Team List Tuesdays ... Should be a ripper.

[Rocky]

What worries me most about our current 17 is the lack of pace and versatility of our pack and at 5/8 with The Shoe.
For starters, I'd pick Bully as a starting second rower. He is faster and a different body shape to our big Pacifika boys. He can attack whereas currently our only creative forward is Froggy. Kelma has been disappointing, and Gucca has gone from the best second rower in the comp in the first few matches of the season to a flat-footed, ham-fisted steamroller. I love Jurbo and he is a must have for his defence but he hasn't broken a tackle since 2020.
The Cowboys' forwards ran faster, harder and more often than our blokes.
The Shoe is not touching the ball enough; it is up to him to get more involved and have a few runs. If he can't spark our backline then I'm afraid he may never have the glittering NRL career we imagined.
Koala has the speed and talent but he is ineffective as a centre. As our season is almost cooked it may be worth swapping him and Sandwich around. Koala looked much more dangerous when he filled in at fullback. Sandwich has been outstanding wherever he plays, so why not give him a run at centre? We need to do something. Let's see if the selectors try to mix it up a bit, or will they fall into the Despicable no-change selection policy we all railed against last season.

I like the thinking about changing the team around. But Bully has shown a lot more as a middle than an edge.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Seibs mentioned post match that we need more from the bench. Bull was quieter but usually is our most impactful so he should be safe, but Sips and Woods are both in danger of relegation.
He who shall not be named will be named, on the bench.
Matterson did OK and should get another run. Makes it hard to pick Gordie though. He's bound to get a taste of NRL in coming weeks at some stage, you'd imagine.
Schu to get another chance, of course!

 

[double hoops]

Seibs saying Lodge has been signed to build competion for a jerseys. It's one thing to talk that talk.

But if he keeps selecting Shoes in the 6 jersey to do SWA week after week. The coach is then being a hypocrite and not willing to walk that walk.

If he wants competition, then send back to Blacktown those that aren't performing. And that's the Shoe.

 

[JenEagle]

We are on our last chance now. We have had so many losses this season now that we almost have to win every game from now on.

If we miss the finals again this will put siebs under a lot of pressure next year.

 

[Marto1970]

8 Paseka
9 Croker
10 Keppie / Alioa
11 Oka
12 Samuel
13 Jake

14 Gordon
15 matterson
16Alioa /Lodge
17 Bully/Toff

 

[Sheikheagle]

8 Paseka
9 Croker
10 Keppie / Alioa
11 Oka
12 Samuel
13 Jake

14 Gordon
15 matterson
16Alioa /Lodge
17 Bully/Toff

Especially given we have a premiership winning roster.

 

[castle eagle]

can't be much longer before lodge is named....

 

[ManEagle]

Would like to see
Crocker to lock
Jake to prop rotation
GCKT given his shot
That way no bench spot has been taken to give GCKT a go, Woods get shafted to Blacktown and Kum Tong if he gets gassed or not cutting it defensively he can drop to bench and normal transmission with Jake to 13 Crocker back to 9.

Keppie has to, just has to come in for Slippers or Alioa keeping Lodge out for his shot for now
Sam the Fainu man in second row
Matterson retains his spot

8 Paseka
9 GCKT
10 Jake
11 Big O
12 Fainu
13 Crocker

Bench
Matterson
Keppie
Bully
Slippers or Alioa

 

[Eagle 1]

We are on our last chance now. We have had so many losses this season now that we almost have to win every game from now on.

If we miss the finals again this will put siebs under a lot of pressure next year.

And player movement next season will be few unless we try and shop players off to other clubs, but not a big fan of this since we'd probably have to subsidize player's current contracts at another clubs.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Just wait for this place to explode when both Woods & Lodge get chosen.

I think I’ll stay undercover for a while.

 

[JakeyB789]

Season is over so let's at least see some changes and start building towards 2024. Forward pack needs a real revamp and guys like Woods, Aloiai and Sipley are just too slow in both attack and defence that we are just getting dominated up front every week. I know Schuster probably isn't in condition to play in the middle at the moment but if the plan is to play him there next year then may as well give him some reps there now, would at least provide some ball playing we don't have in the forwards and I think playing next to Jurbo and Croker would only help his defence. Matterson can spell him if required too.

Play Koula at the back to give him some more space and touches and give Weekes another go to see if they can forge a speedy combo like we saw in the trials. GCKT was part of this too so should get his long overdue debut. Garrick seems likely to be a centre next year with Turbo back so again let's give him some more reps there now.

Koula
Saab
Parker
Garrick
Tuipulotu
Weekes
DCE
Paseka
Croker
Jurbo
Olakau'atu
Tuilagi/Fainu (only if he's a chance of staying)
Schuster

GCKT
Matterson
Bullemor
Lodge

I know we won't see anything like this and would probably lose anyway but we'd at least be somewhat exciting. Not only has the team we've watched recently been losing, but they've been incredibly boring and don't even look like scoring points. Watch some of the other teams around us on the table like the Knights, Titans and Phins and they at least throw it around and look to score points, we are just so slow and bland that it's painful to watch

 

[Ryan]

Disappointing (but not surprising) that the club had the ability and means to attain some salary cap dispensation (for an additional player) in regard to Turbo being injured in SOO.

Yet AGAIN failed to deliver (like so many other clubs would have done). Lazy, lazy, lack of results management from our recruitment team and coaches.

And one wonders why we've lost 7 of our last 10 games, and are languishing in 11th heading into the Sharks.

 

[Bearfax]

Season is over so let's at least see some changes and start building towards 2024. Forward pack needs a real revamp and guys like Woods, Aloiai and Sipley are just too slow in both attack and defence that we are just getting dominated up front every week. I know Schuster probably isn't in condition to play in the middle at the moment but if the plan is to play him there next year then may as well give him some reps there now, would at least provide some ball playing we don't have in the forwards and I think playing next to Jurbo and Croker would only help his defence. Matterson can spell him if required too.

Play Koula at the back to give him some more space and touches and give Weekes another go to see if they can forge a speedy combo like we saw in the trials. GCKT was part of this too so should get his long overdue debut. Garrick seems likely to be a centre next year with Turbo back so again let's give him some more reps there now.

Koula
Saab
Parker
Garrick
Tuipulotu
Weekes
DCE
Paseka
Croker
Jurbo
Olakau'atu
Tuilagi/Fainu (only if he's a chance of staying)
Schuster

GCKT
Matterson
Bullemor
Lodge

I know we won't see anything like this and would probably lose anyway but we'd at least be somewhat exciting. Not only has the team we've watched recently been losing, but they've been incredibly boring and don't even look like scoring points. Watch some of the other teams around us on the table like the Knights, Titans and Phins and they at least throw it around and look to score points, we are just so slow and bland that it's painful to watch

Interesting selection. Has merit from my perspective. Wont happen as you say but a worthy thought.

 

[Disco]

I just cannot get my head around these Croker to lock calls, especially when our go forward it struggling.

Yes the best locks can ball play a bit but they still take 10 plus hitups and make 100 plus metres.

I just cannot seee how people think this would be some sort of solution

 

[cc eagle]

Disappointing (but not surprising) that the club had the ability and means to attain some salary cap dispensation (for an additional player) in regard to Turbo being injured in SOO.

Yet AGAIN failed to deliver (like so many other clubs would have done). Lazy, lazy, lack of results management from our recruitment team and coaches.

And one wonders why we've lost 7 of our last 10 games, and are languishing in 11th heading into the Sharks.

I'm sure we got $350K relief for Tom being injured, but if there's no one out there who's an improvement on what we have, remember he's probably playing reggies so not much they can do about it.

 

[The Who]

As a fan I'd applaud Boldy and his fellow selectors crafting a team this week onwards with its eye on 2024. He could say that he needs to see how new players may fit in with plans for next season. Change of positions; giving some Blacktown players an opportunity. The results wouldn't matter as much as the opportunity to watch, learn, retain, discard, mould a 17 that would form the basis on the 2024 team.
We've basically seen what this current 17 can do and it's not good enough to be a premiership threat. How can we get Koala more ball? Would he make a good 5/8? How would Parker go as lock? Matterson at lock? Bully as a starter? Lodge in as prop? Would regular NRL players gain something from being dropped to Blacktown?
If it works, great. If not then at least we'd know we'd have to find other solutions. Even that would be better than entering 2024 undecided about certain players and positions.

 

[StuBoot]

Just wait for this place to explode when both Woods & Lodge get chosen.

I think I’ll stay undercover for a while.

I want to see both Lodge and Keppie coming off the bench, throw the cat amongst the pigeons with some aggro and thrust off the bench.

 

[The Indian]

Disappointing (but not surprising) that the club had the ability and means to attain some salary cap dispensation (for an additional player) in regard to Turbo being injured in SOO.

Yet AGAIN failed to deliver (like so many other clubs would have done). Lazy, lazy, lack of results management from our recruitment team and coaches.

And one wonders why we've lost 7 of our last 10 games, and are languishing in 11th heading into the Sharks.

Agree it's disappointing BUT a team that saw themselves as even a slight hope would use the salary cap dispensation to top up a player and have a crack. Nobody thinks this lot are any hope of going on a run and being a serious team the way they are going at the moment, owners included. Even if the right player exists, you'd just be burning a few hundred thousand K to maybe move from 12th to 11th given the way we are performing generally.

 

[DSM5]

Keppie and Lodge on the bench is definitely the answer to the dip in aggro when Paseka and whoever else is in the front row come off. Why not play Lodge? He’s in the team, isn’t he?

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Disappointing (but not surprising) that the club had the ability and means to attain some salary cap dispensation (for an additional player) in regard to Turbo being injured in SOO.

Yet AGAIN failed to deliver (like so many other clubs would have done). Lazy, lazy, lack of results management from our recruitment team and coaches.

And one wonders why we've lost 7 of our last 10 games, and are languishing in 11th heading into the Sharks.

Bit of a catch 22 really, it had to be a like for like, so if we did sign someone, probably Diane Laurie or a player like him was a viable option, but everyone would have been bleating that he wasn’t good enough and another tigers player etc