What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Rate our recruits

natheel

Coach
Messages
12,137
Rate our recruits. I'm interested to see everyone's opinions on all of our new recruits. Who do you rate the most important signing, who is the most exciting recruit in your eyes. Also which player do you have a feeling is going to be a flop and not get much first grade?


Our recruits

Brenden Santi
William Hopoate - Mormon Mission
Nathan Peats - South Sydney Rabbitohs
Corey Norman- Brisbane Broncos
Justin Hunt - South Sydney Rabbitohs
Lee Mossop - Wigan Warriors
Toby Evans - Penrith Panthers
Liam Foran - Salford Reds (official?)

Anyone else?
 
Last edited:
Messages
13,894
Brenden Santi = haven't seen anything of him but he did capt aust schoolboys
William Hopoate = can't wait to see him with us, super player
Nathan Peats = just the type of hooker we needed.
Corey Norman = will excel at 5/8, heaps of potental needs to improve kicking game
Justin Hunt = winger who can play fullback, but a real good winger
Lee Mossop = haven't seen a lot him but reports are good, english international
Liam Foran= hasn't played NRL in a few years, good back up expect him to play at wenty mostly.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
96,227
Rate our recruits. I'm interested to see everyone's opinions on all of our new recruits. Who do you rate the most important signing

Probably Peats, or whichever one of these brings the most leadership.

who is the most exciting recruit in your eyes.

Hopoate of course, or Norman for his yet unrealised potential.

Also which player do you have a feeling is going to be a flop and not get much first grade?

Just because they don't get much first grade doesn't make them a flop. Every club needs backups and in a perfect world your top 17 would play every game and your backups (eight in the top 25 and up to ten or twelve in the second tier) wouldn't make a single appearance.

I reckon Santi, Foran and Evans will be backups, but Foran might be a smokey to play every game if Sandow leaves the club.

Hopoate, Peats, Norman and Mossop will be definite top 17 players. Justin Hunt will be competing for a spot with a couple of the guys already at the club.

I really don't know what to expect from Lee Mossop. I'm tipping he'll be about as good as Darcy Lussick; better than average, but not quite Origin class.

The only one I expect to be a world beater straight out of the box is Will Hopoate. Two years out will mean nothing by the end of pre-season. He'll be ready to go.
 

Forty20

First Grade
Messages
7,677
Ratings for each incoming recruit where 5/10 represents a solid first-grader.

Brenden Santi [6/10] - I had some concerns about him earlier but he has impressed me with his recent efforts. Definitely has the potential to become a quality player with time but at this stage I have him pegged as just above the average.

William Hopoate [7.5/10] / [9/10] - Will have to shake off some rust but despite that he will still prove to be a cut above anyone else in our backline bar Hayne. Once he hits his stride he will be a star (again).

Nathan Peats [6.5/10] - Solid hooker overall but he brings a lot of other important traits to the team with his psyche and mental aptitude for the game. Gives us some flexibility on our bench with his ability to transition to the backrow. Might be a smokey for leadership duties.

Corey Norman [6/10] - A lot of potential but it has been largely unfulfilled at Brisbane due to a number of circumstances. I expect him to play solidly throughout the next season, balancing the odd good game with a bad one. That might not be enough for other supporters who (understandably) want consistently dominant players in the halves and IMO Norman will probably end up as our most criticised recruit (as do most players that we recruit in the halves).

Justin Hunt [4.5/10] - Came here to play first-grade and I believe he will do a solid job for us. That said, he could fall behind others wingers at the club pending our new coach and results in the off-season. Goal-kicking might give him an edge over the others with the constant speculation surrounding the future of Chris Sandow.

Lee Mossop [7/10] - Unproven in the NRL but comes over with plenty of pedigree in the ESL. I'm not expecting him to put out Sam/George Burgess like performances but he should produce strong and steady numbers. With him playing in conjunction with Tim Mannah, we have more freedom to play our bigger men more aggressively.

Toby Evans [6/10] - Lowballed his rating due to injury concerns but he comes here with plaudits from keen Penrith supporters. Has performed excellently in both the NYC and the NSW Cup. Ideally he would be built slowly towards first grade but he now sits in the middle of an intriguing shoot out for a spot in the halves in 2014 (as per the Sandow speculation). We currently have a lot of back up depth in the halves but no one has been able to take the mantle and make it their own. If he is good enough, it is his spot to take. Failing that he will develop in Wenty.

Liam Foran [4/10] - Was not able to pin down a first-grade spot in a consistently dominant Manly team before leaving for the ESL. He lost his job there shortly into his tenure due to a massive club-wide shake up but there were also question marks over his performances. Like Evans, he is part of the shoot out for a spot in the halves but he can also play hooker or lock. If the new coach favours a utility on the bench he might become the #1 candidate but it is difficult to see him pushing anyone out of a starting spot.

*Edit*

Peats will be our most important signing. While a lot of the credit goes towards the halves for generating offensive plays, the hooker does all the work in manipulating ruck dominance. We have had to put up with the most ineffective hooker in that field for the last five years so hopefully Peats can turn things around for us.
 
Last edited:

Joshuatheeel

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
21,006
Hunt was a half and i believe Souths originally recruited him as a half but only he got to play at wing / full back as Reynolds when so good. Considering he was a half and we potentially need a 14 - does anyone reckon he has the potential to be our bench hooker? I have seen enough of him to make a judgement.
 

Maroubra Eel

Coach
Messages
19,044
Sorry to put a dampener on things but I'm a realist.

Get excited if you like, but it's only going to end in tears for you merkins.
 

lingard

Coach
Messages
11,543
Ratings for each incoming recruit where 5/10 represents a solid first-grader.

Brenden Santi [6/10] - I had some concerns about him earlier but he has impressed me with his recent efforts. Definitely has the potential to become a quality player with time but at this stage I have him pegged as just above the average.

William Hopoate [7.5/10] / [9/10] - Will have to shake off some rust but despite that he will still prove to be a cut above anyone else in our backline bar Hayne. Once he hits his stride he will be a star (again).

Nathan Peats [6.5/10] - Solid hooker overall but he brings a lot of other important traits to the team with his psyche and mental aptitude for the game. Gives us some flexibility on our bench with his ability to transition to the backrow. Might be a smokey for leadership duties.

Corey Norman [6/10] - A lot of potential but it has been largely unfulfilled at Brisbane due to a number of circumstances. I expect him to play solidly throughout the next season, balancing the odd good game with a bad one. That might not be enough for other supporters who (understandably) want consistently dominant players in the halves and IMO Norman will probably end up as our most criticised recruit (as do most players that we recruit in the halves).

Justin Hunt [4.5/10] - Came here to play first-grade and I believe he will do a solid job for us. That said, he could fall behind others wingers at the club pending our new coach and results in the off-season. Goal-kicking might give him an edge over the others with the constant speculation surrounding the future of Chris Sandow.

Lee Mossop [7/10] - Unproven in the NRL but comes over with plenty of pedigree in the ESL. I'm not expecting him to put out Sam/George Burgess like performances but he should produce strong and steady numbers. With him playing in conjunction with Tim Mannah, we have more freedom to play our bigger men more aggressively.

Toby Evans [6/10] - Lowballed his rating due to injury concerns but he comes here with plaudits from keen Penrith supporters. Has performed excellently in both the NYC and the NSW Cup. Ideally he would be built slowly towards first grade but he now sits in the middle of an intriguing shoot out for a spot in the halves in 2014 (as per the Sandow speculation). We currently have a lot of back up depth in the halves but no one has been able to take the mantle and make it their own. If he is good enough, it is his spot to take. Failing that he will develop in Wenty.

Liam Foran [4/10] - Was not able to pin down a first-grade spot in a consistently dominant Manly team before leaving for the ESL. He lost his job there shortly into his tenure due to a massive club-wide shake up but there were also question marks over his performances. Like Evans, he is part of the shoot out for a spot in the halves but he can also play hooker or lock. If the new coach favours a utility on the bench he might become the #1 candidate but it is difficult to see him pushing anyone out of a starting spot.

*Edit*

Peats will be our most important signing. While a lot of the credit goes towards the halves for generating offensive plays, the hooker does all the work in manipulating ruck dominance. We have had to put up with the most ineffective hooker in that field for the last five years so hopefully Peats can turn things around for us.

I think people are really underestimating Corey Norman. I think he'll turn out to be an eight out of ten. Likewise Nathan Peats. I think he'll be an eight, too. And Hoppoate will become a nine quicker than most people think.
 

lingard

Coach
Messages
11,543
Probably Peats, or whichever one of these brings the most leadership.



Hopoate of course, or Norman for his yet unrealised potential.



Just because they don't get much first grade doesn't make them a flop. Every club needs backups and in a perfect world your top 17 would play every game and your backups (eight in the top 25 and up to ten or twelve in the second tier) wouldn't make a single appearance.

I reckon Santi, Foran and Evans will be backups, but Foran might be a smokey to play every game if Sandow leaves the club.

Hopoate, Peats, Norman and Mossop will be definite top 17 players. Justin Hunt will be competing for a spot with a couple of the guys already at the club.

I really don't know what to expect from Lee Mossop. I'm tipping he'll be about as good as Darcy Lussick; better than average, but not quite Origin class.

The only one I expect to be a world beater straight out of the box is Will Hopoate. Two years out will mean nothing by the end of pre-season. He'll be ready to go.[/QUOTE]

Definitely. The guy has as much class as Hayne, Inglis, Folau, etc.
 
Top