2023 Recruitment & Retention Thread

Chucking your most athletic gifted at fullback never seem to work. It takes a certain skill set to make it as a fullback in the NRL. That is why we never saw someone like Uate play fullback or the Fox, To’o making the switch.
If you look at the Cowboys.. both Holmes and the Hammer failed to impress at fullback, and I would say both have a bit more to their game than Young. We just need to keep it simple with Young and not over complicate things. There is nothing wrong with being an elite winger.
 
I'm hopeful of seeing more of Bailey hodgeson next year. Even in the centres. I think there is some potential there in young, hodgeson, Pryce and KPP.

To be honest a bit of competition between hodgeson and Pryce for the fullback gig should be good.

Re: brooks I think he is ok. No Nathan Cleary but a NRL standard halfback. Hope we didn't overpay.

Youngs going to be an interesting one. Great talent but the best teams seem to throw the big $$$ at 1,6,7 and 9 not wingers, front rowers etc. Hope we don't overpay.
Yeah I forgot about Pryce.
What's the plan for him of Ponga moves to 6?
What's better?
1.Ponga
6.Gamble/Pryce
7.Brooks
Or
1.Pryce or Bailey
6.Ponga
7.Brooks or Gamble

Either way we a relying on an unknown to fill a spine spot.

Hopefuly we buy an experienced fullback if Ponga moves to 6.
 
Chucking your most athletic gifted at fullback never seem to work. It takes a certain skill set to make it as a fullback in the NRL. That is why we never saw someone like Uate play fullback or the Fox, To’o making the switch.
If you look at the Cowboys.. both Holmes and the Hammer failed to impress at fullback, and I would say both have a bit more to their game than Young. We just need to keep it simple with Young and not over complicate things. There is nothing wrong with being an elite winger.
i agree,

leave him as a winger where he can become a great winger. If you keep moving young guys around and they fail, it ruins their confidence and their development. Look at what happened to Sione
 
As much as I love him offensively I’m sceptical of young’s defensive reads at wing left in no man’s land regularly, I don’t think I’d have much confidence in him directing traffic to the the right side of the ruck where the opposing team is attacking and kick coverage positioning.
 
1. Pryce (hodgson)
2. Young (tuala)
3. Best (lucas)
4. Mapa (hunt)
5. Gagai (veila)
6. Ponga (gamble)
7. Brooks (clune)
8. D.saf
9. Brailey
10. Hetherington
11. Frizell
12. KPP
13. Elliot

14. Sasagi
15. J. Saf
16. Thompson
17. Fitzgibbon

If those english guys come and the young guys progress the way they look like they will, we will actually have a good team with depth. I think there's a lot of crisis merchants on here in regards to our squad. The only addition I'd like to see is another solid edge back rower and fullback as pryce is possibly not coming and untested in NRL.
With this squad O'brien has 8 weeks to get them firing. If he cant do that he needs to go asap. This is a 7-10 squad.

Looking at the reserve backline as well we should be smashing nsw cup this year
 
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As i said before see how he goes training at 1 if he looks good then give him a shot if not then leave him where he is and buy a F/b, you wouldn't just throw him into F/b in the comp that would be stupid.
The coaches would know in a couple of weeks of him training there whether he was showing promise. Just because Holmes and Hammer didn't do well at F/b Doesn't mean someone else won't and especially Young as he is a fast learner .. He also looks to me to be as fit as anyone in the team and faster than anyone else in the team and almost the comp .
He came here as a centre got fit NRL style, got put onto the wing and learnt as much as he could.
Then in 2022 he was pretty much our best player after one year in the Nrl , what is he 20 the kid seems like a sponge to me and a talented sponge at that.
 
We don't have any English recruits coming next year yet. We haven't signed Brooks yet. Hodgson, barely played any football. And no talk of signing a f/b. If none of above happens we are pretty well screwed for 2023.

Unless there's some drastic changes, soon! I think we are in the running for the spoon. Both the bulldogs and the Tigers have signed well and will have much stronger squads next year.
 
We don't have any English recruits coming next year yet. We haven't signed Brooks yet. Hodgson, barely played any football. And no talk of signing a f/b. If none of above happens we are pretty well screwed for 2023.

Unless there's some drastic changes, soon! I think we are in the running for the spoon. Both the bulldogs and the Tigers have signed well and will have much stronger squads next year.
Wait until after November 1. If we haven't started making any signings by the end of the year, I'll be worried.
 
If we haven't started making any signings by the end of the year, I'll be worried.

If you listen to the coaches excuses (which you probably shouldn't) without a full uninterrupted pre-season you're no chance of being competitive.

Obviously a cop out but would not be ideal having new players dribble in over summer
 
If you listen to the coaches excuses (which you probably shouldn't) without a full uninterrupted pre-season you're no chance of being competitive.

Obviously a cop out but would not be ideal having new players dribble in over summer
not as concerning if KPP is playing/training in the english squad
 
Pryce and KPP aren’t signed yet and if they do it might not be 2023 and even if it was they might not be walk up start for a position despite our poor squad, forget about square pegs and round holes let’s get the horse behind the cart
 
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