MacDougall
New member
… is going to force the hand of the Tigers A LOT. We are going to be seeing either a lot of regular first graders leaving or be missing out on some superstar young guns.
Granted we have Lote and Utai that are getting up there in age and Ellis has confirmed he is leaving but there aren't many others around retirement age or that we would be looking at moving on. I see very little room to purchase any big names even though a lot of salary cap is getting freed up at the end of the year (assuming Lote moves on) simply due to our juniors being strong. I would be looking at replacing a like for like with Ellis in the backrow and maybe spending Lote's cash on a prop. I saw in the Big League preview that they had our depth list but they didn't look too far into the future.
**Fullback: James Tedesco (incumbent), Kurtis Rowe, Linc Port + assorted utilities and wingers (Reddy, Humble, Ryan, Brown, Grant, Meaney)**
This is probably the most open race we have and the one that is most likely to cause a lot of players to leave. It's already happened with Mullaney, arguably our greatest NYC player, not getting a shot and moving on. Kurtis Rowe looks to be a special talent as well and Linc Port has been talked about by Sheens as a potential first grader as well and has had a fair bit of media on him. Throw in the fact that at some stage any of those utilities listed might slip in and actually fire and get the gig and we could be looking at a lot of players looking elsewhere for opportunities. Assuming Tedesco becomes a lock for the gig we will see an exodus of fullback talent. If Rowe and Port continue to impress and Tedesco remains consistent in first grade I cannot see us retaining the former two.
**Wing: Lote Tuqiri + Beau Ryan (incumbents), Matt Utai, John Grant, Marika Koroibete, David Noafaluma, Joel Reddy, Mitch Brown, Tom Humble**
In this position it looks like those first four listed have the jump. Assuming Grant does remotely well in reggies he will likely move into the first grade starting 17 next year with Tuqiri and Utai moving on. This leaves absolutely gun talents like Marika Koroibete and David Noafaluma waiting in the wings (pun intended) and players of their calibre won't stay second stringers for long. Assuming Beau Ryan stays around. Personally I would be looking at making the Beauster a permanent number 17 and looking at Grant/Koroibete as our future wingers but I feel that the club will remain loyal to Beau being a starter. A Grant/Koroibete wing pairing would be a salivating prospect for Benji Marshall. They would eclipse Mead/Gordon as the fastest wing pairing in the game. A major step up from this weeks Ryan/Utai pairing. In addition to Tuqiri and Utai moving on I feel due to the selection policy of the club we will lose Noafaluma, Brown, Reddy and potentially Marika Koroibete.
**Centres: Chris Lawrence + Blake Ayshford (incumbents), Mitch Brown, Joel Reddy, Tom Humble, Tim Simona**
This position is curly. We have obvious incumbents that should stay there for years but there have been whispers of those two moving to the backrow ever since they debuted. I think the general consensus is "that's a bad idea" and to leave them there which in addition to the previous two positions leaves a guy like Mitch Brown basically out in the cold. Tim Simona has wraps but I can't see him playing first grade this year despite being in the top squad even in the unlikely situation that Lawrence and Ayshford make the origin team because the centres would be Brown and Reddy ahead of him I assume. I feel that Brown, Reddy and Simona won't remain at the WT long term.
**Halves: Benji Marshall + Tim Moltzen (incumbent), Jacob Miller, Curtis Sironen, Manaia Rudolph, Mitchell Moses**
Marshall and Moltzen have their positions sewn up all year imo. With the possibilities at fullback I cannot see Sheens reverting to Moltzen at 1 and promoting Miller so I think we will see him departing the club this year. He is young and extremely talented, NYC halfback of the year last year, NYC player of the year the year before (I think?) and he is STILL NYC age. That's a talent. There are many clubs that would take him and hand him the number 7 jersey right now imo. Moltzen seems to have a locked in contract to be always in the team so I cannot see Miller usurping him even if Moltzen shows poor form. Sheens has not got a history of dropping players who are playing poorly. Curtis Sironen will grow into a backrower so I feel he has options within the club due to that being our weakest depth position. Manaia Rudolph is young and green and we haven't seen enough of him to judge but he looks like an enigmatic Rangi Chase like talent, and we saw what happened to Rangi. Mitchell Moses is a junior superstar and the sky is the limit with him. I get the feeling that if the Tigers don't flat out guarantee him a future as their number 7 he will take options elsewhere. I would almost be willing to give him that guarantee because he looks to be a once in a generation player. Such hard decisions to make regarding our depth in the halves.
**Lock/Backrow: Heighington + Blair + Ellis (incumbents), Fulton, Murdoch-Masila, Al Schirnack, Shaun Spence, Junior Moors, Andrew Vela, Brendan Santi + a million others**
This is probably the position that gives us the least headaches. Well at least "GOOD" headaches. We know Ellis is leaving and Dwyer is a wishful prospect at this stage so there are positions OPEN. This is also the most likely position for us to purchase into, so our depth players have a chance to give the club a reason to reconsider. Heighington + Fulton are getting on in age too and the club has already indicated they are somewhat expendable to their plans so, again, the depth players have opportunities. A guy like Murdoch-Masila has been around a while now and really needs to make this HIS year, failure to do so and I cannot see us retaining him. Al Schirnack likewise. Shaun Spence, personally I don't rate him much so I won't comment. Moors hasn't been given much of a shot and I cannot see him being given one. The last two I named are where I think our future will come from. I can't say I've seen either of them but going by the talk and the articles these are our future but time will tell.
**Prop: Galloway + Woods (incumbents), Groat, Moors, Bell, Al Schirnack, Mosese Fotuiaka**
Another position that a depth player could stake a case for. Groat and Bell hardly have a lock on their bench spots but I'm damn confident Woods and Galloway have theirs sewn up. The only problem is we don't actually have much depth here. Potential position to purchase into but like back row I'm not too concerned with us losing talented young props (considering we already went through this problem in this position last year).
So after all of this I think it's plain to see that we're going to be in for a bittersweet few years. I'll look in my crystal ball (I borrowed it off that guy that does those threads) and see our side for 2015.
1\. James Tedesco
2\. Marika Koroibete
3\. Blake Ayshford
4\. Chris Lawrence
5\. John Grant
6\. Benji Marshall
7\. Mitchell Moses
8\. Keith Galloway
9\. Robbie Farah
10\. Aaron Woods
11\. Adam Blair
12\. Brendan Santi
13\. Curtis Sironen
14\. Tim Moltzen
15\. Matt Groat
16\. Andrew Vela
17\. Mosese Fotuiaka
Well look at that. Mostly juniors! Assuming this team eventuates (highly, HIGHLY unlikely) you can see for yourself the players that are pushed out or that never got a look in. And if I'm wrong and one of those guys is in the team for 2015, well the guy that I've named here won't be. That's basically it right there. That's the bittersweet.
Come 2015 we could see Jacob Miller, Mitchell Moses, Linc Port, Kurtis Rowe, Tim Moltzen all playing fullback or halfback for other clubs and we could have had them. We could be the breeding ground for positions we've historically struggled with.
But it's a good headache as they say.
Granted we have Lote and Utai that are getting up there in age and Ellis has confirmed he is leaving but there aren't many others around retirement age or that we would be looking at moving on. I see very little room to purchase any big names even though a lot of salary cap is getting freed up at the end of the year (assuming Lote moves on) simply due to our juniors being strong. I would be looking at replacing a like for like with Ellis in the backrow and maybe spending Lote's cash on a prop. I saw in the Big League preview that they had our depth list but they didn't look too far into the future.
**Fullback: James Tedesco (incumbent), Kurtis Rowe, Linc Port + assorted utilities and wingers (Reddy, Humble, Ryan, Brown, Grant, Meaney)**
This is probably the most open race we have and the one that is most likely to cause a lot of players to leave. It's already happened with Mullaney, arguably our greatest NYC player, not getting a shot and moving on. Kurtis Rowe looks to be a special talent as well and Linc Port has been talked about by Sheens as a potential first grader as well and has had a fair bit of media on him. Throw in the fact that at some stage any of those utilities listed might slip in and actually fire and get the gig and we could be looking at a lot of players looking elsewhere for opportunities. Assuming Tedesco becomes a lock for the gig we will see an exodus of fullback talent. If Rowe and Port continue to impress and Tedesco remains consistent in first grade I cannot see us retaining the former two.
**Wing: Lote Tuqiri + Beau Ryan (incumbents), Matt Utai, John Grant, Marika Koroibete, David Noafaluma, Joel Reddy, Mitch Brown, Tom Humble**
In this position it looks like those first four listed have the jump. Assuming Grant does remotely well in reggies he will likely move into the first grade starting 17 next year with Tuqiri and Utai moving on. This leaves absolutely gun talents like Marika Koroibete and David Noafaluma waiting in the wings (pun intended) and players of their calibre won't stay second stringers for long. Assuming Beau Ryan stays around. Personally I would be looking at making the Beauster a permanent number 17 and looking at Grant/Koroibete as our future wingers but I feel that the club will remain loyal to Beau being a starter. A Grant/Koroibete wing pairing would be a salivating prospect for Benji Marshall. They would eclipse Mead/Gordon as the fastest wing pairing in the game. A major step up from this weeks Ryan/Utai pairing. In addition to Tuqiri and Utai moving on I feel due to the selection policy of the club we will lose Noafaluma, Brown, Reddy and potentially Marika Koroibete.
**Centres: Chris Lawrence + Blake Ayshford (incumbents), Mitch Brown, Joel Reddy, Tom Humble, Tim Simona**
This position is curly. We have obvious incumbents that should stay there for years but there have been whispers of those two moving to the backrow ever since they debuted. I think the general consensus is "that's a bad idea" and to leave them there which in addition to the previous two positions leaves a guy like Mitch Brown basically out in the cold. Tim Simona has wraps but I can't see him playing first grade this year despite being in the top squad even in the unlikely situation that Lawrence and Ayshford make the origin team because the centres would be Brown and Reddy ahead of him I assume. I feel that Brown, Reddy and Simona won't remain at the WT long term.
**Halves: Benji Marshall + Tim Moltzen (incumbent), Jacob Miller, Curtis Sironen, Manaia Rudolph, Mitchell Moses**
Marshall and Moltzen have their positions sewn up all year imo. With the possibilities at fullback I cannot see Sheens reverting to Moltzen at 1 and promoting Miller so I think we will see him departing the club this year. He is young and extremely talented, NYC halfback of the year last year, NYC player of the year the year before (I think?) and he is STILL NYC age. That's a talent. There are many clubs that would take him and hand him the number 7 jersey right now imo. Moltzen seems to have a locked in contract to be always in the team so I cannot see Miller usurping him even if Moltzen shows poor form. Sheens has not got a history of dropping players who are playing poorly. Curtis Sironen will grow into a backrower so I feel he has options within the club due to that being our weakest depth position. Manaia Rudolph is young and green and we haven't seen enough of him to judge but he looks like an enigmatic Rangi Chase like talent, and we saw what happened to Rangi. Mitchell Moses is a junior superstar and the sky is the limit with him. I get the feeling that if the Tigers don't flat out guarantee him a future as their number 7 he will take options elsewhere. I would almost be willing to give him that guarantee because he looks to be a once in a generation player. Such hard decisions to make regarding our depth in the halves.
**Lock/Backrow: Heighington + Blair + Ellis (incumbents), Fulton, Murdoch-Masila, Al Schirnack, Shaun Spence, Junior Moors, Andrew Vela, Brendan Santi + a million others**
This is probably the position that gives us the least headaches. Well at least "GOOD" headaches. We know Ellis is leaving and Dwyer is a wishful prospect at this stage so there are positions OPEN. This is also the most likely position for us to purchase into, so our depth players have a chance to give the club a reason to reconsider. Heighington + Fulton are getting on in age too and the club has already indicated they are somewhat expendable to their plans so, again, the depth players have opportunities. A guy like Murdoch-Masila has been around a while now and really needs to make this HIS year, failure to do so and I cannot see us retaining him. Al Schirnack likewise. Shaun Spence, personally I don't rate him much so I won't comment. Moors hasn't been given much of a shot and I cannot see him being given one. The last two I named are where I think our future will come from. I can't say I've seen either of them but going by the talk and the articles these are our future but time will tell.
**Prop: Galloway + Woods (incumbents), Groat, Moors, Bell, Al Schirnack, Mosese Fotuiaka**
Another position that a depth player could stake a case for. Groat and Bell hardly have a lock on their bench spots but I'm damn confident Woods and Galloway have theirs sewn up. The only problem is we don't actually have much depth here. Potential position to purchase into but like back row I'm not too concerned with us losing talented young props (considering we already went through this problem in this position last year).
So after all of this I think it's plain to see that we're going to be in for a bittersweet few years. I'll look in my crystal ball (I borrowed it off that guy that does those threads) and see our side for 2015.
1\. James Tedesco
2\. Marika Koroibete
3\. Blake Ayshford
4\. Chris Lawrence
5\. John Grant
6\. Benji Marshall
7\. Mitchell Moses
8\. Keith Galloway
9\. Robbie Farah
10\. Aaron Woods
11\. Adam Blair
12\. Brendan Santi
13\. Curtis Sironen
14\. Tim Moltzen
15\. Matt Groat
16\. Andrew Vela
17\. Mosese Fotuiaka
Well look at that. Mostly juniors! Assuming this team eventuates (highly, HIGHLY unlikely) you can see for yourself the players that are pushed out or that never got a look in. And if I'm wrong and one of those guys is in the team for 2015, well the guy that I've named here won't be. That's basically it right there. That's the bittersweet.
Come 2015 we could see Jacob Miller, Mitchell Moses, Linc Port, Kurtis Rowe, Tim Moltzen all playing fullback or halfback for other clubs and we could have had them. We could be the breeding ground for positions we've historically struggled with.
But it's a good headache as they say.
