lomax can kick goals, Norman and Hunt can build combos. He will get plenty of time starting. Someone has to miss out. If you muck Dufty around we lose all likely lose all our fullback options for 2020 unless somone like a Masters / Field springs out of the box and improves heaps.
There are no good fullback options to pirchase for 2020 at this very point in time.

I hope you are proven wrong. With Widdop's salary in 2020 I'm sure we could lure a top FB. Either way, I haven't written off the young guys. I can't think of any other teams that are deficient in fullbacks atm. Who knows but I'm optimistic about our chances this year Xx

 

[redVinme]

When does Dylan Edwards come of contract? If DWZ does get the FB gig at the pennies doubt he would want to sit around playing wing. Before he got injured last year he was in great form

 

[possm]

Valentine Holmes is potentially very available if NFL fizzles.

We would have to let Widdop go early to fit him under the cap.

But what about Dufty. There are many on here who want no one but Dufty as our fullback.

 

[RufusRex]

We would have to let Widdop go early to fit him under the cap.

But what about Dufty. There are many on here who want no one but Dufty as our fullback.

Widdop has been let go early ... 2019 is his last season with us

 

[BLM01]

Mary's use of the bench

Two props that get between 30-40 minutes of game time
One middle who gives a 15 minute breather to Jack (may not be an issue now)
One edge who doesnt play

How can anyone suggest dufty/widdop/norman for our bench with Mary in charge.

Wisful thinking on my part about changing the use of the bench / rotations for a whole season so that the team can actually perform all season and ramp it up in the finals. Some game time shuffling and rest wont hurt either especially when well in front or when we are not playing well.
Give the opposition something to think about. Plan B's & C's as other people on here have called it.
It aint rocket science just some innovation about keeping em guessing....and us to!

 

[Frank Facer]

When does Dylan Edwards come of contract? If DWZ does get the FB gig at the pennies doubt he would want to sit around playing wing. Before he got injured last year he was in great form

I wouldn't want Edwards, he isn't good enough for St George, but he is good enough for Penrith. Not surprised that Drag Queen is a fan of the Panthers Edwards. lol

 

[Carlton]

I wouldn't be upset with Edwards, is young, is physical, wants to be in everything on the field and difficult to tackle.