Sadly it's that time, your team for 2020

Ponga is playing 5/8 in the 9's, but read into that what you will. Different game and structures, but it's an intriguing move considering.
 
I’ve mentioned trying Ponga at 5/8 again recently but that was only to be able to get Toa into the team at FB. At the moment though it looks like we could be short on out side backs. We really only have Lee and Hunt who I see as wingers. Toa’s size...almost 100k...and footwork could see him make a decent centre. Ponga has a good mid range kicking game imo, putting the ball into the in goal in the attacking half, just needs someone to work with him on other issues such as decision making when playing flat. Love Watson but can’t see him being able to cover all facets of play of a 5/8. Should be interesting
 
Weighton didn't set the world on fire in his first few months at 5/8.
Ponga only had a few games in the trials and a few games in the comp to get used to 5/8, and unfortunately, due to his high profile and a lot of talk about his shift, every team was focused on exposing him.
I like that he is playing 5/8 in the 9s and in the under 23s. It will give him time to get used to it in games where he won't be the target, because everyone else is also a threat.
If O'Brien wants to try it again, and we can fill the fullback position with someone capable, there's no reason it wouldn't work. He just needs as long in the position as Weighton got to get into the groove.
 
Billy said:
Weighton didn't set the world on fire in his first few months at 5/8.
Ponga only had a few games in the trials and a few games in the comp to get used to 5/8, and unfortunately, due to his high profile and a lot of talk about his shift, every team was focused on exposing him.
I like that he is playing 5/8 in the 9s and in the under 23s. It will give him time to get used to it in games where he won't be the target, because everyone else is also a threat.
If O'Brien wants to try it again, and we can fill the fullback position with someone capable, there's no reason it wouldn't work. He just needs as long in the position as Weighton got to get into the groove.
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A different system too. He wasn't getting the room he needed and got more when he reverted to fullback? He could have been given more changing the system a bit and leaving him at 5/8. I actually like him defending in the front line as well.

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Ethan said:
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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Agree 100%.
 
daniels said:
Esan masters was released by Tigers and signed by the Cowboys. Would have been a good replacement for Ramien.
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Am a fan of Marsters too, and he can kick goals if Lino is injured or left out. Would have been nice given the market the way it is now.
 
Wobbles said:
Not sure where to post this tongue-in-cheek suggestion for curbing off-season misbehaviour, but here it is. At least it'll give you a laugh...

https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/10/15/enough-is-enough-time-to-ban-nrl-off-season/
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I completely understand the context of the suggestion but for some reason it got me back to thinking about the banning Mad Monday talk and it was laughable thinking the media would get mad monday banned if they kept barking on about it on Fox Sports. Once they realised no one gave two hoots and weren't fooled by the fact the Telecrap were spying on the Bulldogs MM celebrations through a scissor lift they wisened up and stopped.

There were (unsurprisingly) sadly talk the Telecrap were weeks out from the end of the regular NRL season sniffing around to find out where clubs were celebrating MM so they could no doubt spy on them again and get a story. Pathetic.
 
Said before he arrived at Newcastle Ponga wouldn’t suit being a halves player this early in his career and that he didn’t want to be there. He left for full time fullback position in FG. Why put him in closer to the middle and flatter in the attack then out the back at fullback. Beginning of the end for Brown. Sheer stupidity trying to get him playing 5/8th.
 
I'd say he already has ideas of how he wants to use Ponga in attack. He must see that coming from fb.

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Billy said:
I can't decide if it's good that O'Brien has already done enough work to know where he wants people to play, or if it would be better if he kept an open mind till he puts them through their paces.
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To be fair he had the luxury of watching Ponga stinking up the joint.

Wonder how Ponga would have travelled if every set of 6 didn't resolve around Pearce getting the ball to Ponga every play and let Ponga ease into it a bit more.
 
Everyone bar Klemmer was terrible in the first 6 Rounds of 2019. At least Ponga set up a few tries.
 
I didn't think we were that bad in the first 6 rounds we had a team that had 7 new faces and were trying to get a fairly new team to play as a team .
Ask anyone and they will say it takes time to gel , for a team trying to gel and learn each others games we did ok imo.
We beat Cronulla and we weren't supposed to get near them and then lost the next 4 or 5 games by a max of ten points all up .
Imo there's no way that was terrible and then they came good for 7 games and we played good footy .I don't know what happened after that and I don't think we will ever know but that stuffed us up .
 
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