Squad succession

[jason taylor]

Plus Roache has the capacity to cover 13.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

In the 30 ffs ... keep up pou

Yeah, in the top 30 we'd have two top 17 and one backup.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

FFS pou...bit slow

Will Penisini promoted to top 30 for 2021 / 22:

https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2021/03/04/will-penisini-signs-contract-upgrade/

 

[Gronk]

FFS

 

[84 Baby]

What a lazy shit!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

ffs

* = player option
¢ = club option
^ = development contract

2021
Utility: Rankin (30), Smith (29)
Fullback: Gutherson
W/C: Blake, Dunster (22), Ferguson (31), M.Jennings, Oldfield (31), Opacic (27), Penisini, Sivo (28)
Half: D.Brown, Moses
Hooker: Lussick (26), Mahoney, Roache (25)^
Edge forward: Cartwright (27), Hipgrave, Lane, Matterson, Niukore, Papali'i
Tight forward: N.Brown (28), Campbell-Gillard, Hollis (20), Hughes (20), Kaufusi, Paulo, Stone (24)

2022
Utility: -
Fullback: Gutherson (28)
W/C: Blake, M.Jennings (34)*, Penisini (20)
Half: D.Brown, Moses (28)*
Hooker: Mahoney (24)
Edge forward: Hipgrave (25)¢, Lane, Matterson (28)*, Niukore (26), Papali'i (24)
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard, Kaufusi (23), Paulo (29)

2023
Utility: -
Fullback: -
W/C: Blake (29)
Half: D.Brown (23)*
Hooker: -
Edge forward: Lane (29)
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard*

2024
Utility: -
Fullback: -
W/C: -
Half: -
Hooker: -
Edge forward: -
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard (31)¢

So we (officially) have 28 merkins in this year's top 30, and 15 in next year's.

 

[hineyrulz]

FFS pou...bit slow

Will Penisini promoted to top 30 for 2021 / 22:

https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2021/03/04/will-penisini-signs-contract-upgrade/

This is very exciting IMO!!!

 

[Gazzamatta]

So if we omit Jennings and Hughes we have 4 spots available. What happened to the 1st of March rule?

 

[hineyrulz]

WTF has happened to Hughes???? Trust our luck to lose Stefano and then him. Hollis looked big but a little bit cumbersome to me wasn't that impressed.

 

[Gronk]

WTF has happened to Hughes???? Trust our luck to lose Stefano and then him. Hollis looked big but a little bit cumbersome to me wasn't that impressed.

This where is hughes ?

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Interestingly on the parra podcast, no one suggested Hughes as a chance of debuting this year but Hollis was......

 

[Gary Gutful]

ffs

* = player option
¢ = club option
^ = development contract

2021
Utility: Rankin (30), Smith (29)
Fullback: Gutherson
W/C: Blake, Dunster (22), Ferguson (31), M.Jennings, Oldfield (31), Opacic (27), Penisini, Sivo (28)
Half: D.Brown, Moses
Hooker: Lussick (26), Mahoney, Roache (25)^
Edge forward: Cartwright (27), Hipgrave, Lane, Matterson, Niukore, Papali'i
Tight forward: N.Brown (28), Campbell-Gillard, Hollis (20), Hughes (20), Kaufusi, Paulo, Stone (24)

2022
Utility: -
Fullback: Gutherson (28)
W/C: Blake, M.Jennings (34)*, Penisini (20)
Half: D.Brown, Moses (28)*
Hooker: Mahoney (24)
Edge forward: Hipgrave (25)¢, Lane, Matterson (28)*, Niukore (26), Papali'i (24)
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard, Kaufusi (23), Paulo (29)

2023
Utility: -
Fullback: -
W/C: Blake (29)
Half: D.Brown (23)*
Hooker: -
Edge forward: Lane (29)
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard*

2024
Utility: -
Fullback: -
W/C: -
Half: -
Hooker: -
Edge forward: -
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard (31)¢

So we (officially) have 28 merkins in this year's top 30, and 15 in next year's.

Better late than never I suppose...

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I wouldn't want to go off half cocked.

 

[lingard]

So the official profiles on the club site have been removed for merkins who won't be here next year. Interestingly Gennings, Smith and Stone were all there about a week ago but Gennings is now gone. Do we count these non-omissions as official information? I dunno.

Unofficially, the Cumberland Throw lads have 27 in the squad, including Cartwright, and so far in their latest podcast (which I haven't finished) there's one new player they haven't named. It's very exciting.

* = player option
¢ = club option
^ = development contract

2020
Utility: Rankin, Salmon (21), Smith (28), Takairangi (31)
Fullback: Gutherson
W/C: Blake, Dunster (21), Ferguson, Heleta (25)^, G.Jennings (27), M.Jennings, Sivo
Half: D.Brown, Field (23), Moses
Hooker: Davies (24), Mahoney, Schneider (20)^
Edge forward: Davey (29), Gower (35), Lane, Matterson, Niukore
Tight forward: Alvaro, N.Brown, Campbell-Gillard, Evans (28), Hughes, Kaufusi, Paulo, Stone (23), Terepo (29), Utoikamanu (20)

2021
Utility: Rankin (30)
Fullback: Gutherson
W/C: Blake, Ferguson (31), M.Jennings, Opacic (27), Sivo (28)
Half: D.Brown, Moses
Hooker: Lussick (26), Mahoney
Edge forward: Lane, Matterson, Niukore, Papali'i
Tight forward: Alvaro (28), N.Brown (28), Campbell-Gillard, Hughes (20), Kaufusi, Paulo

2022
Utility: -
Fullback: Gutherson (28)
W/C: Blake, M.Jennings (34)
Half: D.Brown, Moses (28)*
Hooker: Mahoney (24)
Edge forward: Lane, Matterson (28)*, Niukore (26), Papali'i (24)
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard, Kaufusi (23), Paulo (29)

2023
Utility: -
Fullback: -
W/C: Blake (29)
Half: D.Brown (23)
Hooker: -
Edge forward: Lane (29)
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard*

2024
Utility: -
Fullback: -
W/C: -
Half: -
Hooker: -
Edge forward: -
Tight forward: Campbell-Gillard (31)¢

So we (officially) have 21 merkins in next year's top 30.

So, in 2024 we only have RCG left. He's going to be busy, eh?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Apparently we'll be paying 600% of his salary by then, so there's not much cap space left over for team mates.

 

[lingard]

do you believe we have strengthened our squad ?

I don't think our squad is stronger (except, perhaps, experience wise). It's arguably slightly weaker - with Jennings out and Opacic's value to the team yet to be seen (although he looks good to me). Overall, we have probably just maintained the status quo from last year.

 

[lingard]

Apparently we'll be paying 600% of his salary by then, so there's not much cap space left over for team mates.

That's okay. He's a good player. I reckon he'll handle it.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I don't think our squad is stronger (except, perhaps, experience wise). It's arguably slightly weaker - with Jennings out and Opacic's value to the team yet to be seen (although he looks good to me). Overall, we have probably just maintained the status quo from last year.

Opacic is definitely not as good as Jennings, however Papali'i could add a lot to our 17 compared to whom we've lost. As for the rest of the improvement, it mostly depends on the development of key youngsters Drown (turning 21), Mahoney (23) and Kaufusi (22). Papali'i is not yet 23 either.

I expect Ferguson (31) to continue his decline. Everyone else is in their prime.

 

[lingard]

This.

One thing that we all seem to agree on is that in 2020 our top 13 was often good enough but we had a significant drop off when 14-17 came on. Our current new signings don’t make much (any) improvement. On top of that our top 13 is weaker without a performance enhanced Jennings. It’s still not a premiership winning squad.

In relation to the 14 - 17, I think that if we use Lussick and have a hooker rotation this year, our bench will be far more effective. I think this is a must. We cant keep playing Mahoney for 80 minutes and expect him to come up with a more lethal attacking game. So, from that perspective, we might be stronger this year.

 

[lingard]

Opacic is definitely not as good as Jennings, however Papali'i could add a lot to our 17 compared to whom we've lost. As for the rest of the improvement, it mostly depends on the development of key youngsters Drown (turning 21), Mahoney (23) and Kaufusi (22). Papali'i is not yet 23 either.

I expect Ferguson (31) to continue his decline. Everyone else is in their prime.

I've liked what I've seen of Opacic so far (and don't forget Mennings had a poor 2019 and is of an age where decline often happens) so we might not lose much with that swap. I forgot about Papalililili. He might be very good. Might even be exceptional. Waqa Blake really has me worried.