Ballin

[HayneKloppter]

There are no quality forwards on the market.

A good centre would be helpful though. One who can tackle. It would help our back rowers out a bit too.

none that would coerce their existing contract to play for taylor you mean

 

[BrotherJim05]

Completely agree with MU, we need a centre. A backline like this would actually be very competitive:

1. Tedesco
2. Nofo
3. Hiku/Roberts
4. Simona
5. Naiqama

There is no way we are signing anyone though, We are pretty much done and dusted on the recruiting front.

 

[Tiger05]

I'm not convinced we need a centre. I think Naiqama goes better in the centres than on the wing. I think we need someone to step up and give us some speed where Richards used to be however we are not going to get a slower winger than what we had. I suppose we could put Simona on the wing if a gun centre comes through.

We need our forwards to step up this year as we've lost Taupau and Galloway. The next issue I think is depth in the outside backs however hopefully that will improve over last year.

 

[macnaz]

Harry T please buy Roberts , call it a xmas present for the fans

 

[madunit]

I'm not convinced we need a centre. I think Naiqama goes better in the centres than on the wing. I think we need someone to step up and give us some speed where Richards used to be however we are not going to get a slower winger than what we had. I suppose we could put Simona on the wing if a gun centre comes through.

We need our forwards to step up this year as we've lost Taupau and Galloway. The next issue I think is depth in the outside backs however hopefully that will improve over last year.

Nofo needs a lot of work, especially defensively and on his passing game to be capable enough at centre.

He's competent enough as a winger and he's a good finisher.

You cannot carry a bad defender at centre if you have a weak back row, it's just going to leave big holes and cause either your winger or back rower to hold back just in case they need to do some cover defence - and thats how holes are created.

 

[BrotherJim05]

A quality centre and an 80 min defensive back rower is really what we need. I think we can develop Lawrence into an 80 min back rower...Sironen idk.

If we want to persist with Brooks and Moses we need to make sure our centres and back rowers are damn good defenders as they will have increased workloads

 

[madunit]

yep.

Crazily enough, given the reduced interchange, it probably wouldn't have been too bad an idea to have Ayshford back as a back rower.

He was a solid enough defender and he always ran on lines that were identical to those by back rowers.

His defensive issues were largely due to pathetically inept inside defenders that he always had to hold back to cover for (Marshall/Lui/Moltzen/Carney)

Stick him in the back row, where the poor defenders are outside him, that way he can come forward with the defensive line and make the tackle, instead of waiting back and waiting to see if his inside man can effect the tackle.

Don't need a world beater, just another Liam Fulton really.

If you have a quality backline and solid prop rotation, you can get away with former centres as back rowers (barely any difference these days between them anyway). It would actually be quite an intelligent structure to have with the reduced interchange rules, given the right coach and game plans were in place.

 

[benched tiger]

Ballin will probably fill in the back row during games when not at hooker,he offers nothing in attack but is solid in defence and has a good work rate which is more than what you could say for some of our forwards this year.

 

[Old Time Tiger]

Do Manly want to make an offer for Ballin now?

 

[Vic Mackey]

Hahahaa wouldn't surprise me

 

[madunit]

Going rate is 800k....

 

[macnaz]

What about a straight swap with Taupau ?