Official Aiden Tolman
- Thread starter Sir Chadley
- Start date
CrazyMatt
Jaws
Yeah I think so too. Probably a good bet we didn’t sign him to sit in the reserves.
Rudolf really a starting lock???
Quite possibly
Even if we did do a lot of starting Williams and using Rudolf off the bench he'd still be the 'main' lock (unless William's gets a lot better) and it would just be about working to their strengths a bit better
Tatus
Not-So-Great White
I think he will too, but not sure if he’ll start or not. I’d be tempted to start him if Talakai and BHU start with him. I’d just be worried about our starts if it were Woods and Tolman starting with Nikora in second row. You kinda want to get as many minutes out of Tolman as you can provided he can make his tackles and limit penalties and leave the meter eating to the other guys
There's really no combination you couldn't make an argument for I reckon, except for Fifi starting. I'm not interested in that at all. Unless he be in better shape (health and fitness) than last season I think he struggles to get a run if all forwards are healthy.
8 Woods 10 Tolman 13 Williams is the boring start but sets us up to absorb other teams start until we switch to a more dynamic BHU Fifita Rudolf or BHU Rudolf Talakai
A Woods (30.1 @ 93.5%) Brailey (36.5 @ 90.8%) Tolman (40.3 @ 93.8%) middle is pretty solid. On this note I'm keen to see Brailey go up a couple percent this season hopefully.
If we wanted to try and have a more aggressive start I think we do need Talakai starting and I'm probably not expecting that, although I'd be keen to see him over Nikora. Interested to see how we play him this season.
Tatus
Not-So-Great White
I’d be happy to just get off to a good start. We’ve been notoriously slow starters over the last few years, even being comeback kings at one stage, so it’d be a welcome change to not have to chase points off the bat. I’d be more inclined to start Tolman for that reason. He’d lead by example. Tackling well, limiting errors and penalties, and not putting us in a position where we need to put the points on (something we may not be able to do with SJ out).
I would be giving Billy Magoulias start at lock over Rudolf.
Rudolf of the bench 2ndrow impact.
Sparkles
Jaws
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Plus Tolman starting gives us more chance of getting back to that dynamic bench we had rocking it earlier in the season.
andrew's_sharks
Great White
I would start Tolman.
I think our best side starts with BHU, Toby and Tolman as middle forwards starting with either of Tolman or Toby in the 13.
8. Toby
9. Brailey
10. BHU
11. Talaki
12. Graham
13. Tolman
I think is probably our best starting pack.
On the bench I would have:
- two of Woods, Fifita, Pele and Hunt
- one of Williams, Nikora and Wilton (if Wilton or Nikora are good enough I would prefer them to start and talaki move to lock when he first comes on)
- tracey as the utility.
I think our best side starts with BHU, Toby and Tolman as middle forwards starting with either of Tolman or Toby in the 13.
8. Toby
9. Brailey
10. BHU
11. Talaki
12. Graham
13. Tolman
I think is probably our best starting pack.
On the bench I would have:
- two of Woods, Fifita, Pele and Hunt
- one of Williams, Nikora and Wilton (if Wilton or Nikora are good enough I would prefer them to start and talaki move to lock when he first comes on)
- tracey as the utility.
Western Sharkie
Jaws
They’ve probably just forgotten that he has signed with us!
Sir Chadley
Jaws
Ganda, you’re a good bloke I know but I’d have Tolman, Williams or Toby starting at lock before I even thought of Billy.
I thought that too mate but he is listed as a new signing in the same article.
CrazyMatt
Jaws
The fact that he fell behind in the pecking order of every second rower and lock at the club last year should tell you that it’s probably not going to happen and probably shouldn’t.
Blair
Bull Shark
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I really don't want to see Tolman and Woods starting in the front row. Nothing against either player as they are both good at what they do, but as an opposition prop I'd be happy to run at those two all day and also tackle them all day. There's not an ounce of dynamo between them. Ideally I would like to see them interchange with each other. Tolman for 25, Woods on for middle 40, Tolman comes on fresh at the last 15 to tighten up the defense and close out games.
Hopefully BHU has increased his fitness to stop those lazy misses in defense and really owns that prop jersey for years to come. He can rotate with Pele or Fifita. Fifita off the bench for 20 minutes a game is worth it for what he brings to the team. Our 2nd rows and hooker can play 80mins so no reason Fifita couldn't play this role.
Hopefully BHU has increased his fitness to stop those lazy misses in defense and really owns that prop jersey for years to come. He can rotate with Pele or Fifita. Fifita off the bench for 20 minutes a game is worth it for what he brings to the team. Our 2nd rows and hooker can play 80mins so no reason Fifita couldn't play this role.
HaroldBishop
Megalodon
Not very inspiring, is it.
Sparkles
Jaws
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It's a tough one. Unless our current batch of forwards leap ahead in ability (defence and handling at the top of the list) over the off season, we'll need a couple of stagers to soak up the minutes and early intensity. It's not really BHU's game yet, Toby's almost there, then there's Wade and Nikora who don't get as involved in the heavy stuff offensively... I don't want Blayke making 80 tackles a game either.
It doesn't tickle my footy bone one iota, but if we're going to help fix our starts and get back to being a tougher team, Tolman and Woods might be the only options to start. Then we're also back to that comp leading dynamo bench
It doesn't tickle my footy bone one iota, but if we're going to help fix our starts and get back to being a tougher team, Tolman and Woods might be the only options to start. Then we're also back to that comp leading dynamo bench
Blair
Bull Shark
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Nope.
My issue is that if another team starts fast we won't be able to match it with them in those early stages. Penrith came out the blocks so fast against us both times and we had no response with Woods jogging up the defensive line each hitup. Tolman isn't a line bender either.
Heard a lot of people saying how Tolman should make the young guys lift their game, but I'm hoping he puts Woods on notice too.
Suddenly there's someone doing roughly the same job as him on a much smaller contract.
While I can't see Woodsy becoming a hitman or enforcer, it'd be great if he aimed up somewhere else – leading our linespeed like Matty Prior, perhaps.
Suddenly there's someone doing roughly the same job as him on a much smaller contract.
While I can't see Woodsy becoming a hitman or enforcer, it'd be great if he aimed up somewhere else – leading our linespeed like Matty Prior, perhaps.
Also a contract year for Woods. While I wouldn't accuse him of waiting for a contract year to put any effort in he probably can't help but be a bit hungrier.
The best we saw of Woods last season was where he was allowed to get his hands on the ball and run or tip on, also help the ball get wide to our halves. Tolman could be a good combo with him for that (younger harder runners even better but they don't always concentrate as well as they should...). Tolman should be able to do that as well and instead of just using each other it could even be a way to get our pigeonholed second rowers and centres into the game a bit more in early tackles, especially when we have okay field position.
Graham, Dugan, Nikora and Ramien all could be used more. So instead of an Aaron Woods hit up we have him tip on to Chad who hits Graham or Dugan, for example. Line is likely a bit compressed as Woods doesn't move quick but he's can be tough to stop and bring down if you don't get bodies on him, so hopefully you get decent meters and/or quick PTB. Then next play you can work back towards the middle - Wade plays it to Dugan who passes to Chad who passes to Blayke who passes to Woods, with Tolman on his outside Woods is probably running this time but they have to be awake to the tip on as he did it last time....
Wouldn't do it all the time necessarily but I think it could serve us well.
On Billy Mags - honestly would anybody outside of this forum even know who he was if it wasn't for those two chip kicks? I doubt it
Personally the best case for him would be either Graham or Talakai being starting 13. They are both a bit more dynamic and offer a bit more than Williams/Rudolf/Tolman so if we already aren't using the lock as a prop it makes more sense to me to sub them for someone with a wider skill set. In good signs for Billy he did get some reps with the A team the other week whereas we didn't actually see pics of Fifi with the As