Backs
- GUTHERSON, Clinton. (take a course on when to hold, when to fold and when to take the two)
- JENNINGS, George
- JENNINGS, Michael / AUKAFOLAU, Dane (alternate or Dane to wing and Bevan? Centre)
- HAYNE, Jarryd. Definitely sign again for right price. May not have the edge he had but is still quality and is now the team player he was not before
- FRENCH, Bevan. He is improving his weakness of being weak and has great skill and instinct for the game. Needs to keep improving his toughness before trying fullback again. Maybe in a year he may be ready to try fullback.
Do not get the Morris twins – we have enough experience in the backs and prefer Hayne to them, and we are stuck with Mennings.
Do not get Ferguson – need good culture
Koribete – definitely if we can get him
Halves
- Austin/Salmon
- Moses –needs to regain where he left off last year
Norman is playing great but if he can’t lose extracurricular activities he has to go. You don’t get paid that much to have your head elsewhere.
Dylan Brown future?
Forwards
- PAULO, Junior
- We need a top 9. Don’t think that is anyone we have. Maybe Mahoney can step up. May be Schneider one day. Surely we can buy one until then.
- ALVARO, Daniel
- MOEROA, Tepai
- NIUKORE, Marata
- BROWN, Nathan
- STONE, Ray/ Blake Austin
- MANNAH, Tim. One of the best bench props in the game. Just not a captain or dominant Prop – Peter principle: people get promoted from what they are good at until they find something they are incompetent at and then get stuck there.
- TEREPO, Peni. Starting to play very well.
- LANE/Tony Williams. Probably getting on a bit but still has a few years left if can make it back
David Gower is a smart and very good player but probably time to retire Kane Evans is not as bad as he has been playing but is a reserve
Manu MA’U is great at what he is good at but a bit one dimensional
Jack Morris – worth a run and see in 1st grade?
Kaysa PRITCHARD is getting better but just a back-up hooker
Will SMITH is a back-up only
Brad TAKAIRANGI is past it – back up
If we can get Kapow for a price that does not break the cap then great
Coach
Brad Arthur. He is a good coach and stick with him until we can find someone better. Don’t change until we have someone definitely better. This is possible but it is not Hassler or Toovey etc.
Replies
Wilie old boy, I don't mind a lot of your speculation but would have to disagree with your assessment of Taka. He is a fine footballer who brings a lot to the team as either a starting backrower or centre if we have injuries and a much better player than Dane Aukafolau. He also gives us the freedom to not have to play Smith as Smith is only a backup 1/2 or 5/8 or a stopgap #9 at best. Taka covers all those positions as well IMO. Jack Morris is not as good as any of the forwards you have named and is probably lucky to be getting a run in reserve grade. You need to go and watch Wenty play if you are going to propose elevating blokes to NRL mate. If Blake Austin comes to the club it will be to play 5/8 outside of MM as a running half. The young fish will probably develop into a fine center or ball playing back rower/lock. He will be running around at about 100kg next season and has the bone structure to be nearly as big as Sironen!
Thanks Rowdy - Haven’t seen Wenty
Abd it's people like you with your assessment of Hayne & Mannah that will esmbsure this club remains mediocre and prove that the run in the eatky to mid 80s was nothing but a fluke
I stand by my assessment of Hayne and Mannah
Mannah had no errors that I saw unlike some other forwards and put on a great step to set up a try
always seems to get quick play the balls
Hayne is still class and scored a try few could. Didn’t do much wrong
How does my assessment have any affect on what the club does
It is more likely that negative fans that excessively and wrongly sledge the players turn players away from being recruited
Agree with your assessments on Hayne and Mannah. Ya right Tims no captian but is one of our best every week.
Agree pretty well with all of this list Willie.
If you compare the physiques of both Salmon and Austin you will find that Austin has a couple of kilo's over Salmon but Salmon has age on his side to strengthen/bulk up for a centre spot. Austin still has good speed and is tops in broken play.
Taka I believe was not too bad against the Saints and is worth keeping for his last remaining contract year, but if some of the other forwards from ISP/20's such as Stone is resigned would be better options. Morris I hear will not be on an eels contract next year, maybe with Wenty only or elsewhere.
The big change to me would be for Brown to get the second Captains position but he needs to assert that role especially when the penalties offer the chance for 2 points we lost 2 chances at least on Thursday night to put two points on the board which would have given us the game and points.
I agree with your assessment on French, those wobbly high balls give other players big problems as well.
After the saints game I hope that Smith is left out of the 17 and Pritchard brought up onto the bench with him and King to share the game with whoever comes out on top shares the role with Mahoney next year.