Official Jack Williams

[Sparkles]

The NRL has actually started tracking player averages for PTB so you can look it up in the match stats if you're interested.

His average speed in the trial was 3.82 seconds.

Great discussion on our forwards here and particularly Jack. I think he’s the forgotten man having missed so many games last year.

Under Fitz I reckon he’ll thrive and with luck on the injury front he could be in for a stellar season.

Just on the conversation on our forward pack and automatic selections, yes, Dale and Cam are first picked. I love Royce Hunt as a player and I think he has great impact but I think it’s better from the bench.

But where do we put Wade?

I think our best pack and bench is as follows:

Rudolf
Brailey
BHU
Nikora
Wilton
Finucane

McInnes
Williams
Hunt
Kafusi

I haven’t included him but I know Fitz will.

Having said that, I still think we have a great pack and bench rotation, and we still got guys like Hazelton and Colquhoun.

It’s a dilemma but a good one to have.

Jack earned the right to come back in, for sure. He should get a spot, and possibly be the one most likely to take a starting spot over BHU I reckon.

Hunt is nipping at their heels. And I love him, so I'm pretty partial.

Everything points to Wade being less involved. It'd be interesting to see him miss a spot on the bench... Maybe he'll be there as our utility and poor old Tracey miss out yet again!

 

[Six Again]

Great discussion on our forwards here and particularly Jack. I think he’s the forgotten man having missed so many games last year.

Under Fitz I reckon he’ll thrive and with luck on the injury front he could be in for a stellar season.

Just on the conversation on our forward pack and automatic selections, yes, Dale and Cam are first picked. I love Royce Hunt as a player and I think he has great impact but I think it’s better from the bench.

But where do we put Wade?

I think our best pack and bench is as follows:

Rudolf
Brailey
BHU
Nikora
Wilton
Finucane

McInnes
Williams
Hunt
Kafusi

I haven’t included him but I know Fitz will.

Having said that, I still think we have a great pack and bench rotation, and we still got guys like Hazelton and Colquhoun.

It’s a dilemma but a good one to have.

A couple of those on your list will need to show more next weekend than the entusiasm shown this weekend to be automiatically in the 17 otherwise Wade will be included Rd1 , namely Kafusi & Hunt plus Wilton needs to leave Fitz in no doubt he is the one for our starting left edge .

 

[Sir Chadley]

Id actually swap either Kafusi or Hunt for Uele in the starting lineup.

Feel Uele can offer more as a mobile forward off the bench whilst Kafusi/Hunt would be a straight swap for big bodies

I see what you’re saying mate but I think BHU is better in the 1-13. Need to get off to strong starts and I think him and Toby up front can do that.

Jack earned the right to come back in, for sure. He should get a spot, and possibly be the one most likely to take a starting spot over BHU I reckon.

Hunt is nipping at their heels. And I love him, so I'm pretty partial.

Everything points to Wade being less involved. It'd be interesting to see him miss a spot on the bench... Maybe he'll be there as our utility and poor old Tracey miss out yet again!

Agree mate but Jack is a back rower so I don’t think you can swap him for BHU.

A couple of those on your list will need to show more next weekend than the entusiasm shown this weekend to be automiatically in the 17 otherwise Wade will be included Rd1 , namely Kafusi & Hunt plus Wilton needs to leave Fitz in no doubt he is the one for our starting left edge .

Mate, I’d hope that Wilton has already left Fitz in no doubt after the first part of last season when Wade was injured and for how poor Wade was when came back and cramped our centre/wingers for room. Wilton starts over Wade in my book.

 

[bort]

Agree mate but Jack is a back rower so I don’t think you can swap him for BHU.

You see Jack as a back rower?
I know he’s filled in a decent few games there but I’ve never thought of it as his main position.

Even in trial he played lock and Colquhoun filled into back row. If he was a back rower he probably should have played there and let Colquhoun play middle.

I’d have said he’s a lock who can cover at prop decent and back row if needed.

 

[Sparkles]

I see what you’re saying mate but I think BHU is better in the 1-13. Need to get off to strong starts and I think him and Toby up front can do that.

Agree mate but Jack is a back rower so I don’t think you can swap him for BHU.

Mate, I’d hope that Wilton has already left Fitz in no doubt after the first part of last season when Wade was injured and for how poor Wade was when came back and cramped our centre/wingers for room. Wilton starts over Wade in my book.

You see Jack as a back rower?
I know he’s filled in a decent few games there but I’ve never thought of it as his main position.

Even in trial he played lock and Colquhoun filled into back row. If he was a back rower he probably should have played there and let Colquhoun play middle.

I’d have said he’s a lock who can cover at prop decent and back row if needed.

Chad's right, but I feel like Williams is a front rower.... Please tell me there's an actual reason for that

 

[Born&bred]

I reckon that lineup with Wade 18th man / Tracey 19th man would be the most popular opinion.

I reckon we will see a rule change eventually to let you pick from 18th or 19th man being activated. Being 19th man is a no-man’s-land at the moment. Can’t get a game that weekend in NRL or Cup. Just there in case someone pulls a hammy in warmup. Having up to 34 players in this situation every week is not ideal for player development or feeder comp quality.

Yep, that is so stupid. Not a fan at all.

 

[Jaz]

Chad's right, but I feel like Williams is a front rower.... Please tell me there's an actual reason for that

Williams is a middle. Can play edge if needed but he's strongest in the middle, no matter whether that's with a 13 or 8 on his back.

 

[Sir Chadley]

Williams front row? No way. As far as I know he’s always been an 11 or 12 who can also play 13 and a bench role.

Has he ever started 8 or 10 or filled in there?

 

[andrew's_sharks]

Williams is our new Boogie. Should be on the bench can play edge and middle.

 

[bort]

Williams front row? No way. As far as I know he’s always been an 11 or 12 who can also play 13 and a bench role.

Has he ever started 8 or 10 or filled in there?

He wasn’t being groomed to replace Gal due to Gals 35 games starting on an edge though

Williams has 18 edge starts but I suspect t most (all) of them were because one or more people were out.

 

[Deleted member 2543]

Williams front row? No way. As far as I know he’s always been an 11 or 12 who can also play 13 and a bench role.

Has he ever started 8 or 10 or filled in there?

He played plenty of prop in 2021.

Hasn’t regularly played second row since 2018 for the Jets. Only plays there to cover injuries.

 

[Western Sharkie]

I reckon that lineup with Wade 18th man / Tracey 19th man would be the most popular opinion.

I reckon we will see a rule change eventually to let you pick from 18th or 19th man being activated. Being 19th man is a no-man’s-land at the moment. Can’t get a game that weekend in NRL or Cup. Just there in case someone pulls a hammy in warmup. Having up to 34 players in this situation every week is not ideal for player development or feeder comp quality.

Can we play Graham as 18th man and put him on for the final few mins of the next 23 games?

 

[snowman]

You're calling a guys career over a trial game... Mate, you pump the team up less than a members pack

i called it over? no. i just called him not good enough to be a starting prop for a team that wants to win a premiership

 

[Sparkles]

i called it over? no. i just called him not good enough to be a starting prop for a team that wants to win a premiership

Okay, that's pretty reasonable. The original post sounded like you were swinging the axe.
Point still stands that it's just a trial game and surely we're better than picking a side based on those performances.

Hunt's form last season was good enough to put him in the mix, but I'm not totally convinved either.

I reckon we do need a big dog prop though. I haven't seen that BHU has it in him to reach that level. Toby doesn't seem like the type either. I can't see where that player is coming from amongst our crop. Hazelton, eventually, maybe.

 

[snowman]

Okay, that's pretty reasonable. The original post sounded like you were swinging the axe.
Point still stands that it's just a trial game and surely we're better than picking a side based on those performances.

Hunt's form last season was good enough to put him in the mix, but I'm not totally convinved either.

I reckon we do need a big dog prop though. I haven't seen that BHU has it in him to reach that level. Toby doesn't seem like the type either. I can't see where that player is coming from amongst our crop. Hazelton, eventually, maybe.

i think hunts form last year was crap, but all our props were crap

i dont see there being a huge upside in him and not much growth apart from in the weights room

he is a good bench piece, better at 18/19 man, shouldnt be starting on a team that wants to win

 

[Sparkles]

i think hunts form last year was crap, but all our props were crap

i dont see there being a huge upside in him and not much growth apart from in the weights room

he is a good bench piece, better at 18/19 man, shouldnt be starting on a team that wants to win

I saw plenty of growth over the year. In his consistency, impact and the trouser area as a result.
Not as much as I had over Talakai early on, but he's gotten better with more game time and has a way to go I reckon.
But I agree, our whole pack is a few steps behind where they need to be

 

[Deleted member 2543]

I saw plenty of growth over the year. In his consistency, impact and the trouser area as a result.
Not as much as I had over Talakai early on, but he's gotten better with more game time and has a way to go I reckon.
But I agree, our whole pack is a few steps behind where they need to be

He definitely improved. He plays more like a "normal" prop than any other Sharks middle, which is probably one reason why people like him.

The Sharks didn't finish second by accident though. They had to be doing something right in the middle third.

 

[Deleted member 2543]

I also reckon the whole "Sharks middle forwards were powderpuffs vs Souths" is a bit overblown. It was a disappointing performance, but they were down two middles (Hunt and Williams), BHU and Finucane were carrying injuries, and the team was without 2 of the the best yardage "back 5" players in the NRL. Yeah - Toby had a piss poor miss early on, but a try in the 2nd minute shouldn't have been a nail in the coffin.

 

[Shortfin Mako]

I also reckon the whole "Sharks middle forwards were powderpuffs vs Souths" is a bit overblown. It was a disappointing performance, but they were down two middles (Hunt and Williams), BHU and Finucane were carrying injuries, and the team was without 2 of the the best yardage "back 5" players in the NRL. Yeah - Toby had a piss poor miss early on, but a try in the 2nd minute shouldn't have been a nail in the coffin.

I watched that game live. We did not seem to have any energy to be aggressive. I think we were gassed - the week before took a lot more out of us physically, mentally and emotionally I think.

 

[bort]

NRL prop said we were hardest pack to play against but forum knows best.
We were **** because we didn’t have anyone throwing high tackles and getting away with them… of course we’d hate that person for that too