That all sounds very positive , where do you think we will finish next year, cause that certainly translates to us making the top 8 at the very least.
I think that we have recruited pretty well against some of our identified deficiencies. I also think that we have gained is, on paper, better than what we have lost. Some of our regular FG from 25 are likely to find themselves either on the pine or pushing for a spot on the pine from reggies. This is a good thing.
We will field a more balanced side on both sides of the pill and both sides of the park. I don't subscribe to the theory that winning the NRL premiership is about having a stable spine that wins you games. Sure that will help but neither of the 2025 GF teams had a stable spine. What they had was enough depth to win games when the spine was depleted. this is partly due to quality but equally due to the repeatablitiy of the game plan. Everyone knows what line to run, in what part of the field, so that the playmakers, whover they are, can play what they see and know where, within reason, the support will be.
So, for me, the key to being top 8 is a combination is having enough structure to enable ad lib play and enough quality (depth) to cover for the inevitable injuries.
For 2026 we have recruited well enough, in most positions, to field a balanced side with attacking options on both sides of the field. We have improved our depth in some areas. However, we are underdone at 13 and 1.
It appears, from the outside, that we are relying on AD to transition into 13 as a ball player - but there is no depth at all should he go down. I don't see a depth replacement that has a similar skill set to enable the game plan to be executed in the same manner when he goes down. The backup that comes to mind is for Latu to shift to 13 and Madden to play 7. This is not an ideal solution as it unbalances the structure and execution. If we are thinking next man up, who is it in reggies who is playing the same style of footy as AD?
Same can be said for Bula where the likely next man up is Taruva. Mason certainly isn't up to the task so it will be interesting to see if we pick up Attard to fill that void and what his development looks like.
I also think we are short, pun intedned, in aerial threats so we will leave points out on the field until we can address this. Makasini may be an answer should he come into grade on the wing as expected. I think that our game plan will probably be to attack the ball in the air, and on the ground, with our edges as opposed to the wing.
So a long answer to a simple question I guess. Will we make the 8? I think we have recruited well enough to do so. Do we have the talent and depth to have a crack at the title? I don't think so.
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