Round 1 2023 Side

what about fletcher sharpe? sounds like his been killing it this season.
He's going great, but he's a skinny little 17 year old.
Myles Martin is the same age, but he'll be Saifiti sized if he keeps growing next year.
Ethan Ferguson is the same age too. He's also a good size and is already training with firstgrade by last week's photos. He'll probably be training with the squad.
 
Basically they can’t play 1sts unless special permission granted, no point in rushing players that for several years can play Flegg. Leave them in Flegg for 2023 and if going really well bring them along with a few games in Cup with aim to making debut 24/25, no point in rushing them and loosing confidence, let’s prepare and develop
 
Basically they can’t play 1sts unless special permission granted, no point in rushing players that for several years can play Flegg. Leave them in Flegg for 2023 and if going really well bring them along with a few games in Cup with aim to making debut 24/25, no point in rushing them and loosing confidence, let’s prepare and develop
Sharpe, Martin and Ferguson could all start next year in SG Ball if we wanted to go that way.
 
Well here's a radical plan for fullback.
Dom Young.
Last year it would have been crazy to think a young guy just learning to play wing and way down on fitness to play firstgrade even could learn to play fullback, but he is obviously a fast learner, very fit now and a smart and ambitious kid who would want to get into one of the big money positions.
He's already our best cover defender. If anyone makes a break I don't think about Ponga or Hoy stopping them - I take a look at where Dom is because he might have a chance to stop them.
He'd have plenty to learn still, but he came here as a centre and picked up wing very quickly and the trainers raved about his gains in fitness in the off season.
I think he could do it, and i'd sure like to see him with a license to go for a run anywhere on the field whenever he wanted.
Struggles under the high ball
 
No Clifford or Best IMO he has a lot to work on and still young plenty of time

Jones & Mann can go as well they offer zip.

Ponga has to go to 6 and stay we can't play a whole year with no halves.

If we sign Rubin and Tyson kinda solves our problems with a band aid for now

01. French/Hodgson
02. Gagai/Tuala/French
03. Lucas/Vea’lia/Hunt
04. Mapa/Vea’lia/Hunt
05. Young/Tuala/French
06. Ponga/Clifford
07. Clune/Clifford
08. Klemmer/JSaf/Thompson
09. Brailey/Randall
10. DSaf/JSaf/Thompson
11. Frizell/Elliot
12. Hetherington/Elliot
13. Elliot/Sasagi/
14. Sasagi/Mann/Croker
15. JSaf/Thompson/Croker
16. Thompson/Croker
17. Croker/Fitzgibbon
 
If the club gets everything done recruitment-wise it now seems they want to if Toohey’s mail is right, and there’s no injuries, factoring in my own whimsical personal biases about where this or that player should play:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Dane Gagai (right)
3. Dominic Young (right)
4. Krystian Mapapalangi (left)
5. Enari Tuala/Bradman Best/Bevan French (left)
6. Tyson Gamble
7. Luke Brooks

13. Adam Elliott
12. Kai Pearce-Paul (left)
11. Tyson Frizell (right)
10. Daniel Saifiti
9. Jayden Brailey
8. Jacob Saifiti/David Klemmer

14. Simi Sasagi/Kurt Mann
15. David Klemmer/Jacob Saifiti
16. Jack Hetherington
17. Mat Croker/Leo Thompson/Brodie Jones
 
If the club gets everything done recruitment-wise it now seems they want to if Toohey’s mail is right, and there’s no injuries, factoring in my own whimsical personal biases about where this or that player should play:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Dane Gagai (right)
3. Dominic Young (right)
4. Krystian Mapapalangi (left)
5. Enari Tuala/Bradman Best/Bevan French (left)
6. Tyson Gamble
7. Luke Brooks

13. Adam Elliott
12. Kai Pearce-Paul (left)
11. Tyson Frizell (right)
10. Daniel Saifiti
9. Jayden Brailey
8. Jacob Saifiti/David Klemmer

14. Simi Sasagi/Kurt Mann
15. David Klemmer/Jacob Saifiti
16. Jack Hetherington
17. Mat Croker/Leo Thompson/Brodie Jones
100% agree that would be an infinite improvement on this year's team. Sign me up for another year's membership with that team!
Only minor exception for me would be to exclude Tuala. He only seems to appear in the odd win during attack. His defence is absolutely atrocious.
 
A few guys fighting it out for that spot I think.

I do think he’s a good winger, really good finisher and he has that little bit of extra skill someone like Hunt seems to lack.
 
If the club gets everything done recruitment-wise it now seems they want to if Toohey’s mail is right, and there’s no injuries, factoring in my own whimsical personal biases about where this or that player should play:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Dane Gagai (right)
3. Dominic Young (right)
4. Krystian Mapapalangi (left)
5. Enari Tuala/Bradman Best/Bevan French (left)
6. Tyson Gamble
7. Luke Brooks

13. Adam Elliott
12. Kai Pearce-Paul (left)
11. Tyson Frizell (right)
10. Daniel Saifiti
9. Jayden Brailey
8. Jacob Saifiti/David Klemmer

14. Simi Sasagi/Kurt Mann
15. David Klemmer/Jacob Saifiti
16. Jack Hetherington
17. Mat Croker/Leo Thompson/Brodie Jones

Kurt Mann needs to be shopped around to the ESL, his body is not up to playing NRL for more than a few weeks at a time.
 
If the club gets everything done recruitment-wise it now seems they want to if Toohey’s mail is right, and there’s no injuries, factoring in my own whimsical personal biases about where this or that player should play:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Dane Gagai (right)
3. Dominic Young (right)
4. Krystian Mapapalangi (left)
5. Enari Tuala/Bradman Best/Bevan French (left)
6. Tyson Gamble
7. Luke Brooks

13. Adam Elliott
12. Kai Pearce-Paul (left)
11. Tyson Frizell (right)
10. Daniel Saifiti
9. Jayden Brailey
8. Jacob Saifiti/David Klemmer

14. Simi Sasagi/Kurt Mann
15. David Klemmer/Jacob Saifiti
16. Jack Hetherington
17. Mat Croker/Leo Thompson/Brodie Jones
Looks like a good side. I would have Klem Starting. Wonder how Bradman would go under the high ball? I would prefer him over tuala. Kinda of like a Brian Toa, yardage eater. He's fast too, say he would be a good finisher. Just more impact than Tuala.

And Mapa in the centers I like, seems like a better defender. Young in the centers is worth a shot too to tighten our defense. Both Gagai and Best are liabilities in defence, so having them on the wings is safer and are potential X-Factors in attack.
 
It’s so weird that Gags has been so resistant to playing on the wing for so much of his career, it’s just as important a position in the modern game if not more vs centre.

But yeah while he seems to physically struggle with defending at right centre, he’s still good at yardage work out of our end and he’s still a terrific broken field runner when he has a bit of time and space. Very safe hands too. Would definitely get him on the wing and figure the rest out after.

And yeah I just reckon Bradman should be used as a battering ram at this point hahaha. ALDI Sivo. Just needs to work on his hands but he’s played fullback in lower grades so he must be able to catch.
 
A few guys fighting it out for that spot I think.

I do think he’s a good winger, really good finisher and he has that little bit of extra skill someone like Hunt seems to lack.
I'll give you that one HarVeeGee, he can ice a try when we're getting attacking ball down his side; which to be fair has been a rarity this year.
AOB definitely favours him over several others and even talks him up, for effort, even when he's had a <average game. Therefore, he has little competition for his spot, which is a coaching error in my opinion. Not much "be mean, keep them keen" type motivation quotes in AOB's inspirational coach book I'm surmising. Coach Gus Gould told FF he was going crap when he wasn't to keep him bettering himself & he did, the rest of the team also heard that and they too consistently strived to be better. I'd say Robbo & Bellyache would be the same.
I just hope that Tuala works on his defence over the summer?!
P.s.; surely out of 30 guys someone could learn-practice to kick goals (apart from KP) over the summer, we quite possibly would've won last week if we did. Most (good) sides have two competent kickers as a contingency.
 
I mentioned this elsewhere but Tyson Gamble kicks at above 82% in QCup and he’s kicked 118 goals at that level so it’s not just a small sample size thing. So I reckon we’ve found our full time goal kicker for the time being.

Check out the Broncos’ 21-20 loss to the Roosters in 2021 if you want to see his goalkicking. Weirdly bad technique, looks like a badly animated video game character, but he knocks one over from right on the right sideline.
 
Apparently Panthers are looking at offloading charlie staines could be a option for fullback depending on what happens with our other potential signings.
 
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