SIGN LIDDLE LONG TERM ASAP

[Macedonian Dragon]

We must re-sign Liddle asap. He's our best hooker. Mason Phillips is a very good young hooker we have but he's only 17 and won't be ready for NRL till at least 3 years. By 2028 our hooker rotation should be Liddle and Philips, not Kyle.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

Why cant lids become a lock off the bench bit by bit.............especially by 2027

He can move into dummy half when needed and lock with more space

Thats presuming he doesnt become a great pack manager in the next season.........which he could as he learning from a good one in Cook

 

[possm]

Maybe Liddle is the player needed in the middle of the ruck when other teams tire. His service may not be perfect but he does a go job running the ball as his eye for picking a hole in defence and picking up lose balls on the ground is very good. It doesn't matter what number he has on his back he can find the try line. He is a very good player and needs to be a priority to keep.
Cook on the other hand will hopefully teach the younger players what they need to do to be a successful NRL player, he should retire after his current deal.

I'd put Cook at lock, Liddle at 9 and Kyle at 14 in 2026. Too bad we signed LKT, Kyle and Illias for two years.

We should test the idea of Blover and Gutherson in our halves and drop Ilias and LKT to reserve grade, with Kyle moving to 14, Lidddle to 9, and Cook to 13.

 

[Gareth67]

You paint a rather sickening picture there Gareth67.
That dribbling saliva.
You’ve put me off my coffee and biscuit.


But yes, show him the money - Lids that is.

In retrospect it is a rather horrid scene - Ugh ! I best begin taking my meds once again I do believe .

 

[redandwhite4evr]

I think the question that has to be answered here is, who will be our run on hooker in 2027?
With Cook 'supposedly' finishing up his playing career at the end of '26.

Now, do I believe we should re-sign Lids? Yeah, for sure, but I feel his optimal value is coming on from the bench, not as a starter. If he is looking for a starting role, then I think teams will work out how to nullify his overall effectiveness.

We've signed Atkinson as a 6, hence why LKT is playing as the 7 and not KFlan.

So, where does that leave KFlan for '26 and onwards? Obvious to me that he will play as the 14, as the secondary hooker that can cover multiple backline positions if necessary.
As for Lids, does he 'hang around' in KOE Cup for a year? I doubt that very much.

The only scenario that seems to fit for '26 is that LKT drops back to cup, Cook and Lids continue as they are, Atkinson and KFlan in the halves. But, that doesn't solve the '27 onwards problem. Unless there's the thinking that Fagalilo or another junior can have a break out season in '26 and jump straight into first grade in '27, which I am extremely skeptical.

Conclusion for '27 appears that (assuming) Lids re-signs that he would start, KFlan as the 14, LKT as the 7 and Atkinson as the 6.

Should we re-sign Lids?, for sure, but does Lids want to re-sign with us, given the scenarios above?

It's a bigger conundrum than the Hampton Court maze DS and you made a brave attempt at outlining the various scenarios that could emerge in the following two years. I'm going to complicate matters even further.

I see SF's current strategy as being basically Cook, with his superior (to Liddle) defence blunting the initial attacking threat from the opposition and a fresh Liddle taking advantage when they are tired. Liddle may or may not be happy to continue this arrangement in 2026- only he knows.

However, into this ever expanding equation, I see us having to fit some other players. Ramsey is killing it at FB in KOE and is too good not to progress to NRL- if not this year then next. What to do with Gutherson if this happens?

I believe Gutho can become a dominant latter-day Gareth Widdop at 5/8 if given the chance. He already plays close to the line like a second five eight and the more he does this (like against the Eels and now the Broncos) the better the Dragons play. IMO, we would have lost both matches by 20 if Gutho hadn't been playing this way. He'll need to work on his kicking game but is good enough to make the transition.

This leaves us with positions 7,9,13 and 14 for Cook, Liddle (if he's still here), LKT, KF, and new boy Atkinson.

Atkinson is the unknown quantity in all this. He ended up on the wing against the Storm and performed well. I doubt the Sharks know which is his best position and if they don't know, I can't imagine SF knows either. He's the joker in the pack at this stage and could play anywhere in the backline and/or at No 14.

I haven't totally given up on Ilias as he has the natural big boot that none of our current NRL halves possess. The stint in KOE may improve his confidence to chance his arm a bit more and develop his short kicking game. My starting 2026 team- including a few positional changes for existing forwards- would be:-

Ramsey
Tui
Holmes
Suli
Atkinson
Gutho
Ilias
Cook
Egan
Sua
De Belin
Liddle
New middle (replacing Klemmer) or LPT

14-KF
15-Leilua (now a middle)
16 LPT (or new middle)
17 Stewart (our new long-striding/skilful edge forward)

If Liddle goes, then KF to No 9

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Sorry Atkinson was not bought to play wing for us..

 

[redv13]

It's a bigger conundrum than the Hampton Court maze DS and you made a brave attempt at outlining the various scenarios that could emerge in the following two years. I'm going to complicate matters even further.

I see SF's current strategy as being basically Cook, with his superior (to Liddle) defence blunting the initial attacking threat from the opposition and a fresh Liddle taking advantage when they are tired. Liddle may or may not be happy to continue this arrangement in 2026- only he knows.

However, into this ever expanding equation, I see us having to fit some other players. Ramsey is killing it at FB in KOE and is too good not to progress to NRL- if not this year then next. What to do with Gutherson if this happens?

I believe Gutho can become a dominant latter-day Gareth Widdop at 5/8 if given the chance. He already plays close to the line like a second five eight and the more he does this (like against the Eels and now the Broncos) the better the Dragons play. IMO, we would have lost both matches by 20 if Gutho hadn't been playing this way. He'll need to work on his kicking game but is good enough to make the transition.

This leaves us with positions 7,9,13 and 14 for Cook, Liddle (if he's still here), LKT, KF, and new boy Atkinson.

Atkinson is the unknown quantity in all this. He ended up on the wing against the Storm and performed well. I doubt the Sharks know which is his best position and if they don't know, I can't imagine SF knows either. He's the joker in the pack at this stage and could play anywhere in the backline and/or at No 14.

I haven't totally given up on Ilias as he has the natural big boot that none of our current NRL halves possess. The stint in KOE may improve his confidence to chance his arm a bit more and develop his short kicking game. My starting 2026 team- including a few positional changes for existing forwards- would be:-

Ramsey
Tui
Holmes
Suli
Atkinson
Gutho
Ilias
Cook
Egan
Sua
De Belin
Liddle
New middle (replacing Klemmer) or LPT

14-KF
15-Leilua (now a middle)
16 LPT (or new middle)
17 Stewart (our new long-striding/skilful edge forward)

If Liddle goes, then KF to No 9

Atkinson wing, No T or R Couchman?? Can’t be sure that Ramsey will get back to the level physically for nrl but I really hope he does, amazing what he has done so far this year

 

[Steel City]

It's a bigger conundrum than the Hampton Court maze DS and you made a brave attempt at outlining the various scenarios that could emerge in the following two years. I'm going to complicate matters even further.

I see SF's current strategy as being basically Cook, with his superior (to Liddle) defence blunting the initial attacking threat from the opposition and a fresh Liddle taking advantage when they are tired. Liddle may or may not be happy to continue this arrangement in 2026- only he knows.

However, into this ever expanding equation, I see us having to fit some other players. Ramsey is killing it at FB in KOE and is too good not to progress to NRL- if not this year then next. What to do with Gutherson if this happens?

I believe Gutho can become a dominant latter-day Gareth Widdop at 5/8 if given the chance. He already plays close to the line like a second five eight and the more he does this (like against the Eels and now the Broncos) the better the Dragons play. IMO, we would have lost both matches by 20 if Gutho hadn't been playing this way. He'll need to work on his kicking game but is good enough to make the transition.

This leaves us with positions 7,9,13 and 14 for Cook, Liddle (if he's still here), LKT, KF, and new boy Atkinson.

Atkinson is the unknown quantity in all this. He ended up on the wing against the Storm and performed well. I doubt the Sharks know which is his best position and if they don't know, I can't imagine SF knows either. He's the joker in the pack at this stage and could play anywhere in the backline and/or at No 14.

I haven't totally given up on Ilias as he has the natural big boot that none of our current NRL halves possess. The stint in KOE may improve his confidence to chance his arm a bit more and develop his short kicking game. My starting 2026 team- including a few positional changes for existing forwards- would be:-

Ramsey
Tui
Holmes
Suli
Atkinson
Gutho
Ilias
Cook
Egan
Sua
De Belin
Liddle
New middle (replacing Klemmer) or LPT

14-KF
15-Leilua (now a middle)
16 LPT (or new middle)
17 Stewart (our new long-striding/skilful edge forward)

If Liddle goes, then KF to No 9

Surely this is a piss take

 

[Budpower]

Codes is the best attacking fullback in the world right now, no compare! so what hes lighter than most, he will be worth 12 or 16 points a game if he was fb! plenty of light fullbacks have played, stup8d to ignore his laser attack, just ridiculous....