My revolation about our recruitment plan

[ism22]

At the end of last year we had 3 people who have independently been called the NRL's best player in their position at some stage. RTS, Jennings and Cordner.

We couldn't have all 3, so picked Cordner. IMO he's the most important of the 3 unless you're one of those ridiculous teams that relies on creative backs to do all the work. Our plan is based on defence (the 'Bondi Wall') and it would collapse without Cordner. He's an 80 minute workhorse with a HUGE motor. Not a flashy player with dance steps, but he'll do more takles than Jennings + RTS combined. He's also a massive leader for the club, and potential Australian captain... a characteristic that the other two don't possess.

The one thing we haven't lost is good, solid forwards. With JWH, Friend, Evans, Cordner, Guerra, SST, Napa, Liu and Moa in your forward pack, you'd have to be an absolute schmuck to not be able to score tries out wide. No offence to Elliot, but he scored a boot load of tries last year despite having zero first grade experience. Fergo also scored a boot load (despite being at 40% for most of the season).

Jennings and RTS are mad outside backs, but we would be crazy to offload ANY of our 80 minute 'bash brothers' with the new rules coming in. IMO a (possibly) unintended impact of the new interchange rules will be that teams with fat/lazy forwards and lots of outside backs who are given a license to run amok will struggle.

Meh... I think we've done well keeping ALL of our forwards. We have the best 80 minute forward pack in the game now, and some extremely good outside backs.

[John Corey]

No doubt Cordner is a terrific young player. But we didnt choose him out of the 3 (as i think you know &#128512 He simply back doored us. We would have chosen RTS out of the 3 in a heartbeat imo. He is a matchwinner

[dice]

You underestimate how much space Jennings and Maloney created for our forwards, and the importance of Jennings' speed when sliding in defence.

I predict some of those "solid" forwards don't look so solid without as much space to move around, and the "bondi wall" will start to leak around the edges.

[Guest]

I predict that Easts will improve in 2016!

[Johnny Tobin]

I predict that Easts will improve in 2016!

Easts Rugby?

[The Brain]

I predict that Easts will improve in 2016!

What ! they are actually finally gonna win a semi? thats the only improvement they can do

[Guest]

I predict that Easts will improve in 2016!

I'm with you. Lets not forget how shit most teams were last year and are likely to be this year. At the end of the day there are only a handful of teams that can win it and imo we are still one of those teams. Having said that though, we are obviously down on some backline talent. I'm tipping Hasting to be the breakout star of the NRL in 2016 and predict we will at least be top 4.

[Guest]

No doubt Cordner is a terrific young player. But we didnt choose him out of the 3 (as i think you know &#128512 He simply back doored us. We would have chosen RTS out of the 3 in a heartbeat imo. He is a matchwinner

Your statement makes little sense. If our club did prioritise Roger Tuivasa Sheck then he would have been signed before Auckland could make an offer.

[Arties Pie]

Why are people still wetting their pants over Sheck, it was 2014 and Sheck was encouraging players like Napa and Aubbo not to go to other clubs and be part of generation next and what does this traitorous little turd do not 12 months later sign a deal with another club. Get over him I doubt he will run the same metres this season as other teams have worked him out and have more players marking him ala SBW 2014.

[Darkone]

Cordner was epic over the back end of last season

He with Hastings & Jennings owned that part of the field over that time.

We wont lose much with Hastings, Corder & Copley combined.....

& Toops lurking

If Burgess links with SKD the other side, Hastings will have 4 tall targets to kick to.

[Bigchook]

Not sure we'll improve but I don't think we'll slide either. We're a top 4 side everyday.

[Arties Pie]

Cordner was epic over the back end of last season

He with Hastings & Jennings owned that part of the field over that time.

We wont lose much with Hastings, Corder & Copley combined.....

& Toops lurking

If Burgess links with SKD the other side, Hastings will have 4 tall targets to kick to.

According to Gus a far more accurate kick (in general play) than Pearce or Maloney.

[Insider]

If we make the top 4,if we beat Souths twice instead of the usual 1 each,and if for faaaarks sake we finally beat Cronulla, and after all that don't bomb out in the finals I will b very happy.

[Matty_C]

I'm

At the end of last year we had 3 people who have independently been called the NRL's best player in their position at some stage. RTS, Jennings and Cordner.

We couldn't have all 3, so picked Cordner. IMO he's the most important of the 3 unless you're one of those ridiculous teams that relies on creative backs to do all the work. Our plan is based on defence (the 'Bondi Wall') and it would collapse without Cordner. He's an 80 minute workhorse with a HUGE motor. Not a flashy player with dance steps, but he'll do more takles than Jennings + RTS combined. He's also a massive leader for the club, and potential Australian captain... a characteristic that the other two don't possess.

The one thing we haven't lost is good, solid forwards. With JWH, Friend, Evans, Cordner, Guerra, SST, Napa, Liu and Moa in your forward pack, you'd have to be an absolute schmuck to not be able to score tries out wide. No offence to Elliot, but he scored a boot load of tries last year despite having zero first grade experience. Fergo also scored a boot load (despite being at 40% for most of the season).

Jennings and RTS are mad outside backs, but we would be crazy to offload ANY of our 80 minute 'bash brothers' with the new rules coming in. IMO a (possibly) unintended impact of the new interchange rules will be that teams with fat/lazy forwards and lots of outside backs who are given a license to run amok will struggle.

Meh... I think we've done well keeping ALL of our forwards. We have the best 80 minute forward pack in the game now, and some extremely good outside backs.

Excellent post and use of the term 'mad'.


I love our pack, our recruitment / retention has been very smart.
In saying that I'd love to still have RTS, but understand that was out of our hands.

Even better is the fact that the likes of Napa and Evans will only get better.

With the Broncos we are the most likely to win a competition in the next three years.

[Game Fowl]

The biggest unknown is the full impact of the " new interchange rule " we have positioned ourselves well - Big power units with Max minutes , Halves with a varried kicking games with Tall timber targets on the edges (to keep the opposition guessing ) and super subs as impact replacements.