Sadly it's that time, your team for 2020

Cooper Cronk was basically an on field coach for the roosters and will likely be a head coach one day if he wants to be
 
So - out of left field guys who might do a firstgrade off season.

Daniel Ticehurst - tall 19 year old prop who has been improving every game and had a real breakout game for the junior Kiwis a few weeks ago. He is an angry young man nearly as tall as Klemm and played a really strong 47 minutes for the junior kiwis.

Jaron Purcell - another 19 year old lock or prop who missed most of this year with an injury but came back for the last few games of Flegg. He has been MOTM in a grandfinal win for our under 16s, and for NSW under 16s, captain of both sides, played NSW under 18s a year young and is basically a clever and hardworking middle forward.

Baydon Searle - 19 year old half who joined the knights this year and spent the last part of the year going great in reserve grade. He improved every game.

Toby Marks - 19 year old outside back who finished the year in reserve grade playing 5/8 in one game.

Brandon Russell - 20 year old lock or prop - Qld under 20s this year. Bit bigger version of Luke Yates.

Last year we had Best, Toa, Sasagi, Huth, Croker, Crossland and Hoy do a firstgrade off season, and most of them kicked on in 2019.

Others who might have a shot - Harry Croker - NSW second rower and Australian schoolboy - 18 year old younger brother of Matt Croker.
Cooper Jenkins - NSW and Schoolboys second rower. 19 I think.
Mitch Black - NSW under 18s hooker and made the most recent schoolboys side I think. Plays a lot like Brailey I think, only a lot younger.
 
Purcell is the one I have high hopes for. As hard as he works, he also seems to have the skills to provide that something different in the forward pack. A leader too.

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Owey said:
Purcell is the one I have high hopes for. As hard as he works, he also seems to have the skills to provide that something different in the forward pack. A leader too.

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Him and Matt Croker both seem to have everything except size. Both will probably be about the size of Glasby or King when they finish growing.

Purcell has a lot of wraps on him. I was really impressed when he came back from injury to play his first ever game of Flegg in about the second last round and he scored a crucial try, played big minutes and was our best middle forward for the game. The coach left Ticehurst on the bench till the last 5 minutes because Purcell was going too well to take off.
 
I think the cycle is coming back to blokes that size a bit. There is a bit more stamina required now, and they may reduce interchange further shortly. I believe Canberra had the smallest pack in the comp, on purpose, and look how they improved after losing Boyd and Junior Paulo

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I see Weighton knocked back 750k from Canberra and wants to test the market.
I'd swap him for Pearce if we had a chance to do that.
 
Did'nt that story also say David Fifita could be on the market too .
Move heaven and earth to get him here .
Klem, Watson, Dan
Fitzy , Fifita
Ese,ese

Brailey
Jacob
Glasby
Barnett/Sione
That would do me .
 
Ethan said:
Did'nt that story also say David Fifita could be on the market too .
Move heaven and earth to get him here .
Klem, Watson, Dan
Fitzy , Fifita
Ese,ese

Brailey
Jacob
Glasby
Barnett/Sione
That would do me .
Click to expand...

Settle boy, TPJ looked like the next Hercules too and 18 months later has bad hammy's and reportedly a worse attitude.
 
Lord of the Skraelings said:
Who would be our organiser than?
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Weighton and Ponga are both decent and improving rapidly. We'd just need a 200k or 300k a year number 7 with a good kicking game, and both Crossland and Searle are not far off that.
In a perfect world we'd keep both Pearce and Weighton and have a potential winning halves combination - but they'd both want a million a year.
 
In the Toohey article today he says that O'Brien has told Wests that he thinks we have a top 4 squad for 2020.
 
Esan masters was released by Tigers and signed by the Cowboys. Would have been a good replacement for Ramien.
 
I was all for Ponga going to 5/8 even before he got here , but im not so sure now . Watching Ponga play 5/8 and at F/B it seems to me that he is just like Tedesco he is at his best when he has room to move .
When he has room to move and a little bit of time to get up to speed (which makes his step even more devastating ) and decide what to do and which way to go.
At 5/8 he seemed to me to be too rushed and not have enough room to play his best . I personally would be leaving him at F/B and Either have Watson at 5/8 (which would be my choice ) or buy or promote another 5/8.
Billy would know if any of the young guys could really make the step up for a good part of the season and would they play better there than Watson in attack and defence .
9 Brailey, 7 Pearce, 6 Watson, 1 Ponga Id be very happy with that spine as long as it was in a team that left it all on the field , a team that wants to play at there best .
Hopefully the new coach can get that out of them each and every game , if he can then we already have the talent to get the job done .
For 6 or 7 games this season we played good footy and got better each game, if Obrien can get them to play like that and improve each game the players we have could win this comp imo.​
 
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