Forwards ALMOST set for 2016

[maxta]

Based on recent times , particularly 2015 there has been a definate lack of power in the forwards.
Keep in mind a few elements...
* Huge injury toll
* New players like Mateo/Leary who will only be better
* Jake - though super - will only be bigger & better
* New players Myles, Lussick & Brown will add plenty
* The development of 2 future stars is well in motion,
with both Demitriou & Knight almost ready for NRL
* Still a fan of an addition in the Taupau mould, but dont
think our Forward supply is desperate as many think.
1 quality powerhouse signing & we are set imo....
* Add the thrust of Api/Parcell & our attacking options
also improve in a big way from dummy half.

 

[Brookvale2015]

Yes things are looking good. The added control and speed around the ruck from api. I mean the kid is 22 and is making 50+ tackles a game and can put a burgess on his backside with ease. Then if we have Parcell coming on and destroying tired forwards before halftime and before fulltime we could score a lot more points. I hope Barret does not have our game built around defence, hope he goes with something like the raiders use. We have a wrecking ball in Demetriou who will surely make his debut next year. Knight reminds me of Gavin cooper and looks like a player that will be a workhorse. One big thing next year is we have really good depth in the forwards so if we do cop another injury toll players like knight get to prove there worth. We are definitely top 4 contenders.

 

[Brookvale2015]

Also off topic here but I think gutho should be on the wing ahead of turbo. Gutho deserves to keep his spot, he has a good try scoring rate but also kicks goals, we need a good goal kicker and after watching him in the nyc for a number of years I believe he is a better goal kicker than Lyon. We sorely missed a good goal kicker all season and this part of the game is slowly becoming more important. In round 3 we would have beaten the dogs if we hadn't had Lyon out. And why isn't Mateo kicking anymore? Anyways another thing bout the forwards we have 2 other guns from under 20s. Bainbridge and Parker, both good second rowers.

 

[Loobs]

OK so if you are drawing up our squad, who are the top 25?

1. Stewart
2. Jorge
3. Killer
4. Matai
5. Hiku
6. Parcell
7. DCE
8. Jake T
9. Api
10. Myles
11. Brown (hooker cover)
12. Mateo (poss 5/8 cover)
13. Buhrer (poss 5/8 cover)
14. Lussick
15. Leary
16. Lawrence
17. Starling
18. T-Red
19. JSL
20. BJ (down here because of injury)
21. Liam Knight
22. Demetriou
23. Gutho
24. Tom Turbo
25. Maybe Satini (assume this spot would have to go to a back for depth)

Sure the back line is solid with good replacements at the ready but that doesn't seem like a top of the line pack to me. Looking at that squad though, surely we'd have money left over for another forward or two? There is a lot of youth and lower tiered guys in there. Apart from Myles, who else is costing a lot? The Warriors are still paying Mateo a chunk (possibly in pies), maybe Lussick cost overs but surely there has to be a few shekels laying around...

 

[Brookvale2015]

OK so if you are drawing up our squad, who are the top 25?

1. Stewart
2. Jorge
3. Killer
4. Matai
5. Hiku
6. Parcell
7. DCE
8. Jake T
9. Api
10. Myles
11. Brown (hooker cover)
12. Mateo (poss 5/8 cover)
13. Buhrer (poss 5/8 cover)
14. Lussick
15. Leary
16. Lawrence
17. Starling
18. T-Red
19. JSL
20. BJ (down here because of injury)
21. Liam Knight
22. Demetriou
23. Gutho
24. Tom Turbo
25. Maybe Satini (assume this spot would have to go to a back for depth)

Sure the back line is solid with good replacements at the ready but that doesn't seem like a top of the line pack to me. Looking at that squad though, surely we'd have money left over for another forward or two? There is a lot of youth and lower tiered guys in there. Apart from Myles, who else is costing a lot? The Warriors are still paying Mateo a chunk (possibly in pies), maybe Lussick cost overs but surely there has to be a few shekels laying around...

Lawrence is in there twice. Like your team looks the goods, maybe Ballin would still be in the top 25 or Goodall.

 

[maxta]

Pretty close to the squad right there Loobs, just feel Api/Parcell are most likely backup 5/8 to Lyon with young Wright also a possibility by 2016/17.....if possible that 1 more bruiser up front would ice the cake imo.
In recent times though not really touched on, also feel our outside backs were starting to show signs of age in relation to speed which will also be enhanced with the addition of speedsters in Turbo & Guth....add that extra spark/speed in the ruck & I feel the team will not look OFF the pace which at times, has been the case.

 

[Loobs]

Lawrence is in there twice. Like your team looks the goods, maybe Ballin would still be in the top 25 or Goodall.

Ah you are right. Ballin unfortunately won't be considered. That seemed to be the talk from the top which is why I left him out. I think the hooker rotation will be covered by Api, Purcell, Brown and if needed, Buhrer.

With BJ being in twice though I guess that means we are a prop short.

 

[Loobs]

Although maybe the plan is to tell Mateo to put on even more weight and move into the front row permanently and be like Kasiano, but then our need switches to being a line bending back rower.

 

[silvereagle]

That's a good looking side and a definite top 8 contender. I think we are still shy of a legitimate prop which would be the difference between Top 8 and Top 4. We have 5 props there...two of which were out injured for most of this year and one that came off the bench for Parra. The only way that would work for us next year would be assuming no injuries AND one or two of these guys would step up a cog or two. Some good youngsters there in Knight, Lynn and Maxwell....but I dont think ready for NRL.Definitely need another established prop. .

 

[jbb/james]

I think we will miss horo. He was probably one of our forward leaders this year. He did plenty of the tough stuff and ran hard, especially at seasons end when we were on a bit of a role. I dont really see a forward leader in the group, like choc was, as was gifty. Until we get some we will struggle a bit.

I know many here dont like him but horo took it to other teams this season and i could see him emerging from behind the leaders we had in previous seasons.

Good solid player that probably runs harder than many front rowers. Could have been shifted up front in the right rotation, but we do have a few in the same mould

 

[Little Grubber Kick]

OK so if you are drawing up our squad, who are the top 25?

1. Stewart
2. Jorge
3. Killer
4. Matai
5. Hiku
6. Parcell
7. DCE
8. Jake T
9. Api
10. Myles
11. Brown (hooker cover)
12. Mateo (poss 5/8 cover)
13. Buhrer (poss 5/8 cover)
14. Lussick
15. Leary
16. Lawrence
17. Starling
18. T-Red
19. JSL
20. BJ (down here because of injury)
21. Liam Knight
22. Demetriou
23. Gutho
24. Tom Turbo
25. Maybe Satini (assume this spot would have to go to a back for depth)

Sure the back line is solid with good replacements at the ready but that doesn't seem like a top of the line pack to me. Looking at that squad though, surely we'd have money left over for another forward or two? There is a lot of youth and lower tiered guys in there. Apart from Myles, who else is costing a lot? The Warriors are still paying Mateo a chunk (possibly in pies), maybe Lussick cost overs but surely there has to be a few shekels laying around...

Pretty darn close, though a little fine tuning would look like this.....
1. Stewart (poss 5/8 cover)
2. Jorge
3. Killer (poss 5/8 cover)
4. Matai
5. Hiku (poss 5/8 cover)
6. Parcell
7. DCE
8. Jake T
9. Api (poss 5/8 cover)
10. Myles
11. Brown (hooker cover)
12. Mateo (poss 5/8 cover)
13. Buhrer (poss 5/8 cover)
14. Lussick
15. Leary
16. Lawrence
17. Starling
18. T-Red (poss 5/8 cover)
19. JSL
20. BJ (down here because of injury)
21. Liam Knight
22. Demetriou
23. Gutho (poss 5/8 cover)
24. Tom Turbo
25. Maybe Satini (assume this spot would have to go to a back for depth)

absolutely NO, NONE, ZERO, NON, NEIN, NIL pressure on the 5/8

 

[Loobs]

Pretty darn close, though a little fine tuning would look like this.....
1. Stewart (poss 5/8 cover)
2. Jorge
3. Killer (poss 5/8 cover)
4. Matai
5. Hiku (poss 5/8 cover)
6. Parcell
7. DCE
8. Jake T
9. Api (poss 5/8 cover)
10. Myles
11. Brown (hooker cover)
12. Mateo (poss 5/8 cover)
13. Buhrer (poss 5/8 cover)
14. Lussick
15. Leary
16. Lawrence
17. Starling
18. T-Red (poss 5/8 cover)
19. JSL
20. BJ (down here because of injury)
21. Liam Knight
22. Demetriou
23. Gutho (poss 5/8 cover)
24. Tom Turbo
25. Maybe Satini (assume this spot would have to go to a back for depth)

absolutely NO, NONE, ZERO, NON, NEIN, NIL pressure on the 5/8

Leary can cover too. Plus we have about 5 5/8 replacements in NYC cup

 

[Alby]

I want to ask a question (and I'm not trying to judge here). Can you see that forward line-up muscling it up with the current top 4/5 next season? (Cows pack, Roosters, Dogs, Broncs, Storm).
My hunch is our 'no 9' prospects looks great, and our younger guns to be blooded plus Jake, can possibly make the difference. But the rest I think can be rocks and diamonds.

 

[Loobs]

I want to ask a question (and I'm not trying to judge here). Can you see that forward line-up muscling it up with the current top 4/5 next season? (Cows pack, Roosters, Dogs, Broncs, Storm).
My hunch is our 'no 9' prospects looks great, and our younger guns to blooded with Jake, can possibly make the difference. But the rest I think, can be rocks and diamonds.

Yeah no personally I don't. I said as much I think. Need a genuine strike forward.

 

[Beaver boy]

OK so if you are drawing up our squad, who are the top 25?

1. Stewart
2. Jorge
3. Killer
4. Matai
5. Hiku
6. Parcell
7. DCE
8. Jake T
9. Api
10. Myles
11. Brown (hooker cover)
12. Mateo (poss 5/8 cover)
13. Buhrer (poss 5/8 cover)
14. Lussick
15. Leary
16. Lawrence
17. Starling
18. T-Red
19. JSL
20. BJ (down here because of injury)
21. Liam Knight
22. Demetriou
23. Gutho
24. Tom Turbo
25. Maybe Satini (assume this spot would have to go to a back for depth)

Sure the back line is solid with good replacements at the ready but that doesn't seem like a top of the line pack to me. Looking at that squad though, surely we'd have money left over for another forward or two? There is a lot of youth and lower tiered guys in there. Apart from Myles, who else is costing a lot? The Warriors are still paying Mateo a chunk (possibly in pies), maybe Lussick cost overs but surely there has to be a few shekels laying around...

 

[Beaver boy]

The Leary fascination ? Carrying Buhrer, Brown and Leary in a 17 would be a catastrophe. Leary's weaknesses were demonstrably exposed when filling in for Ballin and when boppers headed his way. Just a toiler .. He'll be useful in lieu of injuries and that's it.

 

[cherry_poppins]

Leary can cover too. Plus we have about 5 5/8 replacements in NYC cup

The famous national youth cup cup

 

[Loobs]

Whatever it is. I don't have a Leary man crush, was just looking over our roster and putting down names that I'd figure would be included.

 

[COMMANDER]

I reckon Killer will start at 5/8 next year and Hiku into the centres, Tom T on the wing.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Absolutely no doubt we are short a strike forward.

Maybe we've run out of money , maybe one wasn't available , my guess in a building year they will run Killer at 5/8 whilst the youngsters develop , he will then retire and they will use that money for a George Burgess type player from 2017 on.

If they drop the interchange to 6 in 17, you can't afford to run 4 big boppers anyway, and the likes of Leary and Ferris really come back into play.

I've always said 2016 is a transition year, my expectations are nothing more than making the 8, and 2017 and beyond is when we wil be back in the hunt .