Where to From Here? Let's Plan for 2021...er...2025

Just go with Kevvie in the short term, that’s a good place to start.
Is the correct answer. You win an all-expenses paid trip for two to Tangalooma. Take Milford with you.
 
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The big question mark is fullback for me. We need a left centre, and some depth on the edge, but who wears the 1 is the big question.

Is Tesi Niu the answer? Do we stick with him and ride it out or do we go to market?

The spine will be 1. ? 6. Croft 7. Dearden 9. Turpin and 14. Paix moving forward I think. With some time together, it can be handy.

Whilst we are heavy on middle forwards, I’d love JWH here for a couple of years.

An experienced forward pack leader would be great but Jarred is signed to the chooks until the end of 2023.
 
Something has to give. We can’t have a spine of Niu, Turpin, Dearden, Croft/Paix. We need some experience and established members of our spine. One or more of 9, 6, or 1.
Sorry can't help you there. We have a strict no-Boyd, no-Macca, no-Milford policy in operation.
 
Sorry can't help you there. We have a strict no-Boyd, no-Macca, no-Milford policy in operation.

Youve misunderstood me. I think we need to sign 2 established spine players to accompany Dearden and whoever remains.
 
Just had a look at our roster for next season. We only have 18 players signed and 4 have players options. Obviously we have some serious coin to spend
 
he just spent months telling one of our best players to take the money from a rival.
And no corporate business experience at all. got to give it him though, he’s had his media mates do a terrific job in paddling his canoe.
 
I dont think Corey would want to be coached by Green. He is one of the reasons he left the Cowboys.

He was loose, internally suspended twice for drinking when it wasn’t allowed. Peter Mulholland convinced him to get out of there and start fresh.
 
Something has to give. We can’t have a spine of Niu, Turpin, Dearden, Croft/Paix. We need some experience and established members of our spine. One or more of 9, 6, or 1.

1595677824682
 
Future: Coates Farnworth Nui Staggs Deardon Hass Flegler Carrigan Bullemor Turpin Paix TPJ (nearly didn’t include TPJ......).
Need: Experienced left defensive centre like Josh Morris.
Ball running 5/8 like Wighton Or Quality Fullback.
Tough front rower like Hargreaves or someone from England.
Edge forward to replace Fifita (it’s a pity Corey Hawera Naira Is taken).
 
He was loose, internally suspended twice for drinking when it wasn’t allowed. Peter Mulholland convinced him to get out of there and start fresh.

I know he had some issues up there, but i also know he didnt get along with Green. Corey has always been a bit of a loose cannon even when he was a lot younger.
 
I’m actually beginning to see the wisdom in keeping Bird around but ironic he will likely not want to.
 
Horsburgh looks very good but this side doesn’t need anymore kids, it needs established players who aren’t hacks. Opacic is the must have Centre. I’d keep Teo around. I’m actually thinking if no one else is available, Tolman is a good back up option of all else fails, and I mean every other option fails.
 
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Honestly we still have the skeleton of a good team, especially with another year of experience, but we need a few good squad/depth players so that when injury hits we aren't just throwing more rookies in to get belted. The problem is every player wants to play first grade and those who don't get disillusioned (particularly when the under-performers aren't dropped - another issue in itself) or the few times they have some good games they get cherry-picked by other clubs

Fullback: I'm not sold on Tesi or Isaako at FB at all, but we may have to persevere with one of them for another year unless we sign a somewhat proven fullback. Nicho Hynes worth a punt maybe?

Centre and wing: if as above we get another fullback, one or both of those guys fall into this category. I'd try and get Tommy Opacic back regardless. Herbie, Oppa, Staggs and Coates is a pretty good 2-5 with huge upside. Arthars, Tesi, Isaako and Kennar depth.

Halves: Dearden is a lock obviously. We looked much better last night with the ball with him there. I just hope we can build the team for him to be the best half he can be

Give Paix and Croft a shoot-out for the 6. Croft just isn't getting things right. Defensively he's pretty safe, but the bombs dropping 15 metres from tryline or finding the wingers on the full EVERY TIME. Passes going to ground. He needs to be better. I haven't seen Paix play halves, so I'll leave that up to others to comment on. But I think he's done well enough to warrant a shot at being a bigger part of the team than bench hooker (see below). SOS is kind of the forgotten man, if he sticks around and can still run properly, he definitely should be considered too. Still probably need to go to market unless one of them tears it up consistently

Props/Lock: Haas, as silly as it sounds sometimes because he is so good, needs to play less minutes. Lodge needs to get his knee right and get physically fitter, not just 'game fit' before he comes back. Carrigan is a great 1-3 hitup taker and will only get better. Giving him a pass for playing conservatively, because throwing silly offloads isn't what we need right now.

Hooker: Everyone wants Grant, and even as a huge Turpin fan, I get it. I don't see it happening, so I'm viewing this with Turpin as main hooker. Don't forget he's had barely a season and half of that was out of position and was arguably better than our current halves. If he can have an uninterrupted run with the same forwards and a true half like Dearden I think he'll be more than serviceable. He brings good energy and has almost single-handedly won us as many games as anyone else currently in the team

Second Row: Yikes. No Fifita is such a blow, as far as having a highly talented constant there. Pangai I still don't think is best suited there, but he may need to play a couple of years there until we improve our stocks there. Casino Joe has been adequate, but is offering zero attacking threat. With more time, he may get better, but I'm not holding my breath. Glenn when fit will come back in but is on the road to hanging them up. Oates has the physical ability, but not the smarts to make it his own. Te'o has done well to jump back in, not sure he wants to go around again, but if he does, could be a solid option, even with needing an interchange. Piakura, Riki and Petterson-Robati haven't even debuted yet. Hopoate isn't great out wide as we've seen and is leaving anyway right? Still a big short-term problem area

Bench hooker: Paix is a great bench hooker, provided he doesn't win out at 5/8th. If he does, Luke is suitable if he stays on, which as he wants to settle in Brisbane, I imagine he will. Gamble also didn't disgrace himself last night. Macca I don't see returning, and it's best for both if he doesn't. Hetherington to continue QCup and get the odd run if we can afford to

Bench forwards: Flegler has been a rollercoaster, but with the right guidance and mindset, games like last night and the Souths game should be his base. He just needs to get the bonehead mistakes out of his game and he'll be a fantastic player.

Kennedy I'm a big fan of as our no-frills-does-a-job forward. Hope he gets more than 13 minutes in the future.

Pangai would be my final bench forward provided he's not playing second row. He's got 40-50 minutes to maintain the rage. Joe O otherwise assuming the same. Rotate Bullemor, Palasia and whoever else is right on the edge that need to experience first grade.

Realistically, there's very few free agents that are worth chasing to fill the true problem spots we have right now. We would have to almost sign someone early and they try and negotiate an early release. With the forwards depth, we need a seasoned vet or two that doesn't need to learn how to play first grade that we can throw straight in if need be and can help the kids mature as quickly as possible.

The noticeable names I've omitted, Bird and Milford, are spent forces in a Broncos jersey in my opinion, and like I said with McCullough, need to part ways for everyone's sakes. Along with Boyd retiring and Kahu going anywhere else. Oates and Joe O are the other two that are right on the line of this group, but still can be saved and are young enough to be quality contributors going forward.

Ultimately, we don't need to dump half the roster or sign a thousand replacements, we just need to put the right people in place to get the best out of them.
 
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Bateman would be the best replacement, but failing that Corey Waddell wouldn’t be the worst option for not a lot of $$$
 
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