Match 2024 NRL Round 1 New Zealand Warriors v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 7:50 pm Friday 8 March @ Go Media Stadium, Auckland

[TrindallGoat]

Be interesting to see how many minutes Royce pumps out. The dreamer in me hopes the bigger stint he pumped out with ease in the Bulldogs trial translates into the regular season but the realist in me knows it’s a lot easier running into King/Salmon/Poasa than it is to run into AFB/Tohu/Barnett.

Still though, the prospect of a Royce Hunt with a good motor is so dreamy I’m happy to delude myself up until Friday night where he looks gassed after 25.

 

[Western Sharkie]

Not sure if this was posted already...

Referees: Peter Gough;
Sideline Officials: Belinda Sharpe, Paki Parkinson;
Video Referees: Matt Noyen;

Nicho will be pleased.

 

[Thresher]

Nicho will be pleased.

Nicho the Sharpes disposer

 

[Gumby]

Very happy that Cam has been named to start.

Finucane off the bench for some reason excites me. Really happy with this team.

All eyes on Kaufusi. He’s got 2 weeks basically to prove himself until BHU returns.

 

[sharkboy18]

I'd make a few changes, not the worst lineup but not my choice either. I'm more then keen to give Iro ago in the centres with Talakai coming off the bench. Kaufusi shouldn't be in the 17 anywhere.

Kennedy
Katoa
Ramien
Iro
Mulitalo
Hynes
Trindall
Rudolf
Brailey
Hunt
Nikora
Wilton
Finucane/McIness

Finucane/McIness
Talakai
Williams
Hazelton.

 

[sharkgaz]

I actually 100% agree with Sharkyboy's team. Like the idea of Talakei coming from the bench into the pack. Let's give Iro a go in the Centres, and please big Hazo has to be in the 17 ahead of Kaufusi

 

[sharkboy18]

I actually 100% agree with Sharkyboy's team. Like the idea of Talakei coming from the bench into the pack. Let's give Iro a go in the Centres, and please big Hazo has to be in the 17 ahead of Kaufusi

Talakai would have a huge impact coming off the bench after 20-30 minutes into a tiring team imo. I'd like to see some better speed to continue in that backline too hence why I've swapped the 2 around. I'm not bothered by the 2 of McIness & Finucane.

 

[Sparkles]

I've loved Talakai off the bench in the past, but I don't think fatigue has been an issue stopping him taking on tiring defences.

 

[BurgoShark]

Be interesting to see how many minutes Royce pumps out. The dreamer in me hopes the bigger stint he pumped out with ease in the Bulldogs trial translates into the regular season but the realist in me knows it’s a lot easier running into King/Salmon/Poasa than it is to run into AFB/Tohu/Barnett.

Still though, the prospect of a Royce Hunt with a good motor is so dreamy I’m happy to delude myself up until Friday night where he looks gassed after 25.

My guess is ~35 spread over two stints at the start and the end.

Finals game he played the opening 22 and the final 12. Rounds 10-14 with BHU out were all similar.

I thought he was an absolute weapon in the finals game. First stint he was best on ground imo.

 

[Sevshark]

People's willingness to give up Sifa's metres and try assists really doesn't compute to me.

 

[BurgoShark]

People's willingness to give up Sifa's metres and try assists really doesn't compute to me.

I think plenty of fans are still can't get past the "left edge defence is a problem" thing.... even though it was really only an issue in two game. One Sifa didn't play, and Teig was missing for both.

I get that he isn't the quickest bloke in the world, but the "Sifa can't move laterally and gets beaten on the outside" thing is a fantasy. It might happen a handful of times in the year, and most of those times the cover defence handles it. All centres get beaten on the outside sometimes. It's positioning that does them in. Not lack of speed.

 

[HaroldBishop]

People's willingness to give up Sifa's metres and try assists really doesn't compute to me.

But he has been terrible since THAT Manly game......

 

[Sevshark]

I think plenty of fans are still can't get past the "left edge defence is a problem" thing.... even though it was really only an issue in two game. One Sifa didn't play, and Teig was missing for both.

I get that he isn't the quickest bloke in the world, but the "Sifa can't move laterally and gets beaten on the outside" thing is a fantasy. It might happen a handful of times in the year, and most of those times the cover defence handles it. All centres get beaten on the outside sometimes. It's positioning that does them in. Not lack of speed.

Ahh in that case bringing in noted defender Kayal Iro makes tons of sense...

 

[BurgoShark]

Ahh in that case bringing in noted defender Kayal Iro makes tons of sense...

I think Iro slides in to Connor Tracey's spot as next man in.

Defensively I think he's better than SS and on par with Hiroti, so the tie-breaker for me is yardage. Whatever else you say about him and the gaps in his game, Iro is a beast on yardage carries just like Tracey was.

When he gets his next opportunity the fans just need to see him as next man in doing a job rather than "super prospect" pushing someone out.

 

[Sevshark]

I think Iro slides in to Connor Tracey's spot as next man in.

Defensively I think he's better than SS and on par with Hiroti, so the tie-breaker for me is yardage. Whatever else you say about him and the gaps in his game, Iro is a beast on yardage carries just like Tracey was.

When he gets his next opportunity the fans just need to see him as next man in doing a job rather than "super prospect" pushing someone out.

I've never been particularly negative of Iro and absolutely agree that yardage is his strongest attribute. But I don't think anyone has ever looked at our current back 5 and come to the conclusion yardage is where we need help.

If Jesse or Sifa go down at any point I'll be as excited as anyone for him to get his opportunity and if he grabs it and holds his spot that's great.

 

[BurgoShark]

I've never been particularly negative of Iro and absolutely agree that yardage is his strongest attribute. But I don't think anyone has ever looked at our current back 5 and come to the conclusion yardage is where we need help.

If Jesse or Sifa go down at any point I'll be as excited as anyone for him to get his opportunity and if he grabs it and holds his spot that's great.

Oh for sure... but for next man in for a game or two you hope that he is going to be able to get somewhere close to that level. Despite his otherwise great performance in Perth I think we can all agree that Hiroti is not a metre-eater.

I think Kayal is going to play some NRL games this year. He might have to wait a while like Tracey did last year, but someone will pull or roll something and he'll see time. I can't see him winning the starting gig over a healthy guy, but every team needs a good next-man-in and I reckon he is it for 2024.

 

[Hughesy215]

I am keen to see how Kayal goes. I agree he will get a spot when someone goes down, nothing before then.

The main reason I am keen to see how he goes is up until now we haven't really seen how he goes in a full first grade 17 over the course of a few weeks. The defensive issues are there and can't be ignored HOWEVER maybe a few weeks in first grade with someone getting an injury will be enough for him to settle into a role.

 

[BurgoShark]

I am keen to see how Kayal goes. I agree he will get a spot when someone goes down, nothing before then.

The main reason I am keen to see how he goes is up until now we haven't really seen how he goes in a full first grade 17 over the course of a few weeks. The defensive issues are there and can't be ignored HOWEVER maybe a few weeks in first grade with someone getting an injury will be enough for him to settle into a role.

I think we are all keen to see how he would handle it.

On the defensive side, I thing it’s a bit overblown. He has had some dramas for sure - but so have all of the current Sharks 3/4 and depth players at times. He can improve. I think the main thing that some of us object to is “Sifa is bad at defence so bring in Iro”. There is no logic in that one.

I’m probably in a minority but have said elsewhere on here that I would pick Iro over SS as a winger.

 

[Gards]

Iro was nothing special in the trials and that is against alot of other young lower grades players. Not alot of game time in trials for Sifa but he was pretty beastly at times.

If Fitz is serious and doesn't want to have to Moylan Sifa he will be working hard on addressing his defensive liabilities and weaknesses because what he can bring with the ball is so good, even just workload, carries, metres wise Iro ain't gunna give us that week in week out, his body ain't built for it.

Then you have Sifa's silky hands and ability to setup his winger. Different conversation perhaps if Iro was a defensive gun.

The other problem with bringing Sifa from the bench as a forward is that we are already stacked for bench forward options and struggling to fit them all in when fit as it is. Would feel bit of a waste to have to drop Hunt or Williams out to squeeze Sifa/Iro in.

 

[TrindallGoat]

Social pages like Rugby League Guru and Bloke have hyped Iro to hell and back to the point most people probably think he’s the greatest player to ever touch a footy.

Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge Iro fan and think he’d kill it in first grade but he provides more or less the same yardage work as Sifa with way less offensive output. For a player who just had a 5t/8lb/17ta/23lba/165m season you’d think he was a fringe first grader with how often people wanna replace him.

His best bet to getting in over Sifa was defence but Trindall did wonders for our left edge in that respect and Iro isn’t such a gun defender to the extent where he has to be in the side.