2024 pre-season discussion: Pre-season Premiers

Fitzy said:
Arthars (Strange), Willison and Staggs in the all-stars game.

Arthars is a weird one considering he was apparently racing the clock for round one. Maybe he is a bit ahead of schedule and it’s a good way to get 20-30 minutes into him, not great news for him about claiming that wing spot if his only designated minutes before rd 1 are in an all star game the same weekend as our starting 17’s last trial.

Kotoni should get heaps of minutes potentially close to full 80 considering Staggs, Hammer and Tass are the centres with Alofiana and Addo as the wingers so Hammer is the only one with coverage versatility so you’d expect him to probably have a stint on the wing at some stage. You’d expect Staggs and Hamiso to start and Tass probably bench with Hamiso interchange in and out of wing position for interchange purposes, might even play a bit of fullback with Nicho being the only other player who could cover fullback if Latrell went off. So minutes could be high for Kotoni which is what we want and need really.

Willison is one of 6 middles - Royce Hunt, Trey Mooney, Joseph Tapine, Jazz Tevaga (back up hooker by the looks), Leo Thompson and X. Royce and Tapine are the likely ones to get the most minutes, Thompson, X and Mooney as rotation and I guess now that I’m thinking about it Tevaga probably isn’t likely to get that many minutes through the middle considering Chooks won’t want a large stint from Brandon at hooker.

Bailey Butler as well as a T&T for us will be playing in the game for the indigenous all.

Good to see Selwyn not playing definitely would have been an irrational decision to send him off to play for the all stars without a trial with us. I actually think he will be fine defensively, his most complete game in the NRL nearly still to this day was when he played centre in 2021 against the Knights.
Click to expand...

Butler played last year too.
 
Got a mate who is organising a group event for Origin 3.

300 people dressed up as Wally Lewis right behind the goalposts at ground level.

I’m heading down from Townsville with a bunch of mates.

If anyone is interested….

www.trybooking.com

THE WALLYS (STATE OF ORIGIN III)

You can't get a bigger stage than State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium.... oh wait... you can if you are part of 300 Wally Lewis's cheering them on behind the goal posts!! Get on board for the night of your life and cheer the Maroons to victory! QUEENSLANDER!!
www.trybooking.com www.trybooking.com
 
Speaking of brutality, the last game in the Kayo Broncs marathon was the Broncs first win over Manly. No wonder so many blokes from that era have CTE. Head shot after cheap shot after punch after head shot after elbow after cheap after head shot.
 
MrRobot said:
Fox sports has an article about Campbell Graham missing half the season and they list Karapani as a potential replacement for Souths … despite him being named in a Broncos team THIS weekend. Clearly no research required to be a RL journalist lol.
Click to expand...
If this is the article, they must have corrected it.

ScreenScreenshot 2024 02 08 at 18 26 18 Rabbitohs star Campbell Graham booked for surgery faci



www.foxsports.com.au

Rabbitohs star Campbell Graham booked for surgery, facing huge stint on sidelines after injury complications

Rabbitohs star set for surgery, facing big stint on sidelines after injury complications
www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au
 
Hopefully it's not just us doing some baby sitting with Karapani. We kinda sent Gagai away for some baby sitting and never came back.

Paix just built a house in Brisbane, so probably doesn't wanna go anywhere.
 
Round 1 if everyone’s fits I would probably go:

1. walsh
2. Oates
4. Cobbo
3. Staggs
5. Arthars
6. Mam
7. Reynolds (C)
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Piakura
12. Riki
13. Carrigan (VC)

14. Smoothy
15. Baker
16. Hetherington
17. Taupau
 
theshed said:
Round 1 if everyone’s fits I would probably go:

1. walsh
2. Oates
4. Cobbo
3. Staggs
5. Arthars
6. Mam
7. Reynolds (C)
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Piakura
12. Riki
13. Carrigan (VC)

14. Smoothy
15. Baker
16. Hetherington
17. Taupau
Click to expand...

I wouldn't have Taupau over Willison.
 
Walsh and Smith have had their visa applications bounced to the States. Still could go either way:

 
Oates:

“The injuries last season wear really hard because I felt so good, it was the best I felt in pre-season for a long time. It was probably the quickest I’d been in a long time, the fittest and strongest too and it was probably one of the best starts to the season I’ve ever had — even though it was one game. I just felt so confident in what I was going to do that year. A broken jaw — I get hit in the head so much harder and so much more often than what I copped in that game."​
​
“The PCL was just so unlucky again — the timing and the impact. It was hard because doing three different injuries… the jaw surgery and then the knee I didn’t get surgery but all the stuff my knee had to go through, it just had enough. Everything just gave in that one training session when I had to go get it operated on.​
​
“It was pretty full on the recoveries. Doing it three times is the hard part… it was actually getting mentally draining and it sort of took a toll towards the end of the year.”​
​
“What happened at the end of the year, it was definitely deserved for Jesse to have the spot. He played unreal and my body had just been through a hell of a year. It was hard when I got told — probably the hardest thing to ever cop. But when I look back — and even through it — the first week was really tough, I didn’t really think too much about why... When I was a young kid it was all about taking opportunities, when an older player got injured you had to take it because you don’t get many chances in this game. It’s a credit to Jesse that he took his opportunity and he played really good footy — I thought he was one of our best players in the finals series. While it’s very hard to cop and deal with, at the end of the day I feel like it was the right decision for the team. If you don’t be at peace with decisions like that through life you’re not going to move on. That’s what I’ve learnt over my years.”​
​
“It’s a lot to do with the players we have here but also family. I’m at that age now where I don’t want to pick my family up and move them away. It was always going to be hard to leave the club but especially when you’ve got a little family that loves being here. I just want to be here for long enough for my young fella to remember.”​
​
“I’ve realised over the years that if you do it for yourself, there’s more to it. I feel like if you’re doing it for someone else there’s no real goal because once you do that there’s nothing left to look forward to. I’m just doing it for myself, to prove to myself that I can still do it and keep up with all the young kids. To show that no matter the injuries or the age, as long as you put your mind to it, train hard and realise that it’s a full-time job you can stay up there and keep up with the young boys. While I feel really good I just want to keep it rolling and hopefully have a good year.”​
 
So if Arthars and Oates are the wingers and why not? Who goes to right wing?
 
Sproj said:
So if Arthars and Oates are the wingers and why not? Who goes to right wing?
Click to expand...
Arthars. That’s been the report all pre-season just about. As if they would swap Coreys wing in the twilight of his career anyway.

I wouldn’t be so sure Arthars is getting it anymore. Staggs seemed very chuffed with Mariner being outside him almost gesturing to kevvy he preferred him I felt. Arthars playing all stars is a weird one cause he doesn’t really get to stake his claim on the jersey in the Bronx set up whereas Mariner now has close to 160 minutes of trial football to get that spot. Personally I think Mariner is way to classy not to stand out in the trials and I think coming back from injury I don’t think we will see the best from Jesse right away.

Without having seen any footy so far from either this season you default to Jesse over everyone. I have seen Oates physical condition and he is in for a big year you can just tell and I think Mariner is benefitted in that he has had the last 3 or so weeks on the sting plus has heaps of game time before the season to prove himself whereas Arthars has less time in a more competitive environment first game back from a decent injury and a disruptive preseason. Deine has been given the best opportunity to take the spot possible and Arthars has been very unlucky. Will Deine take the opportunity? sadly for Jesse I think he is to classy not to.
 
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