On the Wings of Eagles .. The great debate ..

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The Great debate
Who will make it in our 2021 top line up ?
Life is for ever evolving and the only certainty is change
and every year every player has the opportunity to make the change to make it to the top
Good luck to all our players

Manly Sea Eagles: 2021 round 1 predicted team​

AuthorChris Kennedy & Jamie SowardTimestampThu 31 Dec 2020, 07:00 AM
In a series analysing who will line up in each position for all 16 teams in the opening round of the Telstra Premiership in 2021, NRL.com looks at the Manly Sea Eagles.

NRL.com says: Very much a team in flux, there are questions as to where the returning Kieran Foran fits in alongside existing playmakers Cade Cust, Lachie Croker, Josh Schuster and Dylan Walker.


Manase Fainu remains stood down so Cust, Foran or Croker will probably be needed to play in the No.9 jersey. With young gun Schuster all but demanding a starting spot in the halves, Foran could be the one to fill the breach with one of the other two to play a bench utility role.

That means Walker likely displaces Morgan Harper at centre despite the latter's impressive efforts after joining mid-season in 2020. Former Eel Andrew Davey will be pushing Jack Gosiewski for Joel Thompson's vacant edge forward spot.

Former Tiger Josh Aloiai likely slots into the front-row position vacated by Addin Fonua-Blake.

Jamie Soward says: I would have Dylan Walker in the centres, that's fire and ice there with Suli and some good strike power either side.

Foran's put everything into getting his body right but if you bank everything in pre-season on him being fit, it's a massive gamble.

With Schuster at pivot and Walker in the centres and a few playmakers who can fill in at dummy-half, there's a security blanket there that he knows how to play five-eighth so we're not putting all our eggs in the Kieran Foran basket.

Their squad is slowly starting to get some depth which is important. They're going to miss Joel Thompson. Davey is a toiler but in terms of emotion, spirit, discipline and doing your job, their biggest loss will be Thompson.
predicted_sea_20201200-2.jpg
 
An article like that instantly loses all credibility, picking Jorge for round 1 after he's ruptured his Achilles! (Our physio recently said "fingers crossed" he's looking at an April return.)
Therefore it sheds no light on the hooker/halves issue, merely more guesswork!
What credibility have journalists ever had ?
All they do is make up a story to make a quick buck ;)
 
For mine, barring injuries and other reasons that could keep someone from playing, I think our Round 1 team will line up as such:

Turbo, Saab, Walks, Suli, Reubs, Foz, DCE, Paseka, Cust, Kapow, Jetski, Siro, Jake. Bench - Shoe, Keppie, Aloiai, Olakau'atu

I can't see Shoe being picked at 5/8 over Foz and I can't see Foz being the hooker. Aloiai might start ahead of Paseka, but that will be 6 of 1, half a dozen of the other. And no way will Jorge play Round 1 unless the start of the season is put back to late April or May. Reubs, our current first choice goal kicker, will keep his spot on the wing over Funa while the return of Walks and a fit Suli will see the unfortunate Brad Parker miss out. The rest of the team pretty much picks itself.
 
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Team obviously has to picked on form but if Jet Ski or Davey comes into calculation , again really and all things normal has to be a way then to accommodate Schuster and Olakau/atu in the 17 , even if Olakau is in the prop rotation . Even if Fainu was available , probably would still need a utility like cust on the bench . But then doesn't Cook and obviously Cam Smith play out the full 80 there .[ and maybe others capable too ] Maybe expecting Cust to go the full eighty too big an ask at this stage . Bit of juggling no doubt required and plenty of competition for spots and that is not such a bad thing as long as the best available combinations ideally take the field .
 
Won’t get 80 minutes from Foran so Schuster must be in the 17. My preference would be to use him in tandum with Cust at 9 after all wasn’t that what he was signed to do?
 
Won’t get 80 minutes from Foran so Schuster must be in the 17. My preference would be to use him in tandum with Cust at 9 after all wasn’t that what he was signed to do?
Still will be expected for Foz or really will have to defend adequately at 6 for Manly but to spend some time in the middle for him , probably not the best option . Seems to be a consensus that foz has been recruited to give the side some better direction at 6 and some expectation that he can play out all or good game time there . Schuster can cover back row , 6 or centre , so that is a bonus but not to be a bench warmer so really could not rule any playing combo , interchange scenario out . Look at Radley from the Roosters , initially a specialist bench player then too good to leave out , same will probably apply to Schuster
 
28" Isaiah 40:31 They That Wait Upon The Lord, Shall Renew Their Strength, They Shall Mount Up with Wings of Eagles, They Shall Run and Not Be Weary

Possible starting wingers ... for the season opener ... and my odds ..

Garrick ... incumbent and set for a big year .. even money
Tupaloopa ... bolter ... 2-1
Funa .. a good chance ... 3-1
Saab ... in contention .. 5-1
Harper .. an outsider ... 10-1
Parker .. would need a few injuries, a chance at centre if Suli out ... 15-1
Koula .. too early .. 30-1
Jorge ... injured ... 30-1
Sipley .. been on the outside all 2020 ... 100-1

This summation in the supercoach today

Christian Tuipulotu .. In just one game tupaloopa scored 67 points with 23 runs, 4 tackle busts, a linebreak and a try - all against the Melb Storm. That's the workrate we want from a winger and why Manly snapped him up ... etc etc
SAAB, lock him in.
Reuben, highly likely.
Tuipulotu, only other real candidate for round one.
Funa, centre who can cover wing.
Harper, centre.
Parker-If the side is so decimated by injury that he has to play on the wing, then we are screwed.
KOULA might get a look in later in the year.
Jorge, injured.
 
Garrick deserves a chance to hold his spot so should start the year but far from guaranteed to keep his spot.
Saab should debut next for mine, I think he should get his jersey hung up next to Tittmus' in our hall of fame and he's a gun anyway.
Tuipilotu will probably be the best of all of them but I have Saab to start ahead of him.
Funa I see as a centre and fullback option before a winger.
Jorge way down the line.
I reckon Walker will be let go at seasons end and Tuipulotu will get that left centre spot. By then Burbo, Koula and Weekes should be ready to step up
Weekes is an exciting prospect.
 

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