Round 17 vs Eels

Ryan

SGI NSW Cup
Unfortunately for Nick he replaced a player on SOO duty not injury or form.
With Su'A back, Toby goes to middle, Guler drops out.
The bench is Loko, Hamish and Sele. So Nick misses out there too.
Flanno is still a good coach but he is severely handicapped by his loyalty to one player in the team far above and beyond that players ability and form.
 

TheRev

SGI NSW Cup
Lawsons trial match I think it was, pretty sure his class was on display.. might have been a chip and chase or something or some good hands.. but there is so much to learn and it may be too late to pick it up.. but he is contracted so at the very least we know hes gonna go at it 100%..

He definitely has excellent hands and is athletic.. I think he can be more than just a hard runner.. but meanwhile im not in love with any of the wingers in our system.. SFinau was my fave, but im just trusting there is a reason he isnt there.
 

TheRev

SGI NSW Cup
Feel like Loko could drop back at some point also, I am still a little nervous about his development, like im not 100% sure he makes it.. but I do understand his selections are an investment at this stage.

In a world where Ryan is fit and we get our Alpha prop and/or Sele is at full fitness.. I dont think hes anywhere near the bench.. but none of those 3 things are true.. so if nothing else atleast we get some games into him ahead of 2026..
 

Ryan

SGI NSW Cup
Feel like Loko could drop back at some point also, I am still a little nervous about his development, like im not 100% sure he makes it.. but I do understand his selections are an investment at this stage.

In a world where Ryan is fit and we get our Alpha prop and/or Sele is at full fitness.. I dont think hes anywhere near the bench.. but none of those 3 things are true.. so if nothing else atleast we get some games into him ahead of 2026..
Loko was definitely better against Dolphins than he was against Shonkies despite the lopsided score.
 

Dave03

SGI NSW Cup
I don't trust luch to play 80mins. Maybe around 50-60mins off the bench is ideal. We could possibly trial hamish on the edge for 20ish mins to start the game. Get him some experience in that position. I don't think toby is an edge player.

A starting pack of:
Klemmer cook couchman
Stewart jdb sua

That pack should have solid line speed.
 

Mailroomsgi

SGI Jersey Flegg
Unfortunately for Nick he replaced a player on SOO duty not injury or form.
With Su'A back, Toby goes to middle, Guler drops out.
The bench is Loko, Hamish and Sele. So Nick misses out there too.
Feel for Nick, he definitely played well enough to get picked again, Luciano only in first grade because of his pay packet at the moment

On LKT, what have you made of him this year Justa?
 

Mailroomsgi

SGI Jersey Flegg
Feel like Loko could drop back at some point also, I am still a little nervous about his development, like im not 100% sure he makes it.. but I do understand his selections are an investment at this stage.

In a world where Ryan is fit and we get our Alpha prop and/or Sele is at full fitness.. I dont think hes anywhere near the bench.. but none of those 3 things are true.. so if nothing else atleast we get some games into him ahead of 2026..
The last 2 games haven’t helped because we’ve been getting mollywhopped by the opposition

when we played a team remotely on our level (Newcastle) he has his best game in first grade

If he plays against parramatta, Loko will have a better game I’m sure

It’s important to remember development isn’t linear, there will be ups and downs. He’s still got his baby fat and hasn’t filled in with his proper ‘man body’ yet

There’s only 3 or 4 middles in the last 10 years who were pure class at 20 YO
Haas/Tino/Murray off the top of my head

Pat Carrigan highly touted schoolboy but didn’t show it in first grade til he was 22-23 YO

Side note - I’ve seen some people suggesting Ben Rumble should play wing, he’s not it lads. Turning circle of a school bus and physically not dynamic enough

Much like the halfback situation the winger situation currently is just dire straits and no option is much if any better than the current starter
 

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
Flanno did speak about letting the sharks get to attacking kicks again and again.. none of our wingers are gonna survive that level of bombardment.. not facing good kickers and athletic catchers.. its why I disliked the pile-on Feagai copped early in the year where Burton iirc kicked to him all night long... that said Sloan did drop some that were very catchable.

Something ive noticed this year also is there are very few traditional bomb catches anymore.. teams send an attacking body right through the catchers space, either pretending to go for a catch, or pretending to go for a bat-back (or sometimes actually legit going for it), either way its harder than ever to take a clean catch anymore... which is why I understand why sometimes catchers pull out late versus a near guaranteed knockon.

But much like Burton and Humphries kicking against us .. if we let teams walk over us and get all the time in the world to put up and contest bombs.. were going to have a bad time.
100% Rev, it all starts by holding teams within their 40m line, instead of letting them make 60-70 meters every set, we have always been weak up the middle and still are, TC on the edge is not working.
 

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
The last 2 games haven’t helped because we’ve been getting mollywhopped by the opposition

when we played a team remotely on our level (Newcastle) he has his best game in first grade

If he plays against parramatta, Loko will have a better game I’m sure

It’s important to remember development isn’t linear, there will be ups and downs. He’s still got his baby fat and hasn’t filled in with his proper ‘man body’ yet

There’s only 3 or 4 middles in the last 10 years who were pure class at 20 YO
Haas/Tino/Murray off the top of my head

Pat Carrigan highly touted schoolboy but didn’t show it in first grade til he was 22-23 YO

Side note - I’ve seen some people suggesting Ben Rumble should play wing, he’s not it lads. Turning circle of a school bus and physically not dynamic enough

Much like the halfback situation the winger situation currently is just dire straits and no option is much if any better than the current starter
I really think LPT should go back to cup, he's had a few games in the NRL to give him a taste, you can see the other sides are really starting to work him over and we dont want him ending up like TC. Get Lawrie back in and let the NRL side do whatever, as I said before I'm assuming bottom 2, Lawson should follow him as well. Our side has had nearly 90pts put on them in 2 games, whats that telling yah Coach !!
 

Dragons Chris

SGI NSW Cup
I really think LPT should go back to cup, he's had a few games in the NRL to give him a taste, you can see the other sides are really starting to work him over and we dont want him ending up like TC. Get Lawrie back in and let the NRL side do whatever, as I said before I'm assuming bottom 2, Lawson should follow him as well. Our side has had nearly 90pts put on them in 2 games, whats that telling yah Coach !!
He would go back for a few games if there was any decent player to replace him. But there isn't.
 

Mug Fan

SGI NSW Cup
This game is a big one ladder wise, as it stands now 4 points seperate 6th Broncos and 17th Titans.
A few wins we are top 6 a few losses last.
If we had beat Sharks we would of been equal 5th.
3 weeks ago Panthers were last they are now in the 8.
Top 4 are wrapped up 5 to 8 is up for grabs but are we up to it.
 

TheRev

SGI NSW Cup
The last 2 games haven’t helped because we’ve been getting mollywhopped by the opposition

when we played a team remotely on our level (Newcastle) he has his best game in first grade

If he plays against parramatta, Loko will have a better game I’m sure

It’s important to remember development isn’t linear, there will be ups and downs. He’s still got his baby fat and hasn’t filled in with his proper ‘man body’ yet

There’s only 3 or 4 middles in the last 10 years who were pure class at 20 YO
Haas/Tino/Murray off the top of my head

Pat Carrigan highly touted schoolboy but didn’t show it in first grade til he was 22-23 YO
I know there is no point crying over spilt milk, but I feel a lot more confident about Latus size and work-rate working in the modern game, Tonga could be incredible mind you.. and hopefully will be due to his size... if he develops the motor to keep the quality of his runs high (i.e. what V.Fifita couldnt do), im still putting Tongas chances of success at 90%.. hopefully 2026 he will be 20% better and really belong.. a lot like the couchmans were in their first few seasons.. we were covering them early but they got much better every preseason..... my point is more that Tongas not a guaranteed 1st grade bench starter just yet.. he is still injury cover (or thats what he should be if we had Ryan and a June 30 Alpha to select from).

Feel like this fast modern game with so few breaks, wins and losses comes down to who can keep up the defensive intensity for longer.. Tonga I dont think will ever be the long minute man.. ppl compare him to Haas because of his size, but Haas is a genetic freak, he has everything rolled in, Tonga might be more of a NAS build, shorter minutes, but he has to bend the line too (which he will ofcourse in time), but almost seems like the smaller body can have an easy tile of that, Nick for example is solid but smaller and faster legs, Egan too is tiny but gets between defenders.. Stewart is tall but uses footwork.. Halangahu will just do his tractor thing for PCM.. Tonga is still learning how to use his body imo (even in nsw cup), he is easier to get under I think for defenders, so his speed and his body position really matter in terms if his effectiveness.. maybe even some parallel between him and Kerr who had to learn how to use his size, but Kerr is a more athletic/jumping build who played 2nd row from time to time.. Tonga will be bigger and stronger than him.

Ofcourse I have no expertise in forward running styles, just talking out my bum to fill the next few weeks :p
 

RedV01

SGI NSW Cup
A crazy thought just occurred to me. What if Mr. Flanagan drops Mr. King-Togia but keeps Mr. Kyle Flanagan? Sacked on the spot?
 

RedV01

SGI NSW Cup
I know there is no point crying over spilt milk, but I feel a lot more confident about Latus size and work-rate working in the modern game, Tonga could be incredible mind you.. and hopefully will be due to his size... if he develops the motor to keep the quality of his runs high (i.e. what V.Fifita couldnt do), im still putting Tongas chances of success at 90%.. hopefully 2026 he will be 20% better and really belong.. a lot like the couchmans were in their first few seasons.. we were covering them early but they got much better every preseason..... my point is more that Tongas not a guaranteed 1st grade bench starter just yet.. he is still injury cover (or thats what he should be if we had Ryan and a June 30 Alpha to select from).

Feel like this fast modern game with so few breaks, wins and losses comes down to who can keep up the defensive intensity for longer.. Tonga I dont think will ever be the long minute man.. ppl compare him to Haas because of his size, but Haas is a genetic freak, he has everything rolled in, Tonga might be more of a NAS build, shorter minutes, but he has to bend the line too (which he will ofcourse in time), but almost seems like the smaller body can have an easy tile of that, Nick for example is solid but smaller and faster legs, Egan too is tiny but gets between defenders.. Stewart is tall but uses footwork.. Halangahu will just do his tractor thing for PCM.. Tonga is still learning how to use his body imo (even in nsw cup), he is easier to get under I think for defenders, so his speed and his body position really matter in terms if his effectiveness.. maybe even some parallel between him and Kerr who had to learn how to use his size, but Kerr is a more athletic/jumping build who played 2nd row from time to time.. Tonga will be bigger and stronger than him.

Ofcourse I have no expertise in forward running styles, just talking out my bum to fill the next few weeks :p
Latu is neither here or there. Not big enough to be a very good middle forward, not fast enough to be a good backrower. Will be good in either position but not great in either. I hope so anyway.
 

Edward

SGI NSW Cup
Latu is neither here or there. Not big enough to be a very good middle forward, not fast enough to be a good backrower. Will be good in either position but not great in either. I hope so anyway.
If he re-signed with us, you would be calling him the next Johnny Raper. I probably would be too. As far as Tonga goes, I think this is right.
The last 2 games haven’t helped because we’ve been getting mollywhopped by the opposition

when we played a team remotely on our level (Newcastle) he has his best game in first grade

If he plays against parramatta, Loko will have a better game I’m sure

It’s important to remember development isn’t linear, there will be ups and downs. He’s still got his baby fat and hasn’t filled in with his proper ‘man body’ yet

There’s only 3 or 4 middles in the last 10 years who were pure class at 20 YO
Haas/Tino/Murray off the top of my head

Pat Carrigan highly touted schoolboy but didn’t show it in first grade til he was 22-23 YO

Side note - I’ve seen some people suggesting Ben Rumble should play wing, he’s not it lads. Turning circle of a school bus and physically not dynamic enough

Much like the halfback situation the winger situation currently is just dire straits and no option is much if any better than the current starter
 
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Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
He would go back for a few games if there was any decent player to replace him. But there isn't.
If we had a realistic chance of playing final then agree. But atm we are no where near that. Get Lawrie back in and save Loko for next year. Or Molo
 
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Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
This game is a big one ladder wise, as it stands now 4 points seperate 6th Broncos and 17th Titans.
A few wins we are top 6 a few losses last.
If we had beat Sharks we would of been equal 5th.
3 weeks ago Panthers were last they are now in the 8.
Top 4 are wrapped up 5 to 8 is up for grabs but are we up to it.
No
 
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