A team of depth players

[TrigaTheTiger]

So, year in year out we wait for the marquee signing.

It rarely happens

We have ended up with a team of depth players, one sh*t hot junior in Farah and a hot and cold in Benji.

Then we spend this year doing nothing in the player market while the slime sign the two best props on the hop and end up signing three depth outside backs.

We arent actually that far away if we buy just a few.

Thats what annoys me - we are close - just not there yet.

1 Gallant
2 Tuiaki
3 Lawrence
4
5 Tuopo
6 Marshall
7 Moltzen
8 Galloway
9 Farah
10
11
12 Heighington
13 Ellis

14 Payton
15 Laurie
16 Gibbs
17

We must be shedding close to a million in cap space this year - and we are filling it with outside back nuffies.

Add Inu, a young prop (a la Kade Snowden) and an old head (a la Josh Perry) to that mix and we would have a pretty decent team. Id pay a mill for those three or three similar.

 

[Tigers_are_Pro]

Ayshford in the centers.

 

[TrigaTheTiger]

Well Ayshford is OK - hes going alright -

But hes not a strike centre now is he?

And most likely never will be.

The point is - if we stick with the same team - we will get the same results.

I would be extremely happy to lose Ashford if we sign someone like Inu or Hodges.

 

[bjm8]

I'd stick with Ayshford before Inu and emergency ward Hodges. He's a gun.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

Hodges wouldn't leave Brisbane for us. And Inu hasn't done anything for two years, arrived with a bang but has fizzled out completely. Ayshford has only played 4 games at centre off the top of my head, hasn't put a foot wrong.

All we need is an old head up front, as you said. In all seriousness, an Adam Peek type of player, just runs hard and straight, knows his job and turns up to play every week. Don't need another young up and coming prop, KG & Gibbs are still young and improving, just need an old noggin to show them the path. Skando has filled in admirably since returning, and wouldn't look out of place running around next year again either.

 

[TrigaTheTiger]

As Sheens himself has been quoted as saying - every club needs six props

2 on the field
2 on the bench
and 2 on the sidelined - suspended.

How many do we have - I mean true props - KG, Daine, Payto at a pinch - and who?

 

[TrigaTheTiger]

TH - I'm talking more about that "style" of player.

In the Mark Gasnier mould - a big strong centre who can bust a tackle and make something out of nothing.

 

[macnaz]

I'd stick with Ayshford before Inu and emergency ward Hodges. He's a gun.

Im hoping Ayshford is going to grow pysicaly and mentaly into a good player,he seems to be on the right path. Does anyone know what his pace is like ?

 

[TrigaTheTiger]

I guess my point on Ayshford is I am getting a little impatient with the list of players we have had that "show promise"

Dont get me wrong, Ayshford looks like a great prospect - but so did Collis.

Im talking about having an outside back that is a proven game winner - runs strong and hard - breaks a tackle and puts the winger away.

Ayshford may (or may not) be that player in the future - but if we keep waiting for these players to reach their potential at the same time - we might not ever actually see it happen.

We have been working on the juniors for years and we are still missing out on the finals - every year.

Time to try something else.

Perhaps look to the Dogs as a bit of an example for recruitment.........

 

[Tigers_are_Pro]

Ayshford has played 4 games.

Collis has played almost 100.

When Ayshford plays 100, then you can compare.

 

[TrigaTheTiger]

Gosh - the people on here are protective of their juniors...

And I thought that aim was the make the finals and win the comp......

 

[aids]

you're in the wrong subforum, if you your here to talk about finals football.

 

[TimmyB]

Why would you want to waste cap space on a centre when Ayshford looks to have the goods? Lawrence is on the brink of stardom, not too many teams have more than one quality centre. The first place Dragons have Beau Scott in the centres ffs.

What is it about the way we have been playing which suggests we even need more potency in the 3/4s?

 

[Tigers_are_Pro]

Our backline is far from the problem. Sure Ryan can maybe be improved upon but that's about it.

 

[TrigaTheTiger]

Timmy - more potency in the centres.......

Oh I dont know - some lines breaks that end up in tries would be nice.........


TaP - yeah - I know we have bigger problems - my original post focussed on the forwards, but we have gone down the Ayshford path - I agree with you - forwards are our number 1 problem -

Just not the only one.

I guess what Im trying to say is that if you guys think we are just one or two players away from regular finals - the answer is no -

 

[DanOz]

Talk of Ayshford in the centres is pointless anyway imo - Sheens has already said he will play him on the back row next year.

 

[innsaneink]

Strike in the centres?
I seem to remember Collis putting his winger away ala gaz on a regular basis.
I seem to recall Lawrence breaking opposition backline time n again.
Maybe all the fartarsing around of players inside these has something to do with it????

 

[innsaneink]

Talk of Ayshford in the centres is pointless anyway imo - Sheens has already said he will play him on the back row next year.

I'd love a link for this.
Not saying I dont believe you, but where n when did he say this?
Ayshford would get snapped in half, he hasnt even finished growing ffs.

 

[DanOz]

I'd love a link for this.
Not saying I dont believe you, but where n when did he say this?
Ayshford would get snapped in half, he hasnt even finished growing ffs.

From Big League 16/7

But the zippy Ayshford shouldn’t get too comfy in the backs – he’s been ear-marked for a move to the forwards as soon as he fills out his 190cm frame.

“He has good size… he’s a big rangy fella, so he’s quite tall and he can play a number of positions,” says Tim Sheens.

“Depending on how he fills out we can see him possibly ending up in the back row or back at lock, where he has played in the past.

 

[innsaneink]

Yeh...we'll wait till he just starts to get a handle on centre then move him.
f**k, what is it about players that '''can play a number of positions'''
Maybe some specialists could do the team a world of good.