Decisions to be made for next year

  • We had an issue with background services between march 10th and 15th or there about. This meant the payment services were not linking to automatic upgrades. If you paid for premium membership and are still seeing ads please let me know and the email you used against PayPal and I cam manually verify and upgrade your account.

Downie

Reserve Grader
1. Matt Orford - yay or nay?
I reckon he should be off before the season starts. We have quite a few players coming off contract next year so we should use his money to front-load some contracts so we have more to spend in 2011. Hodkinson or even Daley Cherry-Evans are both good prospects having led their teams to very successful seasons in disruptive circumstances. Hodkinson probably deserves the shot considering he led the Sunshine Coast to the Premiership in their first year after a really poor start.

2. Our backline. Given Stewart and Robertson are certain starters at fullback and wing, and Lyon will definitely be at centre or five-eighth, we have to fit David Williams, Matai, Farrar and Foran into three positions. Who gets left out? Will Matai be having surgery? Foran off the bench?

3. Kinda leading on from that one, who takes L'Estrange's spot on the bench? I have a feeling we'll miss him more than we think as Ballin had a pretty average year. I'm not sure if he has the creativity from dummy half that we need and he's been lacking in games when he's had to play 80 minutes. Foran be worth a shot as interchange hooker? He'd be very dangerous around the ruck against tiring defences. Buhrer from the Under 20s team? He was originally a hooker but played most the year at lock I think. Or someone from outside the club (we were looking at Kingston or someone, weren't we?).

4. Our prop rotation - we'll have five props in Kite, Perry, King, Rose and Cross who'll all want a place in the 17. King and Rose were our two best this year, Kite and Perry both need rockets up their collective if they want to keep their place for 2010, especially if we look at getting Burgess for 2011.

Easiest way to sum it up? With a YART of course  ;)

1. B. Stewart
2. Robertson
3. Matai
4. Farrar
5. D. Williams
6. Lyon
7. Hodkinson
8. Kite
9. Ballin
10. King
11. Watmough
12. G. Stewart
13. Rodney

14. Foran
15. Gulavao
16. Rose
17. Perry

18. Bailey
19. Cross
20. Tony Williams
21. Buhrer
22. Lussick
23. Hopoate
24. Mauro
25. Cherry-Evans

Tough decision to leave Foran on the bench but with a rookie halfback Lyon had to slot in at five-eighth. David Williams lucky to retain his spot but we need a personality player, he'll have to be on top of his game though as Foran can easily play at centre and Farrar on the wing.

Still have heaps of depth though, especially in the forwards. Bailey, Cross and Williams could easily have spots on that bench.

Can see us retaining Orford for another year though unfortunately :(
 
To me, I don't think Kite cares one way or the other whether he starts or not. He has lost the hunger. Shop him around? Shop Bailey around? Wolfman is a liablity as he can't catch or tackle. Orford? see ya!! Perry? If he can get the aggression of 2008 back, he is worth it.
 
dont forget we have gulavoa or however it's spelt coming over next year....another backrower in our already choc full ranks.

I expect us to scrape into the finals at best last year, and dont think we will be back on the pace for at least 3
 
He can play all.  Jesus, playing half isn't that difficult, it just looks that way with matty. 
 
Kite's 1st year with us was below par, but he picked it up after that, so I am happy he gets next year with us to see where he is at

His last 2 games were actually a big improvement, and he was saying in RLW that he owes Des big time

There is also the old saying about front rowers peaking around 30, I think Kite is still 27-28 so the best of him may be yet to come
 
Kite has been a favorite of mine for a long time, but when he gets shadowed by the King Dog then you know it hasn't been a big year :)
 
Kite has to go, or have a year off.  He's got that backing into tackles thing happening again.  Maybe he's just not into it anymore. 
 
Kiwi Eagle link said:
There is also the old saying about front rowers peaking around 30, I think Kite is still 27-28 so the best of him may be yet to come

There is that saying but you'll see in most cases of that happening the guys have come into 1st grade @ 23 - 25, The front rowers that come in young for example Kite and O'Mearly seem to peak earlier.
 
True, but O'Meley was always a front rower

Kite was a 2nd rower, not sure exactly when he switched, may have been just before joining us
 
One of my favourite moments in Manly history was the time back in the late 60s/early 70s when St Matthew's Church on the Corso in Manly had the sign - What would you do if Jesus Came to Manly?

Some wag wrote underneath - Play him at 5/8 and put Bobby Fulton in the Centres!!!!
 
DSM5 link said:
Kite has to go, or have a year off.  He's got that backing into tackles thing happening again.  Maybe he's just not into it anymore. 

I think alot of people have forgotten that Kite lost his father after the GF last year and that is a big thing in anyones life. To be honest when i lost my own father things outside of family seem to pale into insignificance, that considered he didnt have that bad of a season just a little of the pace i would expect a good break from now till next year wil do him good i reckon he will go alright next year as will Perry, Cross, King and George that will be some front row!!
 
conanu link said:
[quote author=DSM5 link=topic=181721.msg242061#msg242061 date=1252976397]
Kite has to go, or have a year off.  He's got that backing into tackles thing happening again.  Maybe he's just not into it anymore. 

I think alot of people have forgotten that Kite lost his father after the GF last year and that is a big thing in anyones life. To be honest when i lost my own father things outside of family seem to pale into insignificance, that considered he didnt have that bad of a season just a little of the pace i would expect a good break from now till next year wil do him good i reckon he will go alright next year as will Perry, Cross, King and George that will be some front row!!
[/quote]

Fair call. I haven't had to experience that yet, but I certainly fear that experience more than any other in my future at this point
 
Canteen Worker link said:
One of my favourite moments in Manly history was the time back in the late 60s/early 70s when St Matthew's Church on the Corso in Manly had the sign - What would you do if Jesus Came to Manly?

Some wag wrote underneath - Play him at 5/8 and put Bobby Fulton in the Centres!!!!

ha ha ha that is gold! Times just don't really change that much do tgey
 

Latest posts

Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
3 2 1 45 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 22 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
3 2 1 10 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
Back
Top Bottom