Rebuilding. Who do you keep?
- Thread starter Mark^Bastard
- Start date
BlackWhiteBlue
Jaws
Ill take bakuya and leutele. If tagas seriously leaving i wont count him and i wont count gardner until he plays firsts again.
My point is our top 17 make up is worlds different to 2011. Sadly we have similar weakness's as we did then. 6 and 7 mainly
Beyond the people we need to keep/release, what are the characteristics we need to keep and what are the ones that need to go?
For me Stuart, Flano and Gal have developed a toughness and a desire to compete physically that wasn't there 10 years ago or so. And that's a good thing and I don't want it to be lost. All the best teams have it and its **** to watch a team who don't (e.g. the Tigers pre-Potter).
At the same time I think they've all brought an anxiety that translates in to timidity with the ball. Their hatred of losing means we play with a fear of losing. No risks until there's nothing to lose.
We must lose that fear. After all, its only a game. And playing scared is non fun for anyone - especially us.
On that note I reckon its one of the things that Bird and Holmes bring to the team. They play without fear as the song goes. I just hope bad losses and the general negativity doesn't beat that confidence out of them.
For me Stuart, Flano and Gal have developed a toughness and a desire to compete physically that wasn't there 10 years ago or so. And that's a good thing and I don't want it to be lost. All the best teams have it and its **** to watch a team who don't (e.g. the Tigers pre-Potter).
At the same time I think they've all brought an anxiety that translates in to timidity with the ball. Their hatred of losing means we play with a fear of losing. No risks until there's nothing to lose.
We must lose that fear. After all, its only a game. And playing scared is non fun for anyone - especially us.
On that note I reckon its one of the things that Bird and Holmes bring to the team. They play without fear as the song goes. I just hope bad losses and the general negativity doesn't beat that confidence out of them.
snowman
Total gronk
great post AB, and to further your point, all the articles and comments RE: Jack Bird suggest he doesn't care who he plays or how the game goes, he just wants to play footy
I don't think you could beat the confidence out of this kid
as for holmes, he has come into the first grade team last year when we were losing, and nothing has changed, and he is still one of, if not our best backline players
imagine how good the kid will become when we start winning games
I don't think you could beat the confidence out of this kid
as for holmes, he has come into the first grade team last year when we were losing, and nothing has changed, and he is still one of, if not our best backline players
imagine how good the kid will become when we start winning games
BlackWhiteBlue
Jaws
very good points. Bird is confidence, and its not an arrogant cockiness, its just confidence. He is confident in himself to do a good job. Imagine a player like Carney with a similar attitude. Actually i can, his name is Jonothan Thurston.
Holmes is just a live wire. He is exciting and thankfully due to injury last year got a few games and tries under his belt, and has continued that this year. He is also mature beyond his years.
Id be looking to extend Bird as early as possible, obviously his manager wll advice against an extension as of right now.
Building a team around Bird, Holmes, Brown, Gagan, Feki, as well as the Fifitas and Graham is a really good starting point.
What happened to that 'Bloods' **** we heard about at the end of the year? That the Swans incorporated?
Wade was much the same as Bird when he arrived. Sure of himself. Its not clear that he's still got it.
And you only have to look at Barba to see how a brilliant midget playmaker can look pedestrian without confidence.
I hope you're right but it is something that concerns me.
And you only have to look at Barba to see how a brilliant midget playmaker can look pedestrian without confidence.
I hope you're right but it is something that concerns me.
BlackWhiteBlue
Jaws
Graham still speaks with confidence, and i dont think his on field attitude has changed much. Who knows what the ASADA investigation did to their mindset, but they need to bury that now and get on with it
sharkstragic
Jaws
Our biggest problem is pushing passes and making rash decision which leads to turnovers. That's why our attack is so bad.
We look like the only way we can score is of a Hail Mary pass or a miracle play so we try to do it all the time.
Get back to some footy and earn posessi on. Ball control, Repeat sets and good D is what gets you in a position to win.
Do that and it will start to fall into place.
We look like the only way we can score is of a Hail Mary pass or a miracle play so we try to do it all the time.
Get back to some footy and earn posessi on. Ball control, Repeat sets and good D is what gets you in a position to win.
Do that and it will start to fall into place.
snowman
Total gronk
on recruitment, looking how JB is killing it, id be looking to Daniel Levi as our future 9. levi is a future star in the making
Or McInness. Pretty sure Newcastle extended Levi's deal last year.
But if the plan is to play Nu there then I'm fine with that. Also Brailey looks like the wraps are justified.
sharks2010
Dribbler
provides good depth, worth keeping around
CrazyMatt
Jaws
I'd keep him.
*bump*
So now we've won three games on the bounce, has anyone's views changed?
I think my earlier belief that we have a pretty good squad that was playing badly was about on the mark. That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement though. For mine there are probably three or four players/positions with question marks:
1. The halfback.
We all know it. I'm still happy to keep Robbo as head NSW Cup player but he may not want to do that when he could probably head over to France and settle Todd down.
Pretty strong rumours that Townsend is on the way back. Do we want him? Can we get someone else as well with the money we had set aside for the double backflipper? Elgey turned my head the other weekend. It would be great to have a young halfback that could develop with our other promising kids. A strong kicking game is a must.
Do we even care who replaces him as long as he's replaced?
2. Prop.
Is a Gal/Fifita/Heighno starting tight forward group up to it? Do we keep Heighno next year? Whadabout Toops? Prior? Can he start? What future for big Taga?
I'm a bit of the opinion that it time to cut loose one of the oldies purely for sake of risk management and spreading the age of our group. Toops, Heighno and Gal are all going well though and Lewis is contracted for 2016. Gal's hard to move on because of his profile so perhaps Heighno? How would a reduced interchange influence that decision? I dunno.
There's some talent around. Basically I think we want a guy who is ready to step up and start every week next to AF. Some names that I think could do the job: Ava Seumanufagai, Mike Cooper, Suaia Matagi, Felise Kaufusi (really high on this guy, he's having a great season), Luke Page. Then there are guys like Snowden and Lussick who are already starters and are off contract. Also Pauli Pauli though I'm not sure he's ready to start at prop quite yet.
3. The backs.
Are... okay? Its weird to think that. But they're not great - no one would say that they're a strength relative to our opponents. We have Flash, Slick Rick and Ayshford off contract. Do any get new deals? Ricky would have been on peanuts most of his career so he's probably looking for a solid upgrade this time round. Do we give it to him?
Options on the market aren't super but there is some talent. Flano had a massive hard-on for Tim Simona last time he was off contract and he's a better player now than he was then. Do we replace Leutele with him? Daniel Tupou is a freak and with Joe Burgess coming from the motherland does he get bumped by the Roosters? Probably. Ngani Luamape is another guy with ability who doesn't obviously fit in the Warriors best 1-5. And then there's Skidsy - we've had a crack at him pretty much every season he's been in contract for 5 years and now he's actually available - do we make an offer?
Thoughts?
So now we've won three games on the bounce, has anyone's views changed?
I think my earlier belief that we have a pretty good squad that was playing badly was about on the mark. That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement though. For mine there are probably three or four players/positions with question marks:
1. The halfback.
We all know it. I'm still happy to keep Robbo as head NSW Cup player but he may not want to do that when he could probably head over to France and settle Todd down.
Pretty strong rumours that Townsend is on the way back. Do we want him? Can we get someone else as well with the money we had set aside for the double backflipper? Elgey turned my head the other weekend. It would be great to have a young halfback that could develop with our other promising kids. A strong kicking game is a must.
Do we even care who replaces him as long as he's replaced?
2. Prop.
Is a Gal/Fifita/Heighno starting tight forward group up to it? Do we keep Heighno next year? Whadabout Toops? Prior? Can he start? What future for big Taga?
I'm a bit of the opinion that it time to cut loose one of the oldies purely for sake of risk management and spreading the age of our group. Toops, Heighno and Gal are all going well though and Lewis is contracted for 2016. Gal's hard to move on because of his profile so perhaps Heighno? How would a reduced interchange influence that decision? I dunno.
There's some talent around. Basically I think we want a guy who is ready to step up and start every week next to AF. Some names that I think could do the job: Ava Seumanufagai, Mike Cooper, Suaia Matagi, Felise Kaufusi (really high on this guy, he's having a great season), Luke Page. Then there are guys like Snowden and Lussick who are already starters and are off contract. Also Pauli Pauli though I'm not sure he's ready to start at prop quite yet.
3. The backs.
Are... okay? Its weird to think that. But they're not great - no one would say that they're a strength relative to our opponents. We have Flash, Slick Rick and Ayshford off contract. Do any get new deals? Ricky would have been on peanuts most of his career so he's probably looking for a solid upgrade this time round. Do we give it to him?
Options on the market aren't super but there is some talent. Flano had a massive hard-on for Tim Simona last time he was off contract and he's a better player now than he was then. Do we replace Leutele with him? Daniel Tupou is a freak and with Joe Burgess coming from the motherland does he get bumped by the Roosters? Probably. Ngani Luamape is another guy with ability who doesn't obviously fit in the Warriors best 1-5. And then there's Skidsy - we've had a crack at him pretty much every season he's been in contract for 5 years and now he's actually available - do we make an offer?
Thoughts?
BlackWhiteBlue
Jaws
Keep-
Heighno
Prior
Gallen
Leutele
Offer toops something but expect him to leave
Robbo out
Aronas worth keeping but he is mainly depth
Heighno
Prior
Gallen
Leutele
Offer toops something but expect him to leave
Robbo out
Aronas worth keeping but he is mainly depth
WillyInBris
Jaws
HaroldBishop
Megalodon
My preference is also Elgey now after watching him over the last few weeks. I don't think there's much doubt he'll be a very good first grade halfback at the very minimum. I keep saying it, but if we need to offer big overs, then do it. It's the one position we have to fill.
If we don't get him, what do we do? I don't know the answer to that. I don't want to see Robbo running around again so if there's absulutely nothing else then maybe we do need to sign Chad which I don't like saying. Would have to only be a two year contract though, nothing longer. Should only be an interim solution.
Agree on letting someone go on the proviso we can sign a younger starting prop of decent quality. Heighno stays given the form he's in though. I'd be letting Toops go.
I was initially a bit cold on Tupou, not because I don't rate him but because I like Gagan and Feki. Given Gagan's well-documented injury concerns I'm not sure what we do here. Do we take a risk and hope he comes good or go for someone like Tupou?
We need a classy centre imo but what happens with halves recruiting could be the answer here. I believe signing a real halfback like Elgey (yes, I know he's young) will allow Barba more space to give 5/8 a better crack. This in turn allows Bird to play in the centres. So I'm not sure what I'd do here. If we could only sign one of someone like a SKD or Tupou, which one would you go for?
CrankyShark
T Roll
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If we get a decent half back then Tupou is a must for the cross field kick.
The ageing of the forwards is getting a bit much. Gallen and Toops to go as soon as possible if suitable replacements can be signed.
The desperation for a 6 and 7 goes without saying. I'm not a Townsend fan but I haven't seen much of the warriors since he left.
If we get a decent six and seven then as suggested Bird can go to the centres at Leutele's expense.
The ageing of the forwards is getting a bit much. Gallen and Toops to go as soon as possible if suitable replacements can be signed.
The desperation for a 6 and 7 goes without saying. I'm not a Townsend fan but I haven't seen much of the warriors since he left.
If we get a decent six and seven then as suggested Bird can go to the centres at Leutele's expense.
I say we go after McInnes.
When I was listening to the game v Souths on the radio - every time they called his name it sounded they were saying Mick Ennis and I thought there'd been a change in possession.
I don't want to have to go through that again.