Guys, I have a bit of concern heading into season 2021 and its a failure on O'Neill, BA and whoever else is involved.
We should be entering a premiership window. A side with a young spine that has been to week 2 of the finals 2 years in a row needs to be aiming for Prelims or better . The problem is going into the season we havent adequately replaced Jenko, which off the bat is an area the squad has regressed.. and we have lost some middles and not replaced them either (clearly here we're going to move Lane into the middle more and try and get by with big minutes from Reg and Junior and a bunch of 2nd row/middle tweeners like N.Brown, Papalii and Hipgrave). So entering what should be a strengthening premiership window we have 2 glaring holes in our squad going into the season. Are we planning on rolling with Opacic? (yuck), waiting for a cap squeeze at another club (a few of the have happened already and we havent been interested) .. or are we just going to waste another year and use the squad holes as an excuse for BA when we don't kick on?
I think it appears as though we're hopig to get by and something will pop up throughout the season and we'll be able to get a couple of guys discounted. Risky strategy for a team with premiership aspirations, lets see if it pays off.
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Girth, is the centre position as influential as it was in the past?
Melbourne won a premiership last season with a journeyman playing in the centres.
I don't think it matters as much these days as I think it's imperative that you have a good fullback and two good wingers.
Maybe this is how the recruitment team see it to?
Scott
Good points! Perhaps not as important but you're going to need somebody who can do the job for you.
I'm not sure Opacic has a lot going for him other than being a good depth piece who can fill in and do a job for you on occassions. He offers next to no attacking punch, he's closer to being a back rower. Brenko Lee has some limitations in his game but he has some attacking skills and he's also flourished in the Melb system and become an origin player.
I don't think we need a world beater but a specialist centre would help!
I can see us starting this way:
8. RCG
10. Paulo
11. Lane
12. Matto
13. Brown
the bench wil be Papali'i, Marata, Carty, and either a Utility who can play 9.. Oregon or Hipgrave. So whilst its a lot of names on paper and they all no doubt are good players in their own riight... i'm not sure the Papali'i, Marata and Brown combination are going to give you anywhere near the middle dominance the starters will. I think we're a middle short. The young guys Hollis and Hughes won't be playing any first grade any time soon. Maybe they'll be bought on slowly but they missed a year of footy and will no doubt be learning their trade in NSW Cup not NRL.
They will play Lane plenty in the middle with Cartwright on an edge but again... the period of the game where we're rotating Lane, Marata, Papalil, Oregon and N Brown through the middle we are going to be hanging on till Junior or RCG are ready to come back. Its a big drop off for mine. All will make good contibutions but imo the balance is a bit off unless Oregon can really come into his own which is a lot to ask at his stage of development. I'm thinking we need 1 more genuine front rower and of course the glaring hole at centre.
I think we'll be a better side across the park than we were last year.Happy to give Opacic a crack and see how he goes,he's a specialist centre whose been playing in crap teams for a few years,he might just surprise us.If not we have a couple of young blokes coming through who could be good as well.
I agree he has played in a cowboys side that has been s**t for years, it's hard to be good in a team that is absolute crap.
Junior, RCG, Brown, Niukore, Kaufusi, Papalii, Hipgrave, Hughes, Hollis. That's an excellent middle rotation by any standard. I don't see the issue there.
As for Jenko, the clubs hands are somewhat tied because he's still on our roster taking up a spot. The club simply cannot just replace him, his salary is still taking up a considerable chunk of our cap. There was planning for his eventual retirement / release, but that was at least 12 months away. They obviously have a wrap on Dunster, and they're not alone in that, and in the meantime Opacic can do a solid job. He doesn't have to be a game breaker, just a solid centre. The Storm just won a title with two solid but unspectacular centres.
Love the energy and enthusiasm of Olam,he's a beast.
Agreed, but he's not a class player as such. He's a guy who has thrived in a great system. That's what we're missing, and my one beef with BA, is the lack of an identifiable system that allows you to plug any player in and he can do a job for you.
Jenko can't be replaced until he is actually suspended ffs.
He can be replaced. Not dollar for dollar but we released Alvaro and Salmon for starters so theres $ there. Theyre waiting.
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