2022 team

Kurriboy said:
How do we replace Pearce? By moving Ponga to 5/8 and play Clifford at 7. Replacing Pearce is easy.

Clifford can handle the kicking, Brailey has shown he can get some good kicks away from dummy half.

The real question is how do we replace Ponga at 1 if Hodgson isn't ready?

You hope to replace a player with a better player if you can. And replacing Pearce with another half available at the moment isn't doing that. There are no quality 7's around. But, we can replace Ponga with a better fullback as Ponga is generally poor at fullback play, great at halves play.

So replacing Ponga at 1 with a genuine fullback would be an improvement in that position. Clifford is better than Pearce, Ponga is better than anyone else we have at 5/8. 3 position improved.

Set the game plan around open free flowing attacking football. Clifford handles kicking, both handle playmaking, have our fullack sniffing around everything for an offload.

I'm tired of seeing our forwards hit the line, have an arm free and turn looking to offload and nobody is there.

I am more than a little concerned with OB's comments in the presser where he mentioned there is some things to improve in attack for the off season, mate the whole attack needs an overhaul. It sounds like we are going to come out next year running the same 1 out grinding attack and waste another year.
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I really interested to see Bailey play. It sucks there wasn't much NSW cup this year.
 
We keep talking Ponga to 5/8 and Hodgson to f/b, that might work but should we also be thinking Toa to F/b as an alternative in case Hodgson not ready.
Only seen Toa on wing but apparently f/b and centre are his preferred positions.
 
Mac Baker had similar numbers to Hodgson at fullback and was one of our 2 or 3 best players in reserve grade.
Because Hodgson is on a top 30 contract he got the fullback spot when he was fit to play, and Baker went to 5/8, halfback and wing at different times, but Mac Baker was shaping as the find of the season for the first 10 games or so of reserve grade. He was incredible under the high ball, very good in defence, a constant threat in attack and even has a decent kicking game and kicks goals too.
 
Frank McWilliams said:
We keep talking Ponga to 5/8 and Hodgson to f/b, that might work but should we also be thinking Toa to F/b as an alternative in case Hodgson not ready.
Only seen Toa on wing but apparently f/b and centre are his preferred positions.
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Starford is a forgotten man isn't he?

Personally I'd have the last wing spot in this order.

Starford
Tuala
Young

Depending on their preseason it's really a role that's up to grabs for mine.

To me Starford is a more athletic version of Cooper Vuna with his strength and speed if he can stay fit that is.
 
Lord of the Skraelings said:
Starford is a forgotten man isn't he?

Personally I'd have the last wing spot in this order.

Starford
Tuala
Young

Depending on their preseason it's really a role that's up to grabs for mine.

To me Starford is a more athletic version of Cooper Vuna with his strength and speed if he can stay fit that is.
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Yeah I like what star has done for us. That last game looked like he had concrete in his boots though.
 
The Titans released a statement on Tuesday thanking Taylor and Peachey as well as veteran hooker Mitch Rein, Jai Whitbread, Sam Stone and Jonus Pearson.

Sam Stone worth bringing back on the cheap?

Think his the type Obi might be able to squeeze something out of, surely Ese would be available as well?
 
Lord of the Skraelings said:
The Titans released a statement on Tuesday thanking Taylor and Peachey as well as veteran hooker Mitch Rein, Jai Whitbread, Sam Stone and Jonus Pearson.

Sam Stone worth bringing back on the cheap?

Think his the type Obi might be able to squeeze something out of, surely Ese would be available as well?
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Stone's already playing in Super League I think. Same as Whitbread. Herman took up his PO to stay at Tits for another year too from memory.
 
Of our ex players of last few years the one I would like to have kept is Meaney, has gone well for the dogs and now off to Storm.
Especially now with the talk of Ponga to 6
 
Frank McWilliams said:
Of our ex players of last few years the one I would like to have kept is Meaney, has gone well for the dogs and now off to Storm.
Especially now with the talk of Ponga to 6
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Beau Fermor doing OK too Frank :)

On our halves situation, don't forget we've got 19 year old Krystian Mapapalangi who is a 5/8/Centre/Winger who has big wraps.

If the Roosters can be giving Sam Walker some 1st Grade experience and opportunities at the same age, I think Krystian looks physically more developed and capable of also taking the step up in the medium to longer term.

Just saying, I wouldn't surprised to see him getting some NRL game time in 2022
 
Agreed with Fermor though his tackling let’s him down a bit but a very good, fast, forward.
A lot of talk about getting players from other clubs re spine being shifted about which is directly related to not having reserve graders showing potential and gaining experience hopefully that all changes for next season. For the limited games, reserves, seen/played we could have a few future players such as Toa, Sasagi, Croker, and Map???whatever
 
We tried out a lot of guys in the halves in reserve grade - Loughrey, Sasagi, Hoy, Camroux. Mapapalangi, Baker, Wilkinson, Kobe Davies, Dylan Lucas. The surprise success was Liam Wilkinson, who has been a utility/hooker/half in the juniors.
If we'd have had a Flegg side this year I suspect the halves would have been Kobe Davies, Cam Davies, Max Buderus, or Liam Wilkinson.
In Ball this year we used Camroux and Noah Ryan, while Mapapalangi played Ball for Manly.
In Mathews we had two very impressive halves in Taj Blackman and Jye Linnane.

When we won Mathews title 3 or 4 years ago the two best players were Bradman Best and clever little 5/8 Max Buderus. He would have been playing his first year of Flegg this year, but I noticed he was starting 5/8 for Newcastle Wests every game instead. It's a shame we couldn't find a spot for him in reserve grade, but maybe next year.
 
So when we won the minor premiership in Flegg in 2018, largely due to our great forward pack, a typical starting pack would be 8 Matt Croker, 9 Luke Huth, 10 Pasami Saulo, 11 Beau Fermor, 12 Ben Talty, 13 Jirah Momoisea - Brodie Jones was the same age group, but he spent the whole year playing reserve grade.
The two second rowers - Fermor and Talty - set try scoring records that year - from memory, Fermor got about 17 and Talty about 10. They were very different players, with Fermor using his speed and step to score, and Talty just barnstorming his way to the line in a similar way to Fitzgibbon.
The point is, all those guys have made firstgrade except for Talty, who was poached by one of the Sydney clubs in 2020 and did a firstgrade preseason, but Covid killed his season. Back at the Knights in 2021, he had a pretty good year in reserve grade. One of our best forwards most games.
I don't know if he'll line up again next year, but he's basically a younger version of Fitz and not that far behind him.
 
www.nswrl.com.au

The Short Side | Eels, Bears, Knights Reviews

True Blue Jamie Soward breaks down the season that was for the Eels, Bears and Knights and looks ahead to next season in the latest episode of The Short Side.
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Jamie Soward predicting Dylan Lucas will be in the NRL "sooner rather than later".
I'd like that because Lucas seems like just the sort of player we want at this club, but it's the kiss of death from Soward - he's always wrong.
 
Not sure were to put this but brailey has been one of our best buys in a long time and his brother was supposedly the better hooker. Just seen a article were they rated the best hookers for the 2021 season and brailey come in at 4th.
 
Owey said:
Cook and the two storm hookers ahead of him? In think he'll be the next state hooker myself.
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Jut had a look at the list & have to say I'm surprised at the lack of depth of hookers in the competition at the moment. A lot of young guys, so maybe it's more just a case of a lot of retirements & now the next gen are just starting out. I bring this up because, Brailey is a good player no doubt, but if he's the 4th best hooker in the game, or thereabouts, I think the depth of talent is lagging a bit there.
 
nunnsy said:
1 Brandon smith
2. Reed mahoney
3. Damien cook
4. Jacob brailey
5. Harry Grant.
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Who does Jacob Brailey play for?

Yeah Cook and Brailey the only 2 from NSW in the top 5.
If there was an injury to Cook next year Brailey could get a run in Origin. Especially with Api's stuff up this year.

Even if he was just in camp it would be good for him.
 
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