2025 pre season thread

Warbs said:
Doesn't this back up the thoughts that Crossland is better at 14. That try assist figure isn't good.
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I think we’ve seen plenty throughout his career to say he’s not a creative player. Great defender though, and can take a hit up. Still don’t think he offers quite enough in attack to be a starting hooker. But to me he fits the bench role perfectly, for coming on and playing in the middle.

He should only be an option in the halves if there’s a massive injury crisis … which there was last year, to be fair.
 
mozza said:
Because Gamble is a much better 5/8?
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Don't get me wrong I love a gamble but I want too see much more from him if his starting at #6. I think they are very comparable players right now. So to me either option would be fine and work.
 
I’ve said in the past I’d be okay with Crossland as the partner of an elite attacking half, because he plays tough and unselfish and will happily just be a guy who simply links the ball, gets it where it needs to go, and he costs nothing. But he offers very, very little in attack, and when I said “elite attacking half” I’m literally talking someone like Mitch Moses. Players of rare ability, rather than someone merely good.

With the halves we have right now, nah. I don’t think he can legitimately be the main shot caller and let the other guy be more of an X factor player, but nor do I think he can be the one who provides that spark.

Like him more at hooker, simply because, while he’s not a good hooker like an Api Koroisau, he’s also not a “good” hooker who’s actually not good (i.e. one who can do stuff in attack, but actually makes the attack worse as a whole simply because he doesn’t get the ball where it needs to go consistently enough & spends too much time faffing about around the ruck). I also think his halves skills are mid by the standards of an actual half, but for a hooker they’re a legit extra which have at times worked very well as a surprise tactic (simply because defences don’t look out for his kicks like they would if he had 6 or 7 on his back).
 
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Crossland needs to stay at hooker, even if that means coming off the bench. His best attribute is he rarely stops moving and is always there when a ball is offloaded or a player has made a break, if we were to move him away from the middle that would make It much harder to back up.
As much as I would love to see Pryce have a shot I just think Gamble is better suited right now
 
I'd also prefer to see Crossland at 9 but I don't know that we've reached the ceiling on his ability in the 7.

He still did pretty well for someone thrust into the role late in the season. Offensively he's a long way off but defensively he'd be one of the elite halfbacks. It certainly made the difference in a couple of games when we were under the pump having Crossland out there.

Ideally, he's the 9 but I wouldn't be writing him off as a 7 yet.
 
In the halves, Crossland does everything Gamble does, just more of it at a higher intensity.
He isn't the game manager we are looking for, but neither is Gamble.

If they decide to have Arthur and Brailey sharing hooker, Crossland has to be in the 17, and Gamble looks to be the odd man out to me.

Having said that, injuries will mean all those guys all those guys will play a lot of games during the season.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Just think this is really rough on Tyson, who’s got some legitimate stuff in his bag in attack.
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Tyson has more strings to his bow in attack than Cogger does, good running game and can actually put a player through a whole and has a pretty decent boot on him with a couple 40/20's coming from in past couple years. His cons are game management probably isn't there and his pressure kicks for in goal tend to go dead and a 20m restart.

Cogger can game manage ok, has good pressure kicks into in-goal and was developing the timing for a good running game end of year. Cons he doesn't have much of a passing game that wil put players into holes or try's and mid range long kicking.

For them both to apprently ahead at this point says to me the club isn;t looking at Hastings as an NRL 7 and Pryce could still be risky. Even thpugh players keep saying Pryce is up there with best trainers this year.

Start of year we've got TIgers - A, Dolphins - Home, Titans - A and then a bye.
Teams ho love to throw the ball around, so good kicking and keeping them in their own half will be key to opening rounds.
Can Pryce do that with his decent boot i've watched in CUP and not give away possession
Or is it Cogger/Gamble

For this team to be successful this year (which i believe they can), the whole need to play at high intensity from round 1 with great line speed, good contact and 1%'s and halves that will feed the ball early and at opportune time to KP, Best, Gags, Lucas and KPP
 
He tends to struggle to execute at critical moments, which is why he gets paid 300k and not 600k, but the gamblor is a way better ballplayer than Crossland will ever be.

HarVeeGee13 said:
Just think this is really rough on Tyson, who’s got some legitimate stuff in his bag in attack.
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It's also just not true, Crossland is obviously a better defender but is basically a zero in attack.

Fantasy stats tell the story, for their games in the halves this year Gamblor averaged 41 points and Crossland 25...

If I was picking the team Crossland is obviously in it (at 14) but not in contention for the halves at all.
 
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HarVeeGee13 said:
Just think this is really rough on Tyson, who’s got some legitimate stuff in his bag in attack.
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Well i'd leave out Arthur because I don't know how we use him and he looks tiny, but if we are squeezing someone out for him - Crossland brings more than Gamble because of his higher workrate in attack and defence.
Dropping Brailey is the other option.
 
I agree Billy that Arthur is competing more with Brailey than Crossy for a spot. Crossy would be one of my first few players picked, I'm just not 100% sure where (7, 9 or 14).
 
I’m pretty certain this debate was had going into last season too. For me it’s Brails at 9 to bring his tackling for the first 30 mins then Phoenix off the bench with more dynamism out of dummy half. Gamblor would be my starting 6 with hopefully Hastings at 7 but if he’s not physically fit / accepted in the group then Cogs.
 
I’d of agreed with the Crossland and Gamble being like for like sentiment if I hadn’t seen Gamble play for us in 2023. He showed he has better passing game both long and short and a better kicking game than we’ve seen from Crossland in his FG career.

Crossland is a hooker and should only be considered for the halves if we have a massive injury crisis there. As said above he and Brailey rotate there to begin with and if Arthur is killing it in Cup than he comes into consideration.
 
Owey said:
Depending on how quick he is, he could do both?
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One of the best players I’ve seen never to go on with it played highschool league and union in the town I grew up in. Sydney private schools offered him scholarships and he wasn’t interested whatsoever. Anyway, I was watching him play a union game where he picked up the ball in his in goal area, put up a monster of a kick and then caught it on the full jumping above everyone’s heads on the halfway line.

It’s doable because I’ve seen it 😆
 
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