Vella on NRL on Fox

[Eelementary]

showing promise is better than nothing at all. and by showinf promise i mean he has delivered on occasions he just needs to work on a little bit of consistency

Thats more like it.

He hasn't yet proven that he is the answer to our halfback problems.

Suity

To a degree that's true. But how many consecutive games has he played with the same team and with a decent 5/8?

 

[True EEL]

spot on eelementary

 

[The Colonel]

no Colonel, i'm not going to be that harsh, #13 will do me, even #3 or #4 at some stage, but just not #6???????????

maybe he might end up on the bench if some younger forwards start performing (given the opportunity) but i think he should be at least given the start in #13

From what I have read over the past few months, there are two players who I feel have the most to lose from the purchases the club has made and they are Vella and Wagon. Vella may scrape through, however a back row of Cayless, Hindmarsh and Morrison is most certain in my mind with Stringer and Cannings fighting to be alongside or push Vella on to the bench.

The fact Wagon can play in 3, 4 or 13 and god forbid 6 makes him a perfect bench player at this stage of his career.

 

[Pazza]

8.Stringer 134.7 metres per match (2003)
9.Riddell 86.9 metres per match (2004)
10.Vella 101.6 metres per match (2004)
11.Hindmarsh 126.7 metres per match (2004)
12.Cayless 109.3 metres per match (2004)
13.Morrison 124.1 metres per match (2004)

15.Widders 91.1 metres per match (2004)
16.Robinson 77.1 metres per match (2004)
17.Cannings 97.8 metres per match (2003)

Looking very good from a go forward perspective.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Again Colonel speaks sense!

Wagon will certainly not be our 13 to start the season - Stringer, Cannings, Vella and Robinson (and Tsoulos) will be our top props.

Cayless' form in the back row to start the year, and the fact he was able to stay on the field for much longer periods of time, means that he will almost certainly get the #12 jersey next year.

There is absolutely no way known that Morrison or Hindmarsh miss out - that leaves Wagon.

Wags will NOT be on the bench, heres why:

Widders definitely makes it - he's our #14
Every team carries two "big forwards" - basically two props, so
Robinson will be #15
Cannings #16 (assuming same starting pack as Pazza)

That leaves 1 jersey - but remember that the Pig is our hooker, therefore we MUST carry an "impact dummy half" - which will most certainly NOT be Wagon.
Smith has tried Wagon in that role, and he has shown that he cannot do it, so there will be someone else there (PJ?)

So that leaves Wags as first string backup when one of our backrowers gets injured - he'll start the year as captain of reserve grade (barring pre-season injuries)

 

[True EEL]

i think Wags will be there

how do you from captaining a side for 3/4's of the year to being in reserve grade??

he will be there somewhere, but i do agree that

13 Morrison
12 Cayless
11 Hindmarsh

is mouthwatering to think about, but Wags does well at lock.....that is his possie and don't forget he was a major reason why we went so well in 2001, playing so well at lock behind a good forward pack?????

 

[eloquentEEL]

I think Cayless will start from the front row again next year, with Morrisson in the second row and Wagon at lock.

Wagon can be used as a utility player but is certainly not an impact player, and is most valuable to the team playing the full 80 min as a defencive lock.

I'd say Vella is far more likely to be pushed back to the bench, than Wagon is. Vella's already been started off the bench at least once this year, with success.

 

[True EEL]

spot on eels2win......

thats what i think exactly....and players like Stringer and Cannings can make an impact off the bench when other props are tired, so i agree that big Caylo will be back in the #8

 

[yy_cheng]

Yup. Same for mine. Wagon is THE PET remember!!

Maybe Widders will grab the other Centre Spot coz I would hate to have Widders in PL.

As for PJ at 14, I reckon he'll only play #14 to ease back in the team but if he is fully fit, I still reckon #6 Morris #7 PJ with Witt not playing unless injuries prevails.

I don't think Marsh will sign on to play off the bench just like Tahu wanting to play centre.

If Morris is made to play #14, I don't reckon he'll be with us in 2006.


**** HOWEVER *****

If ando or sharp becomes coach, Wagon might actually get the flick...he reminds me so much of ricketson

 

[PJ Marshal]

Well Morris has allready expressed on what you could describe as disapointment with Riddell being signed. It will definetly come down to a Pre Season fight between those two for the hooking role, but if PJ is in the equation....well he was killing it at hooker as well

So there you go 3 hookers on spot, who will get it?

not Suity!

 

[parra001]

IMO this will be the 25 players in the 1st grade squad and the team will hopefully look s'thing like this (hopefully Peter Sharp can talk some sense into BS and bring some of the things Bellamy has shown him across also)

1. McKinnon
2. Grothe
3. Tahu
4. Burt
5. Peterson
6. Morris
7. Witt
8. Stringer
9. Riddell
10. Cannings
11. Hindmarsh
12. Cayless
13. Morrison

14. Widders
15. Vella
16. PJ (to start the season, till he gets some match fitness)
17. Wagon

18. Robinson
19. Afamasaga
20. Webster
21. Tsoulos
22. Graham
23. O'Dwyer
24. Tim Smith
25. Ben Smith

At the risking of getting ahead of myself it should hopefully be successful year (might need to shorten my trip o/s short so i can be home 1st w'end in October )

 

[Pazza]

Robinson outside the top 17?

i dont think so

 

[Utey]

Smith has already publically stated that Morrison will be in the back row with Hindy. That leaves wagon to go to lock. I dont agree with putting a representative lock in the 2nd row but he will be equally effective.

 

[Pazza]

Smith wants Morrison attacking down the right hand side, that doesnt mean he cant do that at Lock.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Well i'll go against most here & say Wagon has too be our lock!, sure he's not the best 5/8 but he's a great defensive player and we need a bloke like him in the forwards to clean up the scarps and provide abit of verstility in the fowards......instead of comming off the bench to do it & wasting an interchange.

 

[Utey]

He isnt a bench player. And we wont see him in prems and i dont want to. If he can get some good form which is hard to show this year because he has been played in 5/8 he can be a good asset to our club.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Wagon has been very good for us this year, i guess some forget his defensive display against the Roosters where he anhilated Fittler & Minichello all night.

 

[Suitman]

Wagon has turned me around this year as well.

He sure as hell is no 5/8th, but he would do me as our lock next year.
With Riddell in at hooker, it means we have an extra attacking forward, so Wags can sit back and concentrate on defence.



Suity

 

[Utey]

Exactly right. Althought looking at 2001 wwagon did have some sort of attacking flair but when your making 30-40 tackles and playing 80 min each week you cant have to much energy for attack.