2023 Recruitment & Retention Thread

Billy said:
So, hookers on our books.

Crossland - goes OK for a guy with very little experience at hooker. You can't expect him to play long minutes for week after week.

Mann - same as Crossland only more injury prone and probably has shorter minutes in him.

Rugless - last year he couldn't lock down the hooker spot in Flegg. We bought him as a potential hooker and he trained all last off season and this off season as a hooker with firstgrade, but he just isn't much good. I like him as a player at lock. He reminds me of Connor Watson with more attitude and aggression, but without the speed. I think lock is his only position.

Temple Kalepo - rated pretty highly at the Warriors as a junior. We bought him a couple of years ago and I think he's pretty well been injured since he got here. He did seem to get through a very solid pre-season this year, but has only been back playing reserve grade for the last 2 weeks and hasn't set the world on fire in short minutes.

Liam Wilkinson - he was second string hooker all through the grades behind Mitchell Black, who was a bit of a star who played for NSW and Aus Schoolboys as well as training with firstgrade for a few years. Black had a bad runs with injuries and dropped off the map, and Wilkinson has been a regular in reserve grade for a few years now. He does a decent job, but nothing about him says firstgrade ready.

Riley Jones - a standout in Flegg last year at hooker, 5/8 and centre. He did a firstgrade pre-season but has been injured since the trials. I think his best position is 5/8 and he'd only be good as a bench impact player at hooker. He's a very fast, athletic guy who would fly out of dummy half, but I don't think he has the motor for long minutes at hooker.

Noah Nailagoliva - was one of the 3 or 4 standout players for our 2019 Mathews side along with Jonah Pezet, Max Bradbury and Chris Vea'ila. Clever, aggressive, confident, a real character. Sadly, since Mathews he's hardly put 4 or 5 games together before getting injured and always seems to have injuries that prevent him training all off season. If he managed to have an injury free year from here on and did a proper firstgrade off season, he could be anything next year, but I'm not holding my breath.

Malachi Smith - a new recruit to S G Ball this year from the Roosters and he's been a real standout. One to watch for next year.

Taj Blackman - a utility player who plays 6, 7, and 9 in Ball. The club rates him very highly.
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I didn't see Temple play NSW Cup last week, I got there about 20 minutes in and Noah was already on. He was pretty clever around dummy half, looked pretty crafty and was getting out and engaging the markers. Big warriors forwards slowly got on top and dominated the last 25 or so, but I think Noah was left on, along with a couple of other young forwards to work through that tough period.
 
Owey said:
I didn't see Temple play NSW Cup last week, I got there about 20 minutes in and Noah was already on. He was pretty clever around dummy half, looked pretty crafty and was getting out and engaging the markers. Big warriors forwards slowly got on top and dominated the last 25 or so, but I think Noah was left on, along with a couple of other young forwards to work through that tough period.
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In a side that got thrashed, Noah got 42 fantasy points, 2 line break assists and 1 try assist, plus 23 tackles, 0 missed.
I assume his low tackle count was because the Warriors just kept going wide and scoring down both wings.
Noah played Ball last year, and I think we lost our semi final in Ball to Penrith because Noah was injured after 7 minutes and we didn't have another hooker. We flogged Penrith 2 weeks before.
Anyway, great kid, pity he keeps getting injured.
 
Frank McWilliams said:
So do we look at local comp 9’s for 2023 and scout for hooker(s) 2024
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Mitchell Black has scored 3 tries in 3 games for South Newcastle as hooker in the first 3 games of the real NRL. Two years ago the Australian schoolboy was being used by O'Brien in firstgrade training as a standin for Brailey because he was the hooker on our books who most played like Brailey. He's 21 or 22 now I think. He's Matt Croker's cousin.
www.nswrl.com.au

20 stars for 2020 | Mitchell Black

18-year-old Mitchell Black enjoyed a promising 2019 season and will look to build on this in the upcoming season.
www.nswrl.com.au www.nswrl.com.au
 
Given Brailey's injury history and the fact that we let Randall leave, I'd be surprised if the Club didn't have some backup plan in case this unfortunately happened.
 
I’m thinking Huth and or Black for remainder of 2023, slightly older than our young inexperienced hookers, been through the system and playing regular at senior level
 
Frank McWilliams said:
I’m thinking Huth and or Black for remainder of 2023, slightly older than our young inexperienced hookers, been through the system and playing regular at senior level
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Huth played for Newcastle Rebels when they won the country champions title and looked as fit as ever. I don't know how fit Black would be, but if he's only been doing real NRL training and no extras he'd take weeks or even months to get up to NRL type fitness.
 
Good Times said:
No one but the club knows for certain what the plan is. I suspect they'll bring someone else into the fold.
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Despite what Parr has said, I’m sure they are looking 👀 to sign another hooker. Crossland is not able to play 80 minutes and as has been pointed out, considering his injury history, Mann is likely to be unable to play several weeks during this season.
 
waynesworld said:
Before last weekend why would he want to come to Newcastle? Our club captain plays 80 minutes at hooker. i know he’s been quite injured but a professional footballer isn’t going to want to come here and sit on his hands until someone gets injured. As of today we’re probably the most favourable destination on the market but before Sunday that’s not the case.
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History shows us that Brails is unfortunately going to pick up a season ending injury. How much of that is due to him playing 80 mins each week - who knows? Either way we should be in a position where we have a recognised hooker like KL in the squad ready to play minutes each week and potentially step up if/when Brails does pick up an injury. I’m not knocking Brailey, I think he has been one of our better players this season so far but the lack of a solid contingency plan is a knock on the club.
 
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