So who do we have for firstgrade next year????

[B-dos]

Why are people assuming we will get Brian Carney? Is there any backup to this or is it more like a desperate hope than a real chance?

Secondly, am i the only one who has doubts about Seage's quality as a player? He played a few good games at the beginning of last year but since then he has been pretty average when he has played and that has been very rarely seeing as he is injured all the time. Im really having second thoughts about this guy.

 

[Johns Magic]

Why are people assuming we will get Brian Carney? Is there any backup to this or is it more like a desperate hope than a real chance?

Secondly, am i the only one who has doubts about Seage's quality as a player? He played a few good games at the beginning of last year but since then he has been pretty average when he has played and that has been very rarely seeing as he is injured all the time. Im really having second thoughts about this guy.

As am I. He offers little in attack. He's a good PL player.

Apparently, according to officials, we are on the market for "a big name outside back", and Carney has been linked to both the Knights and Souths. His friendship with Matt Johns could also be a swaying factor.

 

[roopy]

1- David Seage
2- Brian Carney
3- Matt Gidley
4- Kurt Gidley
5- Dustin Cooper
6- Jarrod Mullen
7- Andrew Johns (c)
8- Luke Davico
9- Danny Buderus
10- Josh Perry
11- Steve Simpson
12- Kirk Reynoldson
13- Daniel Abraham

14- Clint Newton
15- Adam Woolnough
16- Milton Thaiday
17- Kade Snowden

If you took that as our firstgrade squad, our PL team could look like;

Hinton
Hartman
Tighe
McManus
Salkeld
Dureau
Campbell
Tolar
Berry
Worth
Hancock
Tanner
Maddison

White
Royal
McLouglin
Spiteri

No place for Michael Young in a fit squad.

 

[antonius]

I agree that itis unlikely Perry will be around next season.

I would love to have Spiteri and Brown on the bench, but the question is, where?

Unless you went with something like this:

14. Woolnough
15. Snowden
16. Brown
17. Spiteri

We wouldn't have as much forward muscle off the bench, but then again, the whole forward pack I named(with the exception of Davico) are 80 minute players.

I was thinking more of Brown starting maybe at Centre, Kidley to lock Perhaps.

 

[B-dos]

Apparently, according to officials, we are on the market for "a big name outside back", and Carney has been linked to both the Knights and Souths. His friendship with Matt Johns could also be a swaying factor.

Thanks for that JM. Well my fingers certainly are crossed thats for sure.

 

[Johns Magic]

so

3. Brown
13. Kidley

14. Snowden
15. Woolnough
16. Reynoldson
17. Spiteri

?

That actually looks really good. But does Brown hace the speed to be a centre?

 

[Doctor]

If you took that as our firstgrade squad, our PL team could look like;

Hinton
Hartman
Tighe
McManus
Salkeld
Dureau
Campbell
Tolar
Berry
Worth
Hancock
Tanner
Maddison

White
Royal
McLouglin
Spiteri

No place for Michael Young in a fit squad.

Interesting. I've always felt that Young would make an excellent replacement for the long-standing custodian O'Davis. He is solid under the high ball, has some skills on his feet and defends well. But, not having seen him play much this year, I wonder what has happened. Is he not being rewarded, or has he slipped off the radar a bit.

I suppose the problem with a team that is currently so ordinary is that it desperately needs an injection of the superstar component. Michael Young isn't a superstar, but he is a first grader..... maybe when they get a decent backline together, they might look for a safe fullback.

 

[Voice of Reason]

Does anyone know if Seage has had any senior experience playing anywhere other than fullback? If the plan is to have Milton in that role next year, (and he will have do do a lot or work and make improvements in his defence and under the high ball if he is to be a success in that role), then maybe there is another position for Seage? We are certainly looking for a centre of maybe two?

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Why are people assuming we will get Brian Carney? Is there any backup to this or is it more like a desperate hope than a real chance?

Secondly, am i the only one who has doubts about Seage's quality as a player? He played a few good games at the beginning of last year but since then he has been pretty average when he has played and that has been very rarely seeing as he is injured all the time. Im really having second thoughts about this guy.

Shaun Berrigans on the market I'd rather try to get him for a 3 year contract even if it is on 300k per year, not just have a player who will have no loyalty to the club like Carney, is turning up to collect a pay cheque and cant wait to piss off at the end of the year. Can only be negative on team moral having a fella like that around.....

And Seage, I personally do he had 2 big games in 04, remember people he got injured in the 3rd. At best has played average in his handful of games this year. And acnt get f**ken fit always injured yet some people love the bloke, f**ken ridiculous. His 25 not a spring chicken I cant see him improving with age.....

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Interesting. I've always felt that Young would make an excellent replacement for the long-standing custodian O'Davis. He is solid under the high ball, has some skills on his feet and defends well. But, not having seen him play much this year, I wonder what has happened. Is he not being rewarded, or has he slipped off the radar a bit.

I suppose the problem with a team that is currently so ordinary is that it desperately needs an injection of the superstar component. Michael Young isn't a superstar, but he is a first grader..... maybe when they get a decent backline together, they might look for a safe fullback.

I dont know dude, his all over the field in PL if their at all dont know if I'd say his 1st Grade calibre at all.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Does anyone know if Seage has had any senior experience playing anywhere other than fullback? If the plan is to have Milton in that role next year, (and he will have do do a lot or work and make improvements in his defence and under the high ball if he is to be a success in that role), then maybe there is another position for Seage? We are certainly looking for a centre of maybe two?

Centre? LMFAO?

 

[antonius]

Interesting. I've always felt that Young would make an excellent replacement for the long-standing custodian O'Davis. He is solid under the high ball, has some skills on his feet and defends well. But, not having seen him play much this year, I wonder what has happened. Is he not being rewarded, or has he slipped off the radar a bit.

I suppose the problem with a team that is currently so ordinary is that it desperately needs an injection of the superstar component. Michael Young isn't a superstar, but he is a first grader..... maybe when they get a decent backline together, they might look for a safe fullback.

Young has been playing Wing or centre this year simply because the young bloke Hinton is a talent at fullback, and will prob be the first grade custodian in coming years. Thaiday IMO, could be that attacking fullback we have been looking for, no doubting his speed and ability to return the ball from there. He is lacking under the ball, but that can be fixed I reckon, if not then Hinton would be my long term choice at fullback, he has speed, great positioning, and is safe. With Cooper and Seage also at the club, it doesn't really look that good for Young if he still aspires to the fullback posi.

 

[Johns Magic]

Does anyone know if Seage has had any senior experience playing anywhere other than fullback? If the plan is to have Milton in that role next year, (and he will have do do a lot or work and make improvements in his defence and under the high ball if he is to be a success in that role), then maybe there is another position for Seage? We are certainly looking for a centre of maybe two?

He's been known to slot in on the wing in the QRL.
Cooper can play centre though.

 

[macavity]

eh? k82 why do you make my brain hurt....

we need a strike centre who can tackle and another prop. If Kidley is moved to centre that may go some way to solving our issues out wide however... but I still would love for Matt Gids to go to the UK so we can make a play for a quality centre that isn't past his prime...

I wanted us to go for a FB as well, but Thaiday looks to have that covered if he stays. Im sold on Coops on one wing, and surely we can cover the other, need Quinn to remember how to play footy!

How good would Berrigan be for us - cant see that ever happening though.

I also have a gut feeling Davico will go Melbourne. Dont ask why, as I dont know. Even if he ends up here, if Perry leaves we should be looking for another prop IMO - can never have too many and im not sold on Wooly, White, Worth or Tolar as starting props, Snowden is a year or two away still, and Simmo is wasted anywhere but second row (NSW performance notwithstanding..).

Reynoldson is looking like GREAT value (/sarcasm), one of our highest paid, and is literally a benchie who is certainly not immune from our injury curse. Sarge and Conway should be shot on the spot for this 'masterstroke', let alone the others..... I hope you all realise this white elephant is going to be the reason we lose a White, Snowden, Brown or Mullen....

what a shame Riley is out AGAIN - he looks the goods but needs experience. Can hardly get that in the stands.

2006:
1. Thaiday
2. Coops
3. ? (I cant bring myself to say M Gids is a legit FGer any more...)
4. Kids (we wish...)
5. Quinn (? - subjec to form)

6. Mullen
7. Joey

8. ? - Davico?
9. Bedsy
10. ?
11. Simmo
12. Newton
13. Abes

14. Reynoldson
15. Wooly
16. White/Worth/Snowden
17. Brown

for mine, we are a star prop and centre away from challenging. One of the better backrows in the comp, and we have depth there, But we are getting a bit thin up front when Perry (eh..) and Smith go, and we really lack a Berrigan /Tonga /Gasnier / Vagana type line-breaking strike centre sorely. Could Kids or Riley Brown be that guy? I dont know that either has the footwork..... but we shall see. M Gids has footwork but not the speed - he can see the gap, get himself half way through, but just cant pul all the way through.. whether that is injury, or just that age has blunted any speed that he used to have (which was never much) im not sure - however how many YEARS has it been since he made a line break?

 

[TooheysNew]

Shaun Berrigans on the market I'd rather try to get him for a 3 year contract even if it is on 300k per year, not just have a player who will have no loyalty to the club like Carney, is turning up to collect a pay cheque and cant wait to piss off at the end of the year. Can only be negative on team moral having a fella like that around.....

And Seage, I personally do he had 2 big games in 04, remember people he got injured in the 3rd. At best has played average in his handful of games this year. And acnt get f**ken fit always injured yet some people love the bloke, f**ken ridiculous. His 25 not a spring chicken I cant see him improving with age.....

We have no chance of getting Berrigan. Trust me on that one.

 

[Doctor]

Thaiday IMO, could be that attacking fullback we have been looking for, no doubting his speed and ability to return the ball from there. He is lacking under the ball, but that can be fixed I reckon,

He's suspect in defence too. But, in saying that, if we're looking for an explosive, attacking fullback who can sit in Johns/Buderus/Simpson's hip pocket waiting for some ball, then Thaiday has to be one of the club's best assets. He has flair, is quick on his feet, and could prove to be a very handy sort of player. The high ball and his defence are two areas that he must work on before he can be considered our best option though -- we'll see by season's end how much improvement he makes.

As for Young -- I think he is on a two-year deal, hence there is no suggestion of him being part of the long list of players to be scrapped. But, rightly or wrongly, he will need to prove himself as a viable first grade option in the next 12 months if he wants to keep a contract. He's not playing that badly, but I suppose he isn't really a priority first grader at the moment -- I still think he has the goods to be a solid first grader who will serve the club well.

He'll be loyal too -- and you can't buy that.

 

[antonius]

we really lack a Berrigan /Tonga /Gasnier / Vagana type line-breaking strike centre sorely. Could Kids or Riley Brown be that guy? I dont know that either has the footwork..... but we shall see. M Gids has footwork but not the speed - he can see the gap, get himself half way through, but just cant pul all the way through.. whether that is injury, or just that age has blunted any speed that he used to have (which was never much) im not sure - however how many YEARS has it been since he made a line break?

Exactly right Mac, Gidley is past his use by date, Centre is the area in the backline that we are severely lacking compared to other clubs, Matt Gidley and Georgey boy, hardly sends shivers down the spine does it? Brown could be an option, but he also seems to be suffering from the dreaded Knights injury curse. Cooper may be a Centre option, he's strong, and is deceptively quick? We need to unload Perry, and Gidley to give us a bit of spending money.

 

[Nuffy]

Just as importantly for the future we need to stop ridiculous contract situations such as the raft of automatic upgrades that will plague our efforts of recruitment and absolutely hair brained decisions such as contract clauses in the favour of players such as Carmont.

Sarge may have been squeezed out of the club but he hasn't exactly covered himself in glory re some of the things that have happened in relation to player contracts.

Plus I sincerely hope we aren't looking at 2006 in isolation, we should be looking at our position in 2007 also re players and potential recruitments.

It must be a holistic approach to re stocking the club.

 

[Doctor]

Exactly right Mac, Gidley is past his use by date, Centre is the area in the backline that we are severely lacking compared to other clubs, Matt Gidley and Georgey boy, hardly sends shivers down the spine does it? Brown could be an option, but he also seems to be suffering from the dreaded Knights injury curse. Cooper may be a Centre option, he's strong, and is deceptively quick? We need to unload Perry, and Gidley to give us a bit of spending money.

For the record, in season 2005:

M.Gidley
10 games
2 Tries
2 Line Breaks

Carmont
13 games
6 Tries
6 Line Breaks

Berrigan
14 games
17 Tries
8 Line Breaks

Gasnier
10 games
5 Tries
6 Line Breaks

Tonga
8 games
3 Tries
4 Line Breaks

Interestingly, Berrigan has the same number of line breaks as Carmont and M.Gidley put together, twice as many tries as both these two combined, but more missed tackles than Carmont and Gidley as individuals.

Willie Tonga misses one in every 7 tackles, Carmont one in every 5.5, Gidley one in six, Berrigan one in nine, and Gasnier one in 13. It speaks volumes for the better centres out there..... the difference between the good and the expensive. The good centres make their tackles, while still making line breaks and scoring tries. The dodgy ones still make busts (not as many), but miss too many tackles.

 

[Nuffy]

Gidley would work well if we gave him a gun winger like Tahu, Gids creates the gaps and the winger scores.

If his contract is up next year, expect him to have a massive year!!!!!!!