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Squad succession

Bolgeel

Juniors
Messages
278
Sivo is our next Radradra, I'm convinced of that. If it's a forward you're after then go for another front rower. Besides, we've got more second rowers than a Roman Biremis. Cook might be worth a shot though. As far as Ponga is concerned he'll probably be snapped up by either the Warriors, Storm or Broncos by then.
Or the all blacks
 

T.S Quint

Coach
Messages
13,729
I never want to see Gutho wearing the #1 again. Like it's already been stated, he's a centre. I don't want to see the musical chairs of 2018 in the backline get repeated in 2019.

Gutho is a fine fullback. He did a great job back there in 2017, and there weren’t many calling for him to be moved from that position.
He may not be the best fullback at the club (that would be Hayne if he signs), but if he does need to go to the back then I don’t think he will do that bad a job. He did have a poor 2018...but then again who didn’t at our club?

Everything I just said could be repeated for French as well.
 

Chipmunk

Coach
Messages
16,148
Gutho is a fine fullback. He did a great job back there in 2017, and there weren’t many calling for him to be moved from that position.
He may not be the best fullback at the club (that would be Hayne if he signs), but if he does need to go to the back then I don’t think he will do that bad a job. He did have a poor 2018...but then again who didn’t at our club?

Everything I just said could be repeated for French as well.

Of all the players at the club who performed poorly in 2018, I think Gutherson can be excused as he was returning from a second ACL injury. I think people expected him to just automatically return and be the player he was prior to injury. He certainly returned with the same levels of energy he showed, which is a key attribute that he plays with, but it was clear he wasn't the same physically as he was the year before. His speed seemed to be not at the same level. Hopefully this will return in 2019.
 
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hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
58,498
Gutho is a fine fullback. He did a great job back there in 2017, and there weren’t many calling for him to be moved from that position.
He may not be the best fullback at the club (that would be Hayne if he signs), but if he does need to go to the back then I don’t think he will do that bad a job. He did have a poor 2018...but then again who didn’t at our club?

Everything I just said could be repeated for French as well.

If Gutherson played fullback then who is centre? That is my issue.
At this stage id give first crack to Bevan. If that doesnt work then Norman with Brown or Salmon slotting in halves.

Unsure if Parry is up to it but also a centre.
 

T.S Quint

Coach
Messages
13,729
If Gutherson played fullback then who is centre? That is my issue.
At this stage id give first crack to Bevan. If that doesnt work then Norman with Brown or Salmon slotting in halves.

Unsure if Parry is up to it but also a centre.

Don’t get me wrong, I would still prefer Gutho at centre. I was just saying that if we needed to put him to fullback at some stage then he would do a fine job.

If Hayne re-signs it’s hard to find a spot for Bevan in the side. Would also depend on whether Jennings also stays or not. I do like French and don’t think he would perform most years as he did this year.
 

Delboy

First Grade
Messages
6,810
Just back from Hawaii, looked at the roster . It is underwhelming in a sense, no fullback or hooker, and probably another handy middle forward.

If there isn't any further movement over the next few weeks it looks another difficult season ahead. No wonder there was a need for a HOF to implement a Recruitment strategy, loyalty seemed to be one of the main reasons for some extensions which may be a result of asking staff to do too much. On the usual theme, our media gurus need to at how Nathan Ryan handles the Knights media, light and day compared to our efforts. From new signings being basically announced by the clubs they are leaving, their signing news from us coming months later and having no impact.

It's these issues that cause the more casual fans to wonder what is going on, even though we signed some really decent players, there was no impact when we should have looked as being pretty active. Hopefully O'Neill will improve communication and talk about the club, which apart from BA at training is sadly lacking.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
58,498
Delboy every squad has holes.
Put the Roosters top 17 against ours.and I reckon a lot of spots would be equal .

1Teddy - Bevan/Hayne
2Toupo - Fergo
3Latrel - MJ
4Manu - Guth
5Morris - Jennings
6Keary - Norman
7cronk - Moses

If Norman and Moses get back to form the halves are fairly equal in levels. There back are deff better without Hayne in side but if he signs its not heaps in it.

8 JWH - PAULO
9 Friend - Mahoney
10Nappa - Alvaro
11 Cordner - Manu
12 Crighton - Tepai
13 Radley - Brown

Cordner stands out over Manu.As does Friend who is aging fast.Rest isn't much difference.



14 Tetavano - Terepo
Takiako - Mannah
Lui - Kafusi
Aubusson - Lane

Much of a muchness on bench. If Fergo keeps form of 2018.
Paulo steps up
Lane,Tepai,Alvaro continue to develop.
MJ,Norman and Moses will come good. Class players never stay down too long.
It isnt a bad squad. The packs size increased dramtically as has the backline.
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,146
Isn't Pritchard already returning from an injury he hasn't had yet?

what do we expect, we have him in the middle tackling monsters. Why would you have your most important passer tackling monsters? And in a position where we have zero depth as well.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
58,498
If Kaysa wasnt injury prone and could string more then 12 games together his rhythm amd cohesion would improve. Practise makes perfect. He is dynamic and a great support player, aggresive in defense. Juddt always injured o we only see Kaysa at 60% of potential.
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
148,287
If Kaysa wasnt injury prone and could string more then 12 games together his rhythm amd cohesion would improve. Practise makes perfect. He is dynamic and a great support player, aggresive in defense. Juddt always injured o we only see Kaysa at 60% of potential.
If, and his service is rubbish.
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,146
I don't rate Kaysa at all but you do realise that EVERY single team has their most important passer (dummy half) playing in the middle tackling 'monsters'

So what? Is that the reason we do it? If so it is pretty bad coaching.
Kaysa is way too small and injury prone to be tackling in the middle and the fact he gets injured every second tackle he makes leaves us having to play the game with a back up dummy half.
 

chiefy1

Juniors
Messages
2,476
I don't rate Kaysa at all but you do realise that EVERY single team has their most important passer (dummy half) playing in the middle tackling 'monsters'

Kaysa is too light for a central defensive position. It's no wonder he gets injuries.
It will never work with him at 9. What did make him dangerous was his initial pace off the mark, but packing on muscle will nullify that.
 

Noise

Coach
Messages
17,106
So what? Is that the reason we do it? If so it is pretty bad coaching.
Kaysa is way too small and injury prone to be tackling in the middle and the fact he gets injured every second tackle he makes leaves us having to play the game with a back up dummy half.

Where would you defend Damien Cook? He defends in the middle. He is the exact same weight as Kaysa (88kg)
 

Noise

Coach
Messages
17,106
Kaysa is too light for a central defensive position. It's no wonder he gets injuries.
It will never work with him at 9. What did make him dangerous was his initial pace off the mark, but packing on muscle will nullify that.

As above; Damien Cook defends in the middle and is the same weight as Kaysa. Is he too light for a central defensive position?

Kaysas main issue is he is a shit passer
 

84 Baby

Referee
Messages
28,032
As above; Damien Cook defends in the middle and is the same weight as Kaysa. Is he too light for a central defensive position?

Kaysas main issue is he is a shit passer
And injury prone. In fact if he wasn’t so injury prone his passing might have improved
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
84,160
Delboy every squad has holes.
Put the Roosters top 17 against ours.and I reckon a lot of spots would be equal .
I think a lot of merkins don't get how even the teams really are. This is why they make comments like so-and-so-wouldn't-make-the-top-17-at-any-other-club. They miss the fact that plenty of these apparent 'stars' at the top clubs wouldn't make the top 17 at our club either. The reason is this:

About half the top 17 players in the NRL are at minimum NRL standard (as in, minimum standard for a top 17 player). The gut feel might say that the worst teams have more of these players and the top teams have fewer, but the fact that players leave clubs like Melbourne and the Roosters and turn to shit proves that a few key players can make their ordinary team mates look like stars. Guys like Manu, Aubusson, Radley and the entire Roosters bench (except Napa) would add nothing to our current side. Therefore they wouldn't make our top 17, because we already have enough players at that level.

But that's six of 17 recent premiership winners who are just bare minimum NRL players. Their weaknesses were covered by their superior team mates, and these same superior team mates also provided them more opportunities to shine than are afforded to weaker players in most other teams.
 

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