2017 Line-up

[Black Philip]

IMO,

We will never win a premiership with Ben Hunt as halfback.

We will never win a premiership with Josh McGuire in the front row.

We will never win a premiership with Andrew McCullough at hooker.

I'm convinced 2/3 of those statements above are true. I'm not sure which ones though.

I think you're wrong about McCullough and McGuire.
McGuire can be very handy but he isn't a leading prop, he's like a sidekick. He has plenty of mongrel in him and hits very hard but he doesn't often put a stamp on a game by himself. He is a great asset to have but we do need another quality prop to help lay a platform for the team.

McCullough is a great hooker. He isn't flashy but is one of the best defensive hookers in the game and he is consistent with quality service from dummy half. He doesn't set the world on fire with his playmaking, but that's where Ben Hunt comes into play, or he should. And Ben Hunt is the player we won't win a premiership with. He's like the little engine that could but he doesn't get over the mountain. Just not good enough even though his effort is great. He has some attributes that are world class, but he can't hold up a grubber in the in-goal or find the green consistently from a long range. His tactical kicking starts and ends with bombs, and they present an opportunity for us 50% of the time at best.

 

[Black Philip]

I think it's way too early to chuck Pangai into the starting side. He's got massive potential, but he hasn't impressed THAT much yet. Wayne doesn't seem to pick someone just based on their potential either, they have to really impress him first. If TPJ improves, and lives up to his hype, he could be starting late next year or the year after (if he's still with us).

That's fair. And in that case I would probably start Glenn at lock.

 

[Sproj]

Give Hunt one more season before you throw him under the bus. 2017 is make or break for him and he has earned that right at least. Did Roberts line up with Mead at the Titans on the same side of the field? Is that why Mead has been bought in?

 

[bazza]

It's 9 months if you're lucky, 12 months if you aren't, name me one example of someone back fully fit playing any sport 6 months after a ruptured ACL.

I'm just simply stating the words of qualified and trained professionals. Doctors generally say an athlete can return from an ACL injury in 6-9 month after surgery. Whether the athlete mentally feels ready to return is a different matter, but from a medical point of view they're pretty much fit to go.

 

[Porthoz]

[MENTION=8780]Black Philip[/MENTION], get the **** out of my head!

 

[Dash]

I think it's way too early to chuck Pangai into the starting side. He's got massive potential, but he hasn't impressed THAT much yet. Wayne doesn't seem to pick someone just based on their potential either, they have to really impress him first. If TPJ improves, and lives up to his hype, he could be starting late next year or the year after (if he's still with us).

Perhaps we could use Pangai in a Taumalolo type role, on slightly less minutes to start with.

Start him for the first 20, tell him to run himself into the ground. Bring on a big minute player like Glenn for the next 40-45, and then bring TPJ back to rip in for the last 15-20. As he matures, his minutes can be increased, mainly in that first stint. Taumalolo only plays 50 mins a game, so it's not like you need a fitness machine in that role.

 

[noisetheory]

no way pangai is a starting player next year (at least any time before origin) if we are at full strength.

i'd like to see him play some solid mins though. 30 - 35 a game off the bench.

the way glenn played the last part of the year in the middle i think he could become the starting #13.

i'd say arrow is destined for a much bigger role next year.

we just need to fill that big man up front void.

 

[unnerv1ng]

Ofa to lock for mine. With another full season and a nice taste of first grade I think he could be our future lock. We know he is a work horse and I think he would be a great replacement for Parker.

 

[mitch222]

Put it this way, no way does Bennett not start an established player in the lock position next year. Its going to be either Glenn or Gillett starting with Arrow off the bench. Arrow might be starting by the end of the year if he has his fitness up to scratch. Replacing Parker is going to be a lot harder than finding another prop because of the level of work he contributed to the team week in week out. As for TPJ & Offa, they are both props and should be played there accordingly. Impact is what we should be looking for with them next year.

 

[Black Philip]

@Black Philip, get the **** out of my head!

Sorry man, it appears I've taken all of your good ideas :laugh:

 

[winslow_wong]

I think Glenn adds a lot more from the bench with his speed and footwork. Someone else needs to do the hack work at the start.

 

[Sirlee oldman]

When everyone is fit the backline will be Boyd, Oates, Roberts, Kahu, Milford and Hunt with Mead, Pearson and Opacic competing for the last spot. Looks good to me.

Moose, Macca, Blair, Thaiday and Gillette are certainties to start in the forwards.

If we don't buy an experienced big bopper then I would start Arrow at lock. Watching him come off the bench is like watching a test batsman come out in the last over of a 20/20 game. You know he can play but smacking sixes straight up isn't his go.

Glenn has been very good coming off the bench but I am not sure about him starting in the middle for the first 20 minutes. I also think his days of filling in in the centres are over. He just gets burned for pace.

TPJ should be on the bench every game next year and building up his minutes. Future superstar.

Joe or Ese'ese for the other bench forward depending on form.

Kodi is a tricky one. We have an 80 minute hooker and pretty durable halves. Kodi doesn't really cover the outside backs either but we re-signed him so I assume he will be there. Maybe if an outside back goes down you could play Kodi at 5/8 and move Milford to fullback and Boyd to cover the injured player. I really don't know.

If we buy a forward then Arrow drops out.

 

[Battler]

I'd love to develop McGuire into an 80 minute lock in the Gallen mold. Pretty much every successful team in the past few years has one thing in common: a power game. Melbourne are sort of an exception, but the roosters, cows, Souths, and now the Sharks and Canberra have all had massive middle forwards rolling up the field. The interchange rule, unfortunately, didn't really change that (officiating issue).

 

[Dash]

I don't really understand the desire to start a pack of workhorses. We tend to be fast starters and drift out of games during the middle 30 or 40 minutes. The last 20 is usually holding on for dear life due to losing all momentum in the middle period. I'd rather we make the most of our fast starts by really taking the other team out of the contest early.

Personally, I'd like to see the likes of TPJ, Thaiday and, God-willing, Napa, smash in hard and fast to blow the other team off the park. Then you bring in the fit, hard working guys like Glenn, Blair, Arrow etc to shore up the defense and keep control of the match. Then finish hard and fast with the big boys and have the ability to come from behind if we need to.

The Cowboys have been doing it for 3 years and it's working quite well so far.

 

[ethos]

1. Boyd
2. Oates
3. Kahu
4. Roberts
5. Mead
6. Milford
7. Hunt
8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Blair
11. Thaiday
12. Gillett
13. Glenn

14. Nikorima
15. Pangai Jr
16. Ofahengaue
17. Arrow
18. Ese'ese

Perhaps Arrow starting but I don't think Bennett trusts him fully yet. Looked pretty gassed pretty quickly after getting on against the Cowboys. Time for the young forwards to step up. Ese'ese had some huuge ISC games this year, hope he can get a decent crack and transfer that form.

Opacic v. unlucky to miss out.

 

[Danoz Direct]

Ofa to lock for mine. With another full season and a nice taste of first grade I think he could be our future lock. We know he is a work horse and I think he would be a great replacement for Parker.

I dot really rate Ofahengaue but I would just prefer him to continue to play ISC and if he is killing them be brought into first grade. It seems that George Fai and Herman Ese'ese were doing a lot better in ISC this season and deserve to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

 

[2ndPhase]

I think Glenn adds a lot more from the bench with his speed and footwork. Someone else needs to do the hack work at the start.

Agree. And we also need some experience of the bench for balance.

 

[CaptainHook]

As we look to the future, I think it's important to reflect on the past as well. Here was the team line-up in the last game of the Griffin era before WB returned:

1 Justin Hodges (c)
2 Daniel Vidot
3 Corey Oates
4 Dale Copley
5 Lachlan Maranta
6 Ben Barba
7 Ben Hunt
8 Josh McGuire
9 Andrew McCullough
10 Corey Parker (c)
11 Alex Glenn
12 Matt Gillett
13 Sam Thaiday

Interchange
14 Jarrod Wallace
15 Martin Kennedy
16 Ben Hannant
17 Todd Lowrie
18 David Hala

I don't remember the last game all that much. This was the official team list so I can't recall if there were any late changes. Where was Hoffman? Or was he gone by then...

Now let's compare that to the one from a few days ago:

1 Darius Boyd
2 Corey Oates
3 Tom Opacic
4 Jordan Kahu
5 Jonus Pearson
6 Anthony Milford
7 Ben Hunt
8 Josh McGuire
9 Andrew McCullough
10 Adam Blair
11 Sam Thaiday
12 Matt Gillett
13 Corey Parker (c)

14 Jarrod Wallace
15 Tevita Pangai
16 Jai Arrow
17 Alex Glenn

A couple of thoughts spring to mind when looking back on where we've come from.

There is no doubt we have gotten better under WB. Not just in terms of wins but our style of football, discipline, general play, recruitment have all significantly improved.

Wallace is still a bench player though two years later. Will he kick on and be a premier front rower? He has a fresh start at the Titans.

Glenn has been relegated to the bench. Injuries have played their part but I think he goes alright there - but is he going backwards or is the best yet to come?

Thank **** we got rid of the co-captain nonsense.

We have blooded some really good players like Opacic and Pearson.

Does anyone miss Kennedy, Lowrie, Barba, Vidot etc? Could they have added something in the last year or so? Could they have been the difference between a premiership and falling just short?

Adam Blair has added a lot to our side and I'm glad he's in the team.

I said from the day of WB's appointment the side will look very different from the one he has inherited to the end of his three year contract. That's proven to be true. As we look forward to 2017 and looking at the players who are still there - who do we persevere with and who are still the weak links?