2017 Line-up

[Foordy]

So your saying your solution is better than bennetts ? I also think we are light up front but it seems Wayne is comfortable with his roster.

I'm not saying my solution us better than Bennett's ... but this is a discussion forum, we we can give our opinions, even when they differ from Bennett. If we are only allowed give the same opinion as Bennett, then we may as well shut the site down as there won't be much discussion.

@Big Pete, tbh don't really know enough about ISC props to answer your question. My main concern is starting Ofahengue before he is ready. Should he struggle or be a total failure it would hamper or destroy his development and I think he has a big career in front of him.

He is still young and most props don't hit their straps in the top grade until their mid twenties. IMO, we should play him off the bench increasing his game time throughout the season.

My prefered option is to keep McGuire and Blair as our starting props, with Glenn or Arrow taking the lock position for at least 2017.

That way we can continue the development of TPJ, Ofahengue and Ese'ese without having to rush them.

All just my opinion of course

 

[Danoz Direct]

I'm not saying my solution us better than Bennett's ... but this is a discussion forum, we we can give our opinions, even when they differ from Bennett. If we are only allowed give the same opinion as Bennett, then we may as well shut the site down as there won't be much discussion.

@Big Pete, tbh don't really know enough about ISC props to answer your question. My main concern is starting Ofahengue before he is ready. Should he struggle or be a total failure it would hamper or destroy his development and I think he has a big career in front of him.

He is still young and most props don't hit their straps in the top grade until their mid twenties. IMO, we should play him off the bench increasing his game time throughout the season.

My prefered option is to keep McGuire and Blair as our starting props, with Glenn or Arrow taking the lock position for at least 2017.

That way we can continue the development of TPJ, Ofahengue and Ese'ese without having to rush them.

All just my opinion of course

I tend to agree with you on most of this, but Arrow isn't ready either I wouldn't think to start in the lock position.

My preference would be to see Glenn and TPJ share the lock roll until TPJ is ready to start at lock.

 

[ZTop]

Just to try and chuck a spanner in the works, Joe Boyce for Lock?

 

[Alec]

Arrow doesn't strike me as anything more than a depth player so far.

 

[Allo]

dont be surprised to see lodge before the season is out (pending registration). i know the powers at be are still working to register an nrl contract. if and whem that happens bennett will bring him straight in

I'm still really not sure how to feel about this. On one hand, all for second chances and whatever. But what he did was pretty bad. Those people will never forget that feeling. At least it happening in America means they won't see him on the TV or in the papers every week

 

[pagey]

I'm not saying my solution us better than Bennett's ... but this is a discussion forum, we we can give our opinions, even when they differ from Bennett. If we are only allowed give the same opinion as Bennett, then we may as well shut the site down as there won't be much discussion.

@Big Pete, tbh don't really know enough about ISC props to answer your question. My main concern is starting Ofahengue before he is ready. Should he struggle or be a total failure it would hamper or destroy his development and I think he has a big career in front of him.

He is still young and most props don't hit their straps in the top grade until their mid twenties. IMO, we should play him off the bench increasing his game time throughout the season.

My prefered option is to keep McGuire and Blair as our starting props, with Glenn or Arrow taking the lock position for at least 2017.

That way we can continue the development of TPJ, Ofahengue and Ese'ese without having to rush them.

All just my opinion of course

Of course , am not knocking you for having an opinion. Am arguing against your opinion ! But as mentioned offa spent a lot of time in Q cup for a reason. Maybe he will never be ready to start

 

[Foordy]

Of course , am not knocking you for having an opinion. Am arguing against your opinion ! But as mentioned offa spent a lot of time in Q cup for a reason. Maybe he will never be ready to start

You implied i was wrong because Bennett appears to have a different opinion than me (although at this stage of the pre-season, no-one can really be sure what the hell Bennett is thinking) and I'm sorry if i misunderstood you, but thats what i took from your post.

On Ofahengue, he is 21 ... most props don't hit their straps until they are in their mid to late 20s ... and very few are ready to start at that age. Even two of the greats (Webcke and Civoniceva) weren't ready to start at 21!

 

[pagey]

You implied i was wrong because Bennett appears to have a different opinion than me (although at this stage of the pre-season, no-one can really be sure what the hell Bennett is thinking) and I'm sorry if i misunderstood you, but thats what i took from your post.

On Ofahengue, he is 21 ... most props don't hit their straps until they are in their mid to late 20s ... and very few are ready to start at that age. Even two of the greats (Webcke and Civoniceva) weren't ready to start at 21!

All good ! I know he is young but he has been around a few years now and most guys these days are maturing quicker. I'm not saying he is ready but we need to blood someone , our options are limited.

 

[Big Pete]

My prefered option is to keep McGuire and Blair as our starting props, with Glenn or Arrow taking the lock position for at least 2017.

So you'd rather a player who is only two months older and less experience than Joe?

I'm not writing Jai off either, but don't try and make it about age and then propose somebody who is the same age. The excuse that Arrow would be playing at lock doesn't make an excuse. He'd still be required to do all the dirty work and physically he isn't as imposing as Joe.

 

[Foordy]

So you'd rather a player who is only two months older and less experience than Joe?

I'm not writing Jai off either, but don't try and make it about age and then propose somebody who is the same age. The excuse that Arrow would be playing at lock doesn't make an excuse. He'd still be required to do all the dirty work and physically he isn't as imposing as Joe.

I'm not making it about age, at least not intentionally.

I just don't think Ofahengue is ready to start.

I think Arrow is better placed for a starting role despite him having less experience.

I have been advocating for Glenn to be Parkers replacement for months now and feel he would be ideal in that role. But moving him from the bench leaves us with a very inexperienced bench and that is a problem also.

 

[Big Pete]

I'm not making it about age, at least not intentionally.

When you're highlighting his age and comparing his age to greats involved in the club, then you are making about his age.

I think Arrow is better placed for a starting role despite him having less experience.

Why? What has he done to prove his worth over Joe?

 

[Foordy]

Why? What has he done to prove his worth over Joe?

I think Arrow is much better defensively to start with and can play longer minutes.

I also think as a starting prop Joe would have a greater responsibility to get our matches off to the right start and make plenty of meters early on. Against a fresh defense, i don't think he us capable of doing that consistently at this stage.

FTR, this would be my starting 13 for round 1.

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

 

[Unbreakable]

I think Arrow is much better defensively to start with and can play longer minutes.

I also think as a starting prop Joe would have a greater responsibility to get our matches off to the right start and make plenty of meters early on. Against a fresh defense, i don't think he us capable of doing that consistently at this stage.

FTR, this would be my starting 13 for round 1.

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

I just don't think there's enough metres in that starting forward pack, if you start with Blair you need to have 2 other big forwards who can reliably give you 120+ metres per game.

McGuire has proven he's capable of doing that, he averaged over 140 metres per game last season. Blair is one of the weaker forwards in the competition in that aspect, barely scrapping together 80 metres per game in most games last season.

This leaves us with the challenge of replacing Parker with someone who can hopefully at the very least match his output from last season, ideally eclipse it, Parker gave us 120 metres per game last year, Ofahengaue is realistically probably the only one who has the potential at this stage to do that for us, he's been a constant 200 metre per game threat throughout his NYC & ISC stints.

Let's take a look at the alternatives for the 3rd starting forward and determine whether any of them would improve the overall structure of the team.

A) Thaiday - Constantly under-performed starting at prop, far and away a better player on the edge.
B) Gillett - Best edge player in the game, would be silly to move him.
C) Glenn - Simply lacks the size required to make reliable metres through the middle, would weaken the bench.
D) Arrow - Once again, too small. If he was 5-10kg heavier he'd be an absolute weapon, give him another year in ISC.
E) Pangai Jr - High potential, unproven motor, would weaken the bench.
F) Ese'ese - High potential, unproven motor, would weaken the bench.
G) Fai - Unproven.

 

[Foordy]

I just don't think there's enough metres in that starting forward pack, if you start with Blair you need to have 2 other big forwards who can reliably give you 120+ metres per game.

McGuire has proven he's capable of doing that, he averaged over 140 metres per game last season. Blair is one of the weaker forwards in the competition in that aspect, barely scrapping together 80 metres per game in most games last season.

This leaves us with the challenge of replacing Parker with someone who can hopefully at the very least match his output from last season, ideally eclipse it, Parker gave us 120 metres per game last year, Ofahengaue is realistically probably the only one who has the potential at this stage to do that for us, he's been a constant 200 metre per game threat throughout his NYC & ISC stints.

Let's take a look at the alternatives for the 3rd starting forward and determine whether any of them would improve the overall structure of the team.

A) Thaiday - Constantly under-performed starting at prop, far and away a better player on the edge.
B) Gillett - Best edge player in the game, would be silly to move him.
C) Glenn - Simply lacks the size required to make reliable metres through the middle, would weaken the bench.
D) Arrow - Once again, too small. If he was 5-10kg heavier he'd be an absolute weapon, give him another year in ISC.
E) Pangai Jr - High potential, unproven motor, would weaken the bench.
F) Ese'ese - High potential, unproven motor, would weaken the bench.
G) Fai - Unproven.

I don't think Ofahengue will consistently give us the 120m+ per game either.

 

[Kyall]

If Joe isn't ready to start at prob, start him at lock then. He has had rounds where he has started at lock.

 

[Super Freak]

And he struggled with it.

 

[Danoz Direct]

If Joe isn't ready to start at prob, start him at lock then. He has had rounds where he has started at lock.

Not sure what the logic is behind this. Isn't ready to start at prop but is ready to start at lock? How does that work?

 

[Kyall]

Exactly what I'm saying with moving McGuire, Joe will end up being started in the middle and I would rather a bigger body of Joe rather then Arrow.