Valheru
Coach
- Messages
- 19,183
Ok gents
I've been holding this one off until the Ben Hunt saga was finalised.
2024 ended in disappointing fashion so it is on to 2025 which for me has a lot of unknown in it. We have lost a lot of players in Suali'i, Manu, JWH, Keary, Sitilli, May and Jennings without much to replace them at this stage. In addition we have the two ACL injuries to Walker and B Smith.
If we are being completely honest we need to expect regression and we don't have any real shot at the title in 2025. I think 2025 is more about building for 2026 via development of some key young players in 2025 (Moriarty & Toia to name a couple) and then some recruitment for 2026 with names like Robson and D Brown already mentioned. I do like the fact that the club has clearly identified what we have been doing hasn't worked and it finally feels like we are truly moving on from the 2018-19 core.
Having said that, I don't think the drop off will be anywhere near what everyone is expecting, this is still a quality squad. Literally no one is predicting us to make the 8 (go to the predictions thread on the main board) which I think is insane. Our best team as of right now is per below IMO
1 Teddy
2 Toops
3 Marky mark
4 Toia/Billy Smith
5 Young
6 S Smith
7 Walker
8 Collins
9 B Smith
10 Leniu
11 Crighton
12 Radley
13 Whyte
14 Watson
15 Wong
16 N Butcher
17 E Butcher
18 Townsend
19 Va'a
20 Steep
21 Pauga
That is still a good side, especially the forward pack and is a top 8 team and top 4 on its day. In what is a positive, the pressure is off this team now, no one expects them to do well and Robbo seems to excel when the team isn't packed with superstars (think 2021).
I think we will finish 5-8
I've been holding this one off until the Ben Hunt saga was finalised.
2024 ended in disappointing fashion so it is on to 2025 which for me has a lot of unknown in it. We have lost a lot of players in Suali'i, Manu, JWH, Keary, Sitilli, May and Jennings without much to replace them at this stage. In addition we have the two ACL injuries to Walker and B Smith.
If we are being completely honest we need to expect regression and we don't have any real shot at the title in 2025. I think 2025 is more about building for 2026 via development of some key young players in 2025 (Moriarty & Toia to name a couple) and then some recruitment for 2026 with names like Robson and D Brown already mentioned. I do like the fact that the club has clearly identified what we have been doing hasn't worked and it finally feels like we are truly moving on from the 2018-19 core.
Having said that, I don't think the drop off will be anywhere near what everyone is expecting, this is still a quality squad. Literally no one is predicting us to make the 8 (go to the predictions thread on the main board) which I think is insane. Our best team as of right now is per below IMO
1 Teddy
2 Toops
3 Marky mark
4 Toia/Billy Smith
5 Young
6 S Smith
7 Walker
8 Collins
9 B Smith
10 Leniu
11 Crighton
12 Radley
13 Whyte
14 Watson
15 Wong
16 N Butcher
17 E Butcher
18 Townsend
19 Va'a
20 Steep
21 Pauga
That is still a good side, especially the forward pack and is a top 8 team and top 4 on its day. In what is a positive, the pressure is off this team now, no one expects them to do well and Robbo seems to excel when the team isn't packed with superstars (think 2021).
I think we will finish 5-8
