The pre-season 2026 thread

Les Misérables said:
Im still convinced Smith plays 7.

Brown is not a 7 he is a 6. If there are say '5 steps' which lead to points, in any ordinary build up where a series of decisions/actions are taken by spine players, Brown likes to do step number 5. Or if he receives the ball on step number 2 he'll often look to make it the final step in that play. He's a finisher. He needs other people around him to contribute to the build up for him to be at his best.

Smith is a broadly skilled half with great vision who has options, he can run and he can pass and he gets the assignment. Watching him for the Roosters screaming at players either side of the ruck demanding the ball first off the ruck (despite wearing a 6 jersey half the time) tells me he'll be energised by the task of getting quality ball to Brown and Ponga.
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I was thinking Brown will be 6 and it’ll be between Smith and Sharpe for the 7 jersey

That’s why I keep thinking it’ll be Smith at 7
 
Billy said:
I thing Holbrook left all options on the table, but is clearly a big fan of Sharpe and wants him involved.

The best point he made is that injuries mean you seldom have all your players fit, and a lot of our spine play multiple positions well.

What positions Gamble trains for is the biggest question IMO. He is a firstgrader, but only seems to play 6. I'd have him training as a ball playing lock because he would be 3rd or fourth option at 6 right now, and a chance at bench or starting 13 if he could play lock for 40 minutes or so.
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Gamble is not a first grader, well not at 5/8. He just isn’t good enough if we are serious about making the 8.

I can see him capable as a 9, similar to Walters at Brisbane

As a 13 I think we have at least 4 guys better suited to that role ahead of him
 
Wicket said:
Gamble is not a first grader, well not at 5/8. He just isn’t good enough if we are serious about making the 8.

I can see him capable as a 9, similar to Walters at Brisbane

As a 13 I think we have at least 4 guys better suited to that role ahead of him
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We made the 8 the 2 years he wore the 6 for alot of the season and were unbelievably hopeless in 2025 without him. There’s other factors of course but he’s a capable player.
 
waynesworld said:
We made the 8 the 2 years he wore the 6 for alot of the season and were unbelievably hopeless in 2025 without him. There’s other factors of course but he’s a capable player.
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There is a reason we tried to offload him and no one was interested in his services

Yes he was in the side at 6 two years ago, but that side caught fire and made Gamble look decent. He has been average before that 10 game winning run and since that run

You may like him as a player and that’s fair enough. I just don’t rate him at all
 
Toby Winter winning the beep test against guys like Sharpe and Votano is pretty impressive.
He had a great season at Fullback in Ball and a few games of Flegg and then made the city under 18s and Australian schoolboys sides at wing and centre.
Very fast and elusive runner. Not too small either.
Reminds me of a lot of Koori kids who are just natural athletes.
 
Billy said:
Toby Winter winning the beep test against guys like Sharpe and Votano is pretty impressive.
He had a great season at Fullback in Ball and a few games of Flegg and then made the city under 18s and Australian schoolboys sides at wing and centre.
Very fast and elusive runner. Not too small either.
Reminds me of a lot of Koori kids who are just natural athletes.
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He's a half/fullback but so talented they threw him in the Aus School boys side in the outside backs. Considering how political selection is for that team, that's a massive vote of confidence. There'd be specialist outside backs absolutely filthy about missing out to a fullback

Admittedly I havent seen much of him.
 
I know we won the spoon this year but for me it doesn't feel like we did. I definitely see us improving next year.
 
I just don’t see us coming last, I think our team has actually gotten better yeah we are a bit light in some areas but I feel we upgraded in others, Brown and Smith is a insanely massive upgrade on Cogger, Hastings and Gamble, obviously we will have Sharpe and Lucas back which is huge.

Trey I feel is just a better aggressor than Leo and I feel like he will be one of the buys of the year, Peter hola makes solid depth/bench option, same as Crouch who was brought back and looks like a Josh king type of player, Pasami Saulo should lock down a bench spot and Hopwood showed he can make some cameos next year.

Asu joining I feel is under the radar as he can play wing, centre and second row.
He gives us solid depth in the backs

Mix in with De Coursey, Aoake, Latu, Votano and Hunt waiting in the wings.

I just feel like with an attacking coach like Holbrook we will not come last we have way to many strike players.

I’m super excited for 2026 but honestly I’m even more excited about what we can do in 2027 if everything goes the way I’m thinking they are going for
 
we won the spoon (only just may i add) this year due to a few reasons, two being sharpe and ponga suffering long term injuries without any x factor spine players being there to take the reigns (insert Brown and Sandon) so there’s that issue gone. Add in some more front rowers we have signed which we lacked and a whole new coaching staff… i see improvement
 
Matt McEwen not in the squad is disappointing.
Both Matt McEwen and Diesal Hagan were born in 2007, so both 18 and SG Ball aged this year.
Both play hooker.
Hagan is a clever playmaker and organiser with a kicking game. In the city v country under 18s game this year he was the best player on the field IMO - Country only looked in the game when he was taking charge from dummy half and making things happen.
On the other hand, Matt and Jermaine McEwen were both fantastic playing for Newcastle Yowies in the Koori knockout last month. Matt was bench hooker and had no trouble matching it with senior players who had often played at NRL or NSW cup level. He could have played in the junior comp at the Koori knockout, but was one of the best in the winning senior side.

Both of them are just old enough to play NRL and are unlikely to make it this year, but If I had to say which one might be strong enough this year, it would be McEwen.
 
Obviously hugh improvement in the halves, and we have good backs. Where we may struggle is our forwards. Bir of an unknown really. Most guys fringe FGers at other clubs. Aging Frizz. Jsaf is our best prop, who can be injury prone. He needs a massive year.
 
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