Yes, just another opinionated 2025 team list. But hear me out.
I'm thinking our premiership window isn't quite shut just yet. Frankly, as long as we have Moses as our 7, I think we have a shot. In saying that, i do think with an aging team and players becoming too comfortable, Ryles needs to make some hard decisions by moving on some of our senior players to be replaced by our promising SG Ball Cup winning players. Not saying that this is the winning formula, but its similar to how Panthers continue to blood in solid juniors.
Before i go ahead, I want to make the point that this is assuming Ryles begins a defensive overhaul during the offseason, changing our defensive systems from the top down. I'm talking a Ciraldo 2024 overhaul. Because otherwise, with the same outdated system of jamming in and absolutely no sliding, even Lomax will just become another Sivo on the wing.
Below is assuming we make no further signings for 2025.
1. Lomax
2. Simonsson*
3. Penisini
4. Gutherson
5. Talagi
6. Brown
7. Moses
8. RCG
9. Hands
10. Moretti
11. Guymer
12. Tuilagi
13. Hopgood
14. Arthur
15. Cartwright
16. Ofahengaue
17. Paulo
*Tago/Mulitalo/Alameddine/Russell
Greig/Ogden pushing for bench spots.
Out: Matterson, Lane, Sivo, Makatoa.
These are our rocks and diamonds who we simply cannot afford to keep in the team. They cannot win you a game, but they sure can (and do) lose you a game with silly penalties or errors, especially out of frustration.
YOUTH vs EXPERIENCE, WORKHORSES vs POWER FORWARDS
After 2022, we didn't just lose talent upfront in Mahoney, Papali'i, Nathan Brown, Kaufusi, Stone and Niukore. We lost their passion for winning, their pride and respect for the jersey. We were left with the players that are 'hands on heads', sleeping around the ruck, unreliable in defence, and complacent.
I think this lineup for 2025 is a good mix of the next generation with the support of some experienced grand finalists. More importantly, these guys play with pride in the jersey 9 out of 10 times. They don't throw in the towel or only show up for the big games - they are there giving it 100% all the time.
In the backline, Penisini is visibly upset and frustrated with himself whenever he makes an error or a bad play, expecting better of himself. He's never caught napping on the line, never afraid to take on the line. Simonsson is the same here. He is solid without being a superstar, but he never throws the towel in the ring. Always competing and, along with Brown, is consistently the only one chasing down players. Throw in the same compliments to Talagi and ofcourse Gutherson.
At the front, I think we need to inject the young Liam Martin-type workhorses who take pride in their performances and are absolutely ruthless. This is the direction the game is going in now, rather than the bigger forwards. I see this in Guymer (SG Ball GF winning captain), Hopgood and Moretti. 2 years ago, our forward pack was unmatched - the most destructive in the game. The game evolves quickly, however. And you can tell teams are using the same tactic against us week after week - targeting in behind the rucks (because our bigger guys are slow to recover) and then a set play into either of our corners (because instead of a fast sliding defence, we for some reason stick with a 'jam in' approach).
ATTACKING FULLBACK OVER A DEFENSIVE FULLBACK
Defence wins you games. Offense dictates how much you win them by.
Remember the time we moved our old and trusty Luke Burt from fullback into the wing and replaced him with a new and exciting attacking weapon in Jarryd Hayne? Well, it's time for that again.
Gutherson is awesome at the back. Safe under the high ball, great awareness and footy IQ, awesome positional play and has an unreal engine. But he provides nothing in attack. No speed to break the game open, no agility to create a 'Plan B' when a play breaks down, no impact or power off kick returns, no bullet-passes, no fancy footwork. He is a standout because he plays with heart and he cleans up other peoples mess. But with a solid defensive system, you would be an idiot not to have an x-factor fullback.
I would personally rather 12 hard working defenders with a game breaking fullback, than have our best defender and hardest worker wasted in the back. That says a lot about the efforts of our team.
Look at Bellamy's Storm who pride themselves on defence, yet have Papenhuyzen and Faalogo at the back - two absolute speedsters. Or Bennett's Dolphins, who have both Tabuai-Fidow and Fuller. Even Flannagan and Robinson, both premiership-winning coaches, have both Sloan and Tedesco respectively. Bulldogs, the biggest improvers in 2024, fixed their defence extraordinarily over the offseason and placed Tracey at the back who provides so much speed and impact upon kick returns, with Kiraz filling in from time to time.
I actually rated Talagi at the back. It was refreshing watching a fullback with speed through the slightest of gaps close to the line (got through twice, but one was pulled up for an obstruction). Sure he was horrible under the high ball, but unfortunately that's part of blooding them in. It's not entirely his fault, though. There is still an onus on the 12 other players to control the metres gained by the opposition through line speed and kick pressure, two things we lack over the last couple of years.
With Lomax's arrival next year, I would walk him straight into fullback, otherwise keep him on the wing with Talagi at the back.
Regardless, Gutho needs to be moved on from Fullback next year. His experience and defence is needed in the centre, anyway.
Keen to hear everyone else's thoughts on changes you'd make and why!
Replies
Agree with this thought too! Unfortunately our only defensive strengths are Moses' ability to kick long and Gutho's try savers at the back. We need a huge defensive overhaul this offseason
Yep! And we can leverage off our younger guys who have played and won premierships together, so that winning culture and cohesion is still there, just mixed well with some of the 2022 GF guys.
I know I'm in the minority here but I just don't rate Talagi as a fullback.
People go on about needing speed at fullback and that is one of the many traits he is lacking.
Comparing Talagi to Paps, Faalogo, The Hammer and Fuller is ridiculous. They are all genuine speedsters whereas Talagi appears to be only slightly quicker than Gutho who is 30 with dodgy knees.
In the Knights game when Best ran 2 length of the field tries, Talagi was no where near him.
Our first problem that should be sorted is hooker. Hands is a back up hooker, no more, no less. I've seen nothing from MA to suggest he is any better than Hands. Lussick needs to be released as he isn't even a reserve grade quality hooker.
We need a super fast fullback and two quality wingers.
I would also put Penisini on notice to lift his game or risk losing his spot in 1st grade as he is just rocks and diamonds but of late, more so rocks.
We are still forward heavy so I would be showing Paulo, Makatoa, Lane and Cartwright the door. We can use the money we save from cutting these guys loose to fix the backs as we have enough forward depth even after letting these guys go.
This is all a pipe dream though as there are no quality fullbacks, wingers, centres or hookers available.
2025 will be more of the same as this year but we will have a better chance of making some signings for 2026.
Agree with your assessment on the hooker roles and forwards. Hands is a backup at best. Havent seen anything from Lussick either, and in the lower grades he's just as bad. I think for MA it's a confidence thing and it's early days, but I wouldn't risk it as I'm sure he'll follow his dad to Perth eventually.
Talagi isn't fast by any means, but he's faster than what we currently have. I guess my point was more around having a quick(er) fullback who is light on his feet and has potential to develop.
Penisini was quickly becoming a favourite of mine. He is rocks and diamonds as of late, yes. But up until this year he has been a revelation for us in the centres. I think he's guilty of overstaying this year. He's still young and learning, but plays with grit and heart.
Bem. i'm with you on Talagi, he has talent and at present wing suit's him, if the Dragons make him an offer to good to refuse, well bad luck. I think his long term future is as a half and it is in the halves that I would be looking to develop him, his defence needs to be improved 100% for him to provide relief for Dyllan or Moses and I am not sure what his kicking game is like.
The media say that the first thing Ryles has to do is cement Talagi, lets hope Ryles is smarter than that, he has much bigger fish to fry.
This blog is again all about chess pieces and shuffling the deck chairs. Matterson was again one of our best the other night and I dont think he missed a tackle, strange that a side like Parra would want to get rid of their best defensive forward. I do think matto is a middle now, but as a starting forward, his versatality is great on the bench, right down to that he can still play 5/8 at a pinch. Some may laugh but if Brown was out and Moses in, i would have Matto ahead of any of the current alternative halves.
The winning players that we lost were listed as Mahoney (not a happy camper at parra and in dispute with Moses). Papalii who continued to play as an edge and he was your new style middle, Tigers fcuked him up and he will go to the highest payer. Nathan Brown, there was some sort of falling out with BA, I never wanted to lose him. Ray Stone was given limited opportunities but is hellishly injury prone. I can see him coming back one day. Niikure was always returning to NZ after his wife's illness, family was back in NZ and Niukure would give his right arm to help BA. BA's wife actually minded Niukre's kids when she was laid up in hospital. Talagi was made reference to complimenting the process. He is a long way short of some of the elite young speedsters running around and could not be considered in the same class as the Reserve Grade fullback at Dolphins filling in for the Hammer.
So the facts are that the players you refer to were just part and parcel of everyday business and that's where we need to head next, back to business. We badly need a new Head of Football to put a plan into action. Shuffling the deck chairs in Paradise is not the answer! Ryles is only a starting point!
PS You are right in some ways, 2 backs with speed and two forwards prepared to work, puts us straight back into the firing line!
I think Makatoa is off contract but the rest I think will stay and do a Greg Eastwood. Unless someone else wants them we are stuck with them. Hopefully, Arthur poaches them for Leeds.
I think Arthur will promote opportunities for players in Leeds, I dont think he will "poach" anyone that is not prepared to be "cooked" in Paradise.
Talagi is not a fullback and furthermore I don't think he wants to play fullback. The notion came about because we couldn't sign an x factor fullback. Definitely a centre at this stage.
Talagi is definitely a centre
It will be interesting to see where this all lands. At least we can be confident that the club and Ryles are determined to make some significant changes - why else would both camps be pushing for Ryles to start working on it ASAP? 2025 will be a difficult year, but hopefully one that shows real primise for the next few years. It can't get much worse than this year.
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next