Team's Up

[Rooster_6]

Who cares if he names the right team on Tuesday? He knows what team will be running out come Saturday and that's enough.

Knights will be missing Mullen. Downside is they have some powerful outside backs that will carve up our friend skid.

It's not power I'm worried about when it comes to Skid, he's fine pound for pound with any cetnre in the comp. It's when they throw numbers at him and anyone who has a good step and turn of pace. He shouldn't have too many troubles against Sau but they're famous last words.

[Guest]

Tonga had a field day with him yesterday with nothing more than a palm and a step.

The problem with mr. Dowalls defence is that he is in fact - a shirtgrabber.

[Guest]

I would like to see a re-shuffle:

1. Carney
2. Perrett
3. Kenny-Dowall
4. Graham
5. Minichiello
6. Anasta
7. J Aubusson/Jones
8. Ryles
9. Friend
10. Paea
11. Kouparitsas
12. M Aubusson
13. Myles

14. Jones/J Aubusson
15. Conn
16. Waerea-Hargreaves
17. Nuuausala

It allows us to keep the balance we had in the earlier rounds when we didn't look so disjointed. Just has Friend at hooker, and shift Jones or Jorbs into halfback, but the rest of the team structure stays untouched. Guerra and Symonds should be pushing for Koops' and Conn's spots when they return.

[The Axe]

I would like to see a re-shuffle:

1. Carney
2. Perrett
3. Kenny-Dowall
4. Graham
5. Minichiello
6. Anasta
7. J Aubusson/Jones
8. Ryles
9. Friend
10. Paea
11. Kouparitsas
12. M Aubusson
13. Myles

14. Jones/J Aubusson
15. Conn
16. Waerea-Hargreaves
17. Nuuausala

.

Normally Mack I agree wholeheartedly with you.
In this case, and I'm the most reluctant to put the boot in to players like Mini and Anasta, but the blokes in bold above have to go, especially SKD.

Personally, I don't particularly care who they replace so long as they are being groomed for the future. Test them and then make educated decisions WRT who to retain and who to release at season's end. The blokes in bold have had their chances. Time to move on or take the season to re-proove yourselves.

[Guest]

Normally Mack I agree wholeheartedly with you.
In this case, and I'm the most reluctant to put the boot in to players like Mini and Anasta, but the blokes in bold above have to go, especially SKD.

Personally, I don't particularly care who they replace so long as they are being groomed for the future. Test them and then make educated decisions WRT who to retain and who to release at season's end. The blokes in bold have had their chances. Time to move on or take the season to re-proove yourselves.

Anasta and Mini are expected to be on their last contracts with the club. I don't know if I see Ryles or Graham staying on beyond 2011 either. The framework for our team, for many years to come, IMO will be:

1. Dugan (if he doesn't come, Towers)
2. Perrett
3. Kenny-Dowall/Williamson/Blair/Moeakiola
4. Tuigamala/Du Plessis/Linnett
5. Kenny-Dowall/Williamson/Blair/Moeakiola
6. Carney
7. Pearce
8. Myles
9. Aubusson/Friend
10. Waerea-Hargreaves
11. Symonds
12. M Aubusson
13. Cordner/Lowe

14. Jones
15. Cherrington/Baitieri/Takairangi/Guerra/Leilua/Kouparitsas
16. Kennedy/Conn
17. Nuuausala

The spots in bold, are pretty much confirmed. Once Cordner is ready for FG, Ryles to retire/leave, Myles to front row. Morbs, Carney, Pearce and Perrett are all definites, they won't go anywhere. Nuuausala and Jones are integral players IMO, but at the moment they are confused with their roles in the team. Nuuausala plays best as a shock weapon, he is coming along nicely IMO, and Jone SHOULD be being used as a bench impact player, he is NOT a centre.

SKD has offered up too many mistakes for far too long now, and similarly built players like Cheyse Blair, Fine Moeakiola and Ryan Williamson should be pushing for his spot, as well as the wing position vacated by Minichiello.

Tuigamala, Linnett, Du Plessis should be pushing for the vacated centre spot, but if Graham is still playing well, we should keep him on.

We have a whole host of forwards pushing for backrow/bench spots - Baitieri, Kouparitsas, Guerra, Leilua, Cherrington, Lowe, Takairangi all pushing for the bench backrow spot, if none of them get the vacant lock spot, while Conn and Kennedy fight it out for the 'grunt' on the bench to partner FPN.

[roostwin]

Good changes. But I'd swap Setu for Koups, Linnett for Perrett and Kennedy for FPN.

Are you serious no Anasta

[BUDDY]

Are you serious no Anasta

With Dugan in the team, it means it is a 2012 team and Anasta's contract would have finished

[Guest]

Graham, Anasta and Ryles are all off-contract at the end of next year. Ryles and Graham, to me, are only considered short-term signings to provide experience, while Anasta seems to have run out of luck with his rugby league career.

Williamson and SKD are both off-contract at the end of next year, we should keep one. Both are similar players - tall, strapping centres with tremendous potential, but badly error prone. Daniel Conn, Mitch Aubusson and Tom Symonds are all off-contract at the end of next year too, but they have shown enough value to keep on for longer.

The decisions to make at the end of this year:

1. keeping ONE of James Aubusson and Jake Friend. I do not think we have enough room for both, personally. Ben Jones has the potential and talent to be our new Craig Wing, but much like Wing, he is getting jerked around and thrown into the wrong positions. He is NOT a fullback, not a centre, and little more than an adequate halves option, however he IS a great impact player off the bench, especially scooting from dummyhalf around tired forwards. Jorbs or Friend can be the Bonetti toiler.

2. keeping on Kouparitsas and Paea. Both are two of our more experienced forwards, and seem to be automatic selections in the team, yet both have really yet to prove their worth. Koops is the new Daniel Wagon - jack of all trades, master of none. Not strong enough to play in the backrow, not good enough defense for a lock, not enough flair and nous for a hooker/half. Paea has lost all the power and go-forward he had in 2007/2008, he is down on metres per hitup too.

[Cockadoodledoo]

Graham, Anasta and Ryles are all off-contract at the end of next year. Ryles and Graham, to me, are only considered short-term signings to provide experience, while Anasta seems to have run out of luck with his rugby league career.

Williamson and SKD are both off-contract at the end of next year, we should keep one. Both are similar players - tall, strapping centres with tremendous potential, but badly error prone. Daniel Conn, Mitch Aubusson and Tom Symonds are all off-contract at the end of next year too, but they have shown enough value to keep on for longer.

The decisions to make at the end of this year:

1. keeping ONE of James Aubusson and Jake Friend. I do not think we have enough room for both, personally. Ben Jones has the potential and talent to be our new Craig Wing, but much like Wing, he is getting jerked around and thrown into the wrong positions. He is NOT a fullback, not a centre, and little more than an adequate halves option, however he IS a great impact player off the bench, especially scooting from dummyhalf around tired forwards. Jorbs or Friend can be the Bonetti toiler.

2. keeping on Kouparitsas and Paea. Both are two of our more experienced forwards, and seem to be automatic selections in the team, yet both have really yet to prove their worth. Koops is the new Daniel Wagon - jack of all trades, master of none. Not strong enough to play in the backrow, not good enough defense for a lock, not enough flair and nous for a hooker/half. Paea has lost all the power and go-forward he had in 2007/2008, he is down on metres per hitup too.

Ben Jones is absolute rubbish... in 2 and a half seasons he has shown nothing in any grade.. He would not get a start at just about any club and you compare him to a former international.. Jones doesn't even have a position.. He has shown nothing in any position he has been tried in. Brunton is easily our best dummy half option.. Jaubs is not a natural and Friend is too slow.. Neither of those I see as long term options in First Grade.

[Guest]

I honestly believe Jones has definitely got something to offer. BUT he is not a centre. I liked what I saw of him at fullback last year but I think he is moulded to be a very good 9. He has a very smart football brain and can exploit holes around the ruck but he is not been given that chance been played in the centres. He isn't big enough to play out wide and his strength is his quick feet which we could use in and around the ruck to get us on the front foot. He has already proven he can handle the hooking duties at a high level which was evident in the All Stars game. I wouldn't mind seeing him have a go at halfback with Pearce out. I have no doubt he would handle himself there.

On Shaun Kenny-Dowall, I think he needs to head to Newtown for a few weeks just to improve his ball-handling and positioning. Kane Linnett has been going very well at Newtown and deserves a chance to impress in the top grade. I wouldn't mind seeing BJ Leilua or Fine Moeakiola feature in the centres either.

[Guest]

james aubbo is absolute rubbish with a capital R. It will be a diobolical decision by smith to retain this clown who cant pass or run.

ben jones is not suitable to even tie up craig wing's boots and you want to compare him with craig wing. get a grip. One was a class player and the other is a reserve grader.

[Guest]

Ben Jones is absolute rubbish... in 2 and a half seasons he has shown nothing in any grade.. He would not get a start at just about any club and you compare him to a former international.. Jones doesn't even have a position.. He has shown nothing in any position he has been tried in. Brunton is easily our best dummy half option.. Jaubs is not a natural and Friend is too slow.. Neither of those I see as long term options in First Grade.

I agree with you...friend is another who is overated. cannot believe the money that this guy is getting paid.

[Billy Gunn]

I agree with you...friend is another who is overated. cannot believe the money that this guy is getting paid.

Does he have a contract? Other than What jman paid him his contract was ripped up ?

I will also trot out your favorite saying "better judges that you and me think Friend is the real deal"

[Guest]

Friend is the real deal.

There is a good reason why we fought to keep him on the books.

Once he has developed a combination with Pearce, behind a competent pack, we will see the rewards.

Aside from an established halfback, our team has no spine, the day we get a decent one is the day we can critique players abilities. Except SKD, now there's a lost cause.

[Guest]

Was just having a look at the Newtown and NYC team lists, centres Kane Linnett, Ryan Williamson and Fine Moeakiola are all missing. I have a sneak feeling that one or even two of these players will debut this week. It's great to see BJ Leilua was named in the NYC team after I thought he had picked up a serious injury on Monday night. He will debut very soon, mark my words.