The Halfback Conundrum

Which potential halfback, available from November 1, should the club make the #1 priority?

  • Ben Hunt

    Votes: 7 11.9%

  • Braydon Trindall

    Votes: 8 13.6%

  • Jonah Pezet

    Votes: 27 45.8%

  • Sam Walker

    Votes: 3 5.1%

  • Daniel Atkinson

    Votes: 3 5.1%

  • Lachlan Ilias

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • None of the above - Stick by Jack Cogger and continue to nurture kids currently in the system

    Votes: 6 10.2%

  • Other (comment with their name)

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • Ronald Volkman

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • Toby Sexton

    Votes: 3 5.1%
  • Total voters
    59
Kurriboy said:
Thats one perspective.

So you would have me believe, that OB's great coaching effort in 2023 building in to the season by grinding until something clicked, at which point we abandoned the grinding altogether in favor of attacking from anywhere on the field and completely changed the way we play. I dunno it just doesn't seem logical to me.

If this were true why didn't he have the team prepped to start the season correctly in 2024 and build in to the season, grinding until something clicked again. If it were good coaching in 2023 starting the season grinding, then it must be poor coaching in 2024 to start the season with an attacking mindset for the team.

I'm not buying it.

2025, another easy draw, 3rd easiest apparently. We will see what sort of team and mindset he produces.
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I'd disagree with you if we'd played more of that exciting footy. We've played 11 games of it across 5 seasons. The rest of the time it's been this hideous and relatively ineffective brand off football which 'plays percentages' but yields average outcomes, viscerally and statistically.

Why would Pezet come here to be placed in a straight jacket? Doesn't fit his natural game at all, I'm struggling to think of a good halfback who's game it does suit. And players like Thompson, forwards in particular, need to give their all to get us into a good position only for coach to instruct players not to apply kick pressure, for example. That'd be fine if our halves weren't also instructed to kick fruitlessly (defensively) to corners 9 sets out of 10.

The 'reason' we were attacking well in those 11 games is almost solely due to mentality and confidence. Having someome like Voldermort on an edge not only breeds confidence and creativity from the players inside him it gives the forwards something to fight for aside from the half a dozen odd chances Ponga might receive the ball in a half decent position.

AOB is the problem. Has been the entire time. Unless he has the best outside backs and fullback in the comp on both edges his game strategy fails to produce what it promises to
 
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Owey said:
I'm not against that at all. We gave ourselves the best chance of winning games this year when he was there providing that grittiness. What I will say, and always think, is that we can't see who is killing it in training. We kinda have to trust the first round selections, then we can base our choices on form and who is kicking the door down in reggies.
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It's a context thing for me. I'd cop Phoenix as a starting half if we've got another one who's a huge source of points. But Phoenix with a Hastings, Gamble or Cogger is way too defensive and puts too much pressure on Kalyn, in my opinion.
 
KPGreatness said:
Agreed I honestly think we use KP to much, why don’t we use him as a decoy more? When he runs around to the left people instantly know it’s going to him and jam, we should use him more for a decoy as well as an actual threat instead of forcing him the ball for 80 minutes.
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I'd almost say it was the opposite problem last year at times. Hastings seemed obsessed with short balls to second rowers, Ponga was left with his arms in the air crying for the ball. When we do get the ball to Ponga, we get points. I think the more he touches it the better.
 
Les Misérables said:
I'd disagree with you if we'd played more of that exciting footy. We've played 11 games of it across 5 seasons. The rest of the time it's been this hideous and relatively ineffective brand off football which 'plays percentages' but yields average outcomes, viscerally and statistically.

Why would Pezet come here to be placed in a straight jacket? Doesn't fit his natural game at all, I'm struggling to think of a good halfback who's game it does suit. And players like Thompson, forwards in particular, need to give their all to get us into a good position only for coach to instruct players not to apply kick pressure, for example. That'd be fine if our halves weren't also instructed to kick fruitlessly (defensively) to corners 9 sets out of 10.

The 'reason' we were attacking well in those 11 games is almost solely due to mentality and confidence. Having someome like Voldermort on an edge not only breeds confidence and creativity from the players inside him it gives the forwards something to fight for aside from the half a dozen odd chances Ponga might receive the ball in a half decent position.

AOB is the problem. Has been the entire time. Unless he has the best outside backs and fullback in the comp on both edges his game strategy fails to produce what it promises to
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Oh you know I completely agree.

He has enjoyed easy draws after easy draws, and best we can do is struggle to make the 8 only to go straight out. Except one season where we were struggling, only to go on a win streak nobody saw coming.

And the next season back to struggling to make the 8 again.
 
Halves outlook going forward:

Current top 30 players (and final year of contract): Jackson Hastings (2025), Tyson Gamble (2026), Jack Cogger (2026), Will Pryce (2025), Taj Annan (2027), Phoenix Crossland (2026).

Development players: Connor Votano, Jye Linnane.

Off contract at the end of 2025: Te Maire Martin, Toby Sexton, Thomas Duffy, Sean O'Sullivan, Niwhai Puru.

End of 2026: Jahrome Hughes, Mitchell Moses (player options 27/28), Jarome Luai (player options 27/28/29), Lachlan Galvin, Karl Oloapu, Coby Black, Jamal Fogarty, Luke Metcalf.

Other potential players of interest: Latu Fainu (Tigers) and Mitchell Woods (Bulldogs) suddenly have a question mark about whether they remain at their current club if the players in front of them (Galvin & Sexton, respectively) get extended.
 
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For me, now we can probably rule out Pezet going forward, this is the big burning question:

Do we have an elite (ie: will soon need to be paid a lot of money) five-eighth prospect at the club?

Factoring in that we operate in a halves market where Canberra deemed it necessary to hand Ethan Strange a long term $700K per season extension after a rookie season I think you could describe as "very promising, but with question marks", the Tigers are frantically trying to get the money together to extend Galvin, and Mam was signed to a 5 year/$4 million contract which used to be perceived as him very nicely giving the club a discount - the moment you find a kid who looks like they have what it takes to provide attacking spark and make their tackles in first grade, you then immediately have to pay them, pretty much.

In my opinion, if there's no real confidence on this front, the club should be wrangling the cap into a shape where we are, in essence, ready at a moment's notice to make a 4 year contract offer of $1.2 million+ per season to Hughes, Moses or Luai (and more like $1.4 million re: Moses and Hughes for mine). Just hope that the money and the lure of playing with Kalyn is enough. Then manage the cap with Crossland, Gamble or Cogger in the other halves spot on the **** money they get.

Conversely, if there is a lot of confidence in Pryce/Votano/Linnane etc, I think you can make the argument that securing a capable #7 on a cost-controlled contract is the way to go. I believe the idea of the long term $600K+ contract for Pezet was that it sort of splits the difference between both options - securing a potentially elite 7 on what is a very cheap deal if said kid pans out - and him being the recruitment target actually indicates to me that the club believes one of the current 6's is going to be good and they want a long-term halves partner for him (otherwise I think maybe then the club makes a desperation move to get Ben Hunt).

Now that this is out the window, the more I think about it, I see 2025 as basically Jackson Hastings' audition for a contract extension - if he gets back to his early 2023 form, I don't think we should go mad, but $5-600K per season for two years is probably fair for that player, and I can't imagine there will be a lot of other bidders based on his rep.

If a few weeks into the season we're in a spot where his spot in the team looks very insecure, like 2024, I think there'll be a strong argument for going after Toby Sexton.
 
jamesgould said:
I'd almost say it was the opposite problem last year at times. Hastings seemed obsessed with short balls to second rowers, Ponga was left with his arms in the air crying for the ball. When we do get the ball to Ponga, we get points. I think the more he touches it the better.
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Agreed with Hastings the amount of times play broke because Hastings was having love children with the forwards instead of committing to the play had me raging.

Whilst I also agree and don’t doubt the more KP touches the ball the more points it’s just I see a lot of centres and second rowers rush as soon as KP makes a sweep, just seems we are very easy to read since everyone knows our one play “get KP the ball at all times” makes us one dimensional.
 
There was a lot going wrong. Hastings and Gamble both weren't engaging the line in the early rounds, with the exception of when they were looking to feed a forward late. Need to do more in getting KP the ball than just chuck it to him.
 
Les Misérables said:
I'd disagree with you if we'd played more of that exciting footy. We've played 11 games of it across 5 seasons. The rest of the time it's been this hideous and relatively ineffective brand off football which 'plays percentages' but yields average outcomes, viscerally and statistically.

Why would Pezet come here to be placed in a straight jacket? Doesn't fit his natural game at all, I'm struggling to think of a good halfback who's game it does suit. And players like Thompson, forwards in particular, need to give their all to get us into a good position only for coach to instruct players not to apply kick pressure, for example. That'd be fine if our halves weren't also instructed to kick fruitlessly (defensively) to corners 9 sets out of 10.

The 'reason' we were attacking well in those 11 games is almost solely due to mentality and confidence. Having someome like Voldermort on an edge not only breeds confidence and creativity from the players inside him it gives the forwards something to fight for aside from the half a dozen odd chances Ponga might receive the ball in a half decent position.

AOB is the problem. Has been the entire time. Unless he has the best outside backs and fullback in the comp on both edges his game strategy fails to produce what it promises to
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That just about sums it up perfectly.
 
I hope the club sticks to Pryce/Votano/Linnane. Of the off-contract players 2025/2026...the ones we'd probably want are unlikely to shift north to Newcastle for any money, and the ones the club may be able to get are mostly journeymen who will be looking for a gig.

Votano gets an uptick of approval because Gus clearly wants him at the Dogs. And as much as Gus's an idiot whose drivel makes footy almost unwatchable on 9 (with the sound on), he's not a complete idiot, the interest in Votano is justified.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
In my opinion, if there's no real confidence on this front, the club should be wrangling the cap into a shape where we are, in essence, ready at a moment's notice to make a 4 year contract offer of $1.2 million+ per season to Hughes, Moses or Luai (and more like $1.4 million re: Moses and Hughes for mine). Just hope that the money and the lure of playing with Kalyn is enough.
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Completely agree.

I reckon though if Hughes is to leave Melbourne, it will be to go back to Queensland.

Hail Mary on Moses maybe.
 
mozza said:
Why do they have an asterisk next to them? You either make the Finals or you don’t.
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I’m assuming they mean pandemic years…if anything it’s more impressive handling circumstances stuff no coach or team has ever before…it was no secret and mentioned on this forum how poor they have been in QLD yet somehow when the whole comp was moved there they managed to win games to come back into the 8…and there was also the mental side of the first year of being out of work barely when he began without the certainty of knowing when the comp would resume.
 
O'Brien is good at training up guys who could replace him.
Almost any of O'Brien's past or present assistants could slip right in and do a better job.
 
Going to predict that we sign Toby Sexton in 2026.

Several young halfbacks at the Bulldogs coming through their system and with Mitch Woods with huge hype likely to replace him as the long term 7.

If we don't get him I can see us trying to get TMM or Fogarty if Canberra think Sanders is ready to start at 7 in 2026.
 
O'Sullivan says Francis Manuleleua could play in the halves and was in the halves as a junior in NZ when he first saw him.
He is the same size and build as Olsen Filipaina - 6'2 - 110kg - legs like tree trunks.
He'd put the fear of God into some outside backs if he could run with the power of Filipaina.
 
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