Recruitment And Retention Discussion

Think we’d be better have Friz for one more year and then some of the cup forwards will be a year better to come in and replace him
 
frankLauda said:
We can all agree Hopwood next year will be close to a starter. I’m for keeping Frizz for one more year. The dude is a specimen. Looks after himself. If anyone can play a bit older in the forwards it’s him.
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Well his chest is pretty soft......ran into him at the pub on the weekend. He was about 8 beers deep enjoying himself but we talked footy for about 10 minutes. Bloke loves J saf and friz. I said if you can hybrid yourself on those 2 players you'll be a force mate. He agreed, we had a chuckle and I moved on.
 
Don’t know why we are considering signings from outside, we have lots of talent coming through.
Even if a top class player, especially front row, became available we probably couldn’t afford them without letting go several top notch juniors.
Every player that comes on the market gets mentioned by someone on here but we have at least 3-4 forwards and same with backs that will be more than pressuring for 1st grade spots.
Like how we have changed our development of players and giving them time and experience to develop, let’s trust that process for now and reassess in 2027
 
I reckon Fletcher Hunt is first in line for Gagais centre spot.
Hunt has been in the team every week since rd1. Holbrook likes him, he won't stay on the bench forever.
Hunt is the next man up in the backs imo.
 
If we don't have juniors ready for 2027, we just need to give Gags and Frizz and Jones and maybe Gamble another year - no need to look elsewhere. We have heaps of guys who would be as good value as experienced players from elsewhere.

If Hopwood, Hunt, Manuleleua, ESL, Hagan, Winter, De Courcey etc are all knocking down the door for firstgrade by the end of the year - we'll struggle to fit all of them in the 30, let alone going shopping.
 
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Fotuaika’s fall off needs to be studied. I don’t think he actually has the wrong body type or athletic profile at all, I think he’s either been horribly looked after by the Titans S&C staff, he slacks in training, he’s been really hurt by injuries, or a mix of all 3. In theory he’s actually exactly what you want now with that bowling ball physique & a few years ago his minutes propped that team up a fair bit, their defence would go from okay to **** the second he went to the bench. This year to my eye though he’s at the point where he’s part of the reason they’re bad. He’s doing everything badly.

He looked like he was going to be elite for a long time as a rookie.
 
CornChippy said:
I reckon Fletcher Hunt is first in line for Gagais centre spot.
Hunt has been in the team every week since rd1. Holbrook likes him, he won't stay on the bench forever.
Hunt is the next man up in the backs imo.
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He can only hold it for so long, Winter looks like a massive talent, Hunt whilst good in the air needs to vastly improve in almost every other aspect of the game in one pre-season.

Not to mention he has what many call a “generational talent” in Seve also breathing down his next.
 
Lets talk about retention.

Yesterday was a day where almost all the young prospects all stood up.

1 Connor Votano - He's taken a fair while to adjust to seniors, possibly because he did everything so easily all through the juniors. Yesterday he had a breakout game in reserve grade, showing all the effortless skill and touch he showed all through the juniors for the Knights and NSW.

2 Mel Nonu - the giant Qld winger had a lot of faults to his game when he arrived for the Ball season, but still scored about 15 tries. He has rapidly improved under the high ball and with his ball security and had a near faultless debut in Flegg yesterday.

3 Toby Winter - scored 2 classy tries and had some brilliant touches to set up others in reserve grade. He must be an automatic selection for NSW under 19s.

4 Kingston Seve - only 17, but looks right at home in Flegg. He is still feeling his way with his new team mates, but he started putting his hand up for more work yesterday. Big, athletic guy.

5 Sosio Latu - The big Kiwi winger was rushed into reserve grade this year and struggled a bit, but his 4 tries in Flegg yesterday were all class. His last try was just a man against boys effort where he bullied his way right down the middle of the field for a long range try, beating player after player as he went.

6 Jaylan Bishop - had his first game of Flegg and had some classy touches. I know nothing about him, other than he forced his way into 5/8 in Ball, ahead of some very good players, and did well in his first game of Flegg.

7 None of our young guys stood out yesterday.

8 Cody Hopwood - came back from firstgrade bench to have a run in reserves and showed us what a hardworking and safe player he is. His best 40 minutes in seniors.

9 Deisal Hagan - his try was like peak Damien Cook - leaping out of Dummy half, getting through the line, and going 70 metres to score. His best moment in seniors, but he did stuff like that all season in Ball.

10 Jack Hilliar - He is a natural born leader leader in Flegg. It's hard to say exactly what he does, but he is the prop equilvalent of the other boy from Cessnock, Fletcher Sharpe, right time and right place all the time.

11 Francis Manuleleua - The commentators of the reserve grade game compared him to Kikau and Leliua as an impact second rower. I've said Kikau before, but Luc Leliua is a very good comparison too.

12 Jermaine McEwen - could still play Flegg, but is killing it in firstgrade.

13 no one stood out yesterday, but Jack Hilliar is a natural 13.

Yesterday must have been a day when POS ticked off a lot of boxes in his plans for our future squad, because a lot of young players had breakout games in my opinion.
 
Billy said:
Lets talk about retention.

Yesterday was a day where almost all the young prospects all stood up.

1 Connor Votano - He's taken a fair while to adjust to seniors, possibly because he did everything so easily all through the juniors. Yesterday he had a breakout game in reserve grade, showing all the effortless skill and touch he showed all through the juniors for the Knights and NSW.

2 Mel Nonu - the giant Qld winger had a lot of faults to his game when he arrived for the Ball season, but still scored about 15 tries. He has rapidly improved under the high ball and with his ball security and had a near faultless debut in Flegg yesterday.

3 Toby Winter - scored 2 classy tries and had some brilliant touches to set up others in reserve grade. He must be an automatic selection for NSW under 19s.

4 Kingston Seve - only 17, but looks right at home in Flegg. He is still feeling his way with his new team mates, but he started putting his hand up for more work yesterday. Big, athletic guy.

5 Sosio Latu - The big Kiwi winger was rushed into reserve grade this year and struggled a bit, but his 4 tries in Flegg yesterday were all class. His last try was just a man against boys effort where he bullied his way right down the middle of the field for a long range try, beating player after player as he went.

6 Jaylan Bishop - had his first game of Flegg and had some classy touches. I know nothing about him, other than he forced his way into 5/8 in Ball, ahead of some very good players, and did well in his first game of Flegg.

7 None of our young guys stood out yesterday.

8 Cody Hopwood - came back from firstgrade bench to have a run in reserves and showed us what a hardworking and safe player he is. His best 40 minutes in seniors.

9 Deisal Hagan - his try was like peak Damien Cook - leaping out of Dummy half, getting through the line, and going 70 metres to score. His best moment in seniors, but he did stuff like that all season in Ball.

10 Jack Hilliar - He is a natural born leader leader in Flegg. It's hard to say exactly what he does, but he is the prop equilvalent of the other boy from Cessnock, Fletcher Sharpe, right time and right place all the time.

11 Francis Manuleleua - The commentators of the reserve grade game compared him to Kikau and Leliua as an impact second rower. I've said Kikau before, but Luc Leliua is a very good comparison too.

12 Jermaine McEwen - could still play Flegg, but is killing it in firstgrade.

13 no one stood out yesterday, but Jack Hilliar is a natural 13.

Yesterday must have been a day when POS ticked off a lot of boxes in his plans for our future squad, because a lot of young players had breakout games in my opinion.
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Maybe what Matt Hunter did yesterday didn't quite fit your criteria to get the 7 jersey, but I will say with what he is doing this year that he may have already gone past Gamble in the halves pecking order.
 
Owey said:
Maybe what Matt Hunter did yesterday didn't quite fit your criteria to get the 7 jersey, but I will say with what he is doing this year that he may have already gone past Gamble in the halves pecking order.
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I thought his last game was very good, but close to worst on field this game - maybe didn't like playing against his old mates - or maybe they knew all his tricks.
 
Few suspicious changes in the lower grades yesterday.
Wilson De Courcey didn't play reserve grade - they moved Kepaoa from second row to wing to replace him.
Sosio Latu didn't play Flegg after scoring 4 tries last week, replaced by Will Manning in 24.
Tyson Gamble was taken off after 56 minutes, replaced by Votano.
Mitch Henderson played for Cessnock yesterday.

Maybe just a bunch of injuries at the last minute, but all those guys have been mentioned as no longer in our future plans in recent times.
 
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Billy said:
Few suspicious changes in the lower grades yesterday.
Wilson De Courcey didn't play reserve grade - they moved Kepaoa from second row to wing to replace him.
Sosio Latu didn't play Flegg after scoring 4 tries last week, replaced by Will Manning in 24.
Tyson Gamble was taken off after 56 minutes, replaced by Votano.
Mitch Henderson played for Cessnock yesterday.

Maybe just a bunch of injuries at the last minute, but all those guys have been mentioned as no longer in our future plans in recent times.
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Yeah sensing Latu and De Courcey may have played last games and moved for juniors to come through, though Id say Manning is another offseason away from having a decent impact, physically struggled a bit.

Gamble hurt his back in second half, looked like a knee to the back at one point.
 
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