Not official and not mentioned anywhere else as of yet, though with Isaiah Iongi set miss 4 weeks, it is a blow to Parra's end of season and our challenge to avoid the spoon. Though it is doom and gloom make no mistake, is it as doom and gloom as many say? I think not. Ryles actually did the right thing in bringing in Joash Papali'i as an extra Fullback. A Fullback that many would have argued at the start of the year could have started Round 1 over Iongi.
Is Papali'i as good as Iongi? No, of course not, he would have started if that was the case. But what he did do was show he was too good to be in NSW Cup, but the issue is Papali'i is a Fullback through and through. We have tried to pidgeon hole him to fit him in somewhere and hope it works so he can play. So though Iongi is a loss, i feel we only lose a little bit with Papali'i at Fullback. If Moses was still out then yeah that is a loss, Moses is the biggest loss of this team overall. I am confident to say if Moses plays every game this year, we are more around 7-8 wins, not 5.
Now the big thing for fans is avoiding the spoon. Currently we are tied with Souths on F/A and they have a bye in hand. GC are only 8 points behind in F/A and we have a win in hand. Do we still avoid it without Iongi? Yeah i think we do. GC had their chance against Wests and couldn't do it. Now Tino is out, their leader, that's the nail in the coffin for them winning another game this year. Their best hope is Souths at CBUS but Souths are still at least trying.
Though Iongi could be on track to play Roosters in Round 25. Could we beat NQ and Souths, who experts expect us to beat, without Iongi? Yes we can as not only do we have Papali'i to replace Iongi, we have Brown to come in at 5/8.
Brown has not had a good season, however he is competent at least working along side Moses. Could be worse with Volkman coming into the 6 spot for the mean time. Brown alongside Moses this year is a better player. Games against Tigers, Sharks, Dolphins, Knights are games where Brown was running, making breaks, setting up tries and scorint tries. In those 4 matches he was averaging 162 metres per game as well. Plus, Brown might want a redemption type game, f-you to Ryles type form. Many here will blast that saying he doesn't care and frankly wouldn't surprise me as Brown could cure world hunger and people here would complain that the food he did that with is rubbish. But it is true, you have a 130+ game 5/8 coming back in, that is a plus no matter the form. Many saw last week Papali'i try too much, well it would probably be better having Brown be basic for this team moving forward. I am not a Brown apologist as i knocked him years ago saying he was overrated and not worth the hype. But the bloke can play, he is experienced and has played so much with Moses it will help us get wins.
Iongi will be back to finish the year and it is better than originally where he was expected to miss the rest of the season. He at least gets a few more game to finish the season.
Replies
Geeze I hope he doesn't go Russell to fullback but 😂
Nah i doubt he would do that. If we was to put in a different Fullback it would more likely be Lomax if anything but even then i doubt Ryles does that.
Papali'i just makes sense at Fullback.
HOE, if Ryles asked me (He would never just using to state my case) who should he put at 6 instead of Brown, i would say Hawkins. Hawkins might not be an ideal 6 but i think he would get the job done and work well with Moses, he would not get in his way. Though Hawkins is a decent back-up player he would not overplay his hand compared to Papali'i.
Haven't heard anything about him missing 4 weeks
Broken hand, no surgery i believe.
They might play Brown at fullback if they want to persist with papalii at 6.
I mean if Ryles is stubborn and hellbent on his ways perhaps. But all you do there is weaken both Fullback and 5/8 for sake of it. If you put Joash at 1 and Brown at 6, the team is better as oppose to Brown at 1 and Joash at 6. It would also not help Joash at 6 with Brown at the back. I understand without Moses Papali'i is not helped a lot with either but still have players playing their natural positions. We saw Brown play 20mins at Fullback last year, he was not very good at all.
I have liked what Ryles has done so far but if he goes with Brown at 1 just for sake of it then i would say that is the first thing where i feel he has not done what's best for the team. Either play Brown at 6 or not at all.
They will persist with Joash at 5/8.
LB, may as well reply here, but good write-up on your other blog also about where things stand.
Personally, would want to see Papalli go to fullback, Dylan Brown to 6.
Forget the fact its Dylan Brown, and this sites weird obsessive stalky ex mentality, he is our best 6, Papalli is our best back up fullback, and its our best chance to win a game.
It’s not about Dylan, its about these kids who desperately need a win, its about our ‘future’ which also desperately needs wins, it benefits players like Lomax who is giving it everything & losing his way, and it benefits fans who pay memberships & ticket prices to see our team give their best chance of winning.
Nothing helps a club build more than winning. These players need confidence.
I am a big fan of Joash, the personality & as a fullback.
But, manufacturing a 5/8th out of a player who wasn't able to crack our starting 13 in his preferred position, because we lost Brown, missed Galvin, lost Blaize etc. is more proof that we are struggling to attract players to this club.
Joash is a very talented player, was stoked we'd signed him. But he, much like when we tried Blaise Talagi at centre, just naturally doesn't fill that position, imo.
Definitely not blaming Ryles, who looks as frustrated as we all are, and I agree with the future play in regards to Iongi, Smith, TDS, Big Sam, Guymer, get these guys as much game time as possible… but the Papalli 5/8th experiment looks like a plan C, which it is, thats not playing for our future thats a rookie coach doing his best with what the club is providing him.
If we had a geunine 6 in waiting, then yes, piss DB off to the reserves or wherever else, but we don't.
Just opinion.
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