Rumoured and Confirmed signings - Part 4

[franklin2323]

I like Dylan Edwards but at the end of the day we have too much average / mediocre / solid in our backline and need some real quality.

We need some real quality, pace, power and size in our outside back and until we address this issue we aren’t going to threaten the better sides who have much more quality than we do.

Sadly Josh Mansour is not going to reach the heights when he was at his best, Dallin is good but not a match winner, Dean Whare fits into the solid dependable category. Waqa Blake is arguably our most talented and quickest outside back but in a struggling side he ain’t gonna get the opportunity to really shine.

Maybe Jed Cartwright isn’t a long term solution but we need to try something, particularly given Whare is likely to be out for a couple of weeks at least. Why not just try a combination of Aekins/DWZ/Cartwright/Blake/Mansour. If Josh continues to struggle with form and injury replace him with Brian Too. Elevate Stephen Chricton to NSW Cup and get him playing against men in readiness for next season and perhaps a few games this season if we are out of contention fo the top 8.

The thing with Edwards is still has time to maybe develop a ball playing game. Wouldn't be on much too so not sure how much cap space we would create. It would be more creating the spot for a younger guy

 

[franklin2323]

Crazy talk IMO. He was fantastic prior to his injury last year and is down on confidence.

He can't be on high $$$. Number of players we should think about releasing before him.

I see it as creating a spot not cap space. It could wait to the off season imo

 

[Panfa]

The problem with edwards is he lacks real pace for a fullback and has no passing game his best qualities are support play and reliable under the high ball but now hes not even that.

 

[franklin2323]

The problem with edwards is he lacks real pace for a fullback and has no passing game his best qualities are support play and reliable under the high ball but now hes not even that.

Yeah but he is off contract end of next season. I can't see him being on more than 300k. Him along with Maloney going gets you someone. Him alone nope

 

[Panfa]

Id love to get rid of all the back 3 Edwards mansour and zelezniak they are all having shockers this yr.Replace them with gutherson and staggs

 

[unKwn]

Id love to get rid of all the back 3 Edwards mansour and zelezniak they are all having shockers this yr.Replace them with gutherson and staggs

im fine with dwz staying

 

[Panfa]

Dallin is probably the pick of the 3 at the moment i dont mind him staying either i just dont know if hes our best option for fullback though.

 

[herbert henry1908]

People are throwing the baby out with the bath water, dead set.

DWZ had a really good year last year, you don’t discard someone because of a scratchy start. Ditto Edwards. He’s coming back from a shoulder injury, he’s still very young. Settle down.

Mansour I’ll admit is a different case. He needs to find some, otherwise it might be best trying to find him a deal in the UK. He’d kill it over there.

 

[herbert henry1908]

This culture of discarding players so easily is really bad for a teams culture in my view. Bad for recruitment too.

 

[Flashstep]

Unfortunately it’s very likely our cap is in a horrible state right now and it’s obvious we are lacking real quality in a lot of areas, so we can’t really afford to pay Edwards 300k to play reserve grade for the foreseeable future, wouldn’t surprise me if Cleary has him 3rd in his fullback pecking order right now.

I doubt Edwards will be the last to be tapped on the shoulder this season either.

 

[Luke Bowden]

I have no issues with moving Edwards on, as long as his money is used to sign someone who is an improvement.

Not another fringe 1st grader.

As long as he is better than what we have, I’m fine with it.

 

[TheFrog]

I have no issues with moving Edwards on,

Give him 2-3 games in reggies, more if he isn't killing it, and if he doesn't find the form of old, sorry old mate. But I think he'll be back.

reliable under the high ball but now hes not even that.

His problems have not been with the high ball but with the low ball.

 

[TheFrog]

Consolidated.

 

[Luke Bowden]

Give him 2-3 games in reggies, more if he isn't killing it, and if he doesn't find the form of old, sorry old mate. But I think he'll be back.

If Ivan thinks we have one too many FB’s that could well mean the end for Aiken’s.

Given the price difference, I think Dylan is in real strife, especially if DWZ finds some electricity like he did last season.

 

[franklin2323]

Unfortunately it’s very likely our cap is in a horrible state right now and it’s obvious we are lacking real quality in a lot of areas, so we can’t really afford to pay Edwards 300k to play reserve grade for the foreseeable future, wouldn’t surprise me if Cleary has him 3rd in his fullback pecking order right now.

I doubt Edwards will be the last to be tapped on the shoulder this season either.

For me this roster is fringe top 8 at best like you said cap all used.

It too is Hook's team. Need to get some flexibility to get Ivan style players.

Edwards is on too much to be in NSW Cup. We have Luai ready so Maloney. Ivan said only wants 1 hooker. That and Whare going for me should give space.

Edwards needs a stint in NSW Cup before punting him. Still haven't worked out the hooker yet.

So all can wait til end of the season

 

[ashton]

For me this roster is fringe top 8 at best like you said cap all used.

It too is Hook's team. Need to get some flexibility to get Ivan style players.

Edwards is on too much to be in NSW Cup. We have Luai ready so Maloney. Ivan said only wants 1 hooker. That and Whare going for me should give space.

Edwards needs a stint in NSW Cup before punting him. Still haven't worked out the hooker yet.

So all can wait til end of the season

IMO we have the worst back three in the NRL.
So where is Whare off too?

 

[Panfa]

I think this week is the right time to blood brian too he looks more like mansour than mansour does

 

[franklin2323]

IMO we have the worst back three in the NRL.
So where is Whare off too?

I'd put the whole outside backs outside of Blake in that.
Just heard the rumour at school pickup (his and Maloney's kids go to my kids school)

 

[unKwn]

I'd put the whole outside backs outside of Blake in that.
Just heard the rumour at school pickup (his and Maloney's kids go to my kids school)

what rumour?

 

[Kilkenny]

IMO we have the worst back three in the NRL.
So where is Whare off too?

As it currently stands you are probably right but our lack of size, lack of pace, lack of tries is not a recent phenomena. We got away with having a fairly average back line for the past three years or so because of other positives in the side.

We resigned Josh Mansour on sentiment and the fact he had been so loyal to us over his previous two contracts. The day his resigning was announced at Penrith Park the masses were on there feet with joy to have Josh for another three seasons but alas it is coming back to bite us on the arse.

It is very much a case of damned if you do and damned if you don’t. For example Gould have have decided not to resign Mansour and go after someone like say Blake Ferguson. I can tell you the majority of our fans would have been up in arms if such a thing had occurred.

Sometimes you just cannot win and fans are hard task masters and unforgiving.