The outside backs are slim pickings in the next couple of years, so re-signing our young guys is priority #1:
Raiders 2021 - HSS, Kris, Valemei, Savage and Hoppa. I reckon we re-sign the 1st 2, good chance we take Valemei, we would be crazy to not get Savage, and who knows about Hoppa. Hard to prove your worth if you keep getting injured. The punt on him might not have worked.
Timoko is 2022.
Looks like we have centres covered, and Savage will provide some much needed speed once he comes of age.
I suspect we will need to find some gun Jrs aka Walsh or Walker, on top of our guys, but here is a list of possible options:
2021:
Meaney - Id be looked at him as next yrs Aekins. Also a handy backup GKer.
Hynes - FB, if you can bring yourself to move CNK to wing or centre, Hynes looks a decent option.
Iremia - Storm winger. Looked good in the trials.
Mann - Between him and Wighton, you could have a decent 6 and 1. Though I suspect both want the 6 jersey.
Hoy - He wont play 1 behind Ponga. They also like Crossland at 6. So can he win that spot? We could offer #1 (refer to Hynes)
Drinky - Refer to Mann and Hoy.
Burns - injury history is a serious worry, but when fit is a gun centre.
Dufty - Would add much needed speed to our backline (refer to Hynes/ Hoy/ Drinky).
Billy Smith - another with injury history. Was going to be Latrells replacement until he blew his knee, so they got JMoz.
Cini - Tigers winger. Killing it in NSW Cup ATM.
2022:
Farnsworth - 1 decent player at Bronx. Can play centre or wing.
Isaako - GKer. Winger only. NEVER FB.
Averillo - with Dogs stocking up on backs, and revamping the halves, seems the odd man out. GKer, can play any of the back 6 spots. He wheels.
Hammer - not that I see Cows letting him go, but speeeeeeeed!
Sami - One of Titans better players IMO, but seems to be the reserve back ATM, Don and Herbert favored over him and centre and wing.
Spry - Behind Sami, but good wraps.
Dunster or Penisini - Poach the Eels young guns backs!
Edwards - refer to FB issues above, but they will want Staines at FB soon surely.
Momirovski - underrated IMO. Is a genuine try scorer. Though has become a journeyman.
Feagai's - Steal the Drags young gun brothers.
Manu - will probably want a retirement package, and possibly FB spot - refer above.
Kepaoa - ACL injury doesnt help his cause, but was good for Tigz last yr, but his form reflects the Tigers this yr.
Talau - Another Tiger outside back that looks bad in a bad side. Was a gun Jr though.
Thanks for that Matt - good read and agree with your priority re-signings. Do you know what the go is with Reimus Smith? Looked the goods scoring a treble tonight. I haven’t seen much of him. Is he locked up long term or perhaps did i just see his one and only good game?
afgtnk wrote: ↑April 30, 2021, 9:13 pm
**** missed the Storm game. Anyone know how Hynes went?
Stats look good.
1 line break, 2 line break assists, 2 try assists, 4 kicks defused, 1 error. Ran 138 m but we'd be buying precisely because he can do all those other things, not churn out 200m in gutsy runs back in behind the ruck.
Billy Walker wrote: ↑April 30, 2021, 8:11 pm
Thanks for that Matt - good read and agree with your priority re-signings. Do you know what the go is with Reimus Smith? Looked the goods scoring a treble tonight. I haven’t seen much of him. Is he locked up long term or perhaps did i just see his one and only good game?
Pretty sure he got a 3yr deal. So 2023 off contract
afgtnk wrote: ↑April 30, 2021, 9:13 pm
**** missed the Storm game. Anyone know how Hynes went?
Balling playing FB. Slick in the backline. Storm shredded the Sharks. Half of the spine was on the pine with 10 to go. Good under the high ball.
Was never really pressured defensively.
Hynes was great. He would be an excellent addition to the squad. He's never going to reach Papenhuyzen or Tedesco levels but we don't need him to do that. We would just need him to provide his current level of play and anything beyond that is a bonus.
Raiders_Pat wrote: ↑May 1, 2021, 8:13 am
Hynes was great. He would be an excellent addition to the squad. He's never going to reach Papenhuyzen or Tedesco levels but we don't need him to do that. We would just need him to provide his current level of play and anything beyond that is a bonus.
Wonder is the club even looking? Ball player to add zing to the right, FG standard defence and running game from what I've seen, wouldn't cost much and CNK being a budget FB option means we can move him out to centre or wing and still not be breaking the bank anywhere in the back 5 yet by any means.
Canberra Milk wrote: ↑May 1, 2021, 10:22 am
I've seen no indication that the club is looking for anyone. We must be the quietest team in the player market talk right now
Completely agree...
You would think Hynes and Issako are two quick ways to improve our backline..
Canberra Milk wrote: ↑May 1, 2021, 10:22 am
I've seen no indication that the club is looking for anyone. We must be the quietest team in the player market talk right now
Completely agree...
You would think Hynes and Issako are two quick ways to improve our backline..
With these backline speculations, bottom line is we should have retained Cotric and put in the time to develop him as a world class centre or a Greg Inglis type fullback
LastRaider wrote: ↑May 3, 2021, 2:01 pm
With these backline speculations, bottom line is we should have retained Cotric and put in the time to develop him as a world class centre or a Greg Inglis type fullback
That's quite a bottom line
The bottom line might be that we hang on to Scott and CNK and put the time in the develop them into the next Mal Meninga and James Tedesco
LastRaider wrote: ↑May 3, 2021, 2:01 pm
With these backline speculations, bottom line is we should have retained Cotric and put in the time to develop him as a world class centre or a Greg Inglis type fullback
LastRaider wrote: ↑May 3, 2021, 2:01 pm
With these backline speculations, bottom line is we should have retained Cotric and put in the time to develop him as a world class centre or a Greg Inglis type fullback
That's quite a bottom line
The bottom line might be that we hang on to Scott and CNK and put the time in the develop them into the next Mal Meninga and James Tedesco
While we're at it lets develop Starling into a Cam Smith type. Convince George to stay and turn him into a Cooper Cronk. No reason Simo can't become another Lote Tuqiri.
* The author assumes no responsibility for the topicality, correctness, completeness or quality of information provided.
GreenMachine wrote: ↑May 4, 2021, 10:07 am
No more English recruits please...not unless you want to hear about 'homesickness' every time contract negotiations come around...
GreenMachine wrote: ↑May 4, 2021, 10:07 am
No more English recruits please...not unless you want to hear about 'homesickness' every time contract negotiations come around...
Or everytime there's a worldwide pandemic.
This guy.
Yeah I call Bull on grown men crying about homesickness when there's money involved..
But I digress...have you stopped glitching all over the forum and are ready to offer anything aside from "stick solid" or "bleed green"?
This muppet.
It's really sad to see us in this position - with overpaid ageing players and not competing for any talent on the market. I see Newcastle is having a go at Staggs. We need someone like him at our club. We didn't have a go at Naden who went to Canterbury or Coates who looks like going to Melbourne. They were the best backs on the market. I really hope Savage comes good and it's time to give him a go like NZ have done with Walsh, Easts with Walker
GreenMachine wrote: ↑May 4, 2021, 10:07 am
No more English recruits please...not unless you want to hear about 'homesickness' every time contract negotiations come around...
Or everytime there's a worldwide pandemic.
This guy.
Yeah I call Bull on grown men crying about homesickness when there's money involved..
But I digress...have you stopped glitching all over the forum and are ready to offer anything aside from "stick solid" or "bleed green"?
This muppet.
And that's why you're objectively the worst of our latest batch of trolls and idiots.
And it's a hot field to be leading too, congratulations.
GreenMachine wrote: ↑May 4, 2021, 10:07 am
No more English recruits please...not unless you want to hear about 'homesickness' every time contract negotiations come around...
Or everytime there's a worldwide pandemic.
This guy.
Yeah I call Bull on grown men crying about homesickness when there's money involved..
But I digress...have you stopped glitching all over the forum and are ready to offer anything aside from "stick solid" or "bleed green"?
This muppet.
And that's why you're objectively the worst of our latest batch of trolls and idiots.
And it's a hot field to be leading too, congratulations.
GreenMachine wrote: ↑May 4, 2021, 10:07 am
No more English recruits please...not unless you want to hear about 'homesickness' every time contract negotiations come around...
Or everytime there's a worldwide pandemic.
This guy.
Yeah I call Bull on grown men crying about homesickness when there's money involved..
But I digress...have you stopped glitching all over the forum and are ready to offer anything aside from "stick solid" or "bleed green"?
This muppet.
And that's why you're objectively the worst of our latest batch of trolls and idiots.
And it's a hot field to be leading too, congratulations.
The Nickman wrote: ↑May 4, 2021, 10:30 am
Or everytime there's a worldwide pandemic.
This guy.
Yeah I call Bull on grown men crying about homesickness when there's money involved..
But I digress...have you stopped glitching all over the forum and are ready to offer anything aside from "stick solid" or "bleed green"?
This muppet.
And that's why you're objectively the worst of our latest batch of trolls and idiots.
And it's a hot field to be leading too, congratulations.
Hong Kong Raider wrote: ↑May 4, 2021, 10:49 am
It's really sad to see us in this position - with overpaid ageing players and not competing for any talent on the market. I see Newcastle is having a go at Staggs. We need someone like him at our club. We didn't have a go at Naden who went to Canterbury or Coates who looks like going to Melbourne. They were the best backs on the market. I really hope Savage comes good and it's time to give him a go like NZ have done with Walsh, Easts with Walker
Agree on all points. We need to go after a gun centre/winger and roll the dice on Savage. If I was Ricky, i'd give him a week in NSW cup then straight into first grade. If other clubs are willing to bet on 18 yo's, why can't we...
Ok... if the Lolo disharmony is true, and our 2 big boppas want out. Lets grab him.
We still need a winger, and I dont know where we are getting that from.
I really hope we arent in the halves market, coz im not a fan of any of them really, but with Walkers rise, maybe we could chase Lam (not that daddy would like leaving the tri-colours).
Lam is an ok depth player, particularly given he can play hooker. But yeah, not for first choice half. I think Botman is right, if GWilly leaves, then the strategy should be to hold out for the next gun junior, and pounce