OPINION Looking towards 2024

[007]

IMO Cobbo is not a centre or even ready for centre yet. He needs 4-5more years.

He thrives with freedom, broken play and unstructured defence in front of him. He has so may talents in athleticism and strength that he would be burnt out and wasted.


It Arthars or Mariner.

 

[Mustafur]

IMO Cobbo is not a centre or even ready for centre yet. He needs 4-5more years.

He thrives with freedom, broken play and unstructured defence in front of him. He has so may talents in athleticism and strength that he would be burnt out and wasted.


It Arthars or Mariner.

In the times he was used there in rep games he looked like a natural, he gets to use his lethal right hand fend if he plays on the left too, if he isn't put at centre i would be fine even at left wing tbh.

But he is good at the tough carry's with his big body and is a bit dodgy at the catches which if he is a centre he wouldn't have to do, have Oates and Arthars do it who are better are that tbh.

Having Cobbo at left Centre with his fend prime offloads will open up , Ill say it now.

He is exactly like Latrell and Inglis with the long limbed tall ingenious body that is also left handed like them, this is his natural and rightful position.

if we didn't have Walsh he would be our fullback though imo, if he gets a bit of space on his runs he is near unstoppable, good footwork, speed and huge body is a lethal combination.

 

[john1420]

He was off his chops when he said that. And it was tongue in cheek.

Yes he was, but it was still a low class thing to say. I won't dwell on it, or call him a bad person, but it wasn't good.

 

[1910]

I hope we have this comment from Ivan Cleary printed and put up in the gym and in the changing shed -
“Yeah, Queenslanders, they like fail at the end a lot of the time,” he said with a grin. "We knew that they’d falter.” Whether he said it as a gee-up or not does not matter, it should serve as a reminder that this is the level of arrogance we need to wipe out.

He was talking to Karl on Today who had already said about his Broncos and his Queensland and how could you beat my Queensland like that.

It was good banter.

 

[1910]

Over the years I've noticed that BHQ will back juniors who turn out to be useless.

I don't think I'll have confidence that we can replace these two, until we see some of these players actually playing NRL.

QCup is not NRL and being a good player in a dud comp means very little in the reality.

Cobbo will make a good centre, and with another year under his belt, will hopefully see him shine.

Flegs will be a tough replacement. That forward pack is a hell of a unit.

Injuries. A lot of luck in this department. For **** sake extend every contract in the conditioning team.

People don't understand how long it takes either and the time it takes to get to the level Herbie is now- Herbie played his first Cup game in 2018 and first NRL game in 2020- 2023 was his best year and he's slowly built that over five years.

Flegler the same 2018 first Cup game and 2019 NRL.

 

[Morkel]

People don't understand how long it takes either and the time it takes to get to the level Herbie is now- Herbie played his first Cup game in 2018 and first NRL game in 2020- 2023 was his best year and he's slowly built that over five years.

Flegler the same 2018 first Cup game and 2019 NRL.

Yeah but it's not like their replacements are just starting this process and are 5-6 years away. They are already 2-4 years in to their development. Mariner & Willison being the two most comparable replacements (though it's likely Willison will need a bit more time and we' be using Jensen, Baker or another more experienced player as a starter in the meantime).

 

[Sproj]

Yeah but it's not like their replacements are just starting this process and are 5-6 years away. They are already 2-4 years in to their development. Mariner & Willison being the two most comparable replacements (though it's likely Willison will need a bit more time and we' be using Jensen, Baker or another more experienced player as a starter in the meantime).

And a good coaching staff, which I believe we have, will cater to the new strengths of the new team. As you said though, we are not starting from 0 here, we have a very strong foundation now to build on.

 

[Galah]

I’m more concerned about metres coming out of our end with Mariner he ran sideways when he did play for us. Is he more suited to play wing to start and can he play outside katoni?

 

[1910]

Yeah but it's not like their replacements are just starting this process and are 5-6 years away. They are already 2-4 years in to their development. Mariner & Willison being the two most comparable replacements (though it's likely Willison will need a bit more time and we' be using Jensen, Baker or another more experienced player as a starter in the meantime).

There is always a lag, it's taken from 2018 to 2023 to get Herbie where the Broncos want him. Mariner is probably Herbie 2020.

That lag may not be noticeable in March but as the season goes on and fatigue sets in and you're not used to playing week after week NRL it shows.

I am just highlighting how long it takes for a player to be a contributing high level NRL player for 27 weeks.

I think all the replacements are much further back on the timeline than Fleger and Herbie.

 

[Morkel]

I think all the replacements are much further back on the timeline than Fleger and Herbie.

Absolutely they are. But not "starting from scratch" behind.

To balance this, Walsh, Mam, Carrigan, Walters, Riki, Cobbo, Arthars, Piakura etc are all going to be one year further in their development than they were this year.

 

[Sproj]

I’m more concerned about metres coming out of our end with Mariner he ran sideways when he did play for us. Is he more suited to play wing to start and can he play outside katoni?

He'll learn and yes, he looks like he could be a devastating winger, I'd be playing him there for sure.

 

[Galah]

He'll learn and yes, he looks like he could be a devastating winger, I'd be playing him there for sure.

Does Cobbo go left centre? That’s where he grew up playing wasn’t it?

 

[Sproj]

There is always a lag, it's taken from 2018 to 2023 to get Herbie where the Broncos want him. Mariner is probably Herbie 2020.

That lag may not be noticeable in March but as the season goes on and fatigue sets in and you're not used to playing week after week NRL it shows.

I am just highlighting how long it takes for a player to be a contributing high level NRL player for 27 weeks.

I think all the replacements are much further back on the timeline than Fleger and Herbie.

Cobbo is the likely left centre, he will just need time to adapt to one spot in field, so he certainly isn't coming from 0.

 

[Scorchie]

Its so far away, but:

1. Walsh
2. Oates (he was one of our best in '22 and started '23 just fine before he got a broken face and then snapped a few ligaments)
3. Staggs
4. Cobbo
5. Mariner (play him, or lose him to another club)
6. Mam
7. Reynolds
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Piakura (play him, or lose him to another club)
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Smoothy (eventually being swapped out for Mozer)
15. Hetherington
16. Willison
17. Capewell

18. Arthars

 

[Xzei]

Its so far away, but:

1. Walsh
2. Oates (he was one of our best in '22 and started '23 just fine before he got a broken face and then snapped a few ligaments)
3. Staggs
4. Cobbo
5. Mariner (play him, or lose him to another club)
6. Mam
7. Reynolds
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Piakura (play him, or lose him to another club)
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Smoothy (eventually being swapped out for Mozer)
15. Hetherington
16. Willison
17. Capewell

18. Arthars

149 days but who is counting lol

29 days in feb next year

 

[Nashy]

People don't understand how long it takes either and the time it takes to get to the level Herbie is now- Herbie played his first Cup game in 2018 and first NRL game in 2020- 2023 was his best year and he's slowly built that over five years.

Flegler the same 2018 first Cup game and 2019 NRL.

Doesn't this just prove my point? Q-Cup is so shit that players coming from there need years more of development before they can be seen as "good".

 

[1910]

Doesn't this just prove my point? Q-Cup is so shit that players coming from there need years more of development before they can be seen as "good".

I don't think so, Herbie played 25 games for Norths in 18/19 and hasn't played since the '19 finals.

If it's taken him until 23 to be playing his best I would view that as normal development- I said best too not good. I think he's been solid/good his whole career.

79 NRL games, so started the year on 53 games- I would think that's pretty normal to be at your best.

 

[Foordy]

5. Mariner (play him, or lose him to another club)

11. Piakura (play him, or lose him to another club)

absolutely no reason to play them, if they are not the best person for the position.

The less successful clubs will play some one who isn't the current best person for the position because they are scared of losing them.

the successful teams like the Storm during their dominant run, and the Panthers now, play the best person for each position and don't let fear of losing players guide them at the selection table