2024 pre-season discussion: Pre-season Premiers

[Dexter]

That`s the part about wanting to play on the right side that makes me scratch my head .

That's the part I think makes the most sense. Herbie getting to the outside of his opposite and finding a pass. There is every chance he gets better next year on the right.

 

[Battler]

That's the part I think makes the most sense. Herbie getting to the outside of his opposite and finding a pass. There is every chance he gets better next year on the right.

If he does get better he won't be getting the same quality ball or space to showcase it.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

So many positive top 17 questions and options next year:
Carrigan front row with hethrington extra mins?
Piakura starting over capewell with his xperience off the bench or in the middle with his lateral movement not a factor?
Mariner, arthurs, cobbo, Oates? Which 2 on the wing, which one in the centres?
Maybe sailor to the 14. I know this one's a little left field but imagine him and Walsh on an edge each, with mam, cobbo and staggs as ball running options off their hips with tired defence. Insanely undefendable if it clicks. All you'd need is a quality 20 mins out of sailor, negates alot of the negative parts of his game (loss of focus, laziness, errors under fatigue). It would just hinge on Walters becoming an 80 min hooker, and given his improvement this year it is not out of the question. Wife he's injured you could just got back to a smoothy/mozer combo bcos they couldn't do 80 with sailor 18th man instead.
Do we go a bigger bench? Xavier development, has Walters been holding jensen back to grow his game, does te kura shoot up early, does baker steal the show, maybe tapau has 1 more decent season in him?

The difference between this and last few years is we have so many options. One doesn't work, we move on.

I fo think the media will go on and on and on about farnworth and flegler next year the first 10 or so rounds but in the end they will miss us more then we miss them. Farnworth won't have gaps created by Reynolds, walsh and mam bcos they hold off bcos they are such threats. His right foot step and no passing will not be a weapon if teams can focus on it, and an increased reliance on him creating something (eg Burton at bulldogs) will really burn him out. He's the main man there with hammer.
Flegler won't be taking hit ups with haas and carrigan running off of Reynolds. Those errors and penalties will come back, that I can guarantee. Good pack at Redcliffe but he won't be the sidekick there he will be the main man next to Gilbert. There pack is a year older with less emotion, and we seen them tire half way through the year, their defence was butter by the end.
Paliasia... well he did have a great year for us, but again. Starting 13? I think the pacifica game highlighted while he plays well with a great pack around him, and the titans pack is good, he will struggle if he is a main man. He's moved up about 3 or 4 rungs on the pecking order pack-wise at titans compared to us. He played well but jensen, tapau or willison could have easily had the same year as him and no one would have been shocked.

 

[Santa]

So many positive top 17 questions and options next year:
Carrigan front row with hethrington extra mins?
Piakura starting over capewell with his xperience off the bench or in the middle with his lateral movement not a factor?
Mariner, arthurs, cobbo, Oates? Which 2 on the wing, which one in the centres?
Maybe sailor to the 14. I know this one's a little left field but imagine him and Walsh on an edge each, with mam, cobbo and staggs as ball running options off their hips with tired defence. Insanely undefendable if it clicks. All you'd need is a quality 20 mins out of sailor, negates alot of the negative parts of his game (loss of focus, laziness, errors under fatigue). It would just hinge on Walters becoming an 80 min hooker, and given his improvement this year it is not out of the question. Wife he's injured you could just got back to a smoothy/mozer combo bcos they couldn't do 80 with sailor 18th man instead.
Do we go a bigger bench? Xavier development, has Walters been holding jensen back to grow his game, does te kura shoot up early, does baker steal the show, maybe tapau has 1 more decent season in him?

The difference between this and last few years is we have so many options. One doesn't work, we move on.

I fo think the media will go on and on and on about farnworth and flegler next year the first 10 or so rounds but in the end they will miss us more then we miss them. Farnworth won't have gaps created by Reynolds, walsh and mam bcos they hold off bcos they are such threats. His right foot step and no passing will not be a weapon if teams can focus on it, and an increased reliance on him creating something (eg Burton at bulldogs) will really burn him out. He's the main man there with hammer.
Flegler won't be taking hit ups with haas and carrigan running off of Reynolds. Those errors and penalties will come back, that I can guarantee. Good pack at Redcliffe but he won't be the sidekick there he will be the main man next to Gilbert. There pack is a year older with less emotion, and we seen them tire half way through the year, their defence was butter by the end.
Paliasia... well he did have a great year for us, but again. Starting 13? I think the pacifica game highlighted while he plays well with a great pack around him, and the titans pack is good, he will struggle if he is a main man. He's moved up about 3 or 4 rungs on the pecking order pack-wise at titans compared to us. He played well but jensen, tapau or willison could have easily had the same year as him and no one would have been shocked.

Are there any effective 80min hookers anymore? I think its a thing of the past now (for successful teams).

 

[Big Del]

That's the part I think makes the most sense. Herbie getting to the outside of his opposite and finding a pass. There is every chance he gets better next year on the right.

Hmmm maybe .
He does seem to prefer a right arm carry . Just had a look at his try scoring highlights generally in his right arm . Although he can switch it from side to side more comfortably than some . Step out , get between centre and winger , then a Gidley flick might be his home work this Summer .

 

[Dexter]

If he does get better he won't be getting the same quality ball or space to showcase it.

Their wingers didn't seem to have any trouble scoring tries this year. I thought their backline was pretty good considering the halves they were playing outside of.
I hope he goes really well just crap against us

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Are there any effective 80min hookers anymore? I think its a thing of the past now (for successful teams).

Agreed. I don't think we should or will go that way but it's an option. Having said that, something most premiership winning teams have in common is that they don't just do what the rest of the comp is doing because that's what always been done. They revolutionise or reinvent something otherwise they'd just be a cheap version of the previous year's winner. I think we are in a position where we can try something to give us an edge (as I said, I don't think we should do this option, but worth investigating)

 

[winslow_wong]

Their wingers didn't seem to have any trouble scoring tries this year. I thought their backline was pretty good considering the halves they were playing outside of.
I hope he goes really well just crap against us

It’ll be funny if isaako’s tries dry up next season

 

[Johnny92]

Are there any effective 80min hookers anymore? I think its a thing of the past now (for successful teams).

Agreed. I don't think we should or will go that way but it's an option. Having said that, something most premiership winning teams have in common is that they don't just do what the rest of the comp is doing because that's what always been done. They revolutionise or reinvent something otherwise they'd just be a cheap version of the previous year's winner. I think we are in a position where we can try something to give us an edge (as I said, I don't think we should do this option, but worth investigating)

Maybe the option isn't having a 80 minute hooker but having a forward rotation where a guy like Sailor can come on for a middle and play 20-30 mins. With both Payne and Patty who play 60 mins most games it's definitely possible, if Capewell goes to lock you'd maybe get 60 mins out of him playing there.
There were times this year where we had a guy sitting on the bench getting 10 mins or less so it is possible.
Could be a silly move but also could be a masterstroke.

 

[Xzei]

i guess it depends what type of hooker you want high energy or one that paces themselves similar to smith,personally i think with a fullback that is good following the ball in support one in the smith mold would be better gives you a big advantage on the bench not having to rotate your 9 because they are cooked.

 

[McHunt]

That's the part I think makes the most sense. Herbie getting to the outside of his opposite and finding a pass. There is every chance he gets better next year on the right.

Regardless of whether Wayne can change his feathers, the Dolphins will not be worse off for signing him. I don't think we'll have any problem replacing him in attack, but we might be weaker in defence.

 

[Sproj]

I’m not expecting us to come out all guns blazing next season, I expect we’ll look pretty clunky through the first 8 weeks but still jag a lot of wins because we are so much better than most other teams regardless but I do expect us to need time for new combos to gel.

 

[Harry Sack]

I’m not expecting us to come out all guns blazing next season, I expect we’ll look pretty clunky through the first 8 weeks but still jag a lot of wins because we are so much better than most other teams regardless but I do expect us to need time for new combos to gel.

Same. While I accept that this squad isn't the same as the 2015/16 squad, 2016 has me approaching 2024 a lot more cautiously.

I also expect a lot of teams to be better next season.

 

[Sproj]

Same. While I accept that this squad isn't the same as the 2015/16 squad, 2016 has me approaching 2024 a lot more cautiously.

I also expect a lot of teams to be better next season.

Me too but will they be able to bridge the sizeable gap to us and the Panthers? Both Broncs and Panthers will no doubt come back to the pack slightly but is anyone improving enough to match us and/or go past us?

 

[Harry Sack]

Me too but will they be able to bridge the sizeable gap to us and the Panthers? Both Broncs and Panthers will no doubt come back to the pack slightly but is anyone improving enough to match us and/or go past us?

No idea, way too early to tell...hence my hesitation. I don't see us regressing so I can't think of any teams going past us but I can certainly see some teams getting up to around our level.

 

[Renegade]

I think we'll be there or thereabouts barring some major injuries.

 

[Sproj]

No idea, way too early to tell...hence my hesitation. I don't see us regressing so I can't think of any teams going past us but I can certainly see some teams getting up to around our level.

Roosters should if they can avoid the injury toll they've had the last two years. Fa'alogo could do things for the Storm but it is a long season and their forward pack still looks disappointing. The Cows could do it but I'm not sure they have an extra gear to go to. The Warriors, who knows as they could quite easily be up there again and really should be with RTS back as well. The Titans maybe as their pack looks scary but still have a limited spine. The Knights should be up there but I don't trust their coach. The could be up there but they are older and have massive question marks on their 6 and 7. I think despite their big ins, their season revolves around Katoa - does he level up or does he suffer second year syndrome?

 

[GCBRONCO]