The pre-season 2026 thread

We just got to face it, this club has a giant stiff one for Sharpe in one of the half positions.

All we got to do is wait and hope after we go 0-3 that they realise how wrong they are and change before it’s to late.
 
Also Kalyn confirmed in his interview that when he’s good to go he will unquestionably be the first choice goal kicker, as opposed to the guy we just signed who’s empirically a considerably better goal kicker.

Cool stuff, I look forward to burning half the season on playing without a halfback and converting 11 of the 19 tries we score in the first 12 games 🙃
 
Billy said:
I don't think it matters what number Brown is in.
His game seems to have always been running and passing on the left and a range of kicks that include some cross field kicks for the right winger or centre.
Maybe Holbrook wants him to do something different, but I can't imagine why - that seems exactly what we need.
If they call him a 7 or 6 doesn't matter.
The other half needs to get the right side working.
Ponga does his best work on the left, but has been doing more on the right in recent years. It might be time for him to go mostly right to get Gags and Dom some opportunities.
In my mind, Brown is just working with Lucas and Best and Marzhew and doing an occasional kick across field for Dom. The main difference Brown brings is that he is a running threat in his own right, and if the defence concentrates too much on Lucas and Best, Brown will run himself.
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Number unimportant, capabilities and inclinations of halves partner very important.

What you’re describing here is a player I wouldn’t want to partner with a non-kicker who hasn’t ever shown any great aptitude at steering a side around, organising shape or executing in backline movements.
 
It's funny that the fans who were criticising Best for having a quiet year in 2025 are some of the same people who desperately want Sharpe in the halves, not understanding that Sharpe playing 6 on the left was the reason Best saw no ball. It was such an issue that the club gave up on it, and moved Sharpe to the right playing as a second fullback before he got injured. And yet here we are again. I swear this club has aged me and is directly responsible for my grey hairs.
 
Clearly Holbrook wants to 'manage' Sharpe and the media. I don't buy that Sharpe will play in the halves ahead of Brown and Smith. And I don't buy that Brown will wear the 7 or be asked to be the dominant / organising (yes those two things are inexorably linked) playmaker.

Its clearly heaps dumb.
 
slotmachine said:
It's funny that the fans who were criticising Best for having a quiet year in 2025 are some of the same people who desperately want Sharpe in the halves, not understanding that Sharpe playing 6 on the left was the reason Best saw no ball. It was such an issue that the club gave up on it, and moved Sharpe to the right playing as a second fullback before he got injured. And yet here we are again. I swear this club has aged me and is directly responsible for my grey hairs.
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I think it’s that they believe Sharpe is wasted on the wing, because he’s freak. But I think he can still be very impactful on the wing.
 
Will be interesting if Ponga and knights kill it and he decides he wants to stay. We would almost definitely lose Sharpe, there’d be plenty of clubs trying to get him as their starting fullback. Doubt he’d stay to play on the wing for much less money.
 
Sharpe is signed until 28'

He can't go anywhere or talk to anyone for 2 seasons. A lot will happen in that time. We shouldn't be concerned about losing him prematurely
 
slotmachine said:
It's funny that the fans who were criticising Best for having a quiet year in 2025 are some of the same people who desperately want Sharpe in the halves, not understanding that Sharpe playing 6 on the left was the reason Best saw no ball. It was such an issue that the club gave up on it, and moved Sharpe to the right playing as a second fullback before he got injured. And yet here we are again. I swear this club has aged me and is directly responsible for my grey hairs.
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Yep and I’m scared of the prospect of them trying to get good minutes out of him at ball playing lock too, for similar reasons. He’s a great play finisher but returns on him as an initiator were not great.

Actually not that stressed this off season though because every time I hear something to get my hopes up, something else lowers them very quickly. And it’s always the hope that kills me.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Also Kalyn confirmed in his interview that when he’s good to go he will unquestionably be the first choice goal kicker, as opposed to the guy we just signed who’s empirically a considerably better goal kicker.

Cool stuff, I look forward to burning half the season on playing without a halfback and converting 11 of the 19 tries we score in the first 12 games 🙃
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That's actually not what he said. He was specifically asked about 'kicking' it was a poorly worded question. I think he took it as I did that it was general play kicking.
 
More I thought about it, I’m a bit perplexed and slightly concerned, Holbrook coming out and confidently saying Sharpe will not play on the wing. Obviously no Ponga he’s training at FB. I just can’t see him and DB as the first choice combination with Sandon at hooker. I’m not sure about him as 14 either. Otherwise centre? Is there a world where Gags in not in our best 17? I understand he has slowed up but I still think he can do a job on the wing.
 
TheBatman said:
That's actually not what he said. He was specifically asked about 'kicking' it was a poorly worded question. I think he took it as I did that it was general play kicking.
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Are you sure? Could have sworn they said goal kicking specifically.

Here’s hoping he just lets Sandon do it.
 
waynesworld said:
I don’t think Holbrook would’ve come with any preconceived ideas. His just going to pick the best team he sees. I’d roll out Brown and Smith as the halves but I’m not at training every day and my job doesn’t depend on it.
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We've all watched these players over hundreds of hours of NRL over many seasons. We dont need to see them a month into preseason training to suddenly determine their new career path, their profile's are relatively fixed.

Some conjecture about Sharpe's ability to grow into a permanent six, but that was made redundant by Brown at 6, if not by the fact that he's clearly far better suited to fullback.

All of the speculation is for managerial affect. I don't buy the positional uncertainty thing. I reckon Holbrook knows exactly where he's playing them, including Sharpe.
 
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