Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

FrodoTBagin said:
The 3 positions we need to look at currently in order of most important to least are Half > Lock > Centre.

It is possible Star continues his good form and I think Tupou will naturally progress to a centre over time. We also have Naden who could be good if he improves on his discipline & Feledy is joining the squad next year and has some wraps on him. I would expect AD to return as a centre as Bula has fullback locked up and we look better with Wakeham in the halves. That is if he does return and if not then we have pretty good centre money free at the end of next year.

Matamua could be ready for lock soon, but he might not be. Plenty of players with a lot of talk behind them recently have stunk it up for us. The ones that have been really good have been the ones with a lot less talk (e.g. Bula, Pole). The ones with big wraps (Simpkin, Tuki, Hoffman, Madden, Talua, Blore) haven't kicked on at all.

Our junior halves are a few years away and we can not wait. Wakeham is great for a backup half but we are a 4th-6th place team with someone like Hunt. I do not know if someone like L. Fainu gets us to top 8 if paired with Brooks next year.
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I agree with Half but I would have Impact Prop (instead of Lock) and agree on Centre/Wing in 3rd.

I feel that Fonua Pole will transition to our predominant Impact Prop but we need another in our Top 30 (possibly could be an upgrade for Aitasi James).

If Talau is moving on as rumoured, we have T'oa, Naden and then Reilly & Feledy as our centre options. Yes Tupou could transition to centre with Nofa & Staines on the wing but Tupou atm has more value for us developing as a damaging winger.

IMO Feledy is going to be a gun explosive centre but I would rather him spend an entire season in Cup in '24 with a focus on him getting physically stronger, increasing leg drive & working on his speed with a Roger Fabri type. He would be found out defensively against men atm. Has a real Kotoni Staggs feel about him without being as fast over longer distances.
 
Lukic said:
The problem with Papali'i is coaching and Brooks.

The lines he's running don't make sense, especially with Brooks' game. He should be coming against the grain a lot more given how he's almost impossible to stop with arm tackles and the fact that Brooks speed across field will have defenders sliding and off-balance whenever someone cuts back.

Brooks is also poor at drawing and passing in a structured attack and at putting outside men in holes. He doesn't isolate defenders well and also telegraphs the pass too early. It's very apparent from just about the minute he touches the ball whether he's running or passing. Too diagonal when he runs - needs to be straighter to square up the defender and engage them, or if going across field, have the outside men running those against the grain lines.

He lacks the deceptiveness and sleight of hand that you see in guys like Walker and Hynes who routinely create linebreaks or linebreak assists for their outside men. Hynes in particular is a master at squaring up the defender and dropping those short balls to his outside runner, while Walker despite being tiny constantly breaks the line by keeping defenders guessing mixing up his acceleration, footwork and playing them with his eyes.
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Spot on, Brooks whole career has been littered with him giving short hospital passes at 100 miles per hour to his secondrower, he has never, and never will it seems been able to put his backrowers through a hole. Poor old Rowdy got smashed from pillar to post trying to catch Brooks passes, the like of Hynes and Walker as you mentioned are masters at it, and look at all the tries this creates for their outside men
 
Lukic said:
The problem with Papali'i is coaching and Brooks.

The lines he's running don't make sense, especially with Brooks' game. He should be coming against the grain a lot more given how he's almost impossible to stop with arm tackles and the fact that Brooks speed across field will have defenders sliding and off-balance whenever someone cuts back.

Brooks is also poor at drawing and passing in a structured attack and at putting outside men in holes. He doesn't isolate defenders well and also telegraphs the pass too early. It's very apparent from just about the minute he touches the ball whether he's running or passing. Too diagonal when he runs - needs to be straighter to square up the defender and engage them, or if going across field, have the outside men running those against the grain lines.

He lacks the deceptiveness and sleight of hand that you see in guys like Walker and Hynes who routinely create linebreaks or linebreak assists for their outside men. Hynes in particular is a master at squaring up the defender and dropping those short balls to his outside runner, while Walker despite being tiny constantly breaks the line by keeping defenders guessing mixing up his acceleration, footwork and playing them with his eyes.
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Summed it up perfectly mate. Ice is a talented kid, he will come good.
 
Lukic said:
The problem with Papali'i is coaching and Brooks.

The lines he's running don't make sense, especially with Brooks' game. He should be coming against the grain a lot more given how he's almost impossible to stop with arm tackles and the fact that Brooks speed across field will have defenders sliding and off-balance whenever someone cuts back.

Brooks is also poor at drawing and passing in a structured attack and at putting outside men in holes. He doesn't isolate defenders well and also telegraphs the pass too early. It's very apparent from just about the minute he touches the ball whether he's running or passing. Too diagonal when he runs - needs to be straighter to square up the defender and engage them, or if going across field, have the outside men running those against the grain lines.

He lacks the deceptiveness and sleight of hand that you see in guys like Walker and Hynes who routinely create linebreaks or linebreak assists for their outside men. Hynes in particular is a master at squaring up the defender and dropping those short balls to his outside runner, while Walker despite being tiny constantly breaks the line by keeping defenders guessing mixing up his acceleration, footwork and playing them with his eyes.
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I guess he suited Arthur's crash and bash. I've observed Arthur doesn't have much regard for player safety but Papali’i seems to have the body to manage it.

Sheens plays with more finesse and less crash and bash of his players which are player like papali seems to struggle with. Maybe similar to Blair?
 
tony soprano said:
Brent Read said Laurie won't get a contract next year and could go before the cut off this year.
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Yep, unfortunately the best he can hope for is Reggie’s full back. The 5/8 experience never worked ( if it was even really contemplated).
Someone will pick him up as a utility back.
 
Tucker said:
Joffa wasn’t just rated by us.
He was well ranked competition wide.
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That would explain why the Broncos paid him to play for us when he came down…
(Forgot he’s a qlder)

Ranked by clubs who bought themselves into a corner and were hoping to get a bargain when we put him back in ressies… and that’s about it.
 
Brooks is our $1.1 million dollar halfback/leader. Reality is the club should’ve never offered him that money, let alone that position. The pressure and responsibility of being our halfback and making that sum of money doesn’t suit Brooks play or persona.

Unfortunately Papali’i hasn’t been able to be as effective attacking wise, his last two years at Parra he scored 17 tries. So far with us halfway through the year he only has 1 try.

Brooks biggest weakness imo is utilising his edge forwards, probably the most predictable play in football is his short no look pass to the edge which Papali’i has been accustom to so far this year.

Bateman is the type of who goes looking for the football and likes to cut in the inside and create for himself. So he can still be able to impact the game due to his playstyle regardless on his halfback. Whereas Papali’i needs direction and allows his work rate and strength to do the rest.

Defensively Papali’i has been unreal, so his work ethic and effort hasn’t dropped at all. It’s just his ability to be injected from an attacking perspective by his halfback.

This isn’t a bash Brooks post… I think he can be one of the best 6’s in the league and personally don’t know why the club keep persisting with him at 7.

Brooks strengths is his running game and has really improved his kicking game so far this year imo, but having a genuine 7 next to him to steer the team around and inject our edge rowers more and giving Brooks the sole role of just running the football, creating overlapping plays and taking some kicks will take him even to another level. The emergence of Bula and the experience of Api is helping create a lot of space for Brooks to take the line on as the spaces opening up are becoming larger. Adding that genuine 7 will even further that more.

Wakeham has been impressive but currently we’re playing like a 10-12th ranked team and we keep improving however I don’t think we’ll ever reach the heights of being a top 8 team with them as our halves combination. He’s definitely earned the right to be our backup half however.

I genuinely believe we’re one position away from being a top 8 team…. to me it’s clear that Ben Hunt is the answer each day goes past more statements are coming out about him wanting out. May as well try get in front of the line.
 
Halbrowne61 said:
So the cost of Bula is going to be ( possibly) no f/b back up. More opportunities for local juniors I guess.
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A fit and healthy Charlie Staines surely starts somewhere in our backline.
He is by far the fastest player on our roster and before injury showed he’s willing to play with the intensity and toughness required to be a quality NRL player.
Start him as a winger or centre, just don’t let him go elsewhere.
 
Halbrowne61 said:
Right, that’s why we gave him a really good contract and he came out and showed that this year.
As I’ve said before, last year he was an above average player in a terrible team. And this year his shortcomings were exposed.
He’s on the way down, not up, exactly like Frizzel IMO.
But each to their own.
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That is beside the point you were arguing.
It wasn’t some Mickey Mouse award Frizell won last year and neither was Joffa’s.
 
Vicious said:
A fit and healthy Charlie Staines surely starts somewhere in our backline.
He is by far the fastest player on our roster and before injury showed he’s willing to play with the intensity and toughness required to be a quality NRL player.
Start him as a winger or centre, just don’t let him go elsewhere.
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Agree V, I was hoping we could keep him.
 
Tucker said:
That is beside the point you were arguing.
It wasn’t some Mickey Mouse award Frizell won last year and neither was Joffa’s.
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We already have Klemmer who works hard, Twal who works hard, Papali’i who works hard, Bateman who works hard, we need a few fast, athletic, tackle busting, line breaking forwards to complement the hard workers.
Frizell is just an other ageing and slowing hard worker, he won’t help us climb the ladder.
Same with some people suggesting Sezer as our halfback, we are trying to win the NRL, not the National over 30’s competition.
 
Vicious said:
We already have Klemmer who works hard, Twal who works hard, Papali’i who works hard, Bateman who works hard, we need a few fast, athletic, tackle busting, line breaking forwards to complement the hard workers.
Frizell is just an other ageing and slowing hard worker, he won’t help us climb the ladder.
Same with some people suggesting Sezer as our halfback, we are trying to win the NRL, not the National over 30’s competition.
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I’m not pushing the Frizell barrow too much, but the guy is still Origin material and was the Blues best player last Wednesday.
I’d much prefer a young Tapine or Luki type if they are around.
 
InBenjiWeTrust said:
Pole is one of our best and most consistent players, game after game. IMHO, # 13 is his, and this position become one of our strengths.
If the last game is his break-through, Talau should be our LC.
Agree about halves, this season has clearly shown that they re our weakest spots, and either both of them have a break-out in the rest of the season or they must be replaced.
By saying that, one of the replacements must be 80+ goal kicker, as Wakeham's goal kicking is exceptional.
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Pole is great, but he is not a 13. He may wear the 13 jersey.. but the days of a third prop as your lock are over. There is a great example of why he shouldn't be our 13 from the last play this weekend. Pole had a 4 on 2 overlap. Do we think Bateman would of tried to draw a defender in and pass? or would he try to straighten it up like Pole did? What would Yeo do?
Pole took the front rowers option.. run hard and straight at the post. Pole's best game before this week was playing as an impact prop off the bench. Then this week, his best stint was his 2nd one when he came off the bench and started WW3 with the raiders pack. I love Pole, but 13 he is not.

Also, why are we investing into Talau as a left centre?
  • He isn't very good
  • We are 3-9.. almost no shot of making finals
  • He is off to manly, why develop a player when it is of no benefit to us
  • Naden is better and has a 3 year contract
 
Tucker said:
I’m not pushing the Frizell barrow too much, but the guy is still Origin material and was the Blues best player last Wednesday.
I’d much prefer a young Tapine or Luki type if they are around.
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Tapine re-signed with the Raiders long term,.
Luki is also locked up with the Cowboys, but I’d say he’s taken big unders to stay with them as they have others forwards on big money contracts such as Taumalolo, Leilua, Nanai, Cotter etc.
So making Luki’s manager aware he’s worth a lot more than he’s getting wouldn’t be a bad ploy.
The one I like who’s also under contract until the end of 2024 with the Warriors is Josh Curran. I’d be near certain he too would be on a contract far less than his true vulue and being from Sydney would surely be interested in returning to Sydney with a contract upgrade.
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
I agree with Half but I would have Impact Prop (instead of Lock) and agree on Centre/Wing in 3rd.

I feel that Fonua Pole will transition to our predominant Impact Prop but we need another in our Top 30 (possibly could be an upgrade for Aitasi James).

If Talau is moving on as rumoured, we have T'oa, Naden and then Reilly & Feledy as our centre options. Yes Tupou could transition to centre with Nofa & Staines on the wing but Tupou atm has more value for us developing as a damaging winger.

IMO Feledy is going to be a gun explosive centre but I would rather him spend an entire season in Cup in '24 with a focus on him getting physically stronger, increasing leg drive & working on his speed with a Roger Fabri type. He would be found out defensively against men atm. Has a real Kotoni Staggs feel about him without being as fast over longer distances.
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We don't need to transition Pole to our dominant impact prop. He is already there and can only improve exponentially. He has shown no signs at all this year of being the lock we need. His 4 on 2 overlap this weekend heavily exposed that. Let's not waste our time trying to change him and just help him grow to be the beast he is. I am sorry but players like Pangai jr and Papali'i are much better ball players than him and they are both props.
 
teddy23 said:
Brooks is our $1.1 million dollar halfback/leader. Reality is the club should’ve never offered him that money, let alone that position. The pressure and responsibility of being our halfback and making that sum of money doesn’t suit Brooks play or persona.

Unfortunately Papali’i hasn’t been able to be as effective attacking wise, his last two years at Parra he scored 17 tries. So far with us halfway through the year he only has 1 try.

Brooks biggest weakness imo is utilising his edge forwards, probably the most predictable play in football is his short no look pass to the edge which Papali’i has been accustom to so far this year.

Bateman is the type of who goes looking for the football and likes to cut in the inside and create for himself. So he can still be able to impact the game due to his playstyle regardless on his halfback. Whereas Papali’i needs direction and allows his work rate and strength to do the rest.

Defensively Papali’i has been unreal, so his work ethic and effort hasn’t dropped at all. It’s just his ability to be injected from an attacking perspective by his halfback.

This isn’t a bash Brooks post… I think he can be one of the best 6’s in the league and personally don’t know why the club keep persisting with him at 7.

Brooks strengths is his running game and has really improved his kicking game so far this year imo, but having a genuine 7 next to him to steer the team around and inject our edge rowers more and giving Brooks the sole role of just running the football, creating overlapping plays and taking some kicks will take him even to another level. The emergence of Bula and the experience of Api is helping create a lot of space for Brooks to take the line on as the spaces opening up are becoming larger. Adding that genuine 7 will even further that more.

Wakeham has been impressive but currently we’re playing like a 10-12th ranked team and we keep improving however I don’t think we’ll ever reach the heights of being a top 8 team with them as our halves combination. He’s definitely earned the right to be our backup half however.

I genuinely believe we’re one position away from being a top 8 team…. to me it’s clear that Ben Hunt is the answer each day goes past more statements are coming out about him wanting out. May as well try get in front of the line.
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For much of his career i have not been a fan of Hunt but over the last 12 to 18 months he has lifted his game massively and would love to have him playing in the 7 jumper with us.
Like us with Brooks he needs a change of scenery
 
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