Clean Out

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I was super excited to see Haumole develop this year, coming off his couple of games last year. The only thing I can think of, and the same with Sipley, is perhaps they aren’t training, day in day out, to the expected standard. Des is big on attitude.
but Maybe if they got same game time and belief from Des that may change. I still say both of those 2 players should be in our 17.
 
I want Schuster in the team but I don't see him as a centre. He is not fast enough imo. He is a 5/8 or second rower. Very skilful but more inclined to set up his outside player than make the break himself.
I may be wrong. But he has to be in the team somewhere.
i think he could transition into centre very well. Bring in Hoppa Jr on his out side. DCE, Walker, Schuster, Hoppa Jr and Tom to link in from back at anytime

thats an attacking backline!

 
it is long overdue to start blooding more kids from that winning 2017 Holden cup team and some of the other youngsters we have. We cannot afford to squander this potential like we did in 2015 when you see guys like Ramien, Garner, Hynes and Knight playing regular first grade for other clubs. We have enough talent to build a great side, they are no good standing idle, they need to be blooded against the best to see if you they actually have it. Staying with tried and failing players is not working!
 
It has now become apparent from playing the teams above us on the ladder that we are not dynamic enough for the "new" game.

We are slow through our forwards but don't have enough mongrel to hurt anyone to negate it. We may have a good defensive pack but we are probably among the least feared. We don't have any speed or leg-drive so we are not bending the line, let alone breaking it. When was the last time one of our forward "came of the back fence" like some in every other team do? Forwards can still control this new game but ours won't. We are just not "mobile" enough. We don't hurt anyone so they either get quick play-the- ball's or we try to slow it down and get pinged for a set restart. Special mention to Jake for his 4 yesterday..3 in 5 minutes.
No speed, no intent = no line bending and no space for our halves and backs as a consequence.

We have no pace in our backs and that just will not work without space. We need to fix at least one of those 2 problems, probably both if are to compete.

It MAY be possible to turn it around in the forwards with the roster we have but our "choice" pack just does not show what is needed.

Our "choice" backline is nowhere near fast enough...even with Tom playing. The backs we play are not suited to the "new" game and without space created by our pack are just plain snails.

I am no expert but surely Des sees all this and it is up to him to fix it...either WITH our current roster or with a new one. This roster may have worked before the NRL sprung this new game on Des but it looks like it is going to stay and this roster ain't gonna do diddly squat if it does.

Love you like a brother Horhay but the new game has passed you by. Breaks my heart.
Elliot is not big enough or strong enough.
Funa is not up with the new fast young guys. Sorry.
Suli needs clean ball and space. He doesn't get any.
Parker is just not fast enough and gets hurt a LOT. Could stay as our ONE slow guy.
Garrick does not get the ball the new young guys do. Cheap keeper if he kicks goals better.
Walker...I have never felt the love. Is not a 6 and has been a liability for 3 years.
Cust has done OK. Meh.
 
but Maybe if they got same game time and belief from Des that may change. I still say both of those 2 players should be in our 17.
Maybe it would change and the comment about attitude is purely speculation on my part. But I guess I am a bit old school - you have got to earn your spot in first grade and it starts on the training paddock. That’s within their control.

There is a balance though. I reckon Croker probably gets more chances than he might otherwise get because he is a gun trainer/good clubman...
 
Let’s face it, the club has been in a slow, elegant (sometimes inelegant) decline since the 2011 GF.

The off-field stuff that saw Des depart in 2011 and continued through until at least 2018 is still having an impact on the on-field stuff.
 
Shuster could play centre, 5/8 or even just off the bench as a roving forward similar to Peachy. Just pop up around the ruck or on both sides of the field. We have some good juniors, just need to give them a go. Every other top side this year has blooded their youth.

Some aggression from Quac or Sipley would of been worth a try as well.

Just like posted above. Not enough speed and aggressive hard running from the forwards, winning the ruck and not enough genuine strike out wide.
 
1.Turbo
2.Hopoate
3.Walker
4.Suli
5.Garrick
6.Cust
7.Cherry
8.AFB
9.Fainu
10.Jurbo
11.
12.Sironen
13.Schuster

14.Levi
15.Paseka
16.Taupau
17.Olakauatu

18.Harper
19.Keppie
20.Sipley
21.Saddler
22.Boyle
23.Parker
24.Funa
20.Metcalf
26.Plythian
27.
28.
29.
30.

Fill the rest in with recruitment. Maybe move haumole to start to have more cap to spend.
 
BOYLE, Morgan SELL
CHERRY-EVANS, Daly (c) best player - keep
CROKER, Lachlan SELL SELL SELL
CUST, Cade why was he not playing tonight - keep
ELLIOT, Brendan SELL and pay someone to take him
FAINU, Manase ?
FONUA-BLAKE, Addin keep - best prop in comp still
FUNA, Tevita - keep - youth
GARRICK, Reuben- keep
GOSIEWSKI, Jack - sell
HARPER, Morgan - keep
HOPOATE, Albert - keep (not at overs)
KEPPIE, Sean - keep (just don't let him captains challenge)
LEVI, Danny - keep
METCALF, Luke - keep... should be playing fullback in tom's place and albert injured
OLAKAU'ATU, Haumole - keep - let him start playing...
PARKER, Brad - sell if club takes full contract... if not make him a backrower... does he get knocked out every 2 weeks?
PASEKA, Taniela - keep... potential
SIPLEY, Toafofoa - keep, cheap
SIRONEN, Curtis - keep, plays with heart
SULI, Moses - keep but needs to earn his jersey more
TAUFUA, Jorge - SELL SELL SELL.... the worst starting winger in the NRL at the moment no two ways about it
TAUPAU, Martin - keep
THOMPSON, Joel - leaving
TRBOJEVIC, Jake (vc) - keep obviously
TRBOJEVIC, Tom - keep
WADDELL, Corey - sell
WALKER, Dylan - unsure... sell? keep?
WILLIAMS, Tony - is he even at the club?


chuck kitchen sink at some backs... sign Tom Starling from raiders if Manase doesn't come back.
Sign Jason Saab, sign brent naden if we can as he tore us to shreds tonight. kid is a gun. ray stone from eels as 2row could help.
The only players currently in top 30 not contracted beyond this year are Elliot, Hoppa (??), Levi, Metcalf, Thommo, Waddell and T-Rex

So not a lot of $$$ there to play with. If they want to hang onto Hoppa he'll need an upgrade - there goes Elliot's money. We need a back up hooker, so Levi may have to stay, but I assume the Knights are paying some of his freight this year ?? so we'll have to dip into pocket if we want to extend him.

Thommo is going to need replacing, hoping that Guac might step up there, or Schuster as a ball playing edge backrower, bit like Wade Graham style. So we might gain a bit of coin there.

T-Rex and Metcalf on minimum wage I presume, likewise Waddell.

So we aren't going to be in the market for any signifcant signings unless we release someone to get some coin.
 
1.Turbo
2.Hopoate
3.Walker
4.Suli
5.Garrick
6.Cust
7.Cherry
8.AFB
9.Fainu
10.Jurbo
11.
12.Sironen
13.Schuster

14.Levi
15.Paseka
16.Taupau
17.Olakauatu

18.Harper
19.Keppie
20.Sipley
21.Saddler
22.Boyle
23.Parker
24.Funa
20.Metcalf
26.Plythian
27.
28.
29.
30.

Fill the rest in with recruitment. Maybe move haumole to start to have more cap to spend.
Haumole to 11 and Saddler to 17. POWER in the engine room SPEED and SKILL in the backs and love the idea of Schuster at 13 setting up guys like Jake did . The thought of Tom running of inside passes from Schuster. TRY,TRY TRY.
 
1.Turbo
2.Hopoate
3.Walker
4.Suli
5.Garrick
6.Cust
7.Cherry
8.AFB
9.Fainu
10.Jurbo
11.
12.Sironen
13.Schuster

14.Levi
15.Paseka
16.Taupau
17.Olakauatu

18.Harper
19.Keppie
20.Sipley
21.Saddler
22.Boyle
23.Parker
24.Funa
20.Metcalf
26.Plythian
27.
28.
29.
30.

Fill the rest in with recruitment. Maybe move haumole to start to have more cap to spend.
Pythian a few rate this fella, I have not seen much of him.

Guacamole to start for sure.

I am not sold on Garrick, thinking Funa there for me.

I think you may need to add Titmuss and that leaves 4 spots for the 30 open.

The development player, need looking at now, Ben T, he stays. I think S. Fainu and Tuitavake will be pushing for development contracts.

That leaves Miski and Andersen, does the club see them as first graders?

Andersen has another year left.

Some like the look of the winger that came over from Souths to Blacktown, Sam Manuleleua, have never seen him play so going on others word.

Based on the junior talent we have most likely need a couple of experienced players.
 
Suli not getting tge ball isn’t on him. He needs players in the inside to get it there. I
Love Siro but he is a ball hog. Suli could be more involved with runs out of our end tho. Agree on that.

Part of our problem on the right is that the ball very rarely gets out any further than Siro or Suli. Siro usually cuts back inside or tries to play unders with DCE, while Suli, good on him for having the confidence to do so but he thinks he's going to break every tackle and he rarely passes the ball either. Garrick has actually been starved of possession during games this year out on the wing other than kick returns or early tackle hit ups. Saturday night when DCE put Reubs into space was the first time since Tom was out that I can actually remember him getting any quality ball out on the wing where he could use his pace. Most times the ball gets to Siro or Suli and that's as far as its getting.

And yet Reubs is the one who tends to cop the brunt of the criticism. That pass from Cherry and subsequent break showed what can happen when we give him space to run ... yet we are rarely using that. And the worst part is that outside Tom, Reubs is easily the fastest player we have in first grade. We should be using his pace to advantage.
 
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Pythian a few rate this fella, I have not seen much of him.

Guacamole to start for sure.

I am not sold on Garrick, thinking Funa there for me.

I think you may need to add Titmuss and that leaves 4 spots for the 30 open.

The development player, need looking at now, Ben T, he stays. I think S. Fainu and Tuitavake will be pushing for development contracts.

That leaves Miski and Andersen, does the club see them as first graders?

Andersen has another year left.

Some like the look of the winger that came over from Souths to Blacktown, Sam Manuleleua, have never seen him play so going on others word.

Based on the junior talent we have most likely need a couple of experienced players.
Clubs with good youth systems dont need 30 first graders. They need 23-25 first graders and 5+ youth with development contractors to fill the remaining.

Tell me, where do players with dud potential but 20-30 games compare to youngsters? you need some for depth, but you also need to optimise the squad and make sure there are some guns.

We basically 16 have proper good first graders in our fully fit team minus Jorge Taufua. Then we have a bunch of nuffies who take up cap for 10+ spots and then Schuster, Hoppa, Funa and Metcalf... thats about it for youngsters In our30.

Sipley was good last year but startcutting blokes like him and boyle who would be on 50-100k more than the youth players like Saddler and Titmuss for **** all value added considering they never play even when Taupau or another prop is injured. There is a huge difference between a $250-300k Taufua and a $400-450k Centre/Wing... the Morris boys are on 300.

Back youth, Start Optimising, Cut the Deadwood.

“safe players” as depth players is just another buzzword for s**t players... “Safe players” constitute experienced footy players like Josh Jackson and our own Joel Thompson who are probably still starting first grade quality.... not players who are useless like some who have been named.
 
Part of our problem on the right is that the ball very rarely gets out any further than Siro or Suli. Siro usually cuts back inside or tries to play unders with DCE, while Suli, good on him for having the confidence to do so but he thinks he's going to break every tackle and he rarely passes the ball either. Garrick has actually been starved of possession during games this year out on the wing other than kick returns or early tackle hit ups. Saturday night when DCE put Reubs into space was the first time since Tom was out that I can actually remember him getting any quality ball out on the wing where he could use his pace. Most times the ball gets to Siro or Suli and that's as far as its getting.

And yet Reubs is the one who tends to cop the brunt of the criticism. That pass from Cherry and subsequent break showed what can happen when we give him space to run ... yet we are rarely using that. And the worst part is that outside Tom, Reubs is easily the fastest player we have in first grade. We should be using his pace to advantage.
This. Thanks for the good analysis mate... been thinking this all year about Reubs.
 
25 + 5 = 30 so meant the development contractors outside of the 30 too. Sorry for any mass confusion
No problem, just trying to understand your point mate. So these 5-7 players on top 30 money are young guys with no FG experience then plus the 6 devel players? Isn't that what we already have?

If you were to replace our #23-#30 players who are they and who would you replace them with? These 5-7 guys are all minimum wage by the way.
 

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