Squad succession

[Poupou Escobar]

Top 30 as far as I see it if we are fully fit


1 Clint Gutherson
2 Isaiah Iongi
3 Will Penisi
4 Zac Lomax
5 Maika Siva
6 Dylan Brown
7 Mitchel Moses
8 Joe Ofahengaue
9 Brendan Hands
10 Junior Paulo
11 Shaun Lane
12 Bryce Cartwright
13 J'main Hopgood
14 Joey Lussick
15 Charlie Guymer
16 Ryan Matterson
17 Sam Tuivaiti
18 Arthur Miller-Stephens
19 Haze Dunster
20 Sean Russell
21 Toni Mataele (Second Rower here for Numbers)
22 Bailey Simonsson
23 Zac Hunter
24 Josh Lynn
25
26 Ryley Smith
27
28 Matt Doorey
29 Saxon Pryke
30 Luca Moretii

2 Spots for Front rowers there,
Dunster could be replaced for Moey A.

You missed Tuilagi, why will likely start on the edge. Lane will probably stay in the middle. You also missed Greig, who is still on the books.

 

[Gronk]

Top 30 as far as I see it if we are fully fit


1 Clint Gutherson
2 Isaiah Iongi
3 Will Penisi
4 Zac Lomax
5 Maika Siva
6 Dylan Brown
7 Mitchel Moses
8 Joe Ofahengaue
9 Brendan Hands
10 Junior Paulo
11 Shaun Lane
12 Bryce Cartwright
13 J'main Hopgood
14 Joey Lussick
15 Charlie Guymer
16 Ryan Matterson
17 Sam Tuivaiti
18 Arthur Miller-Stephens
19 Haze Dunster
20 Sean Russell
21 Toni Mataele (Second Rower here for Numbers)
22 Bailey Simonsson
23 Zac Hunter
24 Josh Lynn
25
26 Ryley Smith
27
28 Matt Doorey
29 Saxon Pryke
30 Luca Moretii

2 Spots for Front rowers there,
Dunster could be replaced for Moey A.

All dev contracts can be used from Rnd 1 ? So you might as well throw them in too.

 

[MarkInTheStands]

You missed Tuilagi, why will likely start on the edge. Lane will probably stay in the middle. You also missed Greig, who is still on the books.

I thought we confirmed Emu was on the way out?

 

[Twizzle]

I thought we confirmed Emu was on the way out?

I thought so too

 

[Stagger eel]

emu is contracted next year

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I thought we confirmed Emu was on the way out?

It might be the plan but it’s definitely not confirmed.

 

[the phantom menace]

So I'm guessing RCG must be headed to a team in the finals, who can't announce his signature just yet...?

 

[Chipmunk]

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

2025
Utility: Brown, Gutherson (31)
Fullback: Iongi
W/C: Dunster (26)", Lomax, Penisini, Russell (23), Simonsson, Sivo
Half: Moses
Hooker: Hands (26), Lussick (30)
Edge forward: Cartwright (31), Doorey (25), Lane, Mataele (23), Matterson, Tuilagi (26)
Middle: Greig (26), Hopgood, Moretti (25), Ofahengaue (30), Paulo, Tuivati (20)

So we (officially) have 28 merkins in this year's top 30, and 24 in the 2025 squad.

Obviously we have 6 spots to fill, but that 24 man squad only has 4 middles (including Matterson), 3 edge forwards, 2 halves, 4 outside backs, and 1 full back who would be considered genuine NRL standard.

The 2 hookers are both back ups at best, and the listed fullback is virtually untried at NRL level.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The squad is weakest at hooker and edge forward. Otherwise the top 17 is strong. I wonder if Lokeni will be fast tracked.

It’s now or never for Iongi. He is dominating reserve grade. Moses and Drown are truly elite. Gutherson’s utility value will come to the fore next year.

 

[the phantom menace]

So if RCG ends up at the Dogs, he'll be reunited with his old mate Reed Mahoney in the front row

 

[Chipmunk]

The squad is weakest at hooker and edge forward. Otherwise the top 17 is strong. I wonder if Lokeni will be fast tracked.

It’s now or never for Iongi. He is dominating reserve grade. Moses and Drown are truly elite. Gutherson’s utility value will come to the fore next year.

The Top 17 was strong this year. That's the problem, it's a house of cards the moment you get injuries.

We need another 4 players of genuine NRL calibre to cover for those potential injuries.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The Top 17 was strong this year. That's the problem, it's a house of cards the moment you get injuries.

We need another 4 players of genuine NRL calibre to cover for those potential injuries.

Sounds expensive

 

[Chipmunk]

Sounds expensive

It's bottom 4 until we do...you can't rely on 17 players to each play 24 games in a regular season.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It's bottom 4 until we do...you can't rely on 17 players to each play 24 games in a regular season.

Any team can cover a few backups. It's when you've got too many on the field at once that things fall apart.

 

[Chipmunk]

Any team can cover a few backups. It's when you've got too many on the field at once that things fall apart.

So why did we fall apart when the only player we had out was Moses?

 

[the phantom menace]

So RCG to Dogs announced tomorrow, or Tuesday...?

 

[Gazzamatta]

So RCG to Dogs announced tomorrow, or Tuesday...?

Gee I hope not. I don't want to have to dislike him but unfortunately it will be mandatory if he lines up in blue and white.

 

[the phantom menace]

I figure once Dragons were out of the picture, the only reason RCG's destination hasn't been announced is that they were still in the finals race. So this week's contenders are now Dogs or Knights...

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So why did we fall apart when the only player we had out was Moses?

We were pretty f**king ordinary with him as well. Injuries were a problem this year but our downward spiral seemed to coincide with Moses' (first) injury, rather than be caused by it. The useless merkins just gave up. After Moses returned we were one from five.

 

[Gronk]

So RCG to Dogs announced tomorrow, or Tuesday...?

Gee I hope not. I don't want to have to dislike him but unfortunately it will be mandatory if he lines up in blue and white.

So why is this rumour about ?