Who replaces kelly ?

[winnyason]

Well exciting about next year but kelly going has me nervous. Great attacking player **** defender.
I believe we really don't have any movement to sign any one externally til end of next season, or see if someone happy to pay fair bit of contract and we take them on our books.
Options for centre
* suli - young and strong starting to develop. Weakness poor defender and does not pass to winger. Favourite
* hopoate - next star to come from our ranks but is very young. I believe may see him round 9 or 10. Watch him set up match winner v qld in 16s wow.
Brendan elliot - bit of journeyman for his young age been to roosters, knights, titans is fast but a tad small.
Reuben garrick - junior rep star been in dragons system for a while. Fast, dark horse.

I can't see us signing anyone given we don't have any movement kelly was on 250k deal won't get much on market for that money for centre. I believe sqaud will get des feel come 2020 with all players coming off contract.
If we make top 8 that a pretty good achievement i can see. Alot of people make call but we got 3 kangaroos and a kiwi int. But squad very thin on bench and on experience. Since making finals in 2017 we lost uate, kelly, green, lane, lussick, myles, hastings and bj lawerence. Only significant signing from that time been thommo. Our bench if we run with paseka, sipley, tanginoa and waddell has all players with well under 30 first grade caps. I kind of find it laughable when opp fans say we lost no one for cap dramas. Only thing of could think of out of box if des could entice any just retired experienced centres back for a season.

 

[Briza]

Assuming he trains hard and has a good attitude, Moses Suli will have first crack.

 

[winnyason]

Assuming he trains hard and has a good attitude, Moses Suli will have first crack.

Yeap. They need to get him ultra fit and work with him on his defensive issues.

 

[Briza]

Yeap. They need to get him ultra fit and work with him on his defensive issues.

It's a make or break year for him, Donny will make him or break him

 

[winnyason]

It's a make or break year for him, Donny will make him or break him

No doubt , That game v roosters left a large wound in me on his defence

 

[madmax]

Well exciting about next year but kelly going has me nervous. Great attacking player **** defender.
I believe we really don't have any movement to sign any one externally til end of next season, or see if someone happy to pay fair bit of contract and we take them on our books.
Options for centre
* suli - young and strong starting to develop. Weakness poor defender and does not pass to winger. Favourite
* hopoate - next star to come from our ranks but is very young. I believe may see him round 9 or 10. Watch him set up match winner v qld in 16s wow.
Brendan elliot - bit of journeyman for his young age been to roosters, knights, titans is fast but a tad small.
Reuben garrick - junior rep star been in dragons system for a while. Fast, dark horse.

I can't see us signing anyone given we don't have any movement kelly was on 250k deal won't get much on market for that money for centre. I believe sqaud will get des feel come 2020 with all players coming off contract.
If we make top 8 that a pretty good achievement i can see. Alot of people make call but we got 3 kangaroos and a kiwi int. But squad very thin on bench and on experience. Since making finals in 2017 we lost uate, kelly, green, lane, lussick, myles, hastings and bj lawerence. Only significant signing from that time been thommo. Our bench if we run with paseka, sipley, tanginoa and waddell has all players with well under 30 first grade caps. I kind of find it laughable when opp fans say we lost no one for cap dramas. Only thing of could think of out of box if des could entice any just retired experienced centres back for a season.

If Des can snag Will Hopoate then i'd have Tom T next to Walker & Will at FB............otherwise Suli into the Centers. Also if we don't give Paseka, Sipley, Tangara & Wadell a go then someone else will! We've tried the 'experienced' route with Myles, Brown etc & it achieved zero! In another post i said that if Des can get the likes of AFB, Marty, Toff & Paseka into tune our prop rotation will be pretty handy. Add Jake, Siro, Thommo, Tangara, Waddell & we have the makings of one solid forward pack!

 

[winnyason]

If Des can snag Will Hopoate then i'd have Tom T next to Walker & Will at FB............otherwise Suli into the Centers. Also if we don't give Paseka, Sipley, Tangara & Wadell a go then someone else will! We've tried the 'experienced' route with Myles, Brown etc & it achieved zero! In another post i said that if Des can get the likes of AFB, Marty, Toff & Paseka into tune our prop rotation will be pretty handy. Add Jake, Siro, Thommo, Tangara, Waddell & we have the makings of one solid forward pack!

Joel caine talking up tevita funa on twitter for centre spot

 

[HoldenV8]

If Des can snag Will Hopoate then i'd have Tom T next to Walker & Will at FB............otherwise Suli into the Centers. Also if we don't give Paseka, Sipley, Tangara & Wadell a go then someone else will! We've tried the 'experienced' route with Myles, Brown etc & it achieved zero! In another post i said that if Des can get the likes of AFB, Marty, Toff & Paseka into tune our prop rotation will be pretty handy. Add Jake, Siro, Thommo, Tangara, Waddell & we have the makings of one solid forward pack!

I'd go the other way with Tom at fullback and Will in the centres. Tom has a much better running game which suits his support play from fullback, while Will has the better vision (experience) and passing game.

The thing that will be interesting is that with Walks back at right centre, will Suli (who is likely to get first crack, at this stage at least) go better on the left where Kelly was? Because if Suli does get the nod he is going to have to switch sides as he was the one on the right this year when Walks was in the halves. Who knows, maybe he will be better suited on the left?

 

[XV-1]

If Suli can't stop upsizing over the off-season, I think Parker may start at centre. That is his best position at this point imo.

 

[Woodsie]

Funa .. Garrick .... Parker .... Elliot .... may the best man win.

Suli is a winger .... if you can play 15 FG games and not find more than one occasion to pass the ball to your outside man then you are in the wrong position ......

At wing I think Suli will be dynamic at kick returns and finishing .... he is quicker than most think ...

 

[Woodsie]

PSS ... Is that beast Kioa a chance??

 

[Pepi]

If Suli can't stop upsizing over the off-season, I think Parker may start at centre. That is his best position at this point imo.

I know Parker had a poor year on the wing last year but he was very good in 2017 at centre. I won’t write him off completely. Got plenty of heart too.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

As @Snake has confirmed we won’t be buying anyone, Kelly was released to assist with the cap so anyone thinking we are going to sign a name player to replace is “ dreaming”.

2019 isn’t going to be this incredible , wonderful , 180 degree turnaround from what we experienced in 2018.

BUT

Look at the games we just gave away , or lost by a few , and even with what’s left Hasler “ should” get them fitter and better managed and those games hopefully will be a different result.

But there’s no way we will be able to realistically compete against the $15 million Roosters side or a few others at the top just yet.

The backs will come from what we have on the books already and we will just have to be happy with that, and yes that includes Tafua, Parker and Suli.

 

[brad]

Joel caine talking up tevita funa on twitter for centre spot

Perfect world Tom and W Hopoate to 1 . but I like funa for walkers partner.

 

[Walter Perolta]

Funa .. Garrick .... Parker .... Elliot .... may the best man win.

Suli is a winger .... if you can play 15 FG games and not find more than one occasion to pass the ball to your outside man then you are in the wrong position ......

At wing I think Suli will be dynamic at kick returns and finishing .... he is quicker than most think ...

Agreed he and walker can form a almighty duo, he has to be a winger he can't defend in the centers. As for the other side i hope we can get hoppa now that kelly has gone we dont really have a fb back up and hoppa can fill in there well if needed.. he could even swap with turbo on special attacking plays. Fingers crossed.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Funa .. Garrick .... Parker .... Elliot .... may the best man win.

Suli is a winger .... if you can play 15 FG games and not find more than one occasion to pass the ball to your outside man then you are in the wrong position ......

At wing I think Suli will be dynamic at kick returns and finishing .... he is quicker than most think ...

.....it won’t be Parker, my grandmother could run around him!

 

[HoldenV8]

If Suli can't stop upsizing over the off-season, I think Parker may start at centre. That is his best position at this point imo.

So long as he's playing centre at Blacktown and not in first grade, all good.

 

[Woodsie]

.....it won’t be Parker, my grandmother could run around him!

Well then ..... take her down to training ...

Parker is still only 22 ..... and last year I saw players run around James Roberts, Latrell Mitchell, Michael Jennings, Will Hopoate, and every other centre in the comp ... I even remember seeing players run around Jamie Lyons and Stevie Matai .......

 

[Woodsie]

So long as he's playing centre at Blacktown and not in first grade, all good.

I hope so too ..... it would mean we have a pretty goodun playing firsts ....

 

[Blake A]

I'd go the other way with Tom at fullback and Will in the centres. Tom has a much better running game which suits his support play from fullback, while Will has the better vision (experience) and passing game.

The thing that will be interesting is that with Walks back at right centre, will Suli (who is likely to get first crack, at this stage at least) go better on the left where Kelly was? Because if Suli does get the nod he is going to have to switch sides as he was the one on the right this year when Walks was in the halves. Who knows, maybe he will be better suited on the left?

Interesting thoughts... I agree that Will Hopoate has better vision (experience) and a better passing game... but for that reason I would put him at fullback. If Tom Trbyoevic gets good ball at centre, he will be electric.