2026 Recruitment And Retention

Not to defend that germ but it might be because for years we for the most part have been the most boring team in the comp lol. That’s why Warren Smith keeps going on about the non-contesting kicks too. It makes the game more dull. No one thought it was boring that Joey played for the Knights.
To be fair Warren is a joke of a commentator he gets things wrong lots.

Goes on about non-contesting kicks, despite us doing that now, and have been since the manly game, we don’t contest all of them but no team does.

It’s infuriating how bad commentators are nowadays especially people like Joey, Gould, blocker and so on, normally watch muted nowadays
 
To be fair Warren is a joke of a commentator he gets things wrong lots.

Goes on about non-contesting kicks, despite us doing that now, and have been since the manly game, we don’t contest all of them but no team does.

It’s infuriating how bad commentators are nowadays especially people like Joey, Gould, blocker and so on, normally watch muted nowadays
I like Ginnane. I know people think he’s over the top but I like his theatrics. Cronk is also a favourite to listen to. Doesn’t sugarcoat anything and his analysis of the game is really interesting to hear.
 
Yes, this is the side I like, HVG.

1. Ponga
2. Gagai/Marzhew/Hunt/Schiller/DeCourcy
3. Sharpe
4. Best
5. Young
6. Brown
7. Smith*

8. J Saf
9. Crossland
10. Frizell
11. Lucas
12. McEwen
13. Mooney*

14. Arthur
15. Saulo
16. Croker/Jones
17. Manulelua/ESL

18. Gamble

Mooney and Smith are key ins. I think Sharpe can work out his defense in the centres quickly.
Go with this team into the off-season. No second-guessing, pick and stick it.
Hollbrook coach, and I'm optimistic for next year.
 
If Ponga wants to go, let him. Right at the time AOB gets the punt he is deciding to make a change. That tells me he isn't interested in going through another coach establishing himself here.

It shows me he has given up on this club coming good and he is moving on.

If that is the case just let him go. Focus on players who want to be here and build something here.

Of course, this is all if the reports are true.
 
If Ponga wants to go, let him. Right at the time AOB gets the punt he is deciding to make a change. That tells me he isn't interested in going through another coach establishing himself here.

It shows me he has given up on this club coming good and he is moving on.

If that is the case just let him go. Focus on players who want to be here and build something here.

Of course, this is all if the reports are true.
This is why ive been carrying on since 22' about AOB. Because the cost of keeping him on was so much greater than people realised. In fact, I always expected that true cost would be something we'd never know because Ponga would eventually leave and people would just assume that a premiership with Ponga was always a foregone impossibility.

I didnt need to be. We just fumbled it.
 
Yes, this is the side I like, HVG.

1. Ponga
2. Gagai/Marzhew/Hunt/Schiller/DeCourcy
3. Sharpe
4. Best
5. Young
6. Brown
7. Smith*

8. J Saf
9. Crossland
10. Frizell
11. Lucas
12. McEwen
13. Mooney*

14. Arthur
15. Saulo
16. Croker/Jones
17. Manulelua/ESL

18. Gamble

Mooney and Smith are key ins. I think Sharpe can work out his defense in the centres quickly.
Go with this team into the off-season. No second-guessing, pick and stick it.
Hollbrook coach, and I'm optimistic for next year.
We are still short a starting prop. I have never regarded Frizz as a prop, a fill in at best.
Maybe one of the new forward signings or one of our up and coming young props if we are using Mooney at 13.
Who will be out 13 link man then?
 
If Ponga wants to go, let him. Right at the time AOB gets the punt he is deciding to make a change. That tells me he isn't interested in going through another coach establishing himself here.

It shows me he has given up on this club coming good and he is moving on.

If that is the case just let him go. Focus on players who want to be here and build something here.

Of course, this is all if the reports are true.
A lot of “reports” are always around Ponga.
I would like to see him here with better options and a new coach around him.
 
We are still short a starting prop. I have never regarded Frizz as a prop, a fill in at best.
Maybe one of the new forward signings or one of our up and coming young props if we are using Mooney at 13.
Who will be out 13 link man then?
I'm of the view the thing that really necessitates putting Phoenix at 13 is that the prospect of Brown at 7. I don't think it would be as necessary to have a true ball playing 13 if you have Sandon + Dylan in the halves.
 
He does. He’s not going to come in and be Cameron Murray, Victor Radley, someone like that where they could play halfback without completely embarrassing themselves, but he can throw a nice clean accurate pass both ways. Good offloader too. There’s an argument lock is his position.
 
He does. He’s not going to come in and be Cameron Murray, Victor Radley, someone like that where they could play halfback without completely embarrassing themselves, but he can throw a nice clean accurate pass both ways. Good offloader too. There’s an argument lock is his position.

Sounds like Ryan Matterson, hopefully his not a c0ckhead though.
 
With people talking about moving Sharpe to the centres if we get Sandon Smith, why not move Sharpe back to wing

He has already played there and excelled and it allows him to have a roaming role where he is more dangerous backing up the play. He can catch kicks as well
 
For the same reason that heaps of teams play their second best fullback at centre rather than on the wing: more impactful attacking position. At centre there's more opportunity to be a creative player rather than just a finisher, more early ball with a chance to beat your man on his inside and outside & you get more opportunity back up through the middle like a fullback would at centre than on the wing. If you imagine him going back to fullback and Kalyn moving on in a year or two, centre is the position that makes the most sense for him to play now IMO.
 
How are we feeling about AKP at the Titans, he is on the outer, try scoring freak, speed demon with solid footwork, better in the air compared to Marzhew by a mile, downside is obviously won’t get as much meters as Marzhew (shouldn’t be a issue with good coaching) and he is obviously pretty bad in defence.

I feel like we could fix his defence, I mean Best went from a turnstile defender to a rock, he is also young, we could tempt with a trade with someone like McCarthy.

Not sure about cap space though
 
If we where to move sharpe, I would love to see him at 9.
His defence is pretty solid. Would be the best running threat around the ruck.
 
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