Predicted Round 1 team

andrew's_sharks

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Hi All, the off season is somewhat boring. Curious to see what you think our round one side will be.

I think it will be the following.

1. Kennedy
2. Katoa
3. Ronaldo
4. Ramien
5. Ikuvalu
6. Moylan
7. Hynes
8. Toby
9. Brailey
10. Finucane
11. Wilton
12. Graham
13. McInness

14. Tracey
15. Jack Williams
16. Talakai
17 BHU

18. Trindall
19. Tolman
20. Hunt
21. Nikora



I would like it to be.


1. Kennedy
2. Katoa
3. Ronaldo
4. Ramien
5. Ikuvalu
6. Hynes
7. Trindall
8. BHU
9. McInness
10. Finucane
11. Wilton
12. Graham
13. Toby

14. Brailey
15. Jack Williams
16. Talakai
17 Tolman/hunt

18. Tracey/Moylan
 

bort

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Is there any evidence Ronaldo has been training at centre?

Hard to predict what I think the team will be if I don't even know what positions the players are training in. Maybe Ikavalu is the main one training at centre? Maybe Tracey is. Maybe Miller, JT, Lualua or Ferris is looking good. Maybe even Wilton. You could pretty much make a case for all those players. I think Ronnie is more likely than a lot of them but he is a winger (now), and plays well on the wing, I need to at least know he is being seriously looked at for the position before I decide I expect him to be named there.
 
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Is there any evidence Ronaldo has been training at centre?

What sort of evidence do you want ? .... it's been mentioned on a few podcasts a few times. Including the guy who works at the Sharks mentioned it so I'd say it's pretty accurate.
 

andrew's_sharks

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Is there any evidence Ronaldo has been training at centre?

Hard to predict what I think the team will be if I don't even know what positions the players are training in. Maybe Ikavalu is the main one training at centre? Maybe Tracey is. Maybe Miller, JT, Lualua or Ferris is looking good. Maybe even Wilton. You could pretty much make a case for all those players. I think Ronnie is more likely than a lot of them but he is a winger (now), and plays well on the wing, I need to at least know he is being seriously looked at for the position before I decide I expect him to be named there
**** me. It is literally what I think will role out round one. You can write whatever you think the round one team will be. If you think Pele will play on the wing and Katoa will play prop go for it!
 

bort

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What sort of evidence do you want ? .... it's been mentioned on a few podcasts a few times. Including the guy who works at the Sharks mentioned it so I'd say it's pretty accurate.
Yeah not sure about 'a few podcasts' necessarily having actual on the money news, maybe they do maybe they don't. One with actual 'guy who works for sharks' maybe a bit stronger evidence. Do you remember what that podcast was?
**** me. It is literally what I think will role out round one. You can write whatever you think the round one team will be. If you think Pele will play on the wing and Katoa will play prop go for it!
Me not being sure doesn't invalidate your opinion, if I can write whatever I think the team may be why can't I write that I am not sure?
You're not sure between Tolman/Hunt and Tracey/Moylan in your own opinion of the team.
I could make guesses at what I think the team will be but I'm just saying I really don't feel like I have enough info that I am sure enough to put anything out there.
 

Blix

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Biggest starting forward pack and Bench is required IMHO.Cant be 1 and 5 per usual Sharks start
Agree, we run out this season with small pack we are going to get run over again just like last season. McInnes as a lock, finucane as a prop (Graham as a second rower) doesn’t increase the overall size of the smallest pack.
 

andrew's_sharks

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Yeah not sure about 'a few podcasts' necessarily having actual on the money news, maybe they do maybe they don't. One with actual 'guy who works for sharks' maybe a bit stronger evidence. Do you remember what that podcast was?

Me not being sure doesn't invalidate your opinion, if I can write whatever I think the team may be why can't I write that I am not sure?
You're not sure between Tolman/Hunt and Tracey/Moylan in your own opinion of the team.
I could make guesses at what I think the team will be but I'm just saying I really don't feel like I have enough info that I am sure enough to put anything out there.
It doesn't invalidate your opinion! I wrote what I think the team will be picked and what I would like to see. And where I have moylan/tracy and hunt/tolman I am simply not too fussed on which of the two are selected. I would probably go with Tracey and If needing a bigger pack Hunt.
 

bort

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Biggest starting forward pack and Bench is required IMHO.Cant be 1 and 5 per usual Sharks start
With allowance for position and some consideration for actual quality here is what I think is a possible lineup with weight as a preference
(weights used are off Sharks site)

8 BHU 115
9 McInnes 91
10 Rudolf 106
11 Wilton 98
12 Graham 96
13 Finucane 102

14 Tracey 87/Berrell 87/Brailey 80
15 Talakai 100
16 Hunt 112
17 Fifita 118/Pele 121

Tolman 102
Nikora 94
Williams 98

Given Woods is heavier than Finucane but Wilton a bit heavier than Nikora the only major difference in weight between the above starting side and last season is an extra 11kg on the hooker, not substantially different.

But obviously compared to a 8 Finucane 9 Blayke 13 McInnes variant we are looking at being quite a bit under vs last year.
If Nikora and Blayke start (BHU bench) that side is 39kg lighter than the one I have typed above.

I find it hard to believe Blayke finished last season and will start this season at 80. He isn't huge but surely he must be closer to 85.

Agree, we run out this season with small pack we are going to get run over again just like last season. McInnes as a lock, finucane as a prop (Graham as a second rower) doesn’t increase the overall size of the smallest pack.

I don't think size was a huge issue for us last year, it was to an extent I agree. We were missing Hunt for so long while also missing BHU and Talakai at times, so going further down depth chart than we'd have wanted. Combine that Brailey was quite small but also that we didn't have good bench cover for him and we had numerous middles who had tackle issues. Our middle therefor had to overwork to cover for itself which causes issues.
I don't think there is any amount of extra weight we could add to the side that would be more defensively valuable than McInnes (and Finucane).
Decision therefore is just start Blayke or start a prop and bring Blayke on after 20 or so. Could be a horses for courses approach even (name Blayke at 9 but start him on bench against some of the bigger starting packs).
 
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Yeah not sure about 'a few podcasts' necessarily having actual on the money news, maybe they do maybe they don't. One with actual 'guy who works for sharks' maybe a bit stronger evidence. Do you remember what that podcast was?

Sharkcast

Well if you're not going to believe a guy who is actually at training and works for the club then I can't help you. Aside from actual quotes from a player saying it you can't get more definitive.

Guess we'll see if he ever plays there but I'd imagine he's probably always trained at centre in some capacity since he played most of his juniors there.

Not sure what I prefer personally. I like Ronnie on the wing but don't love Tracey at centre - assuming he's first picked otherwise.
 

Blix

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Last year we had a tiny pack. I did spend hours a few months ago doing all the weights of the different clubs and it was clearly evident.

The entire top 8 had significantly larger packs then the Cronulla pack.
 

Blix

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I think it will be the following.

1. Kennedy
2. Katoa
3. Ronaldo
4. Ramien
5. Ikuvalu
6. Hynes
7. Trindall
8. Toby
9. Brailey
10. Finucane
11. Nikora
12. Graham
13. McInness

14. Mythlan
15. BHU
16. Talakai
17. Williams

However picking on form I would like it to be.


1. Kennedy
2. Katoa
3. Ronaldo
4. Ramien
5. Ikuvalu
6. Hynes
7. Trindall
8. Toby
9. McInness
10. BHU
11. Williams
12. Talakai
13. Finucane

14. Brailey
15. Wilton
16. Hunt
18. Tracey
 

bort

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Sharkcast

Well if you're not going to believe a guy who is actually at training and works for the club then I can't help you. Aside from actual quotes from a player saying it you can't get more definitive.

Guess we'll see if he ever plays there but I'd imagine he's probably always trained at centre in some capacity since he played most of his juniors there.

Not sure what I prefer personally. I like Ronnie on the wing but don't love Tracey at centre - assuming he's first picked otherwise.
I'm not sure why I am being accused of not believing someone I haven't even heard yet? I don't think asking where to find it equates to not believing him.
In saying that, guy who works for the sharks could be the toilet cleaner for all the info I had on him before, now you've at least clarified he is someone who is at trainings.

I do expect Ronnie is training there a bit but if he is there 20% of the time and Ikuvalu or Tracey is there 80% of the time then that's pretty strong evidence he isn't likely to be first choice, and I have no idea how much each of them is there currently.
My guess is Ronnie would be a worse centre than winger but perhaps not by much or can adapt to fix that. I think Tracey could learn to become a pretty decent (from a value perspective) centre if he can get a lot of reps there in preseason. Not sure about Ikuvalu.

Last year we had a tiny pack. I did spend hours a few months ago doing all the weights of the different clubs and it was clearly evident.

The entire top 8 had significantly larger packs then the Cronulla pack.

Yes and in danger of getting smaller still depending on lineup we choose. But I do think improving the quality of the players (Finucane and McInnes starting over Woods and BHU/Rudolf/Blayke) will help make up for it.
Could be a case of looking at if we start BHU over Rudolf for the kegs or if the likes of Rudolf, Finucane and McInnes can handle some weight thrown at them until we bring some big boys off the bench.
While mid 90kgs edge players are common so too are guys more like 105. Not much can be done at this stage where we don't have any big second rowers unless we started Talakai there (or to a lesser extend, Wilton over Nikora which I think the whole forum is keen on). And at the end of the day even Nikora to Talakai only picks up about 6kg. Hardly make or break. You've also pencilled in Williams which grabs another couple kg but imo he's primarily a middle that can cover edge these days.

If we play smart and respect possession more smaller (presumably) more agile guys can be a benefit not a problem in the new 'faster' league.
 

bort

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If Tollmans 102kg,I want him in the middle or bench.We are small in middle.
Over who? That makes him lighter than every middle except Talakai and Williams (both not by much) who you could argue are more valuable bench players as they can cover wider. (yes, also same as Dale, not lighter)
Tolman's workrate is a big tick for him, I'm not sure being 102kg is
 
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