There may be a few positions for players to tussle over, but at this point you can take from the Fan Forum that Stephen Kearney has a pretty good idea what his top 17 is going to look like already. You can probably expect Parramatta’s first 17 for 2012 to look like this:
1. Jarryd Hayne
2. Luke Burt
3. Willie Tonga
4. Esi Tonga
5. Ken Sio/Jordan Atkins
6. Ben Roberts
7. Chris Sandow
8. Tim Mannah
9. Matt Keating
10. Fuifui Moimoi
11. Nathan Hindmarsh
12. Taniela Lasalo
13. Reni Maitua
14. Casey McGuire
15. Justin Poore
16. Mitchell Allgood
17. Justin Horo
Kearney declared emphatically that Jarryd Hayne would be fullback and what’s more Casey McGuire will be the side backup half.
It appears Esi Tonga has the jump on the second centre position in front of Ryan Morgan. There was no indication who might take the wing position, but my feel is that Ken Sio’s athleticism might see him get the jump on that position.
Ben Roberts and Chris Sandow are a lock in the halves.
I don’t expect to see Tim Mannah and Fuifui Moimoi dislodged as our starting forwards and Justin Poore's quality should get him a bench spot. Kearney talked up Mitchell Allgood as a future rep player, so it can probably be presumed from that, that he’ll get the nod ahead ahead of Shane Shackleton or Taulima Tautai, who is being viewed as a prop this season.
Matt Keating was the side’s number one hooker. McGuire’s utility value will likely see him have a spot on the bench as interchange hooker.
Maitua will undoubtedly start at lock when fit, but Ben Smith will probably come into this 17 until Maitua is back on the park.
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Morning Phil ,mate dont you sleep 2am for Gods sake.Phil as i told you on Friday night i would let you know how the daughter went at the nationals .Unfortunally she lost on points,but she is only young and she will be there again next year.Sorry to bore all the other people.I hope to see you at Gosford next Saturday.
Ben's off-contract this year. Kearney gave him the first six to eight weeks (ie about how long Reni will be out max) to earn that new contract (I'm paraphrasing that). Kearney most definitely did not state that Smith was guaranteed a place in the 17.
On the other hand he had a bit of a rave about how much potential Lasalo had, and how he was training the house down etc. So reading between the lines, I got the impression that Ben is only going to start in the 17 if/when there are injuries in the second row / bench.
1eyed has made some assumptions based on what Kearney said at the FF and as he said, "There may be a few positions for players to tussle over"
I'm reporting my own impressions of what Kearney said Jimmy - I was there too.
Lasalo was chosen over Ben Smith during every game last year. He started every single match. Kearney again nominated Lasalo as a player he thought had a lot of potential at the FF.
That said, with the injury to Maitua Benny is probably going to get his chance in both the trials and the first couple of rounds to show that he's got the ability to break the line on the fringes which I believe is Kearney's priority for his backrowers.
All adds up to a question: rather than it being Ben Smith playing for a contract next year, I wonder how long Lasalo will get to actually demonstrate the ability SK believes he has?
True that. I thought Lasalo offered next to nothing in most of his games last season. Maybe we could use Reni as our line breaking 2nd rower and shift Benny to lock.
I really hope Kearneys Opinion of Lasalo is not severely misplaced.
Yes the whole team struggled last year, Lasalo had a year to forget.
His contribution in attack was non existent as was his meters. Not once in 24 games did he break 80mtrs.
He racks up tackles no problem but that's it,
He has a real problem with fading in and out of games.
I just hope like the team he had a below par year.
Just hope Kearney hasn't got tunnel vision with Lasalo and with Casey in the halves, that ship has sailed long ago.
a lot will hinge on hindmarsh's and Moi Moi's possible retirements.
Kearney was also talking up Taulima Tautai and said he would be used as a front-rower
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