Sadly it's that time, your team for 2020

Agreed Hunt, Guerra and SKD but not sure about Jones, been with us a long time but still young, played lots of reserves but not making impression on firsts even though 11 & 12 are probably our weakest spots in forwards. I know he has been injured but the few times I have seen him play, tv telecast, not outstanding, potential yes but yet to show it.
 
Guerra will wanna get his Super League deal so he won't be sticking around. Jones would be at risk, seems to have a lot of injuries & hasn't really come into contention this year for whatever reason. New coach coming in might see that money being used elsewhere. SKD 10 weeks ago you would have said was a definite re-signing but with the team's poor form, his age & Best coming through, he'll be at risk too for easy money freed up.
 
1. Ponga.
2. Lee. (Underrated how much his been missed)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Pearce. (After an offseason with a sports psychologist to get his head back in the game.
8. Klemmer.
9. Brailey.
10. Saifiti.
11. Barnett.
12.
13. Glasby.

14. Watson
15.
16.
17.

Safe to say these guys are the only guaranteed starters? Few likely people like Hunt and Jacob I guess, but can't see any other guaranteed locks for the team?

Fitzgibbon to me was shown up as being very 1 dimensional this year hence his effect was limited. Reeks of a 1 hit wonder for mine.
 
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1. Ponga.
2. Lee
3. Hunt
4.
5.
6. Lino
7. Pearce
8. Klemmer.
9. Watson/Brailey.
10. Saifiti.
11. Barnett.
12. Fitzy
13. Glasby.

14. Jacob
15.
16.
17.
I think these will be the starters next season.
 
I was thinking more pencilled in without thought Lino would probably be the leader for the 5/8th if fit, but still other guys could come over him with a good preseason, ditto Hunt.
 
Round 1 I'd go with.

1. Ponga.
2. Lee.
3. Hunt.
4. Best.
5. Hoy/Toa
6. Crossland
7. Pearce.
8. Klemmer.
9. Brailey.
10. Saifiti.
11. Barnett.
12. Fitz
13. Glasby.

14. Watson
15. Jacob.
16. Guerra (be very suprised if he doesn't head to the ESL)
17. Herman

Literally no idea 17.
 
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Crossland would have to have a blinder of an off season to get in front of Lino I would think . If he does though then good on him .
 
If you go on reserve grade stats, Searle is well ahead of Lino and Crossland.
Lino averaged 42 fantasy points in 9 games (got extra points for goal kicking)
Crossland averaged 33 fantasy points in 15 games (not a goal kicker)
Randall averaged 44 fantasy points in 19 games - but many were at hooker (not a goal kicker)
Searle averaged 45 in 7 games (a goal kicker)

If you count goal kicking at about 6 fantasy points a game they probably come out
1 Randall
2 Searle
3 Lino
4 Crossland

and Randall and Searle will both get their first firstgrade off season next year, while 26 year old Lino has had 6 or 7 and Crossland got half a one this year.
 
If Lino has any problems with his game, tacking/defence, then at 26yo not going to fix it but Crossland, Searle are young and developing, will miss Lino’s kicking for goal, very good.
 
1. Ponga
2. Vunivalu
3. Curtis scott
4. Hunt
5. Lee
6. Watson
7. Pearce
8. Klemmer.
9. Brailey
10. Saifiti
11. Barnett
12. Fitz
13. Ese ese

14. Mann
15. Jacob
16. Glasby
17. Sione
 
The new coach is quoted as saying he is going to give Crossland and Sasagi a chance to secure a top grade spot.
Crossland is 18/19 this year and Sasagi is 17/18.
If he is giving kids that young - and we also have Best and Toa who are also under 20s available next year - it really is clear that we won't have the situation we had under Brown where he gave out spots before the preseason even started and stuck with his preferred squad all preseason, and the others were just picking up the scraps as crash test dummies for the number 1 squad to practice on.
This pre season, players like Momoisea, Randall, Zac Hosking, Daniel Ticehurst, Brodie Jones, Tex Hoy and Mitch Andrews will all go into the pre season thinking that they'll have a chance to out train some bigger name players and pinch their spots.
I fully expect a few of these young guys will grab their chance.
A few years ago Luke Yates was very close to getting cut, and what he did was kept training by himself all off season and showed up first day of training as the fittest guy in the squad, and kept setting the pace all off season. Brown made a lot of statements about rewarding effort, but didn't give Yates a spot despite all the talk.
This year, if Brodie Jones and Tex Hoy were to do the same thing, I'd assume they would be in the round 1 side.
 
Luke Yates had a big motor and his defence was good but you need to make meters in attack as well and that's what let Yates down , he was too small to make meters up the middle .
Fittest guy there or not he was just too small and i would have let him go too and thats probably why no NRL team wanted him .
 
I can see Yates making a return to the NRL. The London Broncos were relegated this year, and he only signed a 1-year deal so he'll be looking for a club. He is small sized, however I think more teams are looking for mobile, athletic packs rather than just big boppers who tire easily.

Cam Murray is the best comparison I can think of. Murray is in an entirely different class IMO, but he is also small sized for a lock. Raiders pack is much smaller and mobile this year also and they're going well. I think it's where the game is going. I'd love to see us take Yates back, although we've got plenty of forwards coming through in the juniors.
 
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