2025 pre season thread

mullenmagic said:
If Gamble was a local I don’t think anybody would pretend Crossland or Cogger or any other option tries harder than him. Not even downplaying their “effort” (kind of a broad and ambiguous term) but when has Gamble ever let the team down in that area?

If you think he should make way for Crossland or Cogger just say it’s because you want to cheer for local kids instead because he tries as hard as anyone, he just happens to also be a better playmaker and all-around half at the same time.
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Local has nothings to do with it , I would have Gamble at 6 . Just disagreed with the last paragraph
 
Billy said:
Toohey is saying 7 Cogger 6 Gamble is the favoured pick at the moment
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Toohey knows as much as us these days.
Seano said:
Merely making the 8 was a fail the other day, now it's apparently a feat...interesting. Someone must have remembered the Bulldogs only finished 7th.

Anyway if it's Cogger and Gamble so be it. Hopefully they'll prove themselves with an extended run. I assume that puts Crossland back in the 9 and Brails in the 14?

Brodie Croft is being mentioned in the media again as having the interest of NRL clubs. When he eventually returns to the NRL it will be interesting to see if that's a masterstroke or a disaster.

Another name I find interesting is AJ Brimson who is on $800k until 2029 but was coming off the bench behind Campbell at 6 and Kini at 1 late last season. He's not a 7 so I can't see him taking over from Foran and he didn't exactly kill it in the centres when he played there. Seems like a waste.
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I read yesturday the titans are potentially going with cambell and brimson in the halves and foran off the bench. Good ol des.
 
Sheent14 said:
Gamble is our lord and saviour. It’s easy to forget just how good he was for us in 2023. Definitely started slow last season, but so did the whole team, and then injuries struck that didn’t allow him to get into that groove.
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He's definitely giving out lord and saviour vibes in this photo:

Screenshot_2025-01-11-07-56-53-03_a23b203fd3aafc6dcb84e438dda678b6.jpg
 
EASBay17 said:
Toohey knows as much as us these days.

I read yesturday the titans are potentially going with cambell and brimson in the halves and foran off the bench. Good ol des.
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Yeah AJ is too good to be on the bench but he's not a 7 and IDK that Campbell is either. So that will be interesting. I'm also not sure of Foran's value as a utility.

His defensive commitment, leadership, kicking game and try assists are probably more useful for the Titans in the 7 even if it's his last season.

Probably a good indication though that there's no option to prise AJ out of the Titans.
 
I can't agree there, he's an Origin player and signed to 2029 for a reason. There's a shortage of good halves (and fullbacks) on the market, if he were available there'd be plenty of interest.

Des making moves to find him a position in the starting side should be enough of an indication of his value.
 
Seano said:
I can't agree there, he's an Origin player and signed to 2029 for a reason. There's a shortage of good halves (and fullbacks) on the market, if he were available there'd be plenty of interest.

Des making moves to find him a position in the starting side should be enough of an indication of his value.
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I think fullback is his best position , but not even the best fullback at the titans now . Have tried him in the halves before & didn't last . A 35 year old Foran will be in the team before rnd 3
 
If anyone is actually trying to do Moneyball in the NRL it's not Gould it's Flannagan. He's trying to pick up value signings on the cheap like Cook, Gutho and Holmes as well as extend De Belin and his son on the cheap.

Personally, I don't think it's going to work any more than Gould paying top dollar for imports while he lets juniors like the Seve brothers go to the Roosters but I guess we'll see.

The Dragons are going to miss Hunt's 35 try assists but they should have made the finals last season and Hunt's poor attitude in the finals rounds contributed to that. It's going to be an interesting season.
 
Seano said:
If anyone is actually trying to do Moneyball in the NRL it's not Gould it's Flannagan. He's trying to pick up value signings on the cheap like Cook, Gutho and Holmes as well as extend De Belin and his son on the cheap.

Personally, I don't think it's going to work any more than Gould paying top dollar for imports while he lets juniors like the Seve brothers go to the Roosters but I guess we'll see.

The Dragons are going to miss Hunt's 35 try assists but they should have made the finals last season and Hunt's poor attitude in the finals rounds contributed to that. It's going to be an interesting season.
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Don't think Gutho , Homes & prob even Cook would qualify as "cheap" signings ?
 
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Seano said:
I can't agree there, he's an Origin player and signed to 2029 for a reason. There's a shortage of good halves (and fullbacks) on the market, if he were available there'd be plenty of interest.

Des making moves to find him a position in the starting side should be enough of an indication of his value.
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Just not my cup of tea as a player mate. I recognise he’s a “good footy player” in that he’s athletic, fast, fit, all effort, but for me he’s very limited & doesn’t really have a position (not even fullback, his ball playing isn’t good enough IMO and he always telegraphs what he’s about to do). He’s a bit like if Mitch Pearce and Connor Watson had a baby.

They’re in a weird spot where for my money they’ve gotten a bit too excited about both Brimmo and Preston Jr, and now they do have a genuinely special fullback prospect in Kini who IMO is an absolute gun. He gets first dibs at fullback because he’s their best option. Brimmo/Preston are the new halves because of their paycheques and desperation to fix the schmozzle they’ve put themselves in by throwing away two legitimate long term starter quality #7’s like off milk. Not because it’s a good idea. As Sarge said, Foran will be back at halfback before long.
 
Yeah fair comment re Gutho, on more than I realised, which at his best he's probably worth but given they were draining his knee after games only recently it seems like a risk. I rekcon Cook does qualify at $500k (just) as do De Belin, Illias and Flannagan Jr (who is an OK 7/backup 9 although never became the player the Chooks thought they were recruiting) and he extended Eisenhuth and Allan for 2025. None of that lot could have cost him much as they were either heading to the Superleague, retirement or bush footy.

Val Homles at 800k centre/wing? He's a great goal kicker and did come off an Origin series but seems a bit pricey for a guy who had a rocks and diamonds season.
 
We did see a bunch of articles about how they were doing Moneyball, the issue is that all the players they were getting on “Moneyball”deals weren’t very good & still overpaid even with freight being paid. That’s why the other team was so keen to get rid of them.
 
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