Sounds crazy but

K

king_sirro

Well-known member
do we really need to sign any more than ONE forward for next year?

We have and a horrible run with injuries that would cripple any clubs forwards and its given some opportunities for youngsters to gain experience.

If we added say, Martin Kennedy next year, a fully fit forward roster would be quite strong and versatile.

Front Row…..Kennedy, Galloway, Woods, Buchanan, Ava, Gavet, Bell, Groat, Spence....9 front row options.

2nd Row...........Fulton, Bmm, Blair, Sue, Thompson, Gavet, Bell, Akoulo, Pettybourne, Sironen...10 2nd row options

The lock/front row style we play.....Blair, Bell, Buchanan, Gavet.

Possible top line up

8.Galloway
9.Farah
10.Woods
11.Thompson
12.Blair
13.Buchanan

14.Kennedy
15.Ava
16.BMM
17.Fulton

18.Gavet
19.Groat
20.Bell
21.Spence
22.Sue
23.Akoulo
24.Pettybourne
25.Sironen

That seems pretty strong depth and allows us to keep bringing through the great talent in Akoulo and Sue.

A lot will depend on how Thompson comes along and if Blair can aim up.

But a spending frenzy may not be necessary.

I'd like to see Buchanan brought along playing that 3rd front rower from lock. I think his fitness and footwork would work great off the back of 2 front rowers.
 
No mate, you're not crazy. I've thought the same thing a few times this year. We need props NOW, it's not so much a shortage of options at the club, you're right there. We do definitely need one 1st grade quality prop at the club. However who's to say that Buchanan can't continue to step up and become that guy, much like Woods last season.

We need to focus perhaps more on getting the best out of our younger options at the club right now. Buchanan, Groat, Gavet, Ava, Bullock, Lovett and anyone else. We've got Woods, Galloway, Buchanan works well as back up to them. So if we keep them on the park there's no reason why can't do the job required.
 
A lot of those mentioned are untried, no guarantee to produce

Experience is invaluable…we need a couple of good hard heads
 
I think we probably need two Props, say Kennedy, & Dodds who can play 2nd row as well. Gavet is only on a 1 year contract & this is the last year of Galloways & Groats contracts.
 
Our forwards are certainly a lot better than our backs atm.
If we want good, experienced, quality signings then a couple of centres would be far more beneficial to the team than forwards atm.
 
@softlaw said:
Our forwards are certainly a lot better than our backs atm.
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Yep. I'm not sure if we really need to buy players anywhere. I think we need to pick the right players, pray that Benji and Robbie fire and get lucky with injuries.
 
@softlaw said:
Our forwards are certainly a lot better than our backs atm.
If we want good, experienced, quality signings then a couple of centres would be far more beneficial to the team than forwards atm.
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I'm not so sure that is a true indicator… Yes our Forwards are playing ok, while our backs are languishing, but our Forwards are still not making enough meters down the centre of the park or putting opposition forwards on thier bums.

We still need an improvement in this area... So getting guys back from injury is a priority or we need to enter the market before June 30 to find some go-forward and mongrel.

As to our Centres... What is going on there? Rowdy is a shadow of himself?!
 
You're probably not far off the mark, KS. We do have quite a lot of _potential_ props/back rowers on the books at present, but as Ink mentioned above, there is no guarantee that any of them will make the step up to playing first grade successfully, week in week out.

No one really knows yet if Ava, Sue, Gavet, Groat, Akaoula, Spence and even Sirro will fulfill their potential. Bell is ok at prop, but I think he is better at lock; Galloway is a week to week proposition these days; Fulton and Blair lack impact in the second row and it's still too early to say if Pettybourne and Thompson will be effective long term.

I reckon we could still use an experienced, hard headed prop (I'd love to get Ben Hannant) and a tall rangy back rower, who can really have some impact around the edges (God I miss Dwyer!). I don't know if Kennedy is the answer, he would probably end up just being another 'solid' forward and we already have plenty of those. Maybe Sirro will end up becoming the big second rower with impact - who knows, but he is a 5/8 at the moment, so that dream could be a long way off, or perhaps never.

The other area I feel we desperately need a big injection is in the centres. I had really high hopes after 2010 that Ayshford and Lawrence would become close to the being the best centre pairing in the league! Then that injury to Lawrence happened and Blake seemed to lose interest last year - neither have bounced back since and I'm not sure if they ever will, tbh. Hence, I think we could also use a big, strong, fast centre asap, a la Falou or Inglis (I know… I'm dreaming) lol.
 
if anyone of the frontrowers was going to play lock it should be Woods. He is very similar to Trent Merrin who has just moved to lock from the front row and now plays long minutes like woods does
 
I was thinking Buchanan looked more like Merrin. Get a pass into his game and he could fit the mould well. However, in saying that, Santi looked the goods in the U20s Origin
 
@Westie said:
Finally someone else that agrees with me… When I suggested we go after Folau I was shot down.
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Didn't read that but if it makes you feel better he would be a huge asset to our team.
 
@Westie said:
@stevetiger said:
Didn't read that but if it makes you feel better he would be a huge asset to our team.

I feel the love :sign:
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I doubt many would disagree and say he wouldnt be a massive asset to their team it's just that he's a bit overrated and thus overpriced. If he was up for 500k i'd take him in a heartbeat but i reckon that he'll be close a million which is far to much for almost any team in the NRL, especially the cashstrapped tigers.
 
Kennedy would be a good buy to shore up the front row and maybe another edge backrower like Ben Westwood or Ben Harrison from Warrington (Westwood is maybe a little too old at 31). Both can cover Prop and backrow and would add steel to the pack.
I am waiting to see how Gavet goes when he comes back from injury as he could be the dark horse.
I am not sold on the 3rd prop at lock. I am from the old school of the lock being an plug the gaps man in defense and both edge runner and link man in attack.
If we can ever produce another Brad Clyde lock, I would be happy (Simon Dwyer is the closest I can think of).
 
@king sirro said:
do we really need to sign any more than ONE forward for next year?

We have and a horrible run with injuries that would cripple any clubs forwards and its given some opportunities for youngsters to gain experience.

If we added say, Martin Kennedy next year, a fully fit forward roster would be quite strong and versatile.

Front Row…..Kennedy, Galloway, Woods, Buchanan, Ava, Gavet, Bell, Groat, Spence....9 front row options.

2nd Row...........Fulton, Bmm, Blair, Sue, Thompson, Gavet, Bell, Akoulo, Pettybourne, Sironen...10 2nd row options

The lock/front row style we play.....Blair, Bell, Buchanan, Gavet.

Possible top line up

8.Galloway
9.Farah
10.Woods
11.Thompson
12.Blair
13.Buchanan

14.Kennedy
15.Ava
16.BMM
17.Fulton

18.Gavet
19.Groat
20.Bell
21.Spence
22.Sue
23.Akoulo
24.Pettybourne
25.Sironen

That seems pretty strong depth and allows us to keep bringing through the great talent in Akoulo and Sue.

A lot will depend on how Thompson comes along and if Blair can aim up.

But a spending frenzy may not be necessary.

I'd like to see Buchanan brought along playing that 3rd front rower from lock. I think his fitness and footwork would work great off the back of 2 front rowers.
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Nicely put and on the money. Maybe one bend the line back prop and now maybe a classy centre and I think we would get by with the talent we have. Who thay would be , who knows. Maybe Kennedy, Weyman, Matallino, Grant and the centres maybe Lyons, Croaker, or somone similiar.
 
throw in the 2 gun NYC forwards Lovett and Santi who will play a role next year one way or another.

If a quality frward was available Id be for it, but signing fringe firt graders not making it elsewhere is not necessary
 
@Goose said:
throw in the 2 gun NYC forwards Lovett and Santi who will play a role next year one way or another.

If a quality frward was available Id be for it, but signing fringe firt graders not making it elsewhere is not necessary
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I think we should focus on signing a BIG player who does some hard work for next year. Maybe a strong centre or prop before june 30 but not really necessary, aysh will be back before then and we aren't too bad off in the forwards. Still got bodene, BMM, pettyborne, woods, buchanan, sue, akoulo, ava, groat, fulton and blair.
 
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