Bit by bit, Stephen Kearney's plan for the future is starting to crystallize.
Over the next two years we can expect to a score of 1. Hayne 6, Roberts, 7. Sandow. I would expect Hayne to move to six after that, with the club making a play at a returning Hopoate. This gives us a core that should ensure we are competitive for the next five years.
I would expect Mortimer to hold down a utility position next down, filling in between 6,7,9 and 14. Marmin Barba will graduate from NYC to play seniors next year and will give us further cover across 1,6 and 7 so we should have our key positions pretty well covered. I don't know what is going to happen with Tom Humble but he'd be a bonus in those same positions if he is with us next year.
We now appear to have our hooking strategy in place with McGuire, Keating and Mortimer. I've always maintained that Mortimer's position was at dummy half, and I think Keating can develop a lot under Kearney. McGuire is obviously a short-term prospect but those two will have a chance to prove their worth before we start looking elsewhere.
At this stage, we're obviously in the market for an outside back. We have two good young centres in Jacob Loko and Ryan Morgan. I expect Loko to prove he is a genuine NRL starting centre over the rest of this year with Morgan being a first drop centre. Hard to know at this stage what has happened with Junior Vaivai, but he would add to our centre/wing depth if he is with us. I'm not expecting Joel to be with us next year - I think other clubs will be willing to offer more than us. The quality of that marquee centre will impact just how well we can go next year.
We obviously have Atkins and Burt at the club next year. I'm yet to be convinced Atkins is a long-term proposition but it's worth noting we've got some very talented prospects coming through in the centre/wing positions - in particular Jacob Gagan and Vai Toutai. I think they can both make early entrances into the NRL particularly coming in via the wing. Gagan is also a long-term fullback possibility. Still there a couple of years away and we bring anyone in as a depth signing it will probably be here. I'm unsure of whether Walker's contract is automatically extended into next year.
Given we have most of our forwards locked in for the next year, I would expect only one signing in the forwards. I think we need a damaging second rower, and I'd be surprised if Kearney doesn't think so as well, especially after we were linked to Tom Symonds. We have good young talent coming through in the likes of O'Hanlon, Brien and Tepero who will fill out our top 30, or sit just outside of that, so I don't think we need any depth signings in the forwards.
I think we're only two big signings away now from completing our roster for next year. We should still have plenty of money in the kitty that should enable us to take out pick of a centre and a second rower. It also might not surprise if we release a couple of our forwards that make way for the type of players that Kearney would seem to have a preference for.
1. Hayne
2. Burt
3. Loko
4. ??
5. Vaivai
6. Roberts
7. Sandow
8. Mannah
9. McGuire
10.Moimoi
11. Hindmarsh
12. ?? ?
13. Maitua
14. Keating
15. Shackleton
16. Poore
17. Horo
18. Barba
19. Humble *
20. Morgan21. Vaivai
22. Atkins
23. Mortimer
24. Murray
25. Lasalo *
26. O'Hanlon *
27. Brien *
28. Smith
29. Webb
30. Allgood* Unsigned to my knowledge
Replies
12. G. Bird ???
Personally, I don't see what all the excitement over Roberts is about! We let go of KK because, apparently, he wasn't good enough a playmaker. He goes to the Dogs and keeps Roberts out of first grade. We then sign Roberts!
He is not the answer for us at 6. He is mistake prone and inconsistent and along with the enigmatic Sandow, we don't have anywhere near a stable base in the halves moving forward.
This signing is, in my view, a mistake. Tim Moltzen would have been a far better option.
4. Folau
12.S.B.W.
lol
Losing Keating wasn't Kearney's decision though, hey? I imagine he'd bite your hand off to have Wright at 4, Inu at 5, Keating at 6 and Mateo at 12/13.
Sandow and Roberts is a decent step up from what we currently have. I'll settle for that.
kearney is just buying the best out of a very bad bunch
imo, i reckon he has got no idea what he is doing.
we have ended up with the most unstable, inconsisted halves pairing, but i guess they are better than what we have now
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