Recruitment for 2012

[hitman82]

So our coach is signed and will begin working part time in a couple of weeks. I'd like to see Brian make a couple of signings pretty promptly, whether from ESL (where I assume he has good pulling power) or NRL or reserve grade.

It's a pity to see Joel Moon go, but at the same time I'm a bit cynical about his ability to keep his form at peak level long term.

Hopefully McClennan is respected amongst NRL players or they are keen to work under a fresh coach, and he can lure a couple of quality players our way.

I'm pretty happy with our roster but we certainly seem thin on outside backs, and

Hohaia
Berrigan
Moon
Metcalf
Latimore
Robinson (not sure on this one but I seem to remember reading he's gone??)
Heremaia
Seymour
---> out

and

Friend
<--- in

...seems seriously unbalanced.

Sure, Hurrell takes one of the full time squad member spots, but we still have 5-6 vacant and a wing/centre line up that includes:

Tupou (wing)
Inu (wing/centre)
Ropati (centre - often injured)
Vatuvei (wing - often injured)
Fish (pushing it here - I now view him as purely fullback cover)
Hurrell (unsure if he will be ready in 2012)

...seems minimal at best, foolhardy at worst. Apart from Taylor I don't see any long term second row --> centre options, and I think Taylor should be groomed for the 13.

Though it just occurred to me that we also have Ivan Penehe on our books - can anyone rate him for me?

Also we have too many top quality second rowers. Maybe we could do a trade with someone???

 

[ballbag]

Is metcalfe released or his option not taken up by the club

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

Im quite happy as to who is leaving

Hohaias time has come, hes been an excellent servant to the club but we have plenty of hooking depth now with Mara, Godinet and Friend here next year. Right time, and im glad Hohi can get a good paycheck.

Berrigan - Rumoured to want to go back to Aus, let him go. He hasn't been outstanding. FG standard, but on the backend of his career.

Moon - WANTS to play in the halves, we cant offer him that. Im happy for him to leave, even though he has been in form the last 4 weeks, doesn't make up for his whole time he has been here.

Metcalf - Hasnt proved himself at FG, so wont be a loss imo.

Latimore - WOuldnt be in our top 17. Great for depth so on that aspect its a loss, but we have plenty of juniors who could step up when needed.

Robinson - no comment as it hasnt been confirmed

Heremaia - Has played well since signing for Hull. However, see Hohi.

Berrigan - Hasnt really played to his full potential imo. Im happy for Johnson and Maloney to be our top halves. Just concerned if they both or one of them plus John gets injured.

As mentioned, i think Hurrell will get a top squad contract. I'd be happy if we didnt sign anyone else but were able to retain key players to long contract eg Maloney.

Bear in mind we have Ropati coming back next season as well.

 

[TurtleWarrior]

Metcalfe's been signed up to a full time contract. And I've heard/read rumours that Moon's signed for Salford in the ESL.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Centre is the one position that concerns me, the rest we will still have a strong team and have great depth.

FB - Locke, Fish
Wing - Manu, Tupou, Inu (Fish)
C - Ropati, Penehe (Inu, Tupou)
6/7 - Maloney, Johnson, Godinet, John
P - Rapira, Lillyman, Matulino, Packer, Gavet, Houma
H - Friend, Mara (Godinet)
SR - Luck, Mannering, Brown, Mateo, Ta'ai, Rapira, Taylor, Louisi

That's a squad of 27 right there, without including any current NYC players. I'd be surprised if we don't keep a few of our U20's as well. Henry, Louisi, Tuimavavae, Ikahihifo, Hurrell etc.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Centre still irks me.

We have an injury-prone Ropati as our only specialist centre with NRL experience.
We have Inu, who is playing centre at the moment with the Vulcans and I doubt will see any more FG action this year.
Then there's Hurrell, who is a great talent but is probably another season or two away.
Berrigan looks like going, same with Moon. Metcalfe must be fairly well down the pecking order if he didn't get a run this year.

Leaves us pretty thin on the ground if Ropati or anyone else in that position goes down. I'm confident Bluey will give Inu a better run than Ivan has, but will that be at wing? Will Brown have to make himself a centre given our back-row stocks?

And for that matter, was McClennan asked yesterday if recruitment is done for 2012 or if he still has something up his sleeve?

 

[Izz]

I think Metcalfe's been out with injury. Had surgery on an ankle, i think (i've got no linkage to confirm that, though).

 

[hitman82]

Metcalfe's been signed up to a full time contract. And I've heard/read rumours that Moon's signed for Salford in the ESL.

I know Metcalf was signed to a fulltime contract earlier in the season, but I thought it was only a 1-year deal?
If this has been extended I'd love to know, as I am hopeful to see him play NRL one day. With a good pre season I believe Metcalf could be a beast for us.

 

[NZ Warrior]

Ropati

Who???

 

[hitman82]

Centre still irks me.

We have an injury-prone Ropati as our only specialist centre with NRL experience.
We have Inu, who is playing centre at the moment with the Vulcans and I doubt will see any more FG action this year.
Then there's Hurrell, who is a great talent but is probably another season or two away.
Berrigan looks like going, same with Moon. Metcalfe must be fairly well down the pecking order if he didn't get a run this year.

Leaves us pretty thin on the ground if Ropati or anyone else in that position goes down. I'm confident Bluey will give Inu a better run than Ivan has, but will that be at wing? Will Brown have to make himself a centre given our back-row stocks?

And for that matter, was McClennan asked yesterday if recruitment is done for 2012 or if he still has something up his sleeve?

Would also like to know the answer to this.

But yes you get my point. Hurrell is in his first season of league currently, so I don't expect him to waltz into the NRL next season, at least not in the early rounds.

I'm concerned about wing AND centre though...
Maybe we will upgrade Anthony Gelling - I hear he has been awesome for the Vulcans. Any other Vulcans who may make the cut? I never get to see them play.

And can anyone rate Penehe for me? he looks like a truck in the team poster.

 

[devoid]

I thought Penehe was a gun for the 20s last year, until he got injured early, and never came back. Pretty sure we signed him up to a full contract before any other junior last season. I haven't gotten out to see sfa Vulcans games this season, so i'm not sure how he progressed - but reading the reports, he has interchanged between centres and wing. The Knights home game is another triple header, so hopefully we'll get a bit of a look at him then.

 

[TurtleWarrior]

I know Metcalf was signed to a fulltime contract earlier in the season, but I thought it was only a 1-year deal?
If this has been extended I'd love to know, as I am hopeful to see him play NRL one day. With a good pre season I believe Metcalf could be a beast for us.

I'm pretty sure he's signed on for next year also, trying to find where I got that info from tho. TBH haven't seen any Vulcans games at all so can't comment on him. Got a triple header coming up in a couple of weeks with the Vulcans and both Warrior's sides being televised so should give all of us who don't see much NSWRL a good idea of his progress if he's playing.

 

[VodafoneWarriors1995]

We should upgrade Anthony Gelling to a full-time contract. He has been carving it up in the NSW Cup. Gelling is only 20 years old, so he is still very young. He stands at 195cm tall and weighs in at 100kg, so he is a big boy. Size isn't everything. Although, he is a centre and second rower.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Who???

Jerome Ropati. Has played 130 NRL matches. Won a World Cup. Gets hurt a bit much.

 

[Rich102]

Who???

The muppet who appears on Ackerman's video blog!

 

[VodafoneWarriors1995]

To save money, i wouldn't mind upgrading a few players from the Auckland Vulcans. Just like i said before, a lot of them have been carving it up in the NSW Cup.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I'm pretty comfortable with where we are, agree centre is the only position of concern. Not worried that we're losing more than we're gaining, as most of the losses are dead wood, and with a young side and lots of gun juniors we need to leave room for contract upgrades.

Key points for me:

Inu- a lot depends on whether he's keen and wants to play. He needs to be firing in first grade or released IMO. Too expensive for the Vulcans. With him there we get adequate cover at wing and centre, and another FB option. without him we lack injury cover on the wing and centres are VERY thin.

The excess of back rowers at least provides us with the luxury of running all forward benches, with Taylor, Brown and Mannering all able to cover centre if injury forces re-shuffles.

When Slaimankhel comes through we're going to have a problem with too much talent at FB- can he play wing as well? So far Fish appears to be a FB only proposition.

I'd look to sign a quality centre, and maybe try to get Hurrell some limited FG exposure next season.

 

[Scott]

I'm going to throw this one out - Fish would make a great centre imo. Would need a bit of work with defence and structures but give him the ball and anything can happen.
When we were watching him last year for the 20's, I thought he always had a young Greg Inglis look about him. As we all know, Inglis has quickly developed into the best centre in the game. IMO, Fish can do the same. Just saying...

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Given Bluey was the guy that gave Inu a start in the Kiwis after one FG game, can we presume if anyone is going to the best out of him it's McClennan?

Slaimankhel is more of a wing than the Fish is, at least from what I've seen/heard. Anyone ever thought about Tupou moving to the centres? From memory he played there in the Vulcans, is big enough/strong enough to do it. Defence possibly an issue, got a whole off-season to work on it.

 

[Rich102]

I'm going to throw this one out - Fish would make a great centre imo. Would need a bit of work with defence and structures but give him the ball and anything can happen.
When we were watching him last year for the 20's, I thought he always had a young Greg Inglis look about him. As we all know, Inglis has quickly developed into the best centre in the game. IMO, Fish can do the same. Just saying...

Yeah. I like the thought of Locke running off Fish.
Be well worth a try. (or two).