The pre-season 2026 thread

I can see Hopwood jagging a bench spot over Jones too. Our bench will have a serious lack of size otherwise.
I’m hoping we end up with a strongest 17 something like this:

1 - Ponga
2 - Young
3 - Gagai
4 - Best
5 - Sharpe
6 - Brown
7 - Smith
8 - J Saf
9 - Crossland/Arthur
10 - Frizell
11 - Lucas
12 - McEwen
13 - Mooney

14 - Gamble/Crossland
15 - Saulo
16 - Hopwood
17 - ESL/Manuleleua/Croker
 
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EASBay17 said:
If sharpe is going to be in the 7 i dont understand why he would be doing any preaseason covering ponga, are we really going to continue to shuffle the whole spine should ponga get injured again.
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Logic would suggest you'd want as many reps as possible with him in the 7 and throw whoever in at fullback until KP is right.
 
Yeah if Sharpe is playing 7 why would he not be training there, and have Vatano filling in for KP tills he gets back. Sharpe does not need reps at FB he knows how to play that position. Maybe for combos with Brown and Smith though.

Holbrooks comments it will work itself out by round 1. 🙄
 
Yeah I’m not too confident on a good, cohesive start to the season. No Ponga, I really hope they aren’t relying on the trials to decide the halves.

I still think we will be a dangerous side this season, it’s just annoying the trend of starting the season like they’ve never met each other before.
 
Crouch is 3 years older than Hopwood I think.
I don't think he'll be as good as Hopwood over time, but his numbers last year in reserve grade were much better.
Both are big props who have made plenty of NSW junior sides.
Crouch looks to have had a very good pre-season - looks much fitter.
 
Just watched a short preview on the Knights on Levels. Horo pretty high on us. Main take away, Mason thinks Ponga might play 7!

Here we go again. Lol. I think he did play 7 in the all stars game last year. Maybe had 1 on his back but I remember him being first receiver and organising the plays.
 
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slotmachine said:
Logic would suggest you'd want as many reps as possible with him in the 7 and throw whoever in at fullback until KP is right.
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Yep if the plan is for him to slot in in the halves during the season, then it is absolute insanity to have him train in a different position for what has now been *the majority* of the pre-season. It would legitimately make more sense to be giving Sandon the reps at fullback instead so Fletch can get as much time in the halves as possible.

Either Sandon is playing 7 or Holbrook is out of his god damned mind.
 
frankLauda said:
Just watched a short preview on the Knights on Levels. Horo pretty high on us. Main take away, Mason thinks Ponga might play 7!

Here we go again. Lol. I think he did play 7 in the all stars game last year. Maybe had 1 on his back but I remember him being first receiver and organising the plays.
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It doesn't surprise me that Horo is high on us. He's one of the few people who wasn't critical of DylBro signing.

Ponga should never be allowed in the halves again after the start of 2023.
 
Does anyone know if Adam Blair is still working with our pathways?
Pretty sure POS brought him over for the 2025 season and he was working with firstgrade last pre-season - but no sign of him this year.
I think he was a good influence on McEwen, ESL, Manuleleua, Hopwood, Crouch etc.
Linked in still has him at the Knights, but I would have thought we would have seen him by now.
 
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