2020 Top 30 Squad

Toa had the best individual run i've seen in years in under 20s last year, but he had very little football and he had a high error rate and took a lot of poor options in the games he did play.
He could finish next season as our best and most dynamic outside back, but I think he needs to put together 10 good games of reserve grade and spend a lot of time with coaches working on his decision making before we throw him into firstgrade, especially if we have someone else who is more experienced.
 
Do we have anyone more experienced/ established right centre or wing. I saw Hunt play quite a bit of right wing for bunnies. I doubt he's ever had a full season at centre like he did this season

That injury thing seems kinda common with our juniors with big wraps...Best, Toa, Sasagi, all spend a fair bit of time in the sidelines.

At this stage I don't see any option but to play Toa at right wing...assuming Hunt or Tuala will play right centre
 
To'a was the only option not long ago but I always felt that was risky. He's very young, I missed most of his debut, but he looked lost in that trial match in the pre-season. Could maybe see Hunt or Tuala on the wing instead now.
 
Think we will go with experience over youth, with Right wing open, Hunt and Moga at centre and Lee left wing, probably a few fighting for a spot with some not confirmed into squad yet.
Moga is on his last chance so expect him to be in if fit
 
Owey said:
My recollections of Best going the length of the field to win the junior origin match were that he was playing centre and made the break down the right. Can anyone remember that and prove me wrong? If he did that and can play fullback equally well both sides of the field, he could be the right centre option. I haven't seen a preferred right arm fend or left foot step that would pigeon hole him as a left side player.

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Started in the in-goal after a failed Qld field goal attempt … Albert Hopoate collected in the in-goal, beat 3 or 4 and Yes it ended up being a right side field play where Best chimed in to run 60 odd metres to break the Queenslanders :applause:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2954350884579477
 
Owey said:
My recollections of Best going the length of the field to win the junior origin match were that he was playing centre and made the break down the right. Can anyone remember that and prove me wrong? If he did that and can play fullback equally well both sides of the field, he could be the right centre option. I haven't seen a preferred right arm fend or left foot step that would pigeon hole him as a left side player.

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Best was playing right wing.
He'd played fullback all season and was our best player at fullback, but for some reason they gave fullback to Albert Hopoate, who Best had smashed the week before in the Mathews grandfinal and during the round game.
That try, Hopoate caught the ball and ran it out of his ingoal for about 20 metres and was about to be run down by the Qld defence, but Best jogged up beside him, took the pass from him, and streaked away to score under the posts.
The year before Best was playing Mathews as a 14 year old second rower and more than holding his own. Scott Dureau was coach of Mathews and saw how fast and athletic Best was, and moved him to fullback. As far as I know, that state game was the first time Best had ever played wing, and he'd never played centre at that stage.
The next year (2018), Best was supposed to start his first year in under 18s as a 16 year old at fullback, but he was injured at the start of the season and they gave the spot to a skinny kid named Starford Toa, and by the time best returned from injury, Toa was killing it. In his first few games back Best came of the bench and played a bit of fullback and a bit of centre, and finally they decided he was a centre, and he was picked for NSW under 18s a year young as a centre.
Both Toa and Best were picked for Australian schoolboys and both moved between fullback, wing and centre during the UK tour. Both had outstanding tours.
This year Best was picked for NSW under 18s at fullback and was just about NSWs best.
Toa was picked for the junior Kiwis at fullback and was the best player on the field in a losing side - running for over 200 metres, scoring 2 tries and had a try assist.
What is Best's best position? Who knows?
What is Toa's best position? Who knows?
But they both go pretty good anywhere in the back line - either side of the field.

The best games I've seen from both of them have been at fullback.
 
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Thanks Nutty and Billy. He did have the 3 on his back in the video. It is how i remember it though.

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If Levi goes, one of the spots has to go to Randall.
I haven’t seen a lot of Brailey, but he seems to have a similar style to Randall, so Randall could step in for him and we wouldn’t have to change our structures much.
If we lost Brailey and replaced him with Watson for 80 minutes, a lot would have to change, because they are very different types of hooker.
 
Levi really isn’t that good. Telling when a club loses its number 1 and 2 hooker they haven’t yet reached out to him.
 
It's just a matter of salary cap control IMO. We've got Levi on something like $350k, Watson on $400k - $500k and Brailey on probably something similar to those two. That's a fair chunk of the cap for 3 players, only one of whom can play other positions at a pinch.
 
Billy said:
If Levi goes, one of the spots has to go to Randall.
I haven’t seen a lot of Brailey, but he seems to have a similar style to Randall, so Randall could step in for him and we wouldn’t have to change our structures much.
If we lost Brailey and replaced him with Watson for 80 minutes, a lot would have to change, because they are very different types of hooker.
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Who would start at 9 if we lost Brailey especially if Randal is Braileys backup .
 
If Brailey's out I guess Randall steps up to start and Mann goes to 14 as a utility , Watson stays at 6 .
Can Randall play more than just hooker Billy if he is the 14 ( legit question as I have no idea ).

Mann may yet step up and claim the 6 if so does Watson start at 9 and Randall at 14 or the other way around .
Personally I wouldn't be surprised if Lino starts earlier than expected he's a tough little guy and he is talented he's tough strong and a good D coach could make anything out of him . He may not even be a bad 9 one day .

Lino 6, Brailey 9 , Watson 14 , although I have to say that I don't like not having Watson on the field for the full 80 and especially at the start of the game .
1Ponga 6 Watson 7 Pearce 9 Brailey 14 Mann
1Ponga 6 Watson 7 Pearce 9 Brailey 14 Randall
1Ponga 6 Crossland 7 Pearce 9 Brailey 14 Watson
1Ponga 6 Watson 7 Pearce 9 Brailey 14 Crossland
1Ponga 6 Crossland 7 Pearce 9 Watson 14 Brailey/Lino
1Ponga 6 Lino 7 Pearce 9 Brailey 14 Watson
1Ponga 6 Watson 7 Pearce 9 Brailey 14 Lino
1Ponga 6 Mann /Lino 7 Pearce 9 Brailey 14 Watson
If the new coach can get them playing to there abillites then they all look like a spine that will win games so there's a bit of work to be done right there, to see who starts where round 1.
With the little information I have right now my starting spine would be ...1Ponga 6 Watson 7 Pearce 9 Brailey 14 Mann or Randall..
 
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