Moving Forward - a Question for Silvertail's

[maxta]

Prob o

Okay, I'll have a shot here. My view is:

01. Tom Trbojevic
02. Jason Saab
03. Tolu Koula
04. Reuben Garrick
05. Lehi Hopoate
06. Luke Brooks
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Taniela Paseka
09. Jake Simpkin
10. Josh Aloiai
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12. Tommy Talau
13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Lachlan Croker
15. Ethan Bullemor
16. Nathan Brown
17. Ben Trbojevic OR Toff Sipley

Missing out:
01. Karl Lawton (leaving, but we DO need that mobile fast backrower style)
02. Either Ben Trbojevic OR Toff Sipley
03. Matt Lodge (Too slow now, and playing busted)
04. Corey Waddell (great squad player, probably not permanent top 17 quality)

Only Talau difference with my team mate

 

[Seagles68]

1.Turbo
2.Saab
3.Koula
4.Garrick
5.Talau
6.Brooks
7.DCE
8.Paseka
9.Croker
10.Aloiai
11.Lawton
12.Haumole
13.Jake

14.Simpkin
15.Burbo (could be Lehi but I prefer Burbos versatility)
16.Bully
17.Brown

Sub the entire front row around the 20-25 minute mark, Bully, Brown and Simpkin on.

That looks like the squad to me as well.

 

[SeaEagleSI1]

01. Tom Trbojevic
02. Jason Saab
03. Tolu Koula
04. Reuben Garrick
05. Tommy Talau
06. Luke Brooks
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Taniela Paseka
09. Lachlan Croker
10. Josh Aloiai
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12. Karl Lawton
13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Jake Simpkin
15. Ethan Bullemor
16. Nathan Brown
17. Ben Trbojevic

18. Toff Sipley (i think his knee is giving him trouble might need a rest)

Also having Koula and Talau swap, might be idea Koula running back with more open space

 

[LeonardCohen]

Imagine keeping Talau and watching Hoppa walk…one is a career fullback, the other is a slowish winger with a good yardage carry.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Ok - presuming everyone plays well in the current top 17 this weekend and on, we have a healthy problem not seen in years....where do we fit them....who stays....who is out ...ect
With the return of Koula, Croker, Haumole and in time Young Hoppa and Lodge, who will make way in your opinions.
Also there is the option of changing positions to "fit" players, but this is a great problem to have and it's a pretty exciting situation in it's own way, as surely those in the 17 this week know they are all under pressure, as we have at least 2 of those coming back certainties for a spot ( Oka, Koula ) in the 17 and would think the others are also a shot.

… yep but one thing I have noticed with manly sides over the last decade is there is always injuries. TBH I just hope that we have TT in this form for the rest of the season … I know I’m setting a low bar … but if we can keep our current spine intact I am sure the rest will look after itself and we will win more games than we will lose

Just sayin’

 

[Rosko]

Agree, just put in NSW Cup so we can keep Hoppa in FG!

Seriously, Talau deserves to be dropped to reggies why? He has been better than Koula or Garrick all year and a better match up with some of the giants in other backlines.
Agree we all want Lehi in somehow, he is a special talent.

 

[LeonardCohen]

Keep Lodge away from the 17 is a good idea.

 

[LeonardCohen]

Seriously, Talau deserves to be dropped to reggies why? He has been better than Koula or Garrick all year and a better match up with some of the giants in other backlines.
Agree we all want Lehi in somehow, he is a special talent.

It’s just my opinion. I think Talau has done a terrific job but it’s been 14 games as a makeshift winger. That’s not grounds for picking him over two guys that have locked up centre positions and played regular FG for years. I also don’t think it’s worth rewarding Talau for his good form if it means blocking a pathway to FG for a guy that will eventually step into the very important fullback role one day.

 

[God]

Talau would be on form one of the guys you'd pick every week on form Garrick and Koula not so (especially the later at centre hes only shown promise at fb ' hes an ordinary centre)

 

[manly al]

Probably would have expected Lehi to have drawn away from those Titans chases who eventually tracked down T T 2 .
Only one case example but would count for something in a game on the line and especially finals time .
Then the fair point that Talau is essentially a make shift winger but apart from the pace aspect , has performed fairly admirably there .
Generally has been pretty solid in the centres of course but to be rated ahead of Koula on overall value to the side there , tough one but would still tend to think not .
Talau on the bench seems to have less appeal then Lehi there but that is another matter

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Lehi is a special talent and Turbo's apprentice and needs to be playing first grade and not wasted in Reggies. I think part of the reason that Talua was run down was fatigue as he didn't look like he pinned his ears back. Talua is a versatile player and an important squad member. As a result of injuries we rarely have everybody on deck at the same time anyway.

 

[jbb/james]

Just from a form perspective I think Koula has been a little quiet. He seems p versatile as an outside back replacement which Manly maybe should carry with Turbos history. Especially as the season heads and 2 pts are Gold

If all of those backs are available at once it would be quite the conundrum

But there is still weeks of pressure games to either cement spots or choke at best. I would expect those that get it right leading into the finals will get the spots

Every week at manly the outside backs are in a shoot off, with Tom, Dce and brooks feeding em.

 

[Chunkytuna]

My thoughts based on current form and stiffening up the right edge defence, I think this is the best team when all available.

1.Turbo
2. Saab
3. Koula
4. Ben T
5. Garrick
6. Brooks
7. DCE
8. Tent
9. Simpkin
10. Jake
11. Guaca
12. Lawton
13. Brown

14. Talau
15. Bully
16. Alioia
17. Waddell
18. Lodge

No chance I'd be leaving Tommy Talau out. He's been close to our best player all year. Lawton or Burbo on the bench instead of him. Agree with you not having Croker in the side too, especially if Lawton is on the bench. Great player but I reckon the spot is Simpkins to lose now.

 

[Chunkytuna]

Seriously, Talau deserves to be dropped to reggies why? He has been better than Koula or Garrick all year and a better match up with some of the giants in other backlines.
Agree we all want Lehi in somehow, he is a special talent.

Hoppa's time will come. He's only in there now because we were running out of players to put there. He's very young and has heaps of maturing to do - mainly physical. He will be a SPECIAL talent based on what he's shown so far, but let's lock him into a contract and bring him through slowly.

 

[Ryan]

Hoppa's time will come. He's only in there now because we were running out of players to put there. He's very young and has heaps of maturing to do - mainly physical. He will be a SPECIAL talent based on what he's shown so far, but let's lock him into a contract and bring him through slowly.

Hi mate, he recently (November 2023 - 8 odd months ago) resigned / extended for an additional three years. Cuzzo also confirmed it on Twitter.

Exciting young talent earns Top 30 contract for 2026

Lehi Hopoate is the latest member of the famous 'Hopoate Family' to earn an NRL contract, following in his father's and brothers' footsteps.

www.zerotackle.com

 

[Seagles68]

Lehi is a special talent and Turbo's apprentice and needs to be playing first grade and not wasted in Reggies. I think part of the reason that Talua was run down was fatigue as he didn't look like he pinned his ears back. Talua is a versatile player and an important squad member. As a result of injuries we rarely have everybody on deck at the same time anyway.

I agree with yours and @manly al post but just as an aside - how good was Femor's chase??!! He's fast, strong as an ox and is a good ball runner. We could do with a back rower like him. No sure if Ben can become that player.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I agree with yours and @manly al post but just as an aside - how good was Femor's chase??!! He's fast, strong as an ox and is a good ball runner. We could do with a back rower like him. No sure if Ben can become that player.

He's a likely type for sure but unfortunately locked in till end 2026. Would cost a fair bit anyway, he's already been part of the Maroons Origin extended squad plus played for Aust PM's 13.

Ideally we'll sign a player just ready to have a break-out season, such as the Eels did with Papalii in 2022 and Storm have with Blore this year. I guess that was what we were hoping for with Tualagi, but he didn't quite measure up as we'd like. (To Seibold's credit he didn't stuff around but made an early call and traded him out).

 

[Seagles68]

He's a likely type for sure but unfortunately locked in till end 2026. Would cost a fair bit anyway, he's already been part of the Maroons Origin extended squad plus played for Aust PM's 13.

Ideally we'll sign a player just ready to have a break-out season, such as the Eels did with Papalii in 2022 and Storm have with Blore this year. I guess that was what we were hoping for with Tualagi, but he didn't quite measure up as we'd like. (To Seibold's credit he didn't stuff around but made an early call and traded him out).

Yep, He's certainly not coming our way. I guess I was more suggesting we need a player like him and at the moment, Ben is our most likely partner to Guac (he doesn't have webbed feet 😂) and I can't see him being that type of player. He could still be a Gartner type and that's a winner for me but he's still a work in progress. Also looking forward to seeing how Navale progresses.

 

[LeonardCohen]

Lehi is a special talent and Turbo's apprentice and needs to be playing first grade and not wasted in Reggies. I think part of the reason that Talua was run down was fatigue as he didn't look like he pinned his ears back. Talua is a versatile player and an important squad member. As a result of injuries we rarely have everybody on deck at the same time anyway.

I also think he is not overly quick, as shown in other circumstances over the years. Fermor is also no slouch and it’s not the first time he has run down outside backs.