Who should we retain and release at the end of 2025?

[Alan Johnson]

He has limitations in the fullback position but if everyone on the team played like he does we would win the premiership every year.

 

[vvvrulz]

A 5/8th in the door.. writings on the wall (even more) for Martin

Te Maire must have stolen someone's lunch or something - there's no way all this can be on performance alone.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Charnze has too many miles in his legs to last long with us.

RTS is two years older than CNK, just saying.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

RTS is two years older than CNK, just saying.

This is true Space, but even with age and a bit of lost pace, RTS still has more to offer. I understand his legs are starting to feel it especially with the hamstring issues he's had over the past few seasons, but I still see him as the kind of player who can break open a game and win a few more than CNK

 

[SpaceMonkey]

This is true Space, but even with age and a bit of lost pace, RTS still has more to offer. I understand his legs are starting to feel it especially with the hamstring issues he's had over the past few seasons, but I still see him as the kind of player who can break open a game and win a few more than CNK

The reality is though that week in week out CNK has delivered more than RTS for the past few seasons. I’d personally keep them both though.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

The reality is though that week in week out CNK has delivered more than RTS for the past few seasons. I’d personally keep them both though.

To be fair RTS' output last season was severely hampered by being shunted around and never settling into a spot. He did get a couple starts at fb and from memory ran for nearly 300m each time.

We all love CNK's heart but IMO we need more from that spot. Dunno if RTS still has it, or even if Taine really does, but we need more of a spark from fb especially if our halves arent lighting things up themselves.

 

[Matua]

Now that we've re-signed him I wonder if CNK is destined to play a similar impact bench role like Walker did moving forward? I think he'd go well there, he's a hard worker, not as good a playmaker as Walker but has the speed in the middle to exploit a break.

Although Webby seems to have finally moved away from the little man bench style so it might not be a goer.

 

[Campion]

I would've signed him. I think when he gets too old for fullback he could still make a go at center (and a kind of versatile person who could go wing or six at a push).

 

[Beavers Headgear]

I heard the last couple of mins of an interview with McFadden on Sports Nation breakfast show this morning, I’d suggest all Warriors fans will want to hop on their app and have a listen to it

Heard him say a ball playing lock is what they are after, and he talks about future strategies, promoting from within etc and where they are heading

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

I heard the last couple of mins of an interview with McFadden on Sports Nation breakfast show this morning, I’d suggest all Warriors fans will want to hop on their app and have a listen to it

Heard him say a ball playing lock is what they are after, and he talks about future strategies, promoting from within etc and where they are heading

Thanks for the heads up beav, that was a good listen.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Thanks for the heads up beav, that was a good listen.

No worries mate, would certainly make you feel excited about the future as a Warriors fan, he speaks well. Never feel that way after listening to Cam George lol

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Sure does. I’d love to see that future team plan he talks about too. It’s probably something he keeps very close to his chest but gees it’d be good to have just one quick nosey lol

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I heard the last couple of mins of an interview with McFadden on Sports Nation breakfast show this morning, I’d suggest all Warriors fans will want to hop on their app and have a listen to it

Heard him say a ball playing lock is what they are after, and he talks about future strategies, promoting from within etc and where they are heading

Ball playing lock - isn't that exactly what Erin Clark is? I understand he's more operating as a metre eating big man but he's wearing 13 and is still doing things with the ball. Or is he more a middle with 13 on his back, and they want someone else like a Walker in there next to him? I always thought those two guys were not designed to be on at the same time

McFadden is a very intelligent man. He probably got unlucky with the era he came into the Warriors, succeeding two absolute duds in Bluey and Matt Elliott, at a time where there was a lack of professionalism abounding.

 

[Izz]

McFadden is a very intelligent man. He probably got unlucky with the era he came into the Warriors, succeeding two absolute duds in Bluey and Matt Elliott, at a time where there was a lack of professionalism abounding.

He's got a lot of love for the club, too. Stayed on as an assistant to Kearney after getting dumped, which not many would've done.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

He's got a lot of love for the club, too. Stayed on as an assistant to Kearney after getting dumped, which not many would've done.

Yeah that was a weird situation, but a reflection on his humility and desire for the club to do well. Probably perfectly employed where he is, not having to deal with the pressure and other BS that comes along with being a head coach.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Ball playing lock - isn't that exactly what Erin Clark is? I understand he's more operating as a metre eating big man but he's wearing 13 and is still doing things with the ball. Or is he more a middle with 13 on his back, and they want someone else like a Walker in there next to him? I always thought those two guys were not designed to be on at the same time

McFadden is a very intelligent man. He probably got unlucky with the era he came into the Warriors, succeeding two absolute duds in Bluey and Matt Elliott, at a time where there was a lack of professionalism abounding.

McFadden definitely got dudded with his coaching career- he was supposed to serve another year under Elliot but got promoted early when Elliot lost the dressing room, then had a pretty wretched run with injuries during his time in the top job. He’s been a great loyal servant to the club despite not succeeding as head coach and im glad he’s still there.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Ball playing lock - isn't that exactly what Erin Clark is? I understand he's more operating as a metre eating big man but he's wearing 13 and is still doing things with the ball. Or is he more a middle with 13 on his back, and they want someone else like a Walker in there next to him? I always thought those two guys were not designed to be on at the same time

He sees Gannon in that ball playing lock role eventually. Reckons he has a skill set we’re missing at the moment, and he’ll likely end up in the middle with his ball skills. Guess that means he sees Clark as a more traditional middle…? Certainly make a very good impact middle off the bench with his foot speed, similar to what many people see as Brandon Smith’s best role.

Found his comments about Cup quite interesting though. Said most other clubs have a number of open-age part time players who play a lot of Cup footy, but we operate slightly differently. We have very few (open age) part timers, and instead will push the most promising youngsters straight into Cup to see how they perform in an open age environment.