Team 2016

[slotmachine]

Won't count under the cap but his money already spoken for I think. He was never playing in 2016

 

[slotmachine]

Scratch that, midley says we have more money to spend. Shame it wasn't earlier when the centre merry go round was in progress.

 

[Swarzey]

At least now the club can sit back and look at who is coming off contract, monitor players of interest and decide who would best suit the side. Glad we didn't jump on the centre trade off; chances are we would have been left with the poorest option. Would love to try and lure Kyle Feldt to the club.

Who knows, with a full pre-season with the NRL side Ross could be a revelation, Sione could improve leaps and bounds in the centres and Mamo could develop faster than we expected. McManus' coin could go towards other positions.

 

[Caped Crusader]

We need another first grade centre imo.

Gagai belongs at the back but we cant move him there cause we have noone else.

 

[slotmachine]

Exactly.

Round 1 we're looking at pat/chanel/tapine at centre, and who knows at fullback.

 

[K-Man]

Exactly.

Round 1 we're looking at pat/chanel/tapine at centre, and who knows at fullback.

Yeah and it's definitely too early in the season to be calling on any of those options. Whoever plays centre out of those 3 is a potential liability. Heaven help us if Sione or Gagai get injured this season.

It does highlight how dangerous it was to pay overs to keep the Mata'utias, because now right when we actually need legitimate first grade cover in their positions, it's scary that we have to look to them for that cover. Chanel and Pat are basically two outside backs you really don't want to have to put in first grade, but we're no doubt paying them first grade money.

 

[perverse]

The big unknown for me is Feeney. If we can make a serviceable, or even good fullback out of him... problems start solving themselves.

I'd be happier with Chanel than Ross on the wing tbh... I don't know what it is with the Mata'utia's... Sione exploded like a bomb onto the scene... but each of his brothers seem to take an eternity to develop. I don't think anything will ever come of Pat... but I see a first grade winger in Chanel.

Sione needs to go up another gear this year. It feels stupid to be saying that about a 19 year old, especially one that was mismanaged big time last year, but we just need him. We need him to be worth what we're paying him... and he's just not at that level yet. I don't think he's ever going to be an explosive, win you a game from no-where type player... but I can see him growing into a smart centre with good size, that makes good decisions with a cool head.

Unfortunately, even at his current level of competency - he's still our second best centre. It's a shame the rest of the NRL swooped in and snatched up our depth options in Tuha and Holland. I'd feel heaps better about our squad if they were playing Cup for us, particularly Holland. I think he can get stuff done in the NRL.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Chanel was ordinary last year when he played first grade, but I haven't given up hope on him yet. When he and Sione came onto the scene in 2014, I didn't see much difference between the two in the way they played that year. Hopefully Chanel can move on from his ordinary performance and get back to the player that we first saw come into first grade.

 

[PhilGould]

Chanel had one terrible game in a game where pretty much the whole team was terrible and we got beat by 50. I'm pretty surprised that one game was enough for every one to turn on him. He was really good in his first NRL stint IMO. Certainly better than Nathan Ross, at the very least.

 

[Noname36]

I don't understand all the mentions of Feeny at fullback? Did he play some great games there or something in NSW Cup that I missed? I was fairly positive he's a half and hasn't even played at fullback and now we want to consider him as a FG fullback? Even if he did have a couple of games there as a junior I couldn't see him offering close to what Gagai could there ... Or heck even Mamo who showed he's at least capable of holding his own back there.

 

[Noname36]

Chanel had one terrible game in a game where pretty much the whole team was terrible and we got beat by 50. I'm pretty surprised that one game was enough for every one to turn on him. He was really good in his first NRL stint IMO. Certainly better than Nathan Ross, at the very least.

I've never been a fan of Chanel to be honest. Always made a heap of errors in the juniors and I didn't put much stock in his 2014 form. He was playing on the wing at a time when the team was in a purple patch of form - it's pretty impossible for a winger to look bad in that situation.

 

[slotmachine]

I don't understand all the mentions of Feeny at fullback? Did he play some great games there or something in NSW Cup that I missed? I was fairly positive he's a half and hasn't even played at fullback and now we want to consider him as a FG fullback? Even if he did have a couple of games there as a junior I couldn't see him offering close to what Gagai could there ... Or heck even Mamo who showed he's at least capable of holding his own back there.

He's currently training at FB because Coach Brown has a brain in his head and can see Mamo is not the answer back there.

But you're right, our options are a guy who isn't very good, a guy who could be good but has never played the position, or a guy who is definitely good, but means we have some scrub playing centre.

 

[Jono078]

Seems like everyone has given up on Mamo huh?

Feeney's skill set suits the modern fullback, that's why he's being moved there.

 

[PhilGould]

I haven't necessarily given up on Mamo but I just don't know where to put him. He doesn't have any sort of a playmaking game at this point, which you could deal with at fullback if he was a great runner but pretty much every kick return he gets pushed backwards and hasn't shown much in terms of getting through gaps when they do open up. I wouldn't mind seeing him on the wing outside Sione but when he comes up against bigger wingers he'll get ran over.

He's similar to Gidley in a lot of ways. Both small, tremendous athletes, put their body on the line every time for the team, the type of player coaches love to have in their squad. But Gidley had some playmaking ability and could play anywhere in the spine, making him the ultimate utility. Mamo can only play fullback or wing and I'm not convinced he'll be great at either.

Edit: Though for all I know he may have improved dramatically over this pre-season and tear it up in first-grade this year. Hopefully that's the case.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Feeney *sounds* promising.
I reckon we need to see if we can get some value out o Chanel even if it means running him for a while and seeing how he fits and if he can get some form at the top level.
Sione has disappointed me. He's been solid but his runs have mostly been tuck the ball in and put his head down and barge forward.
There was an exception late last year where he let go, stood up, stepped and palmed players off. It was brilliant. Seems he has been more content with not doing wrong and being secure than playing his natural game.

 

[perverse]

I don't understand all the mentions of Feeny at fullback? Did he play some great games there or something in NSW Cup that I missed? I was fairly positive he's a half and hasn't even played at fullback and now we want to consider him as a FG fullback? Even if he did have a couple of games there as a junior I couldn't see him offering close to what Gagai could there ... Or heck even Mamo who showed he's at least capable of holding his own back there.

It's where Brown wants him to play. I think his best quality is his ball running, and he's got talent and some toe. I won't be surprised to see him get a shot if he performs in his preseason opportunities.

Of course Gagai is our best fullback, but then we're short a centre.

 

[Spot On]

I'm putting a lot of faith in the theory that our rookies and young blokes are receiving the Nathan Brown polish and that they will actually develop into excellent first grade players over time through good coaching and management. They will then be retained (if possible if current TPA rules allow us to compete for them) because the coach has a brain between his ears.

Sure would be a pleasant change from the past.

 

[The Showstopper]

We gave genuine ability in these juniors and the right man to extract their very best at this early stage in their careers.

 

[aqua_duck]

Feeney has the perfect attributes for a modern fullback, he's 189cm tall, very, very quick, good running game and the ball playing ability of a 5/8th. He might not be as quick and explosive as Mamo but I can see him developing into a Matt Moylan style fullback as a best case scenario

 

[slotmachine]

It's funny that fullbacks get made into 5/8ths these days, and he's going the other way.