This was going to go in the main thread, but I ended up writing a novel which I'm considering creating a trilogy from when I export to other markets. If you wanna chuck this in that thread unit, do so, I shan't mind too much. But I think there's more here than in most other threads I start so it would be cool to see what people think instead of getting lost in the mega thread.
This includes hypotheticals. I've tried to explain my thinking rather than plonking random names with no thought to tactics or ability or anything.
1. Tuqiri - He's obviously class. I'm not too convinced about how he would play league these days though. He's not a stewart or a slater who wraps around the back with pure speed to create an extra number, nor a campbell or hodgo who can act as a 5/8. But if he can support up the middle, offer himself as a centre style player outwide (including the wrapping move, minus the blinding pace) and occasionally handle the ball in the sort of fashion hodgo could, I think we'd have a f**king good player on our hands. There's hardly a form guide here though. Good for marketing, media - would almost pay for himself.
2. Tuiaki - Fighting it out with Vatuvei for the most damaging sideline runner in world Rugby. The trys he scored to take himself up the top of the try scorers ladder were often trys only a beast could score, not simple finishes like some of the other players came up with. Absolutely marquee player. Also a very smart player - I can't picture the game, but the memory of him slowing to reach the full back and guiding (lawrence?) to the correct position to take the pass won't leave me anytime soon. Needs to have an 07, 09 season, not the holiday that was '08. Could probably spend some time working out which country he's from too.
3. Davis - This is my big wild card. Josh Davis. I'm not entirely convinced with this one, and obviously Daniella or Brown will be here theiving oxygen, but I'd love to see this. I've been very critical of picking young, inexperienced u20s recently, but this is the sort of lower grader who comes into FG and makes a name for himself. He's got the body and the ability to match it with seasoned pros. I like his pace and try scoring ability, but I love his brutality and size. Just look at this back 5 - they're all monsters!
4. Lawrence - Lawry was always going to be a good player and he's not getting the wraps he was last year, but in 2009 he was a far better player, just lacking in service once Benji was shifted to the middle. His defence was woeful early on, but as always he learns. He's now more than capable and the memories of Inglis walking down his side a few times are hopefully going to be just memories soon. He's a very one dimensional player - he can only run straight and hard - but he's f**king good at it. None, of this versatile, not good enough to hold down one position at the wooden spooners bullsh*t. He needs late, flat service as he's the best hole runner we've had since hoffman. Give it to him early and he looks lost. It's a shame losing a player like Collis who liked the early ball, but I see Tuqiri filling this role hopefully. Benji loves providing the late ball on the left after confusing the defenders or getting them to plant their feet.
5. Tupou - Well. Tuiaki MKII??? This dude WAS a very good player. Bradford signed him to replace the legendary Leslie Vainakolo. That says a lot to me. Unlike the mis-represented Tuiaki, he does live up to sterotypes and has issues with his hands etc. A good off-season with our focus on skills may do him wonders. Injury has done him no favours in recent seasons but a recent operation will hopefully do him the world of good and get him back to form. If he combines with Tuiaki we may well have two 20-try-a-season wingers. Mark up a finals appearance.
6. Marshall - Any one who thinks he isn't the best 5/8th in the world has rocks in their head. Yes that includes the regularly brilliant, yet often average Darren Lockyer. He's a human-highlights reel and offers the X-Factor that 2005 and 2009 PROVE wins premierships. I needn't go on about him too much, we all know what he brings to the team, as long as he's wide and doing his thing.
7. Taumata - I'm claiming this dude as "my man!". From all reports he's a genuine bloke who just can't handle his piss. There's one thing about Sheens, if you're on his right side he'll look after you and get you on the right road. I hope he'll do this for Taumata. There's few highlights of this guy around, but if you can find them, just check out the way he moves. He's like Rob Burrow crossed with Preston Campbell crossed with some muscles. Genuine athlete in the mould that any really successful NRL footballer these days needs to be. I guarantee he'll score some wonderful solo trys, especially close to the line if he's given a go. My real concern, and this is the one weak link I see in this team is that we don't have a halfback. Prince was never a true halfback, which kinda goes to show if we can click at the end of the season like '05 or Parra '09 the two halves showing a bit of magic could take us all the way. He NEEDS to develop a kicking game in particular as I can't see Marshall ever really getting a hold of his.
8. Cayless - Unit. Solid. Leader. Prop forward. Yes, it is a shock, but we may sign a decent front rower. He's been magnificent for Saints on their way to something like 6 finals in 3 years. Injured this year but that may well have been our lucky break. Was reading the NRL forum recently and many regarded him as the NRL's best prop prior to his departure from Sydney. I know a lot of you don't like Gibbs, but with this guy taking the bullsh*tty hit ups and leading the way, Gibbs can take back the mantle of the inexperience firebrand looking to build a career instead of trying to be the old head, only prop in the side sh*t he's had to endure. Very excited if this is to come true.
9. Farah - In my top 5 players in Aus. More crucial than Benji. He's our heart and by that I mean he is the key to the team. He rolls us forward, gets us speed of ball the ball, directs play, gets the numbers moving around the ruck that IS our style of play. And that's before the line breaks, set moves, left foot 40/20s and, very importantly, the grubbers to the in-goal which pretty much provides our only chance at a repeat set. sh*ts all over Buderus and Smith and he does it in a woeful team. Showed some bollocks this year too.
10. Galloway - Was always going to be an Aussie prop right from the minute McDonnell signed him for 220k a season (when's he off to Newcastle by the way?). He'll get better with age will this big boy. He's not going to make 3 tackles in a row like Gibbs (watch the ruck in defence, it happens so regularly), but he will bend the line and smash guys in defence. Such big wraps on this guy and we'll do well to keep him at the club.
11. Ellis - Battling it out with Morley and Peacock to be the best 2nd rower in the world (and even these two have shifted to the front row). You guys haven't seen anything from him yet. Sure he hits harder, more consistently than anyone in the NRL, but when I first started watching him it was his attacking game that drew me. He's like wide running polynesian player, minus the errors. One of the great shames of '09 was our complete inability to attack to the right and the fact Gallant never had much of a chance to run off his offloads. I blame this on the coach and cite Bronson Harrison offloading more than our entire team once he left for the Raiders as an example.
12. Payten - Not a front rower and never will be. But he's an axe in defence and does offer something running straight when he is told to. Since Sheens' spruiking of his invention of a new position (tight) - yes it's the one you're thinking of, been in Rugby since the mid 1850's - Payten has been a useless tub of lard, more obsessed with ball playing to a bunch of confused motionless team mates than running the ball forward to let Benji et al do their thing. He's got wonderful skills for a big man, but they're a compliment to his game, not the be all and end all.
13. Fulton - Was chatting the other day about him making almost every tackle in a set of 6 in the Dragons semi and never being more than 10 metres from the ball. The guy is a machine. Just keeps turning up. Remember him getting back to take the first hit up after a deep kick while our wingers were still watching the ball from the other side of the field. This was crucial to our premiership. All the good teams have a player like Fulton - the benefit with this guy is that he's also handy with the ball. I started a piss-take thread a few weeks ago about him being better than Moltzen, but I probably wasn't far wide of the mark. He's not the sort of player you'd have at 6 in FG, he's just not THAT good, but as a key man in set plays and ball playing before the line occasionally, he's very very valuable. Got the club close to his heart. Most importantly, he creates team spirit which was so so crucial to getting that FORM going in '05. Also good for marketing, media etc.
14. Gibbs - Coming off the bench with other big units leading the way could make Gibbs' career instead of seeing him waste away like he is now. This is a guy who came into FG, scored with his first touch and genuinely looked like a mad thing. It seems to me he lost confidence and is showing the classic attributes of a young front rower needing experience to prove himself. I'd be very excited about what he could offer with 4 props in the side. Already he is one of the harder workers in the side. You watch Heighington, he'll make a nice tackle, then struggle to his feet at marker. At best he'll do his job, at worst he's too slow and lets play go past him. More on that soon.
Gibbs is a demon from marker. The amount of times he gets out and makes that extra tackle or two really makes a difference to the rest of the side. I really hope he can get the sting back in his runs and start to offer the brutality of a seasoned front rower. Still seems like a boy out there, but then, so did most of the good props at his age.
Penalties are a big thing on this forum, but the stats don't seem to agree, especially when you take into account how often Gibbs is around the ruck. He was blamed for giving away a penalty for lying in the ruck in the Parra game, but every one seemed to ignore the fact he'd just saved a certain try with no one else left, then made then next tackle and conceded a professional foul as we were done with. The real marvel is that he was smart enough not to be sin-binned. The 8 point try was clumsy, but then, he is clumsy. I don't understand why though he was criticised. He shouldn't have even been there. Why was our prop forward motoring wide to stop Luke Burt?! Where were the rest of our myriad second rowers?
15. Heighington - Contrary to how most interpret my writings, I don't actually think he's that bad. I think he's FG average and poorly used by Sheens - it just gets my back up that he's rated so highly, simply because Rabs waxed lyrical for a few weeks in '05. He is one of the few players in our side who can actually offer a bit of agression. He'll never be a big hitter, but a bit of passion never goes astray. If he comes off the bench, does a bunch of dirty work, then goes for a spell he could be a decent player. His main problem is, his fitness in short bursts seems rubbish. On the rare occasions he makes a few tackles in a row, it's almost inevitable he'll leave a gap in the line by not being able to get back. If Folkes can address this, get his fitness right then we could have a decent footy player. I still rate Galea more highly.
16. Flanagan - I'll leave this one in the oven for a while I think. Not quite done yet, but still very edible. He'll be the classic English forward of the 00's. Tough, uncomprising, hard , skillful and all with a brain. Think Ellis, just younger. I'm quite keen to see how he goes, he's no Burgess, but I certainly won't knock him back.
17. Lima - I'm not so sure how this will go. He wasn't very good when he was with us, but he's just the sort of forward Bellamy loves. Big with some agression. Bellamy has the intensity to get them playing to their emotional and physical limit. Sheens and Royce haven't managed to do this for more than 30 mins in what was an early season debacle. If he can come here and be the player he was for Melbourne we'll have done very well. If he can come here an offer some go forward and intimidation, then i'll be more than happy.
I'd love to have Galea here, but there doesn't seem to be any money for him from what is being said. Brown and Daniela are capable back ups. Moltzen I considered for the bench, but if someone isn't hurt as is the case most of the time, what's the point. Not too sure how to restructure with an injury to the outside backs, but it will probably involve Fulton/Flanagan in the halves or Ellis in the centres. Ayshford I just don't see any natural ability. As I mentioned before, he's not got an athletes body, or the footy brain/ability of someone like Collis (in form). Hanbury is the same, just not good enough. Moors I like, though it seems he'll play front row which is sh*t. It took me this long to remember Sleau Ryan which shows what I think of him as a winger, despite his seemingly wonderful personality ;-)
The key to all this really is the defence. We should have a side to have a go, but, to use the same examples; WT05 and Parra09 have been based on an incredibly hard to penetrate defensive line. Melbourne's defence is easy to decontruct... our's; I've no idea about. Why is it that in '05 we had the intensity and moved as one side to side with speed? Was it just that we were less tired than the opposition due to more possesion? If you look back to the Broncos semi when we held out in the first half, that doesn't seem likely.
Why don't we do it now? Why in 2006 was Prince the worst defender in the NRL? What turned the Eels around? I guess if you knew the answer to this, you'd probably be telling Vossy just before your captain holds the trophey up in a week.
Our goal kicking and long kicking are rubbish. From all reports Benji kicked at a higher percentage at training in '05 than Hodgo who was around the high 80s. I'm not confident he can do this on match day next year, though even this year he nailed some crackers from the sideline. It needs fixing as a few here have already started to mention. We've been woeful at it since 2006, not sure what happened to Hodgo that year.
Our long game also really lets us down. Farah offers the best dummy half boot in the game, but our other two blokes have been fairly ordinary to say the least. I think if Benji has a bit of time he can be very capable, though it would probably be up to Taumata to take a fair share of the responsibility.
Anyway, have a think about all this and please respond thoughtfully.
This includes hypotheticals. I've tried to explain my thinking rather than plonking random names with no thought to tactics or ability or anything.
1. Tuqiri - He's obviously class. I'm not too convinced about how he would play league these days though. He's not a stewart or a slater who wraps around the back with pure speed to create an extra number, nor a campbell or hodgo who can act as a 5/8. But if he can support up the middle, offer himself as a centre style player outwide (including the wrapping move, minus the blinding pace) and occasionally handle the ball in the sort of fashion hodgo could, I think we'd have a f**king good player on our hands. There's hardly a form guide here though. Good for marketing, media - would almost pay for himself.
2. Tuiaki - Fighting it out with Vatuvei for the most damaging sideline runner in world Rugby. The trys he scored to take himself up the top of the try scorers ladder were often trys only a beast could score, not simple finishes like some of the other players came up with. Absolutely marquee player. Also a very smart player - I can't picture the game, but the memory of him slowing to reach the full back and guiding (lawrence?) to the correct position to take the pass won't leave me anytime soon. Needs to have an 07, 09 season, not the holiday that was '08. Could probably spend some time working out which country he's from too.
3. Davis - This is my big wild card. Josh Davis. I'm not entirely convinced with this one, and obviously Daniella or Brown will be here theiving oxygen, but I'd love to see this. I've been very critical of picking young, inexperienced u20s recently, but this is the sort of lower grader who comes into FG and makes a name for himself. He's got the body and the ability to match it with seasoned pros. I like his pace and try scoring ability, but I love his brutality and size. Just look at this back 5 - they're all monsters!
4. Lawrence - Lawry was always going to be a good player and he's not getting the wraps he was last year, but in 2009 he was a far better player, just lacking in service once Benji was shifted to the middle. His defence was woeful early on, but as always he learns. He's now more than capable and the memories of Inglis walking down his side a few times are hopefully going to be just memories soon. He's a very one dimensional player - he can only run straight and hard - but he's f**king good at it. None, of this versatile, not good enough to hold down one position at the wooden spooners bullsh*t. He needs late, flat service as he's the best hole runner we've had since hoffman. Give it to him early and he looks lost. It's a shame losing a player like Collis who liked the early ball, but I see Tuqiri filling this role hopefully. Benji loves providing the late ball on the left after confusing the defenders or getting them to plant their feet.
5. Tupou - Well. Tuiaki MKII??? This dude WAS a very good player. Bradford signed him to replace the legendary Leslie Vainakolo. That says a lot to me. Unlike the mis-represented Tuiaki, he does live up to sterotypes and has issues with his hands etc. A good off-season with our focus on skills may do him wonders. Injury has done him no favours in recent seasons but a recent operation will hopefully do him the world of good and get him back to form. If he combines with Tuiaki we may well have two 20-try-a-season wingers. Mark up a finals appearance.
6. Marshall - Any one who thinks he isn't the best 5/8th in the world has rocks in their head. Yes that includes the regularly brilliant, yet often average Darren Lockyer. He's a human-highlights reel and offers the X-Factor that 2005 and 2009 PROVE wins premierships. I needn't go on about him too much, we all know what he brings to the team, as long as he's wide and doing his thing.
7. Taumata - I'm claiming this dude as "my man!". From all reports he's a genuine bloke who just can't handle his piss. There's one thing about Sheens, if you're on his right side he'll look after you and get you on the right road. I hope he'll do this for Taumata. There's few highlights of this guy around, but if you can find them, just check out the way he moves. He's like Rob Burrow crossed with Preston Campbell crossed with some muscles. Genuine athlete in the mould that any really successful NRL footballer these days needs to be. I guarantee he'll score some wonderful solo trys, especially close to the line if he's given a go. My real concern, and this is the one weak link I see in this team is that we don't have a halfback. Prince was never a true halfback, which kinda goes to show if we can click at the end of the season like '05 or Parra '09 the two halves showing a bit of magic could take us all the way. He NEEDS to develop a kicking game in particular as I can't see Marshall ever really getting a hold of his.
8. Cayless - Unit. Solid. Leader. Prop forward. Yes, it is a shock, but we may sign a decent front rower. He's been magnificent for Saints on their way to something like 6 finals in 3 years. Injured this year but that may well have been our lucky break. Was reading the NRL forum recently and many regarded him as the NRL's best prop prior to his departure from Sydney. I know a lot of you don't like Gibbs, but with this guy taking the bullsh*tty hit ups and leading the way, Gibbs can take back the mantle of the inexperience firebrand looking to build a career instead of trying to be the old head, only prop in the side sh*t he's had to endure. Very excited if this is to come true.
9. Farah - In my top 5 players in Aus. More crucial than Benji. He's our heart and by that I mean he is the key to the team. He rolls us forward, gets us speed of ball the ball, directs play, gets the numbers moving around the ruck that IS our style of play. And that's before the line breaks, set moves, left foot 40/20s and, very importantly, the grubbers to the in-goal which pretty much provides our only chance at a repeat set. sh*ts all over Buderus and Smith and he does it in a woeful team. Showed some bollocks this year too.
10. Galloway - Was always going to be an Aussie prop right from the minute McDonnell signed him for 220k a season (when's he off to Newcastle by the way?). He'll get better with age will this big boy. He's not going to make 3 tackles in a row like Gibbs (watch the ruck in defence, it happens so regularly), but he will bend the line and smash guys in defence. Such big wraps on this guy and we'll do well to keep him at the club.
11. Ellis - Battling it out with Morley and Peacock to be the best 2nd rower in the world (and even these two have shifted to the front row). You guys haven't seen anything from him yet. Sure he hits harder, more consistently than anyone in the NRL, but when I first started watching him it was his attacking game that drew me. He's like wide running polynesian player, minus the errors. One of the great shames of '09 was our complete inability to attack to the right and the fact Gallant never had much of a chance to run off his offloads. I blame this on the coach and cite Bronson Harrison offloading more than our entire team once he left for the Raiders as an example.
12. Payten - Not a front rower and never will be. But he's an axe in defence and does offer something running straight when he is told to. Since Sheens' spruiking of his invention of a new position (tight) - yes it's the one you're thinking of, been in Rugby since the mid 1850's - Payten has been a useless tub of lard, more obsessed with ball playing to a bunch of confused motionless team mates than running the ball forward to let Benji et al do their thing. He's got wonderful skills for a big man, but they're a compliment to his game, not the be all and end all.
13. Fulton - Was chatting the other day about him making almost every tackle in a set of 6 in the Dragons semi and never being more than 10 metres from the ball. The guy is a machine. Just keeps turning up. Remember him getting back to take the first hit up after a deep kick while our wingers were still watching the ball from the other side of the field. This was crucial to our premiership. All the good teams have a player like Fulton - the benefit with this guy is that he's also handy with the ball. I started a piss-take thread a few weeks ago about him being better than Moltzen, but I probably wasn't far wide of the mark. He's not the sort of player you'd have at 6 in FG, he's just not THAT good, but as a key man in set plays and ball playing before the line occasionally, he's very very valuable. Got the club close to his heart. Most importantly, he creates team spirit which was so so crucial to getting that FORM going in '05. Also good for marketing, media etc.
14. Gibbs - Coming off the bench with other big units leading the way could make Gibbs' career instead of seeing him waste away like he is now. This is a guy who came into FG, scored with his first touch and genuinely looked like a mad thing. It seems to me he lost confidence and is showing the classic attributes of a young front rower needing experience to prove himself. I'd be very excited about what he could offer with 4 props in the side. Already he is one of the harder workers in the side. You watch Heighington, he'll make a nice tackle, then struggle to his feet at marker. At best he'll do his job, at worst he's too slow and lets play go past him. More on that soon.
Gibbs is a demon from marker. The amount of times he gets out and makes that extra tackle or two really makes a difference to the rest of the side. I really hope he can get the sting back in his runs and start to offer the brutality of a seasoned front rower. Still seems like a boy out there, but then, so did most of the good props at his age.
Penalties are a big thing on this forum, but the stats don't seem to agree, especially when you take into account how often Gibbs is around the ruck. He was blamed for giving away a penalty for lying in the ruck in the Parra game, but every one seemed to ignore the fact he'd just saved a certain try with no one else left, then made then next tackle and conceded a professional foul as we were done with. The real marvel is that he was smart enough not to be sin-binned. The 8 point try was clumsy, but then, he is clumsy. I don't understand why though he was criticised. He shouldn't have even been there. Why was our prop forward motoring wide to stop Luke Burt?! Where were the rest of our myriad second rowers?
15. Heighington - Contrary to how most interpret my writings, I don't actually think he's that bad. I think he's FG average and poorly used by Sheens - it just gets my back up that he's rated so highly, simply because Rabs waxed lyrical for a few weeks in '05. He is one of the few players in our side who can actually offer a bit of agression. He'll never be a big hitter, but a bit of passion never goes astray. If he comes off the bench, does a bunch of dirty work, then goes for a spell he could be a decent player. His main problem is, his fitness in short bursts seems rubbish. On the rare occasions he makes a few tackles in a row, it's almost inevitable he'll leave a gap in the line by not being able to get back. If Folkes can address this, get his fitness right then we could have a decent footy player. I still rate Galea more highly.
16. Flanagan - I'll leave this one in the oven for a while I think. Not quite done yet, but still very edible. He'll be the classic English forward of the 00's. Tough, uncomprising, hard , skillful and all with a brain. Think Ellis, just younger. I'm quite keen to see how he goes, he's no Burgess, but I certainly won't knock him back.
17. Lima - I'm not so sure how this will go. He wasn't very good when he was with us, but he's just the sort of forward Bellamy loves. Big with some agression. Bellamy has the intensity to get them playing to their emotional and physical limit. Sheens and Royce haven't managed to do this for more than 30 mins in what was an early season debacle. If he can come here and be the player he was for Melbourne we'll have done very well. If he can come here an offer some go forward and intimidation, then i'll be more than happy.
I'd love to have Galea here, but there doesn't seem to be any money for him from what is being said. Brown and Daniela are capable back ups. Moltzen I considered for the bench, but if someone isn't hurt as is the case most of the time, what's the point. Not too sure how to restructure with an injury to the outside backs, but it will probably involve Fulton/Flanagan in the halves or Ellis in the centres. Ayshford I just don't see any natural ability. As I mentioned before, he's not got an athletes body, or the footy brain/ability of someone like Collis (in form). Hanbury is the same, just not good enough. Moors I like, though it seems he'll play front row which is sh*t. It took me this long to remember Sleau Ryan which shows what I think of him as a winger, despite his seemingly wonderful personality ;-)
The key to all this really is the defence. We should have a side to have a go, but, to use the same examples; WT05 and Parra09 have been based on an incredibly hard to penetrate defensive line. Melbourne's defence is easy to decontruct... our's; I've no idea about. Why is it that in '05 we had the intensity and moved as one side to side with speed? Was it just that we were less tired than the opposition due to more possesion? If you look back to the Broncos semi when we held out in the first half, that doesn't seem likely.
Why don't we do it now? Why in 2006 was Prince the worst defender in the NRL? What turned the Eels around? I guess if you knew the answer to this, you'd probably be telling Vossy just before your captain holds the trophey up in a week.
Our goal kicking and long kicking are rubbish. From all reports Benji kicked at a higher percentage at training in '05 than Hodgo who was around the high 80s. I'm not confident he can do this on match day next year, though even this year he nailed some crackers from the sideline. It needs fixing as a few here have already started to mention. We've been woeful at it since 2006, not sure what happened to Hodgo that year.
Our long game also really lets us down. Farah offers the best dummy half boot in the game, but our other two blokes have been fairly ordinary to say the least. I think if Benji has a bit of time he can be very capable, though it would probably be up to Taumata to take a fair share of the responsibility.
Anyway, have a think about all this and please respond thoughtfully.
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He lived with my family and I when he was staying in Melbourne 
He is a really good kid, Ive been out with him and never had a problem. Hes just had a fair share of bad luck. He has all the makings to be a superstar. 
