Current forward pack next year

8 Saf
9 Crossland
10 Mooney
11 Lucas
12 McEwen
13 Croker
14 Smith
15 Friz (should resign now position in top 30 vacant)
16 Saulo
17 Niakora
18 Graham
19 Hopwood
 
Lynchyknight said:
8 Saf
9 Crossland
10 Mooney
11 Lucas
12 McEwen
13 Croker
14 Smith
15 Friz (should resign now position in top 30 vacant)
16 Saulo
17 Niakora
18 Graham
19 Hopwood
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with how crouch is going i’m nearly having him above both hopwood and saulo, Impact off the bench suits him more than the pair of them imo
 
Our deoth next year will be great what we'll miss is star quality through the middle. Outside of JSaf we don't have anyone who can really carry for hard metres at the hardest moments.

Unless someone emerges. But not that likely by next season.
 
Les Misérables said:
Our deoth next year will be great what we'll miss is star quality through the middle. Outside of JSaf we don't have anyone who can really carry for hard metres at the hardest moments.

Unless someone emerges. But not that likely by next season.
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Let's not write off Hopwood on that front after another pre-season, he's still so young & there are already very promising signs from him. Got that Tino style build where it's so hard to stop him finding his front or getting an arm free.
 
Hopwood has to be in the team next year. He is our forward leader for the next 10 years. Now is his time. Saul’s probably is the one to drop back and be back up. That’s the way I see it.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Let's not write off Hopwood on that front after another pre-season, he's still so young & there are already very promising signs from him. Got that Tino style build where it's so hard to stop him finding his front or getting an arm free.
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Hopwood is a classy prospect. If he can become a tier 1 metre eater, at any stage in his career let alone next season, that'd be an enormous win for the club.

If it happens next year somehow then we'll should fancy ourselves for a premiership in 2027.
 
Grandpa Joe said:
Can I ask why you'd move him? He rips teams to shreds on the edge and his our Haumole Olakau'atu, his frightfully good now give him 2 years and his going to be unstoppable.
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Edge forwards can play 80 mins. Which means you only need 2 of them.

Whereas a teamsheet needs up to 5 middles on any given week. If we produce another gun edge forward, it'll might make sense to move McEwen to the middle
 
Grandpa Joe said:
Can I ask why you'd move him? He rips teams to shreds on the edge and his our Haumole Olakau'atu, his frightfully good now give him 2 years and his going to be unstoppable.
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we have about 5 second rowers for 2 spots
We have 2 genuine middles for about 5 spots.
If we can find another genuine firstgrade middle - that would be handy.
 
Les Misérables said:
Edge forwards can play 80 mins. Which means you only need 2 of them.

Whereas a teamsheet needs up to 5 middles on any given week. If we produce another gun edge forward, it'll might make sense to move McEwen to the middle
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McEwen and Lucas is the lethal, I honestly can't fathom in what world you want to change it, putting McEwen in the middle completely nullifies him.

I honestly think both will be generational edge backrowers.

Like literally everyone else in our forward pack should be moved to accomodate this.
 
You obviously don’t just want two second rowers otherwise you’re screwed when injuries hit but thinking more about it I would much prefer Manu in the middle over McEwen anyway, like I said I think he could make a good Frizell clone down the track as a guy that can play both prop and second row, and while we have Frizz we should be getting him to help Manu in that role

Comparing McEwen to Haumole is massive praise, and not something I’d have said but I do agree regardless he does look like he has the potential of an elite second rower and could be top 5 in the very near future.

But regardless it does look like McEwen can be an elite second rower and top 5 in the comp
 
Grandpa Joe said:
Can I ask why you'd move him? He rips teams to shreds on the edge and his our Haumole Olakau'atu, his frightfully good now give him 2 years and his going to be unstoppable.
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Ideally they wouldn’t move him, he’s excellent where he is. However, the Knights are one injury away from 35 year old Frizz and Brodie Jones being the starting front rowers

McEwen is our most powerful runner, and thought he could do some damage in the middle. Just curious to see how he’d go, especially given the lack of punch we have in the middle.

Not suggesting it to be permanent or anything, it’s more out of curiosity and the fact that the middles are such a glaring weakness at the moment with JSaf out as well Hopwood and Saulo injured.
 
Manu seems like he could be gun second rower also. But according to there bios he is 110kg. McEwen is 106kg. ESL 100kg.

I really think we should have Manu in the 17. So to fit him in he plays in middle. Would have that nullify his impact as he has some speed for a big unit.
 
Les Misérables said:
Hopwood is a classy prospect. If he can become a tier 1 metre eater, at any stage in his career let alone next season, that'd be an enormous win for the club.

If it happens next year somehow then we'll should fancy ourselves for a premiership in 2027.
Click to expand...
For reference, I think the best 2 young middle forwards in the NRL at the moment are Toby Couchman (22 y.o.) and Xavier Willison (23 y.o.). They are both only really hitting their straps this year after playing bit roles for a few seasons now.

Considering Hopwood has only just turned 20, I really don't see him being the final product for at least a couple of seasons.
 
I'd leave McEwen and Manu on an edge, make the most of their skill set, their leg speed, footwork, you want them running at the 3 man. Maybe the middle later in their careers but leave as is for now.
 
Manuleleua is a try scoring second rower.

He hasn't scored any tries in his 6 firstgrade games - many of which were off the bench for short minutes - but he has scored heaps in reserve grade, where he is a constant attacking threat.

Over his reserve grade career he has scored 16 tries in 28 games - which is good - but since he came back fitter and stronger this year he has scored 8 tries in 8 games and scored in all but 2 games.

He is fast and unstoppable.

The other thing is that props need a giant motor and Manu struggles at second row - although he is doing better every game this year

McEwen could play 60 minutes at prop I think - Manu would struggle to play 30 minutes.
 
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