2020 season

[Kilkenny]

Bird was signed by the Bronco’s on a huge deal, has barely played due to injury and when he has played has been underwhelming.

Curtis Scott obviously talented but another player who has had issues and has barely played in recent times.

Has to be cheaper, more reliable less risk outside backs out there who would do a better job that our current options.

Perhaps a 1 year deal for Michael Jennings could be worth considering. Has clearly lost some of his pace but still very good positionally and defensively. Good do a decent job for one season and could be picked up at a reasonably modest contract.

 

[Abacus]

Bird was signed by the Bronco’s on a huge deal, has barely played due to injury and when he has played has been underwhelming.

Curtis Scott obviously talented but another player who has had issues and has barely played in recent times.

Has to be cheaper, more reliable less risk outside backs out there who would do a better job that our current options.

Great! Care to name any? Or just going to keep throwing out generalities like a politician?

 

[Kilkenny]

Great! Care to name any? Or just going to keep throwing out generalities like a politician?

Michael Jennings, Hymel Hunt, Corey Oates are a few options, Oates may be wanting too much money given he is still yet to be signed up by the Bronco’s but he is a quality winger.

 

[Abacus]

Michael Jennings, Hymel Hunt, Corey Oates are a few options, Oates may be wanting too much money given he is still yet to be signed up by the Bronco’s but he is a quality winger.

Do you genuinely see any upside in signing Jennings or Hunt?
Jenko will be 32 early next season and has never been able to reliably pass to his outside man.
Hunt seems a journeyman to me. I know he's been linked to the club but I've not seen anything from him to suggest he's the answer to any of the questions about our roster. Limited player with little upside.
Not sure about spending $600k-$700k on a winger (he's unhappy about his current $500k Broncos deal). That would seem high risk to me.

 

[Kilkenny]

Do you genuinely see any upside in signing Jennings or Hunt?
Jenko will be 32 early next season and has never been able to reliably pass to his outside man.
Hunt seems a journeyman to me. I know he's been linked to the club but I've not seen anything from him to suggest he's the answer to any of the questions about our roster. Limited player with little upside.
Not sure about spending $600k-$700k on a winger (he's unhappy about his current $500k Broncos deal). That would seem high risk to me.

You asked for suggestions I gave you some. You don’t like them that’s fine.

If it were me I would bring in half a dozen up and coming young talents probably none of whom we have heard off, three promising backs and three promising forwards and hopefully maybe half (three) turn out to be really good NRL players. Maybe starting with Lachlan Timm from the Dragons, off contract, can’t get a debut despite leading the stats for forwards in CC.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Team for round 1, 2020 based on current roster - to be updated as signings

1. Edwards
2. To'o
3. Whare - but would love a Curtis Scott or Jack Bird.
4. Burton
5. Crichton
6. Luai
7. Cleary
8. Tamou
9. Egan - I'm backing him to step up next year. Been carrying a shoulder injury.
10. JFH
11. Kikau
12. Martin
13. Yeo - again giving him benefit of the doubt given he's been carrying a shoulder injury.
14. Kenny
15. Burns
16. Leota
17. Leniu

I think we'll need all 3 of Cleary, Luai & Burton on the field in 2020 so Burton at left centre seems the easiest way to achieve this.

While I have Kikau named at 2nd row, I'd be defending him in the middle with Yeo defending on the edge.

That team plus Cleary as coach does not make the top 8 next season.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Team for round 1, 2020 based on current roster - to be updated as signings

1. Edwards
2. To'o
3. Whare - but would love a Curtis Scott or Jack Bird.
4. Burton
5. Crichton
6. Luai
7. Cleary
8. Tamou
9. Egan - I'm backing him to step up next year. Been carrying a shoulder injury.
10. JFH
11. Kikau
12. Martin
13. Yeo - again giving him benefit of the doubt given he's been carrying a shoulder injury.
14. Kenny
15. Burns
16. Leota
17. Leniu

I think we'll need all 3 of Cleary, Luai & Burton on the field in 2020 so Burton at left centre seems the easiest way to achieve this.

While I have Kikau named at 2nd row, I'd be defending him in the middle with Yeo defending on the edge.

There’s enough money to sign a centre, so no reason Whare needs to be there. But if we can’t sign one I’d be playing Chricton there & Naden on the wing.

I’d prefer Apisai over Egan.

 

[herbert henry1908]

That team plus Cleary as coach does not make the top 8 next season.

7th or 8th is the best we can hope for next year now. The team is too young.

 

[Abacus]

You asked for suggestions I gave you some. You don’t like them that’s fine.

If it were me I would bring in half a dozen up and coming young talents probably none of whom we have heard off, three promising backs and three promising forwards and hopefully maybe half (three) turn out to be really good NRL players. Maybe starting with Lachlan Timm from the Dragons, off contract, can’t get a debut despite leading the stats for forwards in CC.

No need to get defensive. We were discussing outside back (more specifically centre) options and you suggested a couple to which I gave my opinion and asked you where you thought the upside in either of them was.

Now you seem to be suggesting a more scattergun approach to squad development. I've got no problem with signing promising talent (although it's been the club's focus for the past few seasons and not yet paying dividends and I'm not sure more young guys is the answer to improving the squad) but I don't think it should be at the exclusion of targeting established NRL talent - particularly when you might not be having to pay full freight.

 

[herbert henry1908]

We shouldn’t be too downcast about the team, we’ve got some nice pieces to build upon, but the recruitment now is critical. With RCG & possibly Whare gone there has to be money to play with.

It’s just frustrating we’re back in a rebuild mode. Ivan also gets to lean on that for when the results don’t come.

 

[Abacus]

That team plus Cleary as coach does not make the top 8 next season.

Agreed. Just putting the current situation in front of people's eyes. Not much doubt we need to sign some quality established NRL talent.

 

[Panfa]

We need a fullback winger hooker prop

 

[Abacus]

There’s enough money to sign a centre, so no reason Whare needs to be there. But if we can’t sign one I’d be playing Chricton there & Naden on the wing.

I’d prefer Apisai over Egan.

I don't know if Naden is quick enough. I'm hoping for a quality centre to be signed so opted to retain Crichton on the wing for development. It will be either Naden or Crichton.

Yes, team subject to change pending signings. Api's not yet a Panther so I've not included him.

 

[Kilkenny]

No need to get defensive. We were discussing outside back (more specifically centre) options and you suggested a couple to which I gave my opinion and asked you where you thought the upside in either of them was.

Now you seem to be suggesting a more scattergun approach to squad development. I've got no problem with signing promising talent (although it's been the club's focus for the past few seasons and not yet paying dividends and I'm not sure more young guys is the answer to improving the squad) but I don't think it should be at the exclusion of targeting established NRL talent - particularly when you might not be having to pay full freight.

I would love to sign the Turbo brothers but I don’t even bother raising them because it isn’t going to happen and the same applies to other high profile players. I try to offer more realistic options for us.

The point I am trying to make about our overall recruitment going forward into 2020 is despite letting a number of players go we don’t have the amount of money some think we do and I have this on good authority. Currently we probably have sufficient funds to sign 1 top quality NRL player or a couple of lesser lights. If RCG leaves then the situation would obviously improve slightly depending how much we subsidise his contract.

Given we are light on in both the forwards and backs, my opinion only, would be to invest in half a dozen quality promising talents and hope we hit the jackpot to add to what we already have. This opinion is primarily based on finances and cap space. If we had $2 million available then the strategy would be different and we could target more high profile established players.

I believe we have unearthed some really quality youngsters in the last half a dozen seasons but they have not developed further due to the coaching from Griffin and now Cleary. We have been good at developing the kids to get to the NRL and then they are stagnating for obvious reasons.

 

[herbert henry1908]

I don't know if Naden is quick enough. I'm hoping for a quality centre to be signed so opted to retain Crichton on the wing for development. It will be either Naden or Crichton.

Yes, team subject to change pending signings. Api's not yet a Panther so I've not included him.

Naden wouldn’t be any slower than someone like Corey Oates. What he lacks in speed he makes up for in height. He’s also got a good feel for getting to grubber kicks.

What he desperately needs is an off season working on defence.


Ideally we’d have someone tall & fast on the wing, but Naden has enough positives to work with.

 

[herbert henry1908]

We need a fullback winger hooker prop

Can you expand on your thinking about fullback? You said Edwards was cooked last night, that’s not what I see.

As @mxlegend99 suggested, I don’t see a better fullback out there for us than Edwards. Plus we have two youngsters with big wraps on them waiting in the wings.

 

[Abacus]

Naden wouldn’t be any slower than someone like Corey Oates. What he lacks in speed he makes up for in height. He’s also got a good feel for getting to grubber kicks.

What he desperately needs is an off season working on defence.


Ideally we’d have someone tall & fast on the wing, but Naden has enough positives to work with.

Yep, not fussed whether Naden or Crichton is retained on the wing. Point being it will only be 1 of them. And Naden's last 2 or 3 games is doing him no favours.

 

[Abacus]

I would love to sign the Turbo brothers but I don’t even bother raising them because it isn’t going to happen and the same applies to other high profile players.

Agreed - unless you can get them at less than market rate. Possible for players such as Scott, Bird, Ramien & Reynolds.

The point I am trying to make about our overall recruitment going forward into 2020 is despite letting a number of players go we don’t have the amount of money some think we do and I have this on good authority. Currently we probably have sufficient funds to sign 1 top quality NRL player or a couple of lesser lights. If RCG leaves then the situation would obviously improve slightly depending how much we subsidise his contract.

I'm similarly aware that we don't have cap space to sign high profile players at market value - hence targeting guys in key positions for our roster that might be subsidised by other clubs.

I believe we have unearthed some really quality youngsters in the last half a dozen seasons but they have not developed further due to the coaching from Griffin and now Cleary. We have been good at developing the kids to get to the NRL and then they are stagnating for obvious reasons.

So if Cleary is stagnating young players coming to the NRL, why sign more young guys for Dave's mate to stagnate? This is "definition of insanity" stuff. The only players that I can see Ivan achieving results with are those that have NRL experience AND something to prove to themselves and their former club. Otherwise we just seem to be shuffling the deckchairs.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

So I've seen Korosiau, Segeyaro, and Jennings suggested, Barret is on his way back, Peachey was close to doing so, Moylan has been rumored... has Cleary returning opened the floodgates for Penrith welcoming back jilted lovers with open arms?

 

[franklin2323]

We shouldn’t be too downcast about the team, we’ve got some nice pieces to build upon, but the recruitment now is critical. With RCG & possibly Whare gone there has to be money to play with.

It’s just frustrating we’re back in a rebuild mode. Ivan also gets to lean on that for when the results don’t come.

Any new coach takes 2-3 seasons to get the roster right. A rebuild was always needed given how poorly it was built