Rock Hopper Steve
Well-known member
Did you leave out the defensive stats on purpose mate 😮.
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
😂😂
I remember seeing him play, for the Magpies.
Fonua, Clark, Garner and Taylor all named for Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies Canterbury Cup Coach Brett Hodgson has finalised his side to take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs today for their Round 11 clash at Redfern Oval.
www.weststigers.com.au
He's in the team list.
Mad throwback.
I remember thinking when seeing him play live, he was arrogant player that thought he was bigger than the team.
Man I don’t agree . You’re talking shit . I’ve answered this . Accept it or not . I couldn’t care less . Data and contract negotiations back what I’m saying . Nothing you’ve said is based on anything other than your opinion . Which your 💯 entitled to. But it’s not fact , and therefore I won’t treat it as such. And not should anyone with an objective brain .
tigahhh
Well-known member
any further clues to this? 👀
With Latu supposedly not being ready for the first few rounds, you would think Venji would revert back to what worked late in the season and play Doueihi at 7 and Luai at 6 for the first few rounds of the 2026 season.
From there the success of the team will determine what happens moving forward.
Kelce68
Well-known member
Don't disagree.
I meant to clarify that I think he will be on the bench for Cup in Round 1, with Hope to start.
Whether anyone rates Bula highly or not, you must agree that season 2026 has to be the season where he along with the likes of Luai, Korisau and whoever plays 7 need to start doing their talking on the field and get is enough wins to make the top 8, no more excuses.
Quite obviously the focus is well and truly on these players as they play within our spine and between them take up a fair chunk of our teams salary cap.
So I am happy to say no more about it until at least a 3rd of season 2026 has been played and we have results to provide evidence as to how well these players are performing and whether or not they are earning their pay cheques.
Tigerstigerstigers
Well-known member
starting Y26 or Y27?
Rock Hopper Steve
Well-known member
That's the way I see it V Latu will be finding his feet again when he returns so you can rule him out in the early rounds, the smokey could be Madden if he has a blinder of an off season, but that's unknown my goolies aren't made of crystal, shame it could be useful in life.
Firstly that is a nice little depth chart you have put together, well done.
I would flip Seyfarth and Godinet as Seyfarth will highly likely be used exclusively as a middle moving forward and Godinet is a back rower.
As you have pointed out we have some very promising young emerging talent and if a couple of them quickly rise to prominence as above average NRL players, it makes a huge positive difference to the overall quality of the squad.
If our 1-5 play as welll as a lot of our supporters believe they can and we have good leadership, direction and kicking game from our 6,7 and 9 then we will make the top 8 in 2026 as I’m highly confident our forwards will hold their own at the very least.
tigertragic
Well-known member
Correct, plus just pushes discussions underground and rely on a whistleblower to catch out any manager breaking the ‘rules’. Nothing is effectively changing despite the desk thumping.
clontarfkid
Well-known member
Latus not ready,and neither is his body atm
Madden at 27 is a clear Koe player,and ocassional fill in ...
So its gotta be AD at 7,who was arguably our best when fit..and his defence wld be a major problem at 13
What about that Bud bloke at the rabbits????
Tiger Stripes
Well-known member
Only gets policed when it's on the back page of the newspapers; and the NRL can't hide it.
And then they get a wet lettuce leaf for punishment for lack of proof.
Jolls
Well-known member
I think the divide is a good thing and opens the forum up for a worthwhile discussion as it is the most significant issue heading into the 2026 season.
Put aside the arguments for someone dropping out of a tree to fix any of the real or perceived shortfalls that we have in the forward pack and the Cup and FG sides, for the most part, pick themselves. We also have some genuine depth across the park for the first time in a while.
The backline may change a little depending on how Makasini comes along. The forward pack is pretty much settled with the exception of 13. How Bunty/Royce fit in will come out in the wash but for the most part there is experience in FG, some depth and youth being developed. That is in all postions bar 13.
The spine to start the season will be Bula, Luai, Api and, yet to be determined. Depth is Taruva, Madden, and Hope with and Attard, Andrews and Heywood being developed. Latu also has to be squeezed in there when he comes back from Surgery.
So the postions that aren't clear are: 13 and 7/6 depending on where Benji decides to pay Luai.
Given we haven't recruited a 13 and the likelihood of a FG ready 13 dropping out of a tree over the off season is low - who are we going to manufacture into a 13 that provides width for our halves. We need to bite that bullet now as the preparation of a 13 is completely different to perparing to play in the halves or the front row.
So as it stands Twal/Bird are the combination. Does anyone in their right mind think this is a viable option to get us into the 8. If not AD the alternate is?
Twal is not the answer and neither is Charlie Murray.
upthetigers
Well-known member
100% look at Casey McLean at the panthers as an example. The players on big coin need to earn their pay packet and the young guys need to be pushing for selection.
Rock Hopper Steve
Well-known member
You're still angling for Adam at 13 and I don't disagree with him ending up there just can't see it in the early rounds
Other guys on here have hinted that Benji should run Sione there over the summer and see how that looks.
I think we should run Terrell there and see if he's got it, he's shown to have the stamina and willingness to offload, big, bodied lock would be great for the team if he could prove he has the smarts
Jolls
Well-known member
OK, I get your argument and for the most part agree with your assessment of AD's skill set. His kicking game certainly isn't at half standard, but it is servicable and he can be a good runner of the footy. He also has expereince in the centres and at 5/8.
I'm happy to disagree on the assessment of AD - it is all about opinion.
What it appears that we do agree on is the need for a ball playing 13 as opposed to Twal plodding up the middle stifling our attack. Your suggestion is to convert Sione from FRF to lock. Sure it could be done - but in my opinion he lacks the ball playing and running game requured for the postion and converting him over weakens our pack significantly
Not too many ball playig locks have come from inside the pack. Wade Graham, Cam McGuiness and Yeo are probably the best examples of ball playing locks - one from the centres, one from 5/8 and one from the spine - the common denominator with all of them is that the running and ball playing ability required for 13 was already in their DNA. Sione just doesn't have that pedigree.
13 is a significant weakness at the moment. I trust that Benji is working on a solution.
Jolls
Well-known member
May would make a great 13. Doubt it is in the plan though.
426Tlgerland
Well-known member
Adam Elliot injury free would be perfect , cheap , all heart 13. Can hit hard in defence , runs hard , plays 101% I would take him and fix the issue , 1 year with 1 year option
The Chad
Well-known member
Trying to replicate a ball playing lock that is essentially a 3rd Half when you don't have a genuine player to do so could be worse than not having one at all.
A little innovation could work.
The Warriors KOE side ended up playing Freddie Lussick, normally a 9/13 as a front rower. Now, anyone that watched them realised he wasn't playing like Payne Haas.
He was essentially a first receiver & ball player before the line.
That could, realistically, be a role Terrell May can play either as an 8 or 13.
This could allow either Doueihi or Latu to play off the bench to start, but keep 3 front rowers on the field at other times. Twal isn't a ball player, Sione is more a break through the line & look to pass type, Pole & Hunt may not understand what passing actually is, and Bunty literally just came from the squad where Lussick played front row- so he knows the role.
Terrell May isn't a great passer, or a creative passer, but he is willing to pass before the line much in the way Todd Payten used to. Instead of recreating Yeo when you can't- look to maximise what the club does have. If May has the 'permission' to play somewhere between a front rower & distributor, it might make those elongated minutes on the field more useful than just stat lines. Play him 15 minutes as a semi-lock/Todd Payten, then when Latu/Doueihi are on, switch him into a more traditional front rower role.
Stop trying to catch up & copy what other teams do, and do your own thing well instead. Make others catch up & copy us.
A little innovation could work.
The Warriors KOE side ended up playing Freddie Lussick, normally a 9/13 as a front rower. Now, anyone that watched them realised he wasn't playing like Payne Haas.
He was essentially a first receiver & ball player before the line.
That could, realistically, be a role Terrell May can play either as an 8 or 13.
This could allow either Doueihi or Latu to play off the bench to start, but keep 3 front rowers on the field at other times. Twal isn't a ball player, Sione is more a break through the line & look to pass type, Pole & Hunt may not understand what passing actually is, and Bunty literally just came from the squad where Lussick played front row- so he knows the role.
Terrell May isn't a great passer, or a creative passer, but he is willing to pass before the line much in the way Todd Payten used to. Instead of recreating Yeo when you can't- look to maximise what the club does have. If May has the 'permission' to play somewhere between a front rower & distributor, it might make those elongated minutes on the field more useful than just stat lines. Play him 15 minutes as a semi-lock/Todd Payten, then when Latu/Doueihi are on, switch him into a more traditional front rower role.
Stop trying to catch up & copy what other teams do, and do your own thing well instead. Make others catch up & copy us.
