Off Season 2024/25

[hitro]

 

[Matua]

Neither of those two team lists are filling me with confidence. If we're going to move CNK to centre then just move RTS back to FB.

We're in real trouble at 7. Boyd? Or Metcalf? TBH I think TMM is a better bet than both those two.

Ford is average, Niukore was shit last year.

Well, I've successfully lowered my expectations for this year.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

01. RTS.
02. DWZ.
03. Leiataua.
04. CNK.
05. MGT.
06. TMM.
07. Boyd.
08. JFH.
09. Egan
10. Barnett.
11. Capewell.
12. Harris
13. Walker

14. Clark.
15. Niukore.
16. Vaimauga.
17. Halasima

 

[hitro]

both those lists are from Australian guys so quite dispassionate. I found it interesting that they are nearly the same except a choice between Boyd and TMM

 

[Big Marn]

01. RTS.
02. DWZ.
03. Leiataua.
04. CNK.
05. MGT.
06. TMM.
07. Boyd.
08. JFH.
09. Egan
10. Barnett.
11. Capewell.
12. Harris
13. Walker

14. Clark.
15. Niukore.
16. Vaimauga.
17. Halasima

Too many players with triple names WW.
Statistical analysis over the last 25 years of NRL premierships shows that you have only a 12% chance of winning the title if your team has more than 4 triple names in the line up.

Happy New Year Everyone !!

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Too many players with triple names WW.
Statistical analysis over the last 25 years of NRL premierships shows that you have only a 12% chance of winning the title if your team has more than 4 triple names in the line up.

Happy New Year Everyone !!

lol Hyphenated champions,

Swap out DWZ for Taine to sharpen up the defence is the other option I had in mind.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

TMM at 7 for mine. Others can duke it out for the #6 spot.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Neither of those two team lists are filling me with confidence. If we're going to move CNK to centre then just move RTS back to FB.

We're in real trouble at 7. Boyd? Or Metcalf? TBH I think TMM is a better bet than both those two.

Ford is average, Niukore was shit last year.

Well, I've successfully lowered my expectations for this year.

I think this is overlooked - Niukore was awful last year. Inexcusable for a guy of his size. It's also overlooked how poor Egan was from about round 5 onwards. Massive improvements needed from those two veterans.

Interesting that both of those two lists have Taine at FB. I genuinely don't know which way Webby will go, but I will say I think CNK got a bit of a bum rap on here for how he went last year. No issues in 2023 with how he played, but we lacked ball players to create on attack last year and likely we will this year too...which is probably why it'll be RTS or Taine at No.1.

 

[Matua]

I think this is overlooked - Niukore was awful last year. Inexcusable for a guy of his size. It's also overlooked how poor Egan was from about round 5 onwards. Massive improvements needed from those two veterans.

Interesting that both of those two lists have Taine at FB. I genuinely don't know which way Webby will go, but I will say I think CNK got a bit of a bum rap on here for how he went last year. No issues in 2023 with how he played, but we lacked ball players to create on attack last year and likely we will this year too...which is probably why it'll be RTS or Taine at No.1.

Not overlooked from me, but I never really got on the Egan hype train that this forum did.

I too don't have an issue with CNK, but I do think him to centre and RTS to fullback is a better use of the talents of those players. Not sure about Taine. Can he play in the halves?

 

[JJ]

A lot depends on Roger tbh, CNK is solid but limited (actually a description of most the team). Metcalfe and RTS potentially offer more spark than others, but for different reasons there are questions … and at his best Egan fits nicely

Middle looks strong as it did last year, but elsewhere pretty solid but limited…

 

[Penrose Warrior]

We just need to score points. We need guys in the 1, 6 and 7 who are going to get us across the line. Metcalf and TMM are that for me, TMM proved he's outstanding at putting guys away close to the line and Metcalf has speed + that evasive skill we need. I'd be going RTS at 1, and getting him to pop up regularly - although I'm not certain that explosive speed and step still exist. CNK to centre, and Taine as backup FB if required. Egan also needs to run more, and not just from rounds 1-5 when it's hot and dry.

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

Forgot we'd signed Clark!

 

[CheG]

1.Taine
2.RTS
3.CNK
4.Berry/Ali
5.DWZ

6.LM
7.TMM

8.FISH
9.Egan
10.Barnett
11.Ford/Demetric
12.Capewell
13.Tohu

14.Clarke
15.Walker
16.Niukore
17.CHT/Healey

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

We just need to score points. We need guys in the 1, 6 and 7 who are going to get us across the line. Metcalf and TMM are that for me, TMM proved he's outstanding at putting guys away close to the line and Metcalf has speed + that evasive skill we need. I'd be going RTS at 1, and getting him to pop up regularly - although I'm not certain that explosive speed and step still exist. CNK to centre, and Taine as backup FB if required. Egan also needs to run more, and not just from rounds 1-5 when it's hot and dry.

Yea good calls.

I was really disappointed with TMM in the back end of last year till I read he’d been playing injured, which seems to have been a theme with our halves all season.

So on that note, I’m also really hoping we have a better run with injuries, and Webby and his staff are much much better at managing the inevitable ones that do crop up.

 

[JJ]

TMM will have some good games, but any expectations that he’ll suddenly become a top level half seem to ignore his career

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Dylan Brown shopping himself around. Most over rated player around for me but am sure he won’t have any trouble finding big money

 

[JJ]

Dylan Brown shopping himself around. Most over rated player around for me but am sure he won’t have any trouble finding big money

Agree, not sure he’s proven much… for all the Luai dislike they’re not remotely close in what they’ve shown

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Yea certainly inconsistent and at 24-25, he's past the 'potential' thing and should be regularly owning games with his obvious talent. That said... I'd still take him.

I hate the term 'franchise player' but maybe that sort of responsibility is what he needs.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

TMM is a funny one for me because while I wasn't overly impressed by him last season, there's no denying that the team as a whole was more successful when he was at 7. Some aspects of his game are pretty clunky (and I still worry about the lack of a proper long kicking game) but somehow his presence seems to lead to points. In particular, he seemed to have the knack of taking the right options when we were attacking inside the 20 (which stood out like a sore thumb given SJ was having an all-time bad season in terms of setting up tries in "good ball" situations).

I struggle to see us being a top 8 team with the halves options we have but I can't really go past TMM as the first choice at 7.

I also hope that these journo-named teams omitting Halasima are wrong. If I pretend to be optimistic for a moment, one thing that could improve us this year is big seasons for some of our youngsters, who hopefully add more attacking threat on the edges - I'm particularly thinking about Leiataua and Halasima here.

 

[Beavers Headgear]