2024 Squad List

[Saints Forever]

Incorrect he was talking about forwards and he listed A Johnson and he has already acknowledged my reply

It was a joke

 

[since77]

To be added to Sele and Flanno so far:

Hooker?
Prop?
FB?
Outside back?
Edge backrower?

I suspect we are seriously looking at another hooker to bolster our ability to gain field position from earlier plays in the tackle count.

I think Kyle Flanno is there for utility and also apply pressure on the 5/8 role which we could really benefit from. I don’t find our current 5/8 nearly smart enough nor crafty enough for us to truly be in the top8. Would Amone slot in as 5/8 in any of the top8 teams? Amone has no long kicking game and no long passing game.

For 2024 we need more metres and a more mobile defence with starch / experience and we have only added Sele so far……but we have let go 4 and maybe 5 middles ie Kerr, Woods, JHunt, NLT and maybe Musgrove?

We have altered the 2024 top30 list in the middle sort of on the run with 5 youthful emerging prop/middles ie MMolo, Alec Tuitavake, Viliami Fifita plus Couchmans x 2 but we need another experienced and strong spearhead middle to be in front of these guys. I’m guessing if BMM stays he is fighting for a middle spot?

Plus we have an interesting next wave of forwards on our list - 18,19,20yrs old next season:

Egan
Carlos Pauli
Loko Jnr PASIFIKI TONGA
Nicholas Tsougranis
Hamish Stewart
J Webster
Jett Liu
J Coric
A johnson
Buchanon

Most important positions to fill are forwards. Then 5/8 and fullback. But god help us we need forwards otherwise there’s no point even taking the field in ‘24 with the useless powder puff pack we fielded in ‘23.

 

[saintmar]

Kyle Flanagan is not a first grade halfback or hooker whose selection will be clouded by his relationship with the coach. He's Jake Arthur, not Nathan Cleary.

That's a low blow for Jake

 

[Number of the Beath]

Has better defense that Hunt, not hard and kicks goals, but how is his play making, a solitary try assist from 17 games tells me not crash hot. Hopefully his old man can add some structure to his play.

You can't make a silk purse out of a Sow's ear.
Coaches Kid is as average as they come.
Bud might not have been fully formed, but he had some spark. A potato can light up a bulb but I've never seen Kyle Flanagan light up a game of football. I'd sooner have brought in Luke Brooks.

 

[Number of the Beath]

He's played 139 first grade games... only one of them under his father as coach. Bit different. More like Billy Walters perhaps.

Anyway Flanagan Sr has already publicly said Hunt is his halfback, so I don't think Kyle is playing there unless Hunt is absent.

Hunt absent? Like the last 7 or 8 rounds of 2023?

 

[carltonsouth79]

This team?
1 Lomax
2 Sloan
3 Suli
4 Olam
5 Ravalawa
6 Lui
7 Hunt
8 F Molo
9 Liddle
10 Lawrie
11 Sua
12 RFM
13 Amone
14 Flannigan, 15 Seles, 16, JDB, 17 Couchman (R or T)

 

[Draginzaaar]

This team?
1 Lomax
2 Sloan
3 Suli
4 Olam
5 Ravalawa
6 Lui
7 Hunt
8 F Molo
9 Liddle
10 Lawrie
11 Sua
12 RFM
13 Amone
14 Flannigan, 15 Seles, 16, JDB, 17 Couchman (R or T)

Yeah, like we'll sign Lui. Is that supposed to be Luai?

 

[Number of the Beath]

Yeah, like we'll sign Lui. Is that supposed to be Luai?

Mixie Lui, maybe?

 

[possm]

Flanno turned guys like Barba, Luke Lewis and Ennis into gran finalists. All 3 great players but at the time were not at their best. Ennis a journeyman, Luke not wanted at Panthers and Barba kicked out due to off field issues. If Flanno can turn these guys around I have no doubt he will do the same with what he has at Saints in Sloan and Amone. I think JDB, Sua, the 2 Couchmans / Molos and Lawrie will make a huge difference next season as I have no doubt that these guys can transform the pack to become a top 8 pack if they play to their potential which Flanno will accomplish.

You may be right and I certainly hope you are. I am sure Flanno will at least have the team fully fit to last 80 minutes and hopefully a full season.

 

[carltonsouth79]

Yeah, like we'll sign Lui. Is that supposed to be Luai?

Yes, spelling not withstanding

 

[denis preston]

You can't make a silk purse out of a Sow's ear.
Coaches Kid is as average as they come.
Bud might not have been fully formed, but he had some spark. A potato can light up a bulb but I've never seen Kyle Flanagan light up a game of football. I'd sooner have brought in Luke Brooks.

Is it his role to “ light up a game of football “ ?

 

[carltonsouth79]

Yeah, like we'll sign Lui. Is that supposed to be Luai?

Just speculating on possibles. Interested in Andrew Johns view that we need a consistent 6 and Luai fits that bill.

 

[denis preston]

Most important positions to fill are forwards. Then 5/8 and fullback. But god help us we need forwards otherwise there’s no point even taking the field in ‘24 with the useless powder puff pack we fielded in ‘23.

Don’t know 77 , some of those games we couldn’t put to bed were because of our pedestrian outside backs In both offence & defence.

 

[denis preston]

Hunt absent? Like the last 7 or 8 rounds of 2023?

Mate you just have to get over Gow cutting your jersey up . It’s obviously eating away at you !

 

[steerlerbab]

One thing we needed last few years is a goal kicker. Zac Lomax is ok as back up goal kicker. His conversion rate was 78% at his best and last year dropped to 60% when his confidence was down. Looking at Kyle Flanagan, his conversion rate is 87%. This year we lost a lot of games by a few points. From memory there were couple of games that we even scored more tries than the opposition but conversions let us down. Kyle should cover goal kicking and Lomax can concentrate on becoming a marquee player.

 

[Trifili13]

While Lomax's goalkicking percentage might not be great, how many of our tries are scored an inch from the sideline when Rava carries 3 blokes over? Now i know Lomax has missed easy ones, but we rarely score near the posts, or at least that is what it feels like to me. How many times have we outstriped teams and the player is able to run around and score near to posts, making the conversion easier.

 

[Number of the Beath]

Is it his role to “ light up a game of football “ ?

Umm... if he's a half-back and a "playmaker" then ... um ... yes.
Is that not what we find frustrating about the likes of Hunt and Amone as compared to the likes of Reynolds, Clearly, Munster, Cody Walker, Keary, Hynes, Cherry-Evans, SJ etc etc etc?
FMS

 

[baggygreen man]

Usually agree with you..but to state he has better defense than Hunt is a stretch...

Noting Hunts defense improved last season, but prior to that he was a horrible defender, won the gong for most missed tackles one year from memory. I think a good parameter is that the best halfs defend in the middle while the poor ones like Hunt are banished to the bleachers. Be interesting to see where Flanno jr old man puts him next season. Is he planning on switching him with Hunt for example.

 

[baggygreen man]

Alex Johnson left the club 6 months ago

We talking about Aaron Johnson, a prop, wondered where he had gotten to.

 

[baggygreen man]

Keary,

He is on the market, put out feelers for him before the Chooks snapped him up a few years back. Surely he'd have been a better bet than Flanagan Jr to unseat Hunt or as a utility.