What do our reserve graders have to do to gain selection in first grade this season. The Dragons a a bottom dwell with next to no chance of making the 8. This year is stuffed so why not test some of the good performers in reserve grade in first grade so that we can better understand who we want to keep and who is to go. Now I understand Masters, Timm, Robson and some others have signed with other clubs and so I do understand why they are not being given the opportunity to play in first grade. However, there is no excuse to select Latimore over Kerr and no excuse not to select Ford on the bench for a few games. I'd say Ravalawa at right centre and Saab on the right wing would be a better selection decision than the current combination of Aitken and Ravalawa.
In my opinion once Lomax returns from injury, he should spend the remainder of this season at fullback. I also believe that if Widdop returns - and I doubt he will - he and Norman should play in the halves with Hunt going to hooker and McInnes to lock. Widdop is not a fullback and will be very reluctant to defend one on one at the back or take a high ball with opposition forwards stampeding in his direction.
Getting rid of Aitken and Lafai may be a difficult exercise given the salary they are currently on and the fact that their contracts conclude at the end of 2020. So it is very important to give it our best shot by dropping both centres to reserve grade and maybe playing Ford at left centre just for the experience and confidence gained in playing first grade. Ford has speed and size and may not be a bad short term fix. However, most importantly, the player mangers for Aitken and Lafai may deem it important to find another club for 2020 given their client's standing and salary may diminish significantly as reserve graders.
Ideally we need to recruit two new top first graders for 2020 a fullback/centre and a prop. We also need to retain Kerr and Ford as backup for first grade. Given that I don't believe Millward can sign the Turbo brothers, my team for 2020 would look like this:
1. Lomax - low cost solution for a spine player
2. Pearson - is improving every game
3. Ravalawa - to me looks like a centre rather than a winger
4. New Centre - centre/fullback
5. Saab - hopefully he will be ready by season's start in 2020
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. New Prop - an aggressive top grade prop
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. T Sims
12. Ford - to centre if a backline injury
13. Frizell - is playing better in the middle these days
14. K Sims - impact of the bench
15. Leilua - impact of the bench
16. Lawrie - versatile, prop and backrow
17. Graham or Kerr - depends on Graham's fitness
It goes without saying we need to clean out the deadwood which includes the entire coaching staff and their assitants.
