3 games this year have all had one thing in common. Paramatta have started all games horribly as they have been rolled through the middle by the opposition with ease.
This has resulted in JDB being dropped. However, JR said JDB still has an important role to play in NRL so hopefully he fixes it that ASAP because we need it now with the news of Hopgood doing his ACL.
I think JR learned his lesson today that Walker needs to stay on the bench and is not the answer to fixing our poor starts. Smith is a speed bump to start games if he doesn't have support from his middles. Walker does not help that.
Paulo is meant to be the leader of the forward back but he is ageing and providing no go forward. Plus his defense to start the games have been poor. However with a lack of options I think Paulo will start.
You can tell JR knows this is a problem as he has been pushing hard to buy an elite middle from the open market which we all know has failed time and time again.
Our bench has been very strong this year and been the reason we have got back into games the past 2 weeks. So to me Walker, TDS, Doorey and Tuivita have to remain on the bench for me. Don't change that. The only person that has potential to start is Tuivita but I wouldn't consider that till end of the year or next year because Tuivita is still very young and needs to build his defence still and play consistent NRL.
To me William is a starting backrower or a bench middle. He is not a starting middle forward. He does not have that aggression to start games in the middle. Perhaps its more mental that a phsyical limitation for him starting games cause he has the leg speed and size. Got to be more aggressive with his line speed and first contact in defence. The way he plays right now I would want to start him as the eddge backrower and move him intot he middle at the 20th minute. But the problem with this strategy Williams, Walker, TDS, Tuivita and Doorey is a 5 man bench. So I assume JR will persist with starting Tuilagi at backrow and Williams at lock.
8. Paulo
9. Smith
10. Moretti
11. Tuilagi
12. Kautoga
13. Williams
14. TDS
15. Walker
16. Doorey
17. Tuivita
18. Guymer (hopefully he is ready to step up to starting nrl games in the middle. At his best he loves to lead the line speed and be aggressive in defence. However, his meterage is not the best)
19. Papalii
I think 18 and 19 will be filled by Samrani and Papalii when Samrani and Penisni is fit.
Replies
Doing this post made me realise all our middles are a bunch of great middle options for a bench. None of them are ideal starting middles. It s a big concern. Based on our recuirtment problems, looks like we have to fully rely on us developing elite middles from within the club. T Brown, Tuivita, Moretti, Guymer ... plz
We need to go to market today. See if we can bring anyone across who is off contract at year end. There's a few of those available and may be ok to come early for the right price. If not, I think we're really going to struggle.
But who is there? In a league that are already desperate for quality middles?
Someone like Ata Mariota is still off-contract for 2027 but you are not getting him for this year. Do you try Blake Lawrie?
Who knows someone might pop up like Ofahengaue did in 2023. Luron Patea was being shopped by his management maybe could try and pry him out of Penrith?
It's a tough one. Right now I'd have taken Matt Lodge.
Moretti and Teancum Brown still to come in. Not sure what happened with the reserve grade blow out. Any idea what happened there guys. .???
They ran at Kelly??
I think Guymer should be given first shot at 13. Try tighten the defence up early. Paulo started slow last year as well. Hopefully he can build into it like last year.
I do not mind that, his attack is not overly great but last year he handled his own, even today at Centre he did ok. Lock could be his spot.
He looks stronger and a bit quicker. I think he is ready to take the next step in his game and be a genuine nrl player. We always have the experience of JDB to fall back onto if it doesn't work.
I said a couple years ago that Guymer best spot will be lock. As I said in the blog, won't know if he is ready for it until we give him the chance.
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