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Foran has offered very little by way of inspiration and performance this year. I was always against his signing and I have seen nothing this year to change my mind. I would however like to see how the side goes with Foran at Half and Schuster at 5/8 because DCE is our achilles heal stifling out attack.
To be fair I think he has really helped out the defence communication on that left edge. They were looking absolutely horrible weeks 1 and 2, but gradual improvement each week to the point where our right edge is looking the worse of the two. They are shifting much better and some big tackles by Foran (although he does have one or two bad misses inbetween some important tackles). If Foz had an actual high-quality centre and/or winger outside of him he'd have a lot more try assists. Also been our first half in a while to be able to kick for repeat sets and his bombs will do better with Trbo back.

I agree, would like to see Foran at 7, Schu at 5/8. Dce has shown zero positives, whereas Foz to me has showed a few that could payoff in a team playing with more confidence (if we can get to that stage, that is).
 
Schuster to 6, Foran to the bench and Cust to 9.

Croker....Des can put him in his car and take him for a drive to the country.....

Take Croker out and our directness and ability to play more up tempo immediately changes.

I reckon my dear old grandmother when she was 90 years old would pass a ball better from dummy half than Croker. And don't get me started on his complete inability in engage the line.

Watch...Des will re-sign him
 
To be fair I think he has really helped out the defence communication on that left edge. They were looking absolutely horrible weeks 1 and 2, but gradual improvement each week to the point where our right edge is looking the worse of the two. They are shifting much better and some big tackles by Foran (although he does have one or two bad misses inbetween some important tackles). If Foz had an actual high-quality centre and/or winger outside of him he'd have a lot more try assists. Also been our first half in a while to be able to kick for repeat sets and his bombs will do better with Trbo back.

I agree, would like to see Foran at 7, Schu at 5/8. Dce has shown zero positives, whereas Foz to me has showed a few that could payoff in a team playing with more confidence (if we can get to that stage, that is).
Schuster - Running 5/8
Foran - Game-managing HB
Cherry-Evans - Creative 9
Cust - 14 who can now pretty much cover all 3 play-making positions

Putting Chez in the middle will play him back into form, and add a genuine threat around the ruck
 
Schuster - Running 5/8
Foran - Game-managing HB
Cherry-Evans - Creative 9
Cust - 14 who can now pretty much cover all 3 play-making positions

Putting Chez in the middle will play him back into form, and add a genuine threat around the ruck
And make him goal
Kicker From the number 9 too

Running 9 and touch the ball first every 6

use instinct with running forwards to feed or use as decoys for back door plays
 
Foran has been better than DCE so far this year. The big issue with Foz is not with the ball, but without it. He has been burnt for speed a number of times down his edge and that is not a structural problem, it is his inability to physically keep up with the speed of the game. He was never fast to begin with but multiple hamstring and lower back injuries have rendered him pedestrian.
Having slow parker doesn't help as well
 
Schuster - Running 5/8
Foran - Game-managing HB
Cherry-Evans - Creative 9
Cust - 14 who can now pretty much cover all 3 play-making positions

Putting Chez in the middle will play him back into form, and add a genuine threat around the ruck
Can’t argue with that, based on our current situation and poor results, it offers us a chance to seek improvement, we can’t rebuild our roster this season but we can try looking for ways to improve. I‘m sick to death of the same rubbish week after week, this might not improve us, but we won’t know if we don’t give it a go, the big move is DCE to 9, I believe this could bring a good shift to our game speed, options and game management, has to be tried, just need to put some egos and stubbornness aside and start exploring options to improve. Answer this, would It weaken our side or improve it? And at the end of the day we will need and want a true 9 back as soon as possible.
 
Schuster - Running 5/8
Foran - Game-managing HB
Cherry-Evans - Creative 9
Cust - 14 who can now pretty much cover all 3 play-making positions

Putting Chez in the middle will play him back into form, and add a genuine threat around the ruck
I think your right Pete. We have the makings of a much better team, then we are actually demonstrating on the field. We have a number of players who are played out of position, and others who are no longer suited to their current spots, and at least five reserve graders masquerading as first graders. DCE is not suited to the halfback spot, under the new rules, but could go really well as a creative nine. Jake is no longer "ideally" suited to the lock role, and should go back to being a starting ball-playing prop. Schuster needs to be the eighty minute five-eight, primarily based on the right. Foran needs to activate the left-side attack AND wear the number seven on his jersey. Walker is not a fullback ..... He needs to play on the right outside Schuster. I am hoping that Harper manages to play well this week, and then stay in the team as the left-side centre. I think Lawton (when fit) has more upside in his game then Cust so would bracket those two together as our fourteen options. The wing spots are harder to pick, as none of the wingers or their respective replacements are inspiring right now. Hoping that changing the centres can remediate our defensive deficiencies outwide on both sides of the park. (I would go for Saab and Topiluto - as they have been brought in to develop into those spots IMO and we are now, almost firmly into a development season).

Someone then has to fill Jakes spot, and I think Siro could do a good job in that role for the rest of 2021.
The rest of the pack basically picks itself (Bench spots included - Paseka, DCE, Jake, Haumole, Aloiai, Sironen (Lawton/Cust, Keppie, Saddler, Taupau). Turbo is fullback of course (perhaps temporarily :(

Potentially the side looks like this:
Runout : Turbo, Saab, Walker, Harper, Topiluto, Schuster, Foran, Paseka, DCE, Jake, Haumole, Aloiai, Sironen
Bench : Lawton/Cust, Keppie, Saddler, Taupau
Goal kicker : DCE

We all know that this team has absolutely no chance of playing together as listed, but I think it looks a lot more balanced then what we run out now.

Note : Croker, Gosiewski, Parker, Garrick, Suli drop out of the 21
 
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Having slow parker doesn't help as well
Best example of Parkers speed, or lack of it...early vs Illawarra Schuster put him into space twice and he was run down within 10-15 metres....even an average paced centre would have found space, drawn the fullback to pick up support....which was there and been try time....that would have been 10 - 12 early points early changing the entire complexion of the game.
 

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Team P W L PD Pts
7 6 1 54 14
6 5 1 59 12
6 4 2 53 10
6 4 2 30 10
7 4 2 25 9
8 4 4 73 8
7 4 3 40 8
7 4 3 24 8
7 3 4 17 8
7 4 3 -8 8
8 4 4 -60 8
8 3 4 17 7
6 2 4 -31 6
7 3 4 -41 6
7 2 5 -29 4
7 1 6 -87 4
7 1 6 -136 4
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