Injuries and suspensions have led to opportunity arising. Especially for 5 players; Simonsson, Cartwright, Momoisea, Greig and Makatoa.
For Simonsson he should have been the favourite to get the wing or centre spot due to how he came to the club with potential in 2022. He got dropped late in the year being in purgatory for 8 weeks before given an all mighty opportunity in a prelim, leading to a GF. His injury and the emergence of Russell and Dunster, injury and with his form from majority of 2022 lingering it was uncertain where he would fit. The fact he is fit for round 1 gives Simonsson a massive head start to keep his spot for 2023. Sean Russell again had a grasp of an opportunity and has something in the way from letting him have it.
Cartwright is the massive surprise of the team list. More so due to the fact he is starting. The reason i think he is starting over say Momoisea and Murchie is rotation in the middle, i believe BA feels Murchie is more valuable coming off the bench at Prop and Momoisea hanging around as a utility type that can play Centre. I do not see Cartwright playing full 80, i see Momoisea coming in at some point and relieving Cartwright for a little. Overall i am happy for Cartwright, i like him as a player, he has experience and has always tried for us no matter how many times we have brought him in and back out again. This is it for him in blue and gold, he is off-contract for 2024, will another club take him on? Perhaps but it will be a one year prove it deal at a lower end club looking for depth. If he cannot at least keep a bench spot when Lane returns he will fall further in pecking order with Mataele and Momoisea and that is it for him. Cartwright adds some difference to us, unpredictability, that can be good and bad. Good as we can get predictable and need some cercuit breaker with an offload or unorthadox play, but there is where Cartwright can do too much causing mistakes and making our hole even deeper. Cartwright is not a BA type of back-rower, but hopefully he can do a job, even on the bench as a 14 that can come in when we need some energy for 10-15 mins.
Momoisea, if he had a good first trial he would be starting, i am certain with that. He, i feel, is lucky to have the 14 spot. He is there i think as cover if Cartwright fails. Honestly i would have been more comfortable with Momoisea starting and Carty on bench but so be it. With Lane, Matterson and Asi coming back, each will be getting a spot in the 17, maybe Asi might wait a bit, Momoisea needs to impress now, or he could be a player Parra keep around for 2024 as desperate depth, might get on the bench once in a while but will fade away at the club. With Mataele coming through nicely, Momoisea has to be careful, being that Niukore type that can come in at Centre in a pinch might just be his saving grace.
Greig and Makatoa have been given a chance off some decent trial form over the favourites Ogden and Rodwell. Ogden disappointed me due to being more experienced of the bunch. Wiremu Greig i have always been a fan of due to being a different type of Prop we use, he is actually an impact Prop. In 2021, his fitness was dreadful and he got a serious injury near COVID causing him to miss going up to QLD at the end of the year, where Makatoa debuted. Had Greig not hurt himself he could have gotten some extra games. Then early last year he got on the bench twice, once against Melbourne not getting on, the other against St. George Illawarra where he got on but showed fatigue and mental decisions like playing the ball sideways would let him down. He played big minutes in Cup every week, his defence is effecient and adds aggresion. This is it for Greig for chances, BA obviously loves him but just couldn't quite get what he wanted out of him. Was 2022 a misstep due to his injury in 2021? I hope so as we need a new enforcer on the bench. Makatoa to me is a solid stop gap til Matterson is back. Makatoa has hit his ceiling and can be a decent squad player. He is 30 and has a deal til 2024, Makatoa has a chance to keep his spot over Greig when Matterson returns, Makatoa played 24 games last year but never wowed anyone, he was just there so not expecting too much from Maka to be fair, just do your job.
The bench is not too bad, add Matterson to it with Asi at 14, Murchie and Greig as the other two, you have a great bench. Or Same but Cartwright for Greig and still looks good. But opportunity is all that is needed, Papali'i had that in 2021 when Matterson missed time with concussion, Papa got the start and never left it, causing BA to use Matto off the bench as a middle. Let's hope that happens again with someone like Greig or Momoisea.
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I'd love nothing more than to see one of these players kick on so well we never see Matterson again unless we have injuries . Might seem spiteful ,it probably is , but it's safe to say Matterson was a far better player when he was playing for a pay rise. Can only be a positive for us if he can't make it back into the squad and has to earn it .
How do you think Matto is handling the internal discussions amongst the playing/coaching group given his decision to sit out the first 3 rounds might have greater implications that he could've foreseen?
I reckon if I were him I'd be feeling mighty left out and mighty embarrassed this week.
Look 👀 I may be a nark, but I hope the showpony has a long stint in reserve grade because someone has taken an opportunity.
At least he was playing when chasing a paycheck. Now that he has his $ 2.4million contract sorted, his kicking his legs up watching his mates play tough.
True that. He certainly plays to his ability when $ are on the line.