Round 1 2023 Side

So 5 rookies I think are most likely to debut in 2023

1 Dylan Lucas - He had bulked up and had a great pre-season last year and was killing it in reserve grade to the point where it looked like he should debut - but injury finished his season. If he makes a full recovery from his injuries he should be considered for round one.

2 Chris Vea'ila - He had that recurring injury all 2022. If it's gone now and he has a great pre-season, they should look at him for Edrick's wing spot. He is a great athlete and a big boy.

3 Riley Jones - massively improved player in 2022. he wasn't really a lock-in for Flegg at the start of 2022 and finished the year as one of the stars. He is a very athletic hooker who is lightning out of dummy half, so he could be a good choice as an impact player off the bench. I think he is getting his first firstgrade pre-season, so the improvement should keep happening.

4 Ben Talty - He had some great games after they moved him from second row to prop. He was named in the 21 man squad a few times and he is the smaller, more mobile type prop they seem to favour now.

5 Max Bradbury - I think they'll mostly use him in reserves this year, even though he could play Flegg for another 2 years. They could give him a firstgrade game towards the end of the year.
 
Lord of the Skraelings said:
1. Kalyn Ponga. - Unless we sign a legitimate fullback he should stay there for mine.
2. Dominic Young
3. Krystian Mapapalangi
4. Bradman Best
5. Dane Gagai
6. Tyson Gamble.
7. Jackson Hastings
8. Daniel Saifiti
9. Jayden Brailey (c)
10. Martin Tapau - not a direct replacement for Klemmer, but would be bidding again no one and get him for $300k on a 1 year deal.
11. Tyson Frizell
12. Jack Hetherington
13. Adam Elliott

14. Kurt Mann/Simi Sasagi.
15. Matt Crocker.
16. Leo Thompson.
17. Jacob Saifiti need one off the bench to maintain the go forward.
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The more I contemplate Tapau, the more I believe he would work here.
Agree, one year (comparitively low value) deal with 2nd year option in the club's favour.
 
Tapau is useless. He played horribly for Manly and he played horribly for Samoa. His play the ball speed is 10 seconds, he walks to the line and throws stupid offloads which often result in his team losing possession.
 
Maxibon said:
Tapau is useless. He played horribly for Manly and he played horribly for Samoa. His play the ball speed is 10 seconds, he walks to the line and throws stupid offloads which often result in his team losing possession.
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Not to mention his missus calling out the club for “not passing to him”
 
It's evident that we need one more somewhat experienced front rower, so I think that Taupau will be in the conversation. No one else is available but either way its probable that we will have another middle forward with us by round 1
 
Toafofoa Sipley is my pick f we can't get Spencer, though we seem to struggle with getting team to release their players lately.
 
Interesting that no one seems to be including Brodie Jones - myself included, not having a go.

As far as I could tell, he was preferred over Fitz in the back half of the year. For my money he defended better on his edge than others who got a go there except maybe Barnett. Obviously not a star but he can play 80, get through his work, distribute the ball a bit when he needs to… plenty of good teams make use of a player like that in their back row and spend up a bit more on other positions.

I do think the best use of Hetherington from what I’ve seen is in the middle, and we can’t rotate the twins with just Thompson and Croker IMO… we’ll get monstered during their minutes.

8. J Saifiti
9. Brailey
10. D Saifiti
11. Frizell
12. Jones
13. Elliott

14. Mann/Sasagi/Crossland/Gamble
15. Hetherington
16. Thompson
17. Croker/Fitzgibbon

Ideally we’ll pick up a back rower in the coming weeks and make this a moot point, but I’m thinking this might actually be the best use we’ve got of our forward stocks atm.
 
No idea why everyone complains that we’ll get monstered through the middle with our bench and jn the same sentence insists on starting both saifiti brothers. Seems very obvious what to do to me.

I also have this thought that Lachlan fitzgibbon should be turned into a prop. Add 5kg to him and he’ll be heavy enough. He can run a good line and has a touch of footwork and a pass. His defense on the edge through is terrible, not through a lack of effort though. I think he’s go really well as a bench prop
 
4 SG Ball aged players have made the Emerging Blues training camp, which is limited to under 19s this year.

Taj Blackman - halfback who had a few games of SG Ball this year and should lead the side in 2023.

Ethan Ferguson - training with firstgrade after having a great year in Ball, Flegg, city under 18s and Australian schoolboys in 2022

Jack Hilliar - player of the year in Mathews in 2022. An impact forward.

Fletcher Sharpe - fullback who had a remarkable year in Ball, Flegg, city under 18s and even squeezed in a few games and a few tries for Cessnock between Ball and Flegg.

Bit surprising that Miles Martin didn't make it. He might have an injury or something.
 
Kickitoverhere said:
No idea why everyone complains that we’ll get monstered through the middle with our bench and jn the same sentence insists on starting both saifiti brothers. Seems very obvious what to do to me.

I also have this thought that Lachlan fitzgibbon should be turned into a prop. Add 5kg to him and he’ll be heavy enough. He can run a good line and has a touch of footwork and a pass. His defense on the edge through is terrible, not through a lack of effort though. I think he’s go really well as a bench prop
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My memory may be incorrect, but I think Fitz played a fair bit of prop in the lower grades? BTW that's his only spot for mine, I think he'd be far better suited to a bench prop role.
 
Kickitoverhere said:
No idea why everyone complains that we’ll get monstered through the middle with our bench and jn the same sentence insists on starting both saifiti brothers. Seems very obvious what to do to me.
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First 20 minutes are the most important though. If you start with one of the twins and then someone like Croker you’re likely in trouble.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
First 20 minutes are the most important though. If you start with one of the twins and then someone like Croker you’re likely in trouble.
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Have a look at Crokes in the first 20 against the Broncos last year, best on ground in the first quarter, cleaned up a few dicey situations and things went belly up soon after he was rested. I don't think more mobile props will be an issue for us early.
 
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