The pre-season thread - 2022

I don't know enough about Clune to know if he could do some minutes as a bench hooker - maybe he could.
Mitch Black only got on the field a couple of times last year. He was amazing in one of them though. He also trained a lot with firstgrade.
Another hooker who was great in reserves last year at hooker, half and 5/8 was young Liam Wilkinson - a big improvement over his junior form.

So Randall, Mann, Crossland, Clune, Black and Wilkinson is probably the pecking order.
 
Loose Cannon said:
Rather a proven hooker (Randall), even if off the pace of NRL, than any makeshift utility, especially one with a name resembling Kurt Mann.
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Honestly, it doesn't actually matter. Randall is probably the best option, but without Brailey we have one of the 4 worst spines in the comp.

There's some chance we overperform and make the eight, but we're not sniffing a premiership.

We were never all that likely, but we've moved from 5% to 0.5%. All I can do is put my trust in Adzy to build the long term future. Very tough news
 
Kurriboy said:
Gotta love the it's just a cold group.

When this all kicked off they were bleating their rubbish about how many people die from flu each year, and talk to me when its killing more people than flu etc. Then it did and went around the world, lockdowns etc and they shut up for the majority except the truly stupid consiparcy sickos. Now, we are mostly all vaccinated and therefore having a better run of it, and Omicron seems less severe than Delta they are back beating the BS drum again saying it's only a cold blah blah blah.

And survival of the fittest is a ridiculous position to take. With that attitude we would not help any disabled and just leave them to die!

Survival of the fittest, it's only a cold, until it affects your parter, your child, your parent, you!
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Yes getting vaccinated is (usually) a great idea. However, we will probably all get covid 2-3 times this year. Survival of the fittest Is what happens - if you like it or not.
 
MontyBrogan said:
Honestly, it doesn't actually matter. Randall is probably the best option, but without Brailey we have one of the 4 worst spines in the comp.
We were never all that likely, but we've moved from 5% to 0.5%. All I can do is put my trust in Adzy to build the long term future. Very tough news
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True, but that happens when you spend 12-15% of the cap on a “superstar fullback” who plays great doing everything but.

As much as I want to believe in him , AOB has not succeeded as yet in providing the Storm production line for us. Game has changed exponentially since he got here, and they haven’t adapted.
 
We have the worse spine in the comp now... well one of...

Can see Ponga leaving and AOB getting sacked and a new 'Rebuild' for 2023

Don't think my heart and soul can take much more of this but we have no chance of playing finals footy now unless we recruit a 9 and 7 that know each other
 
Warriors here, happy new year to all. Just thought I would drop a line. I like talking to you guys because you have a lot of level headed posters Also our teams are usually pretty close in playing terms. Sad about Brailey, I don't like seeing players injured whatever team, he is a loss, how big do you think?

Other thoughts are who is best positioned in the comp in regards to Covid, I guess that will come down to depth. Another worry I have is Ref and Bunker interpretations affecting teams like ours adversely.

With us I think we have as good as Halves depth as anybody with Johnson, Nikorima, Harris-Tavita and Ash Taylor (now full contract). Plus some kids have more experience to step up, Kosi, Ratuva, Berry, Vailea, Katoa, Otukolo (Hooker, one to watch) Your thoughts appreciated.
 
I can't believe how unprepared we are for the new season. Had faith in the coaching staff to be optimistic about the new season and tried to ignore the outside noise about bad decisions from the club.

But now I feel like we are becoming the new tigers.

1. Ponga free to negotiate
2. Watson left his best mate and junior club he supported for a lower offer
3. Josh king left his home town
4. Starford toa released 2 years early
5. Pearce released 1 year early with thin depth and no one in the market
6. Alex Mckinnon resigning.
7. Frizell, free to negotiate for 2023

Some things more significant than others above obviously, but i cant help but feel people are leaving a sinking ship. Hope I am wrong but I think our management is losing touch and making little compromises with big ramifications. We could really be seeing a spine of the below for 2023

1. Bailey Hodgson
6. Jake Clifford
7. Adam Clune
9. Jayden Brailey

I want to be optimistic, but i think the brailey injury has really shown the foundations are really shakey right now.
 
ApperceptionJosh said:
I can't believe how unprepared we are for the new season. Had faith in the coaching staff to be optimistic about the new season and tried to ignore the outside noise about bad decisions from the club.

But now I feel like we are becoming the new tigers.

1. Ponga free to negotiate
2. Watson left his best mate and junior club he supported for a lower offer
3. Josh king left his home town
4. Starford toa released 2 years early
5. Pearce released 1 year early with thin depth and no one in the market
6. Alex Mckinnon resigning.
7. Frizell, free to negotiate for 2023

Some things more significant than others above obviously, but i cant help but feel people are leaving a sinking ship. Hope I am wrong but I think our management is losing touch and making little compromises with big ramifications. We could really be seeing a spine of the below for 2023

1. Bailey Hodgson
6. Jake Clifford
7. Adam Clune
9. Jayden Brailey

I want to be optimistic, but i think the brailey injury has really shown the foundations are really shakey right now.
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You better take Jayden out and put in Mann😫
 
Billy said:
I don't know enough about Clune to know if he could do some minutes as a bench hooker - maybe he could.
Mitch Black only got on the field a couple of times last year. He was amazing in one of them though. He also trained a lot with firstgrade.
Another hooker who was great in reserves last year at hooker, half and 5/8 was young Liam Wilkinson - a big improvement over his junior form.

So Randall, Mann, Crossland, Clune, Black and Wilkinson is probably the pecking order.
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We have signed former Warriors hooker Temple Kalepo also apparently as the NSW cup starting/back up hooker. I think he was going to be replacing Huth who not sure was signed so far
 
knights80 said:
We have signed former Warriors hooker Temple Kalepo also apparently as the NSW cup starting/back up hooker. I think he was going to be replacing Huth who not sure was signed so far
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I forgot about that.
He was highly rated before Brownie went off him - but if I learnt anything about Brownie, it's that he goes off hookers at the drop of a hat if they don't look like the next Nathan Brown to him.
The kid could be very good if Bedsy and Joey work with him for the next 2 months.
Reading a few articles, Kalepo was very good for the Warriors in Flegg in 2018 and 19 and had a top 30 contract for 21 and 22, but spent most of '21 rehabing from a hamstring injury and was released to us for 2022.

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cowboyman said:
Warriors have a prospect they rate much higher hence releasing him a year early.
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I think they had Temple and 2 other young blokes and deemed the other two better prospects for them, but I’m sure he will get a run at some stage in the year over here now as sure Randall won’t be able to make a whole season.
 
Interesting that the opposing hookers in the Junior Kiwis V Australian Schoolboys game in 2019 were Temple Kalepo and Mitchell Black - both very good young players who struggled with injuries all last year. They actually look a bit alike too.
 
Billy said:
I forgot about that.
He was highly rated before Brownie went off him - but if I learnt anything about Brownie, it's that he goes off hookers at the drop of a hat if they don't look like the next Nathan Brown to him.
The kid could be very good if Bedsy and Joey work with him for the next 2 months.
Reading a few articles, Kalepo was very good for the Warriors in Flegg in 2018 and 19 and had a top 30 contract for 21 and 22, but spent most of '21 rehabing from a hamstring injury and was released to us for 2022.

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Couldn’t agree more re Brown’s Hooker assessment.
 
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