Recruit options - Big & Small ??

[maxta]

This Corey Oates can bust defensive lines more than most and is a little quicker in the open than I gave him credit for....personally like him on the wing - this backrow spot he wants is a different workrate and unsure on tackling and making good defensive reads 3 & 4 off the ruck.
At the right price would have him on the wing which a spot is 10% needed.

French wants out at Eels and forget his lacklustre 2018 - can score a try and has massive speed.
Depending on the price a consideration also...will cop flack, but after he hits 15 tries the fans would be happy to have that bloke who gets into space and does the road runner....

Also be great to land another forward - maybe vulture the struggling Dogs with either a Klemmer/Jackson would be nice.....heck I'd take that young backrower who kicks goals for them too!!

Hard knowing the cap situation and what can be spent, but being realistic - who are the best targets ?

 

[Stevo]

Bevan French is the speed we don't have in the backline. Not sure the Oates gamble is worth it though.

Im not real sure who is available for up front but a no frills tough ****er with a heap of energy is what i would like to see.

Maybe an Ethan Lowe or similar. There arent manly big name forwards off contract.

 

[nightster]

can we get new coaching staff ...

 

[eaglebuzz]

Need to sort out the football Dept first.

Our current squad would be finals contenders if coached properly

 

[jbb/james]

I agree about coach but add on field leaders , spine and captain to the mix. I think recruitment will fix very little and we have a squad to build on. We continue to identify semi decent fringe players that fill a role but the system above there pay grade is a shambles

Coaches, spine, leaders a decent captain before we look outsde to fix the jobs they are not doing properly

Coaches, attitude, accountability, consistency, game plan, kicking plan with strong mental work ethic , with defence being a necessity to everything, with ball security. Not enough is made of our woeful ball security by just about all members of the team

Captain who demands respect, sets the bar high and leads with actions

Spine that plays smart, direct, kicks well , creates opportunities and has a plan so essentially a better footy IQ

We have a pretty good forward pack that need a better defence ethic but all round pretty good
A sprinkling of good backs that will play better if given ball , are not used as hit up merchants exclusively,

 

[manlyfan76]

I like Siro but I have a feeling his career will be just a series of injuries. Ideally he would be in the 17 but I'd have him on the bench and if we can't manufacture a Ben Kennedy type buy one to replace him in a back row of Thommo and Jake.
Props I think we need to improve by one good prop to help afb and Marty. Big Pasaka is my 2nd bench prop.
Our current hooker is our 14. Seems to have a high ceiling.

We need to sell croaker, hodko, probably Cust and by a good half.

Walker needs to be at centre, Brian the other. Tom needs a good team if he is to stay at fullback.
I can see Oates on one wing and maybe Anderson or Taufua on the other.
So buying;
Topline prop
Half
1-2 wingers.

Maybe 2nd rower.

 

[Fluffy]

Need to sort out the football Dept first.

Our current squad would be finals contenders if coached properly

Just like last year, we need to get those coaches back.

Why on earth did we get rid of them.

 

[Fluffy]

Oates knocked back 700K a season from the dogs so scratch him off your list, Bongos are willing to pay him 300K per year as a winger (not including thoroughbreds top up).

 

[chuckee]

We need a smaller fullback. Someone not as useless in that position as tommy Trdropjevic. He could be one of the best centres in the game if he moves there.

 

[The Who]

I'd be happy with French, at fullback. He is a great attacking player. Not so good in defence.
He is a try scorer and has the pace a backline player needs.
Unless I'm wrong Suli has scored just one try for us in First Grade, and that was from five metres out. That's not good enough for a centre who should be one of the top try scorers in a team.

 

[Tomay]

Assuming the Dogs are selling players (heard they're chasing Oates so they might have magic cap space)
Aiden Tolman - perfect foil for AFB and Marty.
Raymond Faitala-Mariner - Have big wraps on this guy, damaging and can tackle.
Brock Lamb - He has a kicking game at least?

and whatever decent/reliable winger we can find.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Had to laugh , Dogs under enormous Cap pressure BUT, read they can fit one more in and are chasing Segeyaro.

I wouldn’t bank on any being available from that club.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

We can't buy anybody until the salary cap is sorted out and the NRL will string it out as long as they can to keep us out of the market place. The last thing they want is for us to strengthen our squad for next year and start winning games. I hope there is transparency in the appeal process and the actual judgement is published for all to see.

 

[stoodamire]

No point in buying gun outside backs when our game plan sees them get no quality ball.

When was the last time you saw anyone on our right edge score from a set play.

 

[Disco]

The way I see it our team before we start getting into fringe players and potential is below (with Taufua needing to step it up)

1. Trbojevic
2. Taufua
3. Kelly
4. Walker
5.
6.
7. DCE
8. AFB
9. Api
10. Taupau
11. Thompson
12. Sironen
13. Trbojevic

14. Fainu
15. Paseka
16.
17.

Now if we take https://www.zerotackle.com/rugby-league/players/off-contract-2018/ as the off contract list

Brown, Aku, Lane, J Wright will definitely be gone, Croker I could have been happy for depth but we have Hodko for another year so he can go. Maybe shop Winterstein around too

I assume money is tight so I see some decent options as

Ryley Jacks
Jarome Luai
Ken Maumalo
Jake Mamo (on the cheap)
Alex Walmsley (probably too expensive)

Not much in the way of forwards

A team I'd love to see

1. Trbojevic
2. Taufua
3. Kelly
4. Walker
5.Maumalo
6.Luai/Jacks
7. DCE
8. Walmsley
9. Api
10. Taupau
11. Thompson
12. Sironen
13. Trbojevic

14. Fainu
15. AFB
16.Paseka
17.Haumole Olakau’atu (what is going on with him....looked great in Holden cup last year)

Hodko, M Wright, T Wright, Suli, Anderson, Cust, Parker (backrow) Gosie, Siply, Tanginoa, Perrett and a few other forwards for depth

 

[brad]

We need a smaller fullback. Someone not as useless in that position as tommy Trdropjevic. He could be one of the best centres in the game if he moves there.

Yes mate im with you .

 

[pjayz]

I don’t think we need another prop. Chances are the interchange will drop to 6 next year - meaning backrowers who can play good minutes and play in the middle will be of great value. Regardless, I think our props are very good and we have enough depth there.

We need a quality backrower and a 5/8th. Walker back to centre, Suli at wing provided he gets fit and can get back some of that speed he showed a year or two ago, otherwise keep Taufua.

Anderson to be promoted to the other wing.

New coaching staff and a quality replacement for Ferris from a high performing team (throw the extra money in to entice them over).

Release / don’t renew Siro, possibly Taufua, Croker, Brown, Matt Wright and Winterstein

I’d like the goal kicking backrower from the Dogs.

 

[Disco]

Ryhse Martin just re-signed with the dogs

 

[Simonmyers11]

5/8 and a realiable winger who can score a try.

Brock lamb or Norman.

 

[Tomay]

We need a decent second rower for a bench spot, nothing flash - a Glenn hall, bakuya type guy.

We need a starting prop that can tackle and stiffen up the middle. I’d prefer a nuggety fit type who does a tonne of tackling and takes a few hard hit ups while AFB and Marty provide the impact. We are also lacking a decent bench prop so that solves that.

Surely we can strike a winner with the next five eight acquisition or Croker or Wright or Cust comes good. I’d look to England or teams that can’t give young blokes a run.

Our outside backs aren’t much of an issue, with a few young blokes coming through. Walker and Kelly are a gun pairing. Taufua and Anderson will probably start next season, with Suli and Wright the depth. That said the Tigers have 3 class wingers and can’t give them all a run.