Unless one or more of our younger emerging players excel during the pre season and impress enough during the trials to demand a spot on our top 17, our bench when at full strength will likely include 3 players out of Sione Fainu, Royce Hunt, Bunty Afoa, Alex seyfarth and Jack Bird.
Based on 2025 you would assume Sione Fainu will be an automatic selection , so the other 4 will battle for 2 bench spots.
As I’ve said previously I don’t think our defence will benefit from having both Royce Hunt and Bunty Afoa in our top 17, it will likely be one of the other.
i was calling for the Taylan May signing long before anyone else on this forum, so I’m well aware what he offers.
We could have Bugs Bunny playing 5/8 on our left and Taylan May would still make a valuable contribution.
Sure Luai started playing better late in the season and started forming a good combination with Samuela Fainu and Taylan May in particular, but he still wasn’t taking ownership and making good decisions on our 5th tackle on a regular basis, surely you acknowledge that’s a concern and something he has to do much better in 2026 if we are to improve ?
As I keep saying time will tell, but I simply do not think Luai and Bula are as good as many on this forum think they are.
If I’m wrong and other are right, there are no more excuses they have to start being much more dominant much more often in 2026 and if that happens it should play a vital role in more wins.
Yes they need the assstance and all 17 players to contribute and not be passengers, but as you have just stated that should not be a problem in 2026.
The point I continue to make in this Alex Seyfarth thread is his 10-30 minute cameo appearance each week if he’s in our top 17 at all will not make or break us in 2026, contrary to what sone people want to believe.
Bula isn’t in this teams top 3 players . By next season I’m hoping Makasini and Haywood have pushed through , as well as the may brothers .
Have you ever played in the halves ? It’s difficult , especially if the other team has realised that’s where all the creativity is coming from. They limit space , make you put the ball in other people’s hands sooner than you want . If you have options that have thier own gravity , all of sudden there’s space for you . That’s what May provided down the left . Now teams will factor him in , which means they will be really picking thier poison down that left .
It’s all connected like I keep saying . You can’t have a player who the opposition doesn’t really mark . It pretty much kills your attack . You’re talking micro seconds . That’s the difference between great attack and meh attack .
Teams like the raiders and bulldogs , have proven a star team is always better than a team of stars . As great as those teams were , how many bulldogs players are genuinely in your top 20 ? I honestly have 1. Chricton.
As for the raiders , I honestly have 1 has well in Tapine .
For me the top 20 players in the game are as follows ; 1. Walsh . Tedesco. Cleary, Hass , Munster , Hughes , Tapine , Grant , Yeo, Carrigan , Hammer, luai , Chricton , Metcalf , Ponga, Lomax(gone now),Mitchell(be much higher if he got on the field ) Hynes , Edward’s , Angus . I’m sure I’m forgetting someone .
The storm have had the same model since the day they started 3- 4 gun players then a bunch of journeymen around them , most being elevated to “gun” by thier play for them , when they leave they return back to norm. Thier talent identification at both ends of the spectrum , especially the back end is to be applauded . They’ve currently got guys like Nick Meaney , king Seve even Shawn blore , guys who were on thier third nrl team by the time the storm had them .
You could say in Blore case the potential was always there for all to see , but the whole nrl didn’t see it in Meaney and Seve . We were offered Meaney and went down the Laurie path . He went to the dogs who said thanks but no thanks after a year or two .
Even thier stars , guys like Cronk and now Hughes and Munster , neither of which had the “next big thing tag” I don’t even think Munster made any rep teams in the lower grades . Man anyone can go to any footy match in Australia and point out the best player on the field , as being the one who scores all the points. But when you really look, in a lot of cases the reason the team wins is because all 17 are doing thier job , bought in and know thier role . As Ponga has found out this last year … you can’t do it by yourself . Especially when your number 2 , and 3 stars are so enigmatic as is the case in best and Safiti .
