Joel Thompson Announcement

[Fangs]

MrDragon007's record of fail continues

Let the ass kissing start with you my friend.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

Terrific at running angles, support play and defence. I'm really disappointed to lose him especially to effing Manly who I hate with a passion. He would have benefited from having Hunt on the park next year, could have used his runs close to the line. Good luck to him but I don't see why you'd let a player of his calibre go so easily.
So I guess Sims, Host and Leilua will fight it out for that spot and possibly a couple of other contenders.
I'm not happy with this at all.

The real beneficiaries of Hunt's arrival will be Frizell and Luciano. Just wait for those two to be running lines off him.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Kallum Watkins is the one i was trying to think of.

 

[Old Timer]

Millwards already indicated we won’t replace him with another forward. Seems we have around 900k to spend on an outside back.

Val Holmes would be handy (if he’s got the shits that Duges and Moylan may take his FB spot).

Pipe dream I know.

Millward said not replacing with another back rower so that doesn't rule out a prop.

 

[_Johnsy]

MrDragon007's record of fail continues

Ouch

 

[jak]

Luciano Leilua may get to play with big brother

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

The paradigm continues; yet ANOTHER player who doesn't want to play under Paul McGregor!

Merrin, Morris etc.

And, Millward has also demonstrated his incompetence...AGAIN.

 

[Dragsters]

Thanks for your time at the Big Red V Joel.

Good luck in the future (just not too much luck) and keep up those efforts off the field as well...

 

[Saints Forever]

The paradigm continues; yet ANOTHER player who doesn't want to play under Paul McGregor!

Merrin, Morris etc.

And, Millward has also demonstrated his incompetence...AGAIN.

Am sure very few forum members are happy to see Joel go, but the reality is Host should have got more game time this season. Host is in my view ready to step up. Leilua initially off the bench will give us an additional ball player.

Host is an excellent hole runner who has developed an imposing physique.

In my view Millward and the club made the right decision. Better to let Joel leave one year early than play one year too long and clog the clear pathway being created for our top juniors.

 

[Crush]

Luciano Leilua may get to play with big brother

BJ BJ BJ!!!

 

[Frank Facer]

I think Thompson leaving is great news. It now opens the door for Host and Leilua to get more game time next season. It also frees up some extra salary cap space to spend on the right player.

 

[SBD82]

P graham
P Vaughan
RF sims
LF frizzel
L JDB

ResP LAM
ResP Sele
ResEF Host.

Looks pretty good.

My guess would be that the props rotate in pairs, Frizell shifts to the middle after half time with JDB having a break with host coming in on the edge, and frizell either comes back for sims or to the middle at the end, depending where he's needed.

 

[Old Timer]

JT leaves and he provided a bit of mongrel and played 80 minutes.
JG comes in and he will provide a bit of mongrel for 50 - 60 minutes.
The question is who provides the missing 20 - 30 minutes and the answer is obviously TS.
That means TS should remain a bench player and must always be on the field whilst Graham is off.
Therefore Host should be the starting left edge player.
If we ever have a situation where Sims and Graham are both off the field at the same time who can take on the aggressive role?

 

[kit66]

P graham
P Vaughan
RF sims
LF frizzel
L JDB

ResP LAM
ResP Sele
ResEF Host.

Looks pretty good.

My guess would be that the props rotate in pairs, Frizell shifts to the middle after half time with JDB having a break with host coming in on the edge, and frizell either comes back for sims or to the middle at the end, depending where he's needed.

That's not a very imposing bench, little impact there. Opposition packs will out-muscle us when Vaughan and Graham are off the field. I'd stick with Sims on the bench or even JDB for a bit of impact.
We should have tried harder to hold on to Packer, we'd have been top 4 you'd think.
Hopefully a young'n can step up, Leilua or one of the other young props. Neither Sele nor Host fill me with confidence while LAM is very reliable but hardly a dominating type player ( love his defensive work though ).

 

[possm]

Welcome to Saints.... Alex Walmsley

Yep, there's probably enough cap there now to sign Walmsley and/or BJ Leilua. I am fairly sure BJ is on the cards given the Leilua brothers indicated they wanted to play together and Luc. has just extended eith the Dragons. If Walmsley is available, he would be my first priority. Although if we signed both players, we would have to drop another out of the top 30.

 

[Frank Facer]

That's not a very imposing bench, little impact there. Opposition packs will out-muscle us when Vaughan and Graham are off the field. I'd stick with Sims on the bench or even JDB for a bit of impact.
We should have tried harder to hold on to Packer, we'd have been top 4 you'd think.
Hopefully a young'n can step up, Leilua or one of the other young props. Neither Sele nor Host fill me with confidence while LAM is very reliable but hardly a dominating type player ( love his defensive work though ).

I think Wests offered Packer up to 800K a season. We did the right thing in not competing with that offer.

 

[possm]

I think Wests offered Packer up to 800K a season. We did the right thing in not competing with that offer.

I'm sure if we offered Packer 550k in Jan 17, he would have accepted it with both hands. Demand for Packer from Wests only came about after Cleary was appointed head coach and then in Mar/Apr, Woods indicated he was going to the Dogs. Having said this, I'm happy with Graham as Packer's replacement and would be even happier if we signed Walmsley.

 

[giboz71]

Just out of curiosity, where did this 900k number come from?

If that's the cash that we have, then happy days.

Was mentioned in JA.

Assume it’s a combination of Thompson’s contract and whatever is left over from Dugan’s contract.

 

[giboz71]

Millward said not replacing with another back rower so that doesn't rule out a prop.

Graham, Vaughan, Ah Mau. Then the youngsters in Sele and Lawrie and we have Allgood and Latimore as back ups. Kerr is still around too is he not?

Sims and Friz can play in the middle as well if required.

Prop is just as well covered as back row IMO.

So an outside back makes much more sense, given it’s Nighty’s last year.

 

[possm]

Graham, Vaughan, Ah Mau. Then the youngsters in Sele and Lawrie and we have Allgood and Latimore as back ups. Kerr is still around too is he not?

Sims and Friz can play in the middle as well if required.

Prop is just as well covered as back row IMO.

So an outside back makes much more sense, given it’s Nighty’s last year.

First Grade Prop Rotation
Vaughan
Graham
Ah Mau
Walmsley

Reserve Grade Prop Rotation
Allgood
Latimore
Lawrie
Kerr