The rebuild...

ElleryHanley

ElleryHanley

Well-known member
I think at this point we need to be realistic...it is going to be a 'long' rebuild.

The best way to look at a rebuild is to identify what you don't have.

Let's try...

FB: We have no size or power there. Laurie is 'ok', but 'okay' won't get you far.

WINGS: Both are solid, but neither has pace or the athleticism of the elite wingers. We need some genuine pace on at least one side.

CENTERS: We have 4 centers who are nowhere near rep level / most are state cup depth. We need at least one, top class, player here.

PIVOT: I think we are okay here with AD.

HALF: Hard to tell with Jacko...I have watched him a lot and he was fairly poor his last season at Wigan as teams stood back once they worked out he has no speed. He is very big for a 7. I am not sure. NRL defenses seem to have already adjusted / given him space and realised he can't go through the gap. Brooks = no. Just no...been too long and won't change.

LOCK: Joe O by FAR our best player this year. But a modern 13 needs to be able to link. Has to move to prop. So, we need a ball playing 13. Maybe Rua?

BACKROW: Papalli on one side means we are set for years. Great player. The other side plus two more for depth needed. Not easy this late to find them for 23.

PROP: Geez...just terrible. Stefano has excuses, but has regressed to such a degree it is a major concern. Musgrove, Seyfarth, Tamou just not up to it. Pole may have a future. We need at least two more. Joe O would solve one spot...

HOOKER: Set here with Api. Currently the best in the game.

Best case: we may have 4 positions adequately covered.

We lack as many as 4 backrowers / props.

It will be a long rebuild folks...
 
Blake said:
Joseph Suaalii for fullback. He looks damn good already and will only get better. He has a player option for 2023 & 2024

Papalii as lock
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Suaalli and Tapine etc would be great.

But simply won't happen. No way in the world Sualli leaves Chooks for us.

We need to somehow find hidden gems. Someone like Dykes and hope they turn into a gun.

Like Cronulla have with several of their players.

Our problem is we have got way, way, more wrong than right when recruiting and thus so many holes in the team.
 
Sheens said he can't recruit till coach appointed however do we know if any prospective coach interested? Ciraldo no ,Morris maybe no ? Flanno seems to enjoy being a fox sports commentator . Its the chicken and the egg we need to show attractive roster to attract top coach
 
Stevec said:
Sheens said he can't recruit till coach appointed however do we know if any prospective coach interested? Ciraldo no ,Morris maybe no ? Flanno seems to enjoy being a fox sports commentator . Its the chicken and the egg we need to show attractive roster to attract top coach
Click to expand...
The answer def won't be easy.

The big problem is we 'have' to get it right. It is the biggest decision in the club's history.

And then we 'have' to get recruitment right.

It has been so long since we were a finals team that they just can't get it wrong and set things back five years again.
 
ElleryHanley said:
The answer def won't be easy.

The big problem is we 'have' to get it right. It is the biggest decision in the club's history.

And then we 'have' to get recruitment right.

It has been so long since we were a finals team that they just can't get it wrong and set things back five years again.
Click to expand...

You are an optimist if you believe its only 5 years,after the fiasco that is 2022 i would expect it to be at least 2030 before we are any chance of a top 4 season.
 
I would go after Charlie Staines for fullback, Keenan Palasia, Herman Esse Esse, the number 8 from the cowboys to replace Tamou with experience for a start. These are gettable players and will add depth.
 
ElleryHanley said:
I think at this point we need to be realistic...it is going to be a 'long' rebuild.

The best way to look at a rebuild is to identify what you don't have.

Let's try...

FB: We have no size or power there. Laurie is 'ok', but 'okay' won't get you far.

WINGS: Both are solid, but neither has pace or the athleticism of the elite wingers. We need some genuine pace on at least one side.

CENTERS: We have 4 centers who are nowhere near rep level / most are state cup depth. We need at least one, top class, player here.

PIVOT: I think we are okay here with AD.

HALF: Hard to tell with Jacko...I have watched him a lot and he was fairly poor his last season at Wigan as teams stood back once they worked out he has no speed. He is very big for a 7. I am not sure. NRL defenses seem to have already adjusted / given him space and realised he can't go through the gap. Brooks = no. Just no...been too long and won't change.

LOCK: Joe O by FAR our best player this year. But a modern 13 needs to be able to link. Has to move to prop. So, we need a ball playing 13. Maybe Rua?

BACKROW: Papalli on one side means we are set for years. Great player. The other side plus two more for depth needed. Not easy this late to find them for 23.

PROP: Geez...just terrible. Stefano has excuses, but has regressed to such a degree it is a major concern. Musgrove, Seyfarth, Tamou just not up to it. Pole may have a future. We need at least two more. Joe O would solve one spot...

HOOKER: Set here with Api. Currently the best in the game.

Best case: we may have 4 positions adequately covered.

We lack as many as 4 backrowers / props.

It will be a long rebuild folks...
Click to expand...
It's going to be a long rebuild made me laugh in what year do you think it started ? 2014 ? 2015 ? Or are we still waiting for the rebuild to start ?
 
ElleryHanley said:
PROP: Geez...just terrible. Stefano has excuses, but has regressed to such a degree it is a major concern. Musgrove, Seyfarth, Tamou just not up to it. Pole may have a future. We need at least two more. Joe O would solve one spot...
Click to expand...

Props that can have an impact:- Stef and Musgrove.
Worker Props:- Twal, Tamou & Seyfarth --> you can only have one of these guys in your team.
Guys that may come good:- Pole

You need 4 guys and back-ups. Stef and Musgove can probably take two positions and Twal the worker role. The problem is they would probably be the worst grouping in the comp.

We desperately need a marquee prop but I bet we are already paying Stef as a marquee prop.

I can't see how we can improve until we start to win in the middle.

Joe O shouldn't even be considered for a prop forward because he is a worker prop.

it's a disaster because if you start spending big on the props it impacts the rest of the team.
 
I think most of our players are average to below average first graders. You could spread them across the NRL and they wouldn't necessarily be a weakness in other teams, we just have no elite players and your summary is very good.

With Papalii and Api coming next year I believe we are taking a huge stride towards competitive rugby league. Hooker is one of our biggest weaknesses this year and the way the game goes at the moment, the decision making there is crucial. I expect Hastings and Doueihi to have more opportunities to create off the back of him.

Of all the needs you list I would target a strong defensive forward and a speedy outside back. Twal, Joe O and Papalii will be good defensively, one or two more will make us competitive. Speed out wide would help us.

I'd still stick with our squad beside those additions. I think they're all replaceable, but they're not the core problem. At present we can't compete physically so we're not in the game.
 
The reality is the only players on the squad next year that are first graders or have first grade potential are. Douihei, Hastings, Utoikamanu, Api, Papalli, Joe O, Twal, Maumalo. Laurie is rocks and diamonds badly inconsistent but I’d persevere but bring in competition.

That’s not enough to compete with anyone until a crop of kids come through or we sign a few more players. I don’t see either of those things happening next year. 2024 is probably when we get off the canvas.
 
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