Squad succession

[Chipmunk]

You'd think now we're unlikely to offload any others before season starts.

 

[hineyrulz]

You'd think now we're unlikely to offload any others before season starts.

Surely we’d be trying to piss of Lussick?

 

[Noise]

Surely we’d be trying to piss of Lussick?

That should always be the goal

 

[Chipmunk]

Surely we’d be trying to piss of Lussick?

You would have to think we'd have to sign someone else (obviously Brailey) for that to be a consideration though.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We’ll cut all these backups and then merkins will have a f**king sook that we haven’t filled the top 30.

 

[Twizzle]

Surely we’d be trying to piss of Lussick?

only if we have a replacement

 

[hineyrulz]

only if we have a replacement

My morning AGB could do the job.

 

[Twizzle]

My morning AGB could do the job.

thanks for the visual, here comes breakfast

 

[Poupou Escobar]

My morning AGB could do the job.

*JAC:

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

2025
Utility: Brown, Papali'i
Fullback: Iongi
W/C: Add-Carr, Dunster (26)", Lomax, Renisini^, Wenisini, Russell (23), Samrani, Simonsson
Half: Hawkins, Moses
Hooker: Hands (26), Lussick (30)
Edge forward: Cartwright (31), Doorey, Guymer^, Lane, Mataele (23), Matterson, Tuilagi (26), Williams
Middle: Greig (26), Hopgood, Moretti (25), Ofahengaue (30), Paulo, Pryke^, Tuivati (20)

2026
Utility: Brown*, Papali'i (22)
Fullback: Iongi
W/C: Add-Carr (31)¢, Lomax, Renisini (21), Wenisini (24)*, Samrani (24), Simonsson
Half: Hawkins (27), Moses
Hooker: -
Edge forward: Doorey (26), Guymer (22), Lane (32)", Matterson (32)*, Williams
Middle: Hopgood, Paulo (33), Pryke (22)^

2027
Utility: Brown*
Fullback: Iongi (24)
W/C: Lomax, Simonsson (29)
Half: Moses*
Hooker: -
Edge forward: Williams (31)
Middle: Hopgood (28)

2028
Utility: Brown*
Fullback: -
W/C: Lomax (29)
Half: Moses (34)*
Hooker: -
Edge forward: -
Middle: -

2029
Utility: Brown*
Fullback: -
W/C: -
Half: -
Hooker: -
Edge forward: -
Middle: -

2030
Utility: Brown*
Fullback: -
W/C: -
Half: -
Hooker: -
Edge forward: -
Middle: -

2031
Utility: Brown (31)*
Fullback: -
W/C: -
Half: -
Hooker: -
Edge forward: -
Middle: -

So we (officially) have 27 merkins in next year's top 30, and 18 in the 2026 squad.

 

[Finno30]

Interestingly the 2025 team roster posted at NRL.com (Hisense signings tracker) doesn’t have Papali’i listed. Is he possibly on a dev deal next year? It doesn’t list out the dev contracts in that section frustratingly. TCT also seem to have us at 26 players

 

[the phantom menace]

Don't tell me Pou might have it wrong...

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Everything on the internet might be wrong. You'll be okay.

 

[the phantom menace]

I think the 2025 squad still looks like it's one decent forward short.

I think Paulo will cause more danger coming on at the 20min mark rather than starting. But we need a decent middle on at the start with Joe Offa too... I thinking maybe Matterson as a starting/first half middle, with the ability to do some minor edge work (can that be called "rimming"...?) later in the game if Ryles needs him to?

How does someone get re-classified as a middle in this thread, if they're no longer playing primarily as an edge?

 

[TheCrowe]

I think the 2025 squad still looks like it's one decent forward short.

I think Paulo will cause more danger coming on at the 20min mark rather than starting. But we need a decent middle on at the start with Joe Offa too... I thinking maybe Matterson as a starting/first half middle, with the ability to do some minor edge work (can that be called "rimming"...?) later in the game if Ryles needs him to?

How does someone get re-classified as a middle in this thread, if they're no longer playing primarily as an edge?

A Rimmer!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I think the 2025 squad still looks like it's one decent forward short.

I think Paulo will cause more danger coming on at the 20min mark rather than starting. But we need a decent middle on at the start with Joe Offa too... I thinking maybe Matterson as a starting/first half middle, with the ability to do some minor edge work (can that be called "rimming"...?) later in the game if Ryles needs him to?

How does someone get re-classified as a middle in this thread, if they're no longer playing primarily as an edge?

All edge forwards can play in the middle. They stop being edge forwards when they can no longer play out wide. When do we know that? When they retire