The 2018 Trials are SUPER important

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I doubt that many positions are available. Centre and 5/8 and maybe one or two bench spots are available thats about it.

1 T Trbojevic
2 Taufua
3 Walker (Position available)
4 Kelly
5 Uate
6 (Position available)
7 Cherry-Evans
8 (Position available)
9 Koroisau
10 Taupau
11 Thompson
12 Sironen
13 J Trbojevic

14 Brown
15 (Position available)
16 Winterstein
17 Fonua-Blake
That's 4 out of 17 positions you say?.....almost 25% of the team - that's a fair amount of availability.
Personally think there is up to 6 positions up for grabs for Round 1, but even 4 makes it Very Open to perform in the trials.
 
Barring further injury ... the team will be:

Tom T
Tafua
Kelly
M Wright
Uate
Croker (or the other guy)
DCE
Jake T
Thompson
Siro
Lussick
Api
Marty

The Bench:
Brown
AFB
Perrett
Winterstein

The main advantage we have over the Knights in Round 1 is the fact we have a settled lineup. Why we would throw away that advantage to experiment on some players sure beats me. A season is a very long time and a lot of our depth players will get their chance. Just not all in Round 1!!
 
Barring further injury ... the team will be:

Tom T
Tafua
Kelly
M Wright
Uate
Croker (or the other guy)
DCE
Jake T
Thompson
Siro
Lussick
Api
Marty

The Bench:
Brown
AFB
Perrett
Winterstein

The main advantage we have over the Knights in Round 1 is the fact we have a settled lineup. Why we would throw away that advantage to experiment on some players sure beats me. A season is a very long time and a lot of our depth players will get their chance. Just not all in Round 1!!
It may not be exactly the team I would like .... but I agree it is mostlikely the 17 that will be first picked.
 
100%.

Trials aren't for working out who will play in round 1.
Trials are, for the most part, just for blowing out the cobwebs and getting a full contact session against opposition...

Baz will know what his team is now with the exception of maybe a position or 2. He's not going to make wholesale changes just because someone performs well in 1 20min quarter against a 2nd string sharks/rorters outfit.

I think your round 1 team will be spot on regardless of trial performances.

As stated in the first post of the thread, trials are to gain Match fitness and work out combinations, timing and giving youngsters a run to ensure they are up to it if needed.
At Manly 2018 - add the below -
There is competition for 5/8, with the centre spot also debatable
I think last year a few of us were shot down suggesting Kelly would be there round 1 and this year is a similar situation, before ppl start throwing out certainties.
There’s 2 spots for starters.
Also Jake, Kapow, Thompson, Sirro and API will start.
AFB is a certain bench spot and Lussick should be there, but the rest of the bench would be roughly drafted by the selectors with Winterstein having the inside rails to be there also.
The bench WILL have at least 1 new face also, maybe more.
There’s a few uncertainties no doubt, so come back when Round 1 is picked and these above teams quoted will have at least 3 change ups, no doubt.
 
Barring further injury ... the team will be:

Tom T
Tafua
Kelly
M Wright
Uate
Croker (or the other guy)
DCE
Jake T
Thompson
Siro
Lussick
Api
Marty

The Bench:
Brown
AFB
Perrett
Winterstein

The main advantage we have over the Knights in Round 1 is the fact we have a settled lineup. Why we would throw away that advantage to experiment on some players sure beats me. A season is a very long time and a lot of our depth players will get their chance. Just not all in Round 1!!
If this were a debate your argument would be very persuasive.
 
Fair enough mate. I'll be back round 1 and we can review....
As I said, the only changes I can see Baz making to Seaeaglerock8's team would be a couple... Centre and 5/8.
I think the other 15 spots will be locked and Baz will want some consistency from last year's squad.
Respect your opinion and will meet up here after team selection for game 1.
Keep in mind, there's 2 auto changes in the backline as 100% agreed.
You can't see the possibility of 3 - 4 ??
If you don't think Sipley, Gosiewski, Tanginoa or Paseka are a show, its simply a difference of opinion.
To fight for a spot in the top 17, I have a slight inkling they will try prove themselves Big time in these trials.
Then we have young Fainu, rated highly by Barrett, who could easily fill a utility role.
I also rate Tom Wright good enough to get a centre gig after a good off season, bigger and faster than Kelly was this time last year who many most above rated zeron no chance of starting in 2017.
Both Funa and Anderson rank outsiders till 2019, but can't be written off.
As for the 5/8 battle - Hastings/ Croker - whoever wins the 6 - the other will push for a bench spot also.
That's enough reason to feel that maybe - there are more OPEN spots than usual and more quality players waiting to fill them, making the trials more than just a fitness run in 2018.
 
Tom Wright is bigger and faster than Kelly...he's bigger and faster than Walker. But he's got an involvement issue he needs to address. Goes missing in games. Great potential, but at this stage Kelly is way ahead in involvement.

Matt Wright to me is solid but lacks the speed and creativity of either Kelly or Tom Wright. Parker to me is in a similar position. Solid and reliable but doesnt have the game changing abilities of Tom Wright and Kelly. May make a great utility or back row forward though.

And then there are rising stars Anderson and Funa. Just as well Uate is approaching the end of his career otherwise we'd have no where to put these young players of the future, and they'd end up in an Eels, Dogs or Roosters jersey.
 
We all agree that 5/8 and centre will require changes given Walker’s injury - the conservative approach is Matt Wright for Walker; however, Parker is a big chance.

Again, conservative approach is Brown as utility; however, there is far less risk in changing a player that plays 10/15mins tops - so this could well see him replaced. The inclusions of Crocker and Thompson sees us with more coverage.

Winterstein and Perrett likely to start on the bench, with rounds 6-8 the likely period that their spots could come under threat from a Gojeffski or Sipley (having had time to push their case at Blacktown).
 
Tom Wright is bigger and faster than Kelly...he's bigger and faster than Walker.
I don’t think Wright is faster than Walker...although he may we’ll be if Walker’s recovery proves complicated. I agree, Wright’s time will come in first grade, it’s just a matter of when is the Wright time for Wright to prove his fans Wright.....Wright?
 
How about this one? Hopefully no truth to it.
FB_IMG_1516325747409.jpg
 
All these new and Holden Cup names mentioned above will play in the trials and ALL of them will feel imo, they are a shot at a spot in the 17, early as Round 1 and go hard to prove it.
Have a feeling there will be 1 or 2 suprises added to the definite - new 5/8 and centre....this is where I claim 3-4 changes.
Some humble postings above claim could be totally wrong....add me to that boat.....just have a feeling I am Wright...
Definitely going to stream these trial games - exciting times!!
 
I had a Northern Eagles polo shirt did a clean out ,wore it once or twice yrs ago and it into charity in an the old bloke asked me was it a motor cycle gang shirt,war veterans
 
I don’t think Wright is faster than Walker...although he may we’ll be if Walker’s recovery proves complicated. I agree, Wright’s time will come in first grade, it’s just a matter of when is the Wright time for Wright to prove his fans Wright.....Wright?


Tom Wright is one of those rare players who have the ability to operate consistently and effectively on two speeds. This is what makes him so deceptive when he is attempting a break. Other players misread his speed and end up grasping at air. This is what Reg Gasnier was famous for. Wright's speed is very deceptive. You dont think he is running fast, and his jerking play makes you think he's not travelling fast and then suddenly he's through. He does it surprisingly often, when the opposition backline is a little loose.

Tom T has explosive speed as does Walker, though not quite as fast. Wright doesnt use explosive speed. He uses deceptive two paced speed and his second speed is in my opinion as fast as Walker but not quite Tom T. But I guess you would have to test them against each other wouldnt you, to prove the point.
 
Well that off-season went quickly (not!) , now only 5 days until our squad has a hit-out down in Gummy territory.

From snippets dropped by Barrett we will see a number of young blokes get a run. Expect to see players like Anderson, Tom Wright, Gojiewski, Sipley, Paseka, Tanginoa, Parker, Lane, Fainu, Funa, and both Croker and Hastings, maybe even Metcalfe.

I'll be in Qld but am hoping there'll be several Silvertails correspondents on the ground, well at least in the stands, taking notes to post here so the rest of us will be up to speed.

Is Paseka big enough? Can Croker actually play the game? Is Gojiewski a contender or pretender? Will Hastings even show up?

These questions and more will be answered in 5 days time. Can't wait!
 

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