The Newtown Jets (Sharks Reserves) are no doubt the best quality team across the KOE Cup and Qld Cup competitions, they pile on plenty of points almost every week and when you look at their line up, the forwards are not much to get excited about, so presumably they just do their job, but a vast majority of their 1-7 are NRL quality, some of them already proven.
Obviously Braydon Trindall is the main highlight, I think most people would agree he’s the obvious NRL star halfback in waiting, but they have others such as Marwene Hiroti who is tall, strong and fast, he plays anywhere from 1-5, has scored tries at NRL level for the Rabbitohs a few seasons back and would be a much more seasoned player now with a few more successful seasons at KOE level under his belt.
Sam Stonestreet is a hot young 19y.o prospect, he’s a prolific try scorer who is tall, strong and fast winger/centre/fullback who looks a younger clone of Campbell Graham.
Connor Tracey has always impressed at NRL level with his high energy and determination, but cannot get a look in at NRL level at the Sharks when they are full strength. He is a fantastic utility who would be very valuable to the Wests Tigers.
5/8 and utility Daniel Atkinson who showed his quality in the trials and has the high energy required to lift a struggling team such as Wests Tigers.
Then you have Kayal Iro who has been a standout Centre at this level for the past couple of seasons, he would make many NRL starting sides, but stuck behind two very good centres at the Sharks.
Even Matt Ikavalu who is getting a bit on in age now, but he was quality every time he was called upon at NRL level on the wing for the Roosters. No idea why he’d be happy sitting in reserves at this stage of his career.
I think the majority of them have been smartly contracted as back up players at the Sharks, but all of them would either be guaranteed starters or strongly pushing for NRL selection at Wests Tigers and would significantly boost the quality of our NRL Team/Squad in my opinion.
Surely some good negotiating could work out a way to get them ASAP, even if we offer swapping players who are not working out for us such as Nofa, Laurie, Talau, Brooks etc for this season.
** These players are realistic recruitment options who are surely wanting to play NRL on a regular basis, it won’t happen for them when the Sharks are full strength.
** High energy players are key for lifting a struggling side, so others that are not getting regular NRL game time such as Blake Taafe, Jayden Sullivan and Brad Schneider should also be targets for us.
** Geez it would be nice having a halves selection of Braydon Trindall, Jayden Sullivan, Brad Schneider, Blake Taafe and Daniel Atkinson instead of what we currently have.
