Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Jolls]

Why you all talking about having a 6 man bench like it's going to somehow change
the strategy of the game?
It may help with early game ending Injuries in key positions, Outside that - the effect will be minimal.

It's not like it will need to be a factor in every game multiple times.

I think that there are several options you could use depending on who you are facing and what the concerns are. I mean how many times a year does a half go down - and carrying one as 18/19 week in week out affects the player and the KoE team. If Benji is confident in AD as a starter I don't see a need to vary the standard bench much at all. You can afford to carry 4 middles a utility and a backup for Api as he can slip into half as required. If we think that it will be a grind much the same.

Latu provides us with good options where we can rotate fast middles if we want to change the momentum of the game. Skelton on the bench could also be an option as he is big enough to have a run in the middle if required (not sure how many reps he has done there though).

Carrying a player as valuable as a 7 as a maybe, is a waste.

The smart coaches will be choosing horses for courses!

 

[TheEnz]

I gotta admit .. I’m not a fan of Hope … they are in a spot of bother if Api goes down ..,

Big expectations for Mak … I think he might start on the wing .., but I guess I prefer him over Herbert in the centres .., it’s still an area of concern given problems with Toa that persist

Haywood was our best 9 by a country mile in the pre-season. I would not be surprised if he isn't coming off the bench in firsts towards the second half of the season. Benji is not afraid of throwing the kids in if he thinks they are ready. A 20 min stint once the venom is out of the game might work for him. Other option is you get a defensive 9 in there for the first 20 and use Api the same way they did at the panthers...comes on and creates against a fatigued defense. All I know is he should not be playing 80mins week in week out.

 

[Canadian Club]

Did you see Shaun Johnson tipped AD for Dally M this year 🤣 thought you’d like that one Jolls.

I believe he said Dally M Halfback of the year. Same award Brooks won.

 

[Vicious]

Why you all talking about having a 6 man bench like it's going to somehow change
the strategy of the game?
It may help with early game ending Injuries in key positions, Outside that - the effect will be minimal.

It's not like it will need to be a factor in every game multiple times.

We have 2 big bodied power running forwards in Afoa and Hunt.
If we need points we can use them both, if we are defending points we can use 1 or none of them.
We are not certain our halfback is going o get he job done week after week, We can now have a back up halve on the bench at all times just in case.
We have an ageing hooker who is a week to week proposition as to how many minutes his body is capable of playing at a decent standard. We can now have a back up hooker on the bench at all times just in case.
We have some injury prone outside backs which last year were being replaced throughout the game if they were injured by Jack Bird or Sam Fainu. We can now have a specialist outside back on our bench just in case.
Does that sound like the 6 man bench will be good for us ?
I’m sure it will help every team, but for the reasons mentioned above I think it will help us more than most.

 

[Vicious]

Haywood was our best 9 by a country mile in the pre-season. I would not be surprised if he isn't coming off the bench in firsts towards the second half of the season. Benji is not afraid of throwing the kids in if he thinks they are ready. A 20 min stint once the venom is out of the game might work for him. Other option is you get a defensive 9 in there for the first 20 and use Api the same way they did at the panthers...comes on and creates against a fatigued defense. All I know is he should not be playing 80mins week in week out.

No doubt Haywood is the best current future number 9 prospect we have, but take into consideration that last season we were quite regularly conceding big metres up the middle and on the edges due to our defensive line speed and at times our physicality being poor.
A young, slightly built number 9 is not going to help fix that problem, where an older battle hardened, bulked up, ball of energy such as Tristan Hope who is not afraid to get in the faces and whack our opponents when defending will absolutely help fix that problem.

 

[batboy]

I think that there are several options you could use depending on who you are facing and what the concerns are. I mean how many times a year does a half go down - and carrying one as 18/19 week in week out affects the player and the KoE team. If Benji is confident in AD as a starter I don't see a need to vary the standard bench much at all. You can afford to carry 4 middles a utility and a backup for Api as he can slip into half as required. If we think that it will be a grind much the same.

Latu provides us with good options where we can rotate fast middles if we want to change the momentum of the game. Skelton on the bench could also be an option as he is big enough to have a run in the middle if required (not sure how many reps he has done there though).

Carrying a player as valuable as a 7 as a maybe, is a waste.

The smart coaches will be chosing horses for courses!

Agree,
Still the same game with the same amount of interchanges.

We're lucky to get 25 minutes a game out of Royce Hunt (Costs us 2 interchanges on his own) and blokes here masterminding how we can now get an extra 2 Players into the game.
It really is just giving the butterflies something to look at.

Api can slip into 6/7 at a pinch, Doueihi can cover the whole backline.
Best I would be worrying about is a Middle forward who can fill in at Hooker.

Reality is
- We're not good enough a side to think we can loose a middle interchange just because the rule is a little more malleable now...
Blokes here talking like the rules have totally changed and we're going to see massive benefits?

Coaches are picking their 1-17 to start and finish the game...
The rest is a luxury should incidence happen from time to time.

 

[Chunk]

Did you see Shaun Johnson tipped AD for Dally M this year 🤣 thought you’d like that one Jolls.

Shaun Johnson makes huge call on 2026 Dally M halfback winner

He revealed the bold prediction on his podcast.

www.zerotackle.com

 

[TheEnz]

No doubt Haywood is the best current future number 9 prospect we have, but take into consideration that last season we were quite regularly conceding big metres up the middle and on the edges due to our defensive line speed and at times our physicality being poor.
A young, slightly built number 9 is not going to help fix that problem, where an older battle hardened, bulked up, ball of energy such as Tristan Hope who is not afraid to get in the faces and whack our opponents when defending will absolutely help fix that problem.

in that case I would have Hope starting and Api coming on after 20mins...the first 20 is where most of the defensive energy gets burnt up. Bring Api on when the sting is out of the game on the defensive side.

 

[batboy]

We have 2 big bodied power running forwards in Afoa and Hunt.
If we need points we can use them both, if we are defending points we can use 1 or none of them.
We are not certain our halfback is going o get he job done week after week, We can now have a back up halve on the bench at all times just in case.
We have an ageing hooker who is a week to week proposition as to how many minutes his body is capable of playing at a decent standard. We can now have a back up hooker on the bench at all times just in case.
We have some injury prone outside backs which last year were being replaced throughout the game if they were injured by Jack Bird or Sam Fainu. We can now have a specialist outside back on our bench just in case.
Does that sound like the 6 man bench will be good for us ?
I’m sure it will help every team, but for the reasons mentioned above I think it will help us more than most.

But still only allowed to use the same amount of players and the same amount of interchanges yeah.

Needing to score points isn't going to get an extra 30 minutes a game out of Royce Hunt because we lost an interchange. Whatever points you think you're going to magically create are going to be lost to the amount put past a tired forward because someone took his interchange.

It's there for the unimaginable, Which happens rarely...
And to give fantasy football idiots something else to talk about.

 

[Vicious]

Agree,
Still the same game with the same amount of interchanges.

We're lucky to get 25 minutes a game out of Royce Hunt (Costs us 2 interchanges on his own) and blokes here masterminding how we can now get an extra 2 Players into the game.
It really is just giving the butterflies something to look at.

Api can slip into 6/7 at a pinch, Doueihi can cover the whole backline.
Best I would be worrying about is a Middle forward who can fill in at Hooker.

Reality is
- We're not good enough a side to think we can loose a middle interchange just because the rule is a little more malleable now...
Blokes here talking like the rules have totally changed and we're going to see massive benefits?

Coaches are picking their 1-17 to start and finish the game...
The rest is a luxury should incidence happen from time to time.

If Doueihi is having a great game at 7 and To’a gets injured, it will surely be a better option to bring Skelton on for To’a than it would be to move Doueihi to the centres and bring on Madden or Fainu at 7.

 

[Vicious]

in that case I would have Hope starting and Api coming on after 20mins...the first 20 is where most of the defensive energy gets burnt up. Bring Api on when the sting is out of the game on the defensive side.

Not a bad idea, the Panthers won a competition with that plan in place.

 

[batboy]

If Doueihi is having a great game at 7 and To’a gets injured, it will surely be a better option to bring Skelton on for To’a than it would be to move Doueihi tj the centres and bring on Madden or Fainu at 7.

Haven't you been waxing on about us being a middle short?

Why is no one talking about the Interchange we'd loose for a tiring middle just so we
could replace an NRL centre with a reserve grade one?
There used to be this thing called Utility players, They're still out there - Doueihi might even be a good example of one, As is Dylan Walker.

I'd rather carry 2 props, a Back Rower who can also play Prop and a Utility that can cover a few positions including Lock and Hooker (Similar to how it's been done for the majority of the last 20 years)

Then we can leave your Fantasy Football to the Kids.

Now Obviously, If you lost your starting 7 in the First 10 minutes of the game
- There would be exceptions made.... But for the 95% of the time that doesn't happen.

I'd rather the 1-17 be there to actually win the game - Rather than worry about the infinite possibilities of what 'might' happen and how we could counter that with this imaginary unlimited interchange and extra players you can throw into the mix for it.

 

[Vicious]

Haven't you been waxing on about us being a middle short?

Why is no one talking about the Interchange we'd loose for a tiring middle just so we
could replace an NRL centre with a reserve grade one?
There used to be this thing called Utility players, They're still out there - Doueihi might even be a good example of one, As is Dylan Walker.

I'd rather carry 2 props, a Back Rower who can also play Prop and a Utility that can cover a few positions including Lock and Hooker (Similar to how it's been done for the majority of the last 20 years)

Then we can leave your Fantasy Football to the Kids.

Now Obviously, If you lost your starting 7 in the First 10 minutes of the game
- There would be exceptions made.... But for the 95% of the time that doesn't happen.

I'd rather the 1-17 be there to actually win the game - Rather than worry about the infinite possibilities of what 'might' happen and how we could counter that with this imaginary unlimited interchange and extra players you can throw into the mix for it.

Times are changing, we can either keep up or get left behind.

14. Hope or Korisau (the other starting)
15. Sione Fainu
16. Afoa or Pole (the other starting)
17. Hunt/Seyfarth/Murray/Geyer/ Laulilli/Sukkar
18. Skelton
19. Madden

 

[innsaneink]

I think that there are several options you could use depending on who you are facing and what the concerns are. I mean how many times a year does a half go down - and carrying one as 18/19 week in week out affects the player and the KoE team. If Benji is confident in AD as a starter I don't see a need to vary the standard bench much at all. You can afford to carry 4 middles a utility and a backup for Api as he can slip into half as required. If we think that it will be a grind much the same.

Latu provides us with good options where we can rotate fast middles if we want to change the momentum of the game. Skelton on the bench could also be an option as he is big enough to have a run in the middle if required (not sure how many reps he has done there though).

Carrying a player as valuable as a 7 as a maybe, is a waste.

The smart coaches will be choosing horses for courses!

Thats why ive predicted a possible rotation between certain players for 18 or 19.
You cant predict what will occur and having the same.players will see them possibly get 0 game time when you look at KOE draw and NRL draw...its not friendly

 

[Tiger Stripes]

Times are changing, we can either keep up or get left behind.

14. Hope or Korisau (the other starting)
15. Sione Fainu
16. Afoa or Pole (the other starting)
17. Hunt/Seyfarth/Murray/Geyer/ Laulilli/Sukkar
18. Skelton
19. Madden

Makes sense.
After a few weeks I expect Hunt to be carrying a niggle and dropped/relegated. Injury prone. That's just me!

 

[Just Doueihi It]

Shaun Johnson makes huge call on 2026 Dally M halfback winner

He revealed the bold prediction on his podcast.

www.zerotackle.com

Galvin is the poor man’s Doueihi… If Doueihi is injury free, there is no reason he won’t be in the mix 🔥

 

[Tiger Tarl]

Realistically, teams all use 6 interchanges relatively the same: on fresh middle forwards. ie. 2 props and a lock get replaced each half.

Some teams have 80-minute locks which allow them to swap out a 2nd row instead. But we seem to have two 80 min 2nd rowers, so it's likely we would use 3 interchanges in first half for May/Hunt, Bunty/Pole and Twal/Sione. We would then replace those replacements with the starters staggered sometime in the second half, so we have our 'best' team to finish out the game.

This leaves us with 2 'free' interchanges to use. However, most teams use one of them to replace their hooker at some point in the game. Whether they do that for fresh legs in the last 20 or so, or we start with someone like Hope to soak up defence then have Api play 60mins, all comes down to personnel and what works for the team.

So... barring injury, that really only leaves 1 interchange 'up our sleeve' to either add spark or something different if the game is in the balance. But of course, it's more likely there to cover an injury.

For mine, we'd stick with two props, a backrower (lock but can play 2nd rower if needed) and a replacement hooker. Is that Hope? Haywood? Can Madden or Latu play hooker at the top level? Does Latu come on in the lock role when fit, adding another attacking threat and essentially playing as half in attack with two 5/8s either side of the ruck?

Will be interesting to see the makeup of the bench come round 2 after Benji has seen how other teams have utilised it in round one. One tiny silver lining from having the bye.

 

[crazycat]

Did you see Zero tackle rate the spines and I think we are like 14/15 and Canterbury above us

Tracy
Burton
Galvin
Haywood

Is better then

Bula
Luai
AD
API

The article sucked, Although it is interesting...

Bula > Tracy
Luai > Burton but it is really messed up because Burton can play as a 7. They have him at 5/8 where he is not as good as Luai.
Api > Haywood most definately until Haywood proves himself.

The forum will hate me, but Galvin > AD at the moment.
Ofcourse Galvin is no Halfback.

Maybe if the Bulldogs played people in the right positions, they woudl have a better spine. They won't so they don't

 

[crazycat]

Realistically, teams all use 6 interchanges relatively the same: on fresh middle forwards. ie. 2 props and a lock get replaced each half.

Some teams have 80-minute locks which allow them to swap out a 2nd row instead. But we seem to have two 80 min 2nd rowers, so it's likely we would use 3 interchanges in first half for May/Hunt, Bunty/Pole and Twal/Sione. We would then replace those replacements with the starters staggered sometime in the second half, so we have our 'best' team to finish out the game.

This leaves us with 2 'free' interchanges to use. However, most teams use one of them to replace their hooker at some point in the game. Whether they do that for fresh legs in the last 20 or so, or we start with someone like Hope to soak up defence then have Api play 60mins, all comes down to personnel and what works for the team.

So... barring injury, that really only leaves 1 interchange 'up our sleeve' to either add spark or something different if the game is in the balance. But of course, it's more likely there to cover an injury.

For mine, we'd stick with two props, a backrower (lock but can play 2nd rower if needed) and a replacement hooker. Is that Hope? Haywood? Can Madden or Latu play hooker at the top level? Does Latu come on in the lock role when fit, adding another attacking threat and essentially playing as half in attack with two 5/8s either side of the ruck?

Will be interesting to see the makeup of the bench come round 2 after Benji has seen how other teams have utilised it in round one. One tiny silver lining from having the bye.

We have to go two Props. Or at least 2 people who can play prop.

Api also needs to stop being a 80 minute player... We have been pushing him hard with 80 minutes and the opposing teams can tell.

I would actually like to see Api start the first 40, take a break... Then come back on at Lock with Hope/haywood or maybe even Fainu at Hooker. I reckon with Api playing lock it would add a dynamic that would be good for our attack.

The other reserve... Well we probably can have a Back and a half sitting as 18/19 and a Forward ready to go if needed. But happy to mix that up, if we see points on the board then an extra back hasn't exactly failed for us.

 

[Odessa]

The article sucked, Although it is interesting...

Bula > Tracy
Luai > Burton but it is really messed up because Burton can play as a 7. They have him at 5/8 where he is not as good as Luai.
Api > Haywood most definately until Haywood proves himself.

The forum will hate me, but Galvin > AD at the moment.
Ofcourse Galvin is no Halfback.

Maybe if the Bulldogs played people in the right positions, they woudl have a better spine. They won't so they don't

I don't rate the Canterbury spine

And I also don't rate the Melbourne spine

The reason I don't rate the Melbourne spine is because they have all eyes up player's all individually brilliant but as a spine fall down they can blow teams off the park but fall down in the grind and pressure incapable of winning a comp

I remember the Broncos in 2006 everyone did not rate Shane Perry but he didn't have to be brilliant he just had to do his thing kick to the corners the occasional run and be smart with his passing and give it to Locky when he called for it


At Melbourne they are to frantic to win enough big games