Bench for 2025

[Kalvin]

Was thinking about this and actually think this will be harder to pick then the starting 13.... what is everyone's preferred bench for 2025?

Mine as follows:

14. Talau or Hopate (outside back cover)
15. Tavaga (covers hooker & middle)
16. Bullemore (covers middle & edge if needed)
17. Brown (just need his aggression in short stints)

 

[Eagles4Life]

14. Simpkin (Tevaga is my starting nine, before moving into middle rotation after twenty minutes)
15. Talau (Jake starts at lock then moves into prop rotation after 20)
16. Bullemore (Same role as last season)
17. Taukeiaho (Replaces Brown in my best seventeen)

19. Brown

 

[Kalvin]

14. Simpkin (Tevaga is my starting nine, before moving into middle rotation after twenty minutes)
15. Talau (Jake starts at lock then moves into prop rotation after 20)
16. Bullemore (Same role as last season)
17. Taukeiaho (Replaces Brown in my best seventeen)

19. Brown

Love the thought behind this. Out of curiosity who are your starting props?

I have paseka as a lock for one & can't really split TKO/sipley/lodge/aloai for the other

 

[The Indian]

14 Hoppa - Even though he's less experienced I just see him covering more bases than Talau just on a hunch ( harsh on Talau I know )
15 Tevaga
16 Bullemore
17 Taukeiaho

 

[madmax]

Trbo
Saab
Koula
Garrick
Talau
Brooks
DCE
Paseka
Simpkin
Aloiai
Olakau’atu
Patolo
Jrbo
Res: Lehi, Bully, TKO, Brown
(Brbo, Sipley, Tevaga, Chee Kam, Waddell)

 

[stoodamire]

14) Tevaga
15) Bullemor
16) Brown
17) TKO

Waste having a back on the bench. Burbo can cover the backline.

 

[Phobia]

I think if Burbo is in the 17 elsewhere, there's no point in having an outside back on the bench. I'm not the coach though, and good thing too, because I think against the Cowboys last year they had Lehi in the 14, with Burbo in the #12. This is based upon potential, at the back end of the year.

14. Tevaga (Utility, can bump Croker to other positions if needed)
15. Bullemor (Must be there)
16. Patolo (Prop, I like what I see with his potential)
17. Navale (Lock, I like his passing game)

Just a lot of leg speed. Would be nice to see some game breakers like Laiafi hit their straps though.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Was thinking about this and actually think this will be harder to pick then the starting 13.

Probably true!

Personally I can't see Seibold trying to manufacture Talau into a forward.
Other than that, I have no idea! Jazz Bull and Brown appear bench certainties to begin the year, but as it rolls on, that will change.
I'd give TKO the 4th spot for Round 1, and omit Lehi out (however he's making that look dumber every time he takes the field!)

 

[JakeyB789]

Nothing wrong with carrying a back on the bench in the modern game with HIA's and injuries. I wouldn't be relying on Burbo covering the centres either when he was mostly poor there last year and should be focused on becoming a more consistent first grader as one of the few second rowers in the squad.

Ideally I'd have Talau in the centres with Koula but with Garrick a lock there, Talau is probably the best fit for the bench role. No way we should leave out Lehi although I am concerned that's what Seibold may end up doing due to experience and how short sighted we can be as a club.

Turbo
Saab
Koula
Garrick
Lehi
Brooks
DCE
Paseka
Simpkin
Aloiai
Olakau'atu
Burbo
Jurbo

Talau (covering backs/Burbo)
Tevaga (covering hooker/lock)
Bullemor (covering middle)
Brown (covering middle)

With Taukeaiho, Lodge and hopefully Navale/Patolo emerging to put pressure on all the middles. Would be surprised if Brown made it through another season, Aloiai especially would need a good start to the year to hold his spot and if we can find a way to reduce Jake's minutes I'd be looking at that too.

Praying Simpkin starts the season well too so there aren't any changes once Croker is back.

 

[Eagle 1]

Think Seibs might go for rd1.
Simpkin
Bully
TKO
Brownie
Lehi in the run on, he's just to good leave out.
The unlucky Talau misses out.

 

[rmd]

Okay, so think about this....

Why, of all the players who were rested, was Lehi given a full game at fullback on the weekend, and he did a 'cracking' job at it, albeit against a Souths Reserve Grade side?

Is Seib's maybe thinking of roaming roles for Turbo and Lehi? Just let Turbo roam across the park with Lehi always covering the back field?

I heard Brooks interview on SEN and he thinks Koula will have a 'Break Out' year, with him (Brooks) trying to create space for Toula to show his magic.

Mind you, it was a great interview with Brooks, if you have not heard it, and how much he is enjoying being at Manly.

Will he move to the Northern Peninsula? "No, probably not at the moment, as it's a bit too expensive, but I might do one day." I think this maybe depends on whether he gets a contract extension, with an upgrade.

The funniest thing was about the BBQ he got from West Tigers when he left. "Yeah, I've used it once, but I've got enough BBQ's already, and I really didn't need another one".

Listen to the podcast on SEN, he is very humble and states great goals for the club for 2025.

 

[Eagles4Life]

Love the thought behind this. Out of curiosity who are your starting props?

I have paseka as a lock for one & can't really split TKO/sipley/lodge/aloai for the other

Paseka and Aloiai to start, with Bullemore and Taukeaiho as the middles on the bench. Starting Tevaga as the nine, and Jake as the thirteen, gives us the flexibility to have Talau on the bench, and more importantly the ability to start Hopoate as well.

 

[Seagles68]

Paseka and Aloiai to start, with Bullemore and Taukeaiho as the middles on the bench. Starting Tevaga as the nine, and Jake as the thirteen, gives us the flexibility to have Talau on the bench, and more importantly the ability to start Hopoate as well.

I like the idea of Talau as a bench forward but I'm not so sure it's something he could walk into now. It feels like something he would need to show in Reggies that he's up to - you know, positional play etc.

I'm with @Eagle 1, I think Hoppa is too good to leave out even though I wish he was a bit bigger. Which means for me Talau would, unfortuantely miss out.

I'm also not so concerned about props now (Aloiai needs to lift tho but TKO seems to be a good bench buy) but I still feel we're short a good starting backrow to compliment Haumole. Burbo and co are ok bench players (based on last year) but just that one step down from starter. Having said that, I think Seibs will start with Burbo but he needs to show his worth against a reserve Penrith side.

I think Simpkin is a chance of being the starting 9 as Tevaga has the ability to be a 9 or back rower. But this is up in the air as well. Will this week determine that? I'm not so sure given the opposition. It's not really a great test. Unless one of them flops, then it's no contest.

So I guess that was a long winded way of saying my bench would be:

Tevaga (Simpkin starting)
Bullemore
TKO (possibly Sipley)
Brown (unless he's not come through the pre season very well, I can't see how he misses out on the first game given his impact on the team when he came on last year)

It would be nice to see some of the younger forwards step up early in Reggies though and put pressure on this group.

 

[Disco]

Not directed at anyone here orand particular players but always interesting how everyone is happy for a bench backrower to cover the centres but are aghast at the thought of a bench back covering backrow in an emergency.

I think with Tevaga in the squad no need for 2 other hookers.

With Olakau'atu generally playing 80 and Jurbo annd Turbo able to play big minutes then no need for a 4 forward bench. If anything Bully needs more minutes.

On the flip side Garrick has concussion history, Tom and Saab have had a fair whack of injuries.

In the modern game more times than not a back needs time off the firld with a HIA or injury.

I'm all for a back on the bench.

 

[Ohgeez]

Not directed at anyone here orand particular players but always interesting how everyone is happy for a bench backrower to cover the centres but are aghast at the thought of a bench back covering backrow in an emergency.

I think with Tevaga in the squad no need for 2 other hookers.

With Olakau'atu generally playing 80 and Jurbo annd Turbo able to play big minutes then no need for a 4 forward bench. If anything Bully needs more minutes.

On the flip side Garrick has concussion history, Tom and Saab have had a fair whack of injuries.

In the modern game more times than not a back needs time off the firld with a HIA or injury.

I'm all for a back on the bench.

It’s tough to leave Hoppa out the starting 13 but I think he is the most versatile back we have & would be good on the bench. Can play anywhere in the backline & have no doubt he could fill in to a half’s roll if needed

 

[Dion Johnson]

Having an outside back on the bench becomes more strategic as the season progresses due to the physical demands on players and the nature of the game for me.

Early in the season, big forwards are still working on reaching peak match fitness, coaches often prioritise having additional forwards on the bench to maintain the intensity and physicality that these positions require.

As the season advances, however, fatigue and injuries among the backline players can accumulate, making it sensible to include an outside back on the bench.

This approach provides the team with greater flexibility to cover injuries or to exploit specific match-up advantages against opponents.

As forwards achieve optimal fitness levels, having a versatile back on the bench allows teams to adapt their strategies quickly during games, which can be crucial during the later, more competitive stages of the season.

14. Tevaga
15. Bully
16. Waddell
17. Aloiai / Sipley

 

[Seagles68]

It’s tough to leave Hoppa out the starting 13 but I think he is the most versatile back we have & would be good on the bench. Can play anywhere in the backline & have no doubt he could fill in to a half’s roll if needed

My only question with having Hoppa on the bench is - what if we don't have an injury in the backs? It doesn't make any sense to me to rest someone so Lehi can have a run. You're either a 1st Grade, 80 minute back or you're not. Aren't we wasting a bench player on the off chance (I say optimistically 😆) of an injury?

Obviously Lehi wouldn't be put into the forwards and I'm not sure what back would play there in an emergency. Talau seems to be the only option but I don't know if he has ever played there.

To @Disco s point, it'd be great to have a back that could fill in as a forward if they had to but I'm not sure who the best option would be.

I think it'll take a few games to work out the balance with the new and younger players we now have available.

 

[Eagles4Life]

Not directed at anyone here orand particular players but always interesting how everyone is happy for a bench backrower to cover the centres but are aghast at the thought of a bench back covering backrow in an emergency.

I think with Tevaga in the squad no need for 2 other hookers.

With Olakau'atu generally playing 80 and Jurbo annd Turbo able to play big minutes then no need for a 4 forward bench. If anything Bully needs more minutes.

On the flip side Garrick has concussion history, Tom and Saab have had a fair whack of injuries.

In the modern game more times than not a back needs time off the firld with a HIA or injury.

I'm all for a back on the bench.

Agreed @Disco IMHO Talau is our best option as a back on the bench, as he can cover all backline positions from one to seven. He also has more potential than any of our other backs to play a Dylan Walker type role as a fill in lock or backrower if required.

 

[Rocky]

Prefer to have the physical old heads to start - "to take the shine off the new ball" e.g. I would much rather start with Aloiai than bring him off the bench for instance.

I'd be having impact guys like Paseka (even though he is our best prop), Tevaga, Brown and Bullemor on the pine to start the game and bringing them as subs on to bust things open.

 

[Ohgeez]

My only question with having Hoppa on the bench is - what if we don't have an injury in the backs? It doesn't make any sense to me to rest someone so Lehi can have a run. You're either a 1st Grade, 80 minute back or you're not. Aren't we wasting a bench player on the off chance (I say optimistically 😆) of an injury?

Obviously Lehi wouldn't be put into the forwards and I'm not sure what back would play there in an emergency. Talau seems to be the only option but I don't know if he has ever played there.

To @Disco s point, it'd be great to have a back that could fill in as a forward if they had to but I'm not sure who the best option would be.

I think it'll take a few games to work out the balance with the new and younger players we now have available.

Would be interesting on the actual stats but it feels like we have an outside back go Down quite often. If there isn’t a injury I’d just use him like Storm did with Faalago this year & have him sniffing around the middle the last 15 mins of a game