2023 Recruitment & Retention Thread

Interesting story about Josh Schuster today. Apparently the Sea Eagles promised he’d play five-eighth when he re-signed. Obviously with Foran playing well and keen to stay that isn’t happening atm. His management kicking up a stink.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Interesting story about Josh Schuster today. Apparently the Sea Eagles promised he’d play five-eighth when he re-signed. Obviously with Foran playing well and keen to stay that isn’t happening atm. His management kicking up a stink.
Click to expand...
That’s pathetic if true. Foran is playing well, so Schuster should be training insanely well to leapfrog him, rather than trying to do that via his management whining about supposed promises made when the contract was signed.
 
The club needs to structure its junior development system and keep the focus there. Quarantine that process away from any NRL coach so no coach can come in and wreck our junior system.

Is that not how it works?

Sick of hearing how said coach wrecked our juniors etc. Or that the club still needs to get the production line sorted.

Joey should quit advising the NRL squad entirely and be hired full time as junior development manager. He has made good comments in the past that junior grades should focus less on winning grand finals and more on producing good NRL first graders.

All I know is the current system hasnt been working too well.
 
Definitely the systems at Easts aren’t reliant on the whims of one Trent Robinson. If he quit tomorrow the first grade side wouldn’t be as good, but the production line of quality young first graders and capable NSW Cup backup would still be there.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Interesting story about Josh Schuster today. Apparently the Sea Eagles promised he’d play five-eighth when he re-signed. Obviously with Foran playing well and keen to stay that isn’t happening atm. His management kicking up a stink.
Click to expand...
Schuster is too big for 5/8.
 
Kurriboy said:
The club needs to structure its junior development system and keep the focus there. Quarantine that process away from any NRL coach so no coach can come in and wreck our junior system.

Is that not how it works?

Sick of hearing how said coach wrecked our juniors etc. Or that the club still needs to get the production line sorted.

Joey should quit advising the NRL squad entirely and be hired full time as junior development manager. He has made good comments in the past that junior grades should focus less on winning grand finals and more on producing good NRL first graders.

All I know is the current system hasnt been working too well.
Click to expand...
The idea a couple of years ago, under wests management, was that we aim to produce an elite junior or two in each age group, regardless of results for each team. And they stated that as the aim. At the end of the day, that sounds perfect. If we have one or two first graders roll out every year, the juniors are working perfectly.

However, how do you pick the guys at 15 who are going to be first graders at 22? Some years junior origin squads have less then 50% of players going on to play first grade, and they are the elite guys of their age.

So Penrith, with Brennan heavily involved, focussed more on the the process then the individuals. They play with a winning mentality all the way through their juniors. Have a look at their attitude and result against us at the weekend. It improves them as footballers, not just physically but also with the mental side of the game. And instead of hoping that one gem of a 16 year old makes it to first grade, they produce half a dozen blokes most seasons who look first grade capable.

It will take time, but surely that's what Brennan is aiming for here.
 
Josh Schuster yep he's the one just because he has the same birthday as me ...Well day and month anyway lol.
 
Gutted but was as plain as day he would return to Brisbane and sign for the Dolphins. He is returning home. Has said himself he loves the club but family will always comes first.

Rookie and lock of the year in QCup at the age of 18. Injuries and suspensions slowed him up a little last year but this guy is a leader and without a doubt a SOO player in the future

Fell out big time with Maguire last year due to how hard he trains everyday as if it’s an actual game and the last time he would play. Payten backed him and shipped out the veteran as soon as he could.
 
Yeah Gilbert looks exactly like that guy who’s the jersey 17 for 5+ years for Queensland and comes on for 25 minutes ready to run through a brick wall, while the Blues bench guys are just there for a good time. Then we wonder how it is that Queensland generally wins when the teams are equally good and upsets us when our team is better…
 
Since this being the recruitment/retention chat for 2023 this is what I would be aiming for doing with our off contract players...

Losses:
Mitchell Barnett (Warriors)
Anthony Milford (Dolphins)
Phoenix Crossland (Release)
Brayden Musgrove (Release)
Pasami Saulo (Release)

Re-Sign:
Kalyn Ponga (2027)
Simi Sasagi (2025)
Mat Croker (2024) - replaces Saulo
Edrick Lee (2024)
Tex Hoy (2024) - upgraded for the last top 30 spot
Sauaso Sue (2023)
Jirah Momoisea (2023)

Hit List:
Kai Pearce-Paul (replace Barnett)
Will Pryce (replace Milford)
Euan Aitken (replace Musgrove)
Jock Madden (replace Crossland)
 
cowboyman said:
Setting the bar really low with that hit list.
Click to expand...
This could be true but it is also setting a target list that is very possible to get, considering there are talks around Pearce-Paul and Pryce (both young men from UK who haven't reached their potential as such).
Aitken has opted to stay in Australia at seasons end, playing well in the back row, also from the Warriors (could be a clean swap for Barnett, maybe why we agreed to release?) but is also a solid centre on his day. Would play him at bench back row but can cover centre if needed.
Madden to me is a great idea; we need another genuine half on our books, we currently have Clune and Clifford who are genuine halves (even tho out of form) but Madden provides either a genuine backup or someone who puts some real pressure on Clune to perform (which Crossland doesn't provide).

I think we have the squad to go top 4 easily (excluding injuries and some tactical adjustments). Ponga, Lee, Gags, Klemmer, Frizell, D Saf shows that we have plenty of past/current origin experience but with the likes of J Saf, Best, Clifford, Thomspon, Brailey and even Mann, that shows we still have a ceiling that hasn't been reached due to the glimpses of potential they have shown. Fill in the gaps with the rest, creates some actual depth, and we could have a football team on our hands. I won't be writing season 2022 off just yet either, the next 4-6 weeks will tell how our season goes with some troopers returning to the pitch.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top