In my view Hanson is not NRL ready .
Pick Your Team Warriors v Panthers - [Round 16, 2025]
- Thread starter mt.wellington
- Start date
1 C N Klokstad
2 D W Zelezniak
3 R Berry ?
4 A Pompey
5 R T Sheck
6 C H Tavita
7 L Metcalf
8 J F Harris c
9 W Egan ?
10 T S Smith
11 L Halasima
12 J Laban
13 E Clark
14 S Healey
15 J Ford
16 D Vaimauga
17 T Ale
18 T M Martin
20 M Harper
Ale can cover front row and back row. Please rest Capewell webby. Morgan harper for club debut at home if berry isn't right.
2 D W Zelezniak
3 R Berry ?
4 A Pompey
5 R T Sheck
6 C H Tavita
7 L Metcalf
8 J F Harris c
9 W Egan ?
10 T S Smith
11 L Halasima
12 J Laban
13 E Clark
14 S Healey
15 J Ford
16 D Vaimauga
17 T Ale
18 T M Martin
20 M Harper
Ale can cover front row and back row. Please rest Capewell webby. Morgan harper for club debut at home if berry isn't right.
TMM is playing the utility role that Walker was predominantly with how he’s carried on the bench. Gannon looks like the one who TMM is competing against. The fact that TMM is competing in both utility and halves shows just how valuable he is because he can do it at such a high level, especially defensively. I think we’d be crazy to let him go since he’s shown in nsw cup he doesn’t go down and kick stones even if he’s not selected in first grade, I think that attitude is important for the young guys coming through to go and work harder and don’t drop lips
I know what he's doing I just dont think he's needed going forward, that is if Hanson is ready.
Hes not walker and will never be able to do what walker does. I think healey has more chance of doing walkers role than Martin.
With Gannon coming, where does Martin fit? Hes a back up 6! That's it.
I think they are just trying to put him in the shop window right now more than turn him into a utility.
Only thing TMM is competing against Hanson for is an extension with them both off contract at the same time if they’re going to be used different positionally. Gannon has never played nrl so that’s a potential risk right there with a history of head knocks and a lift in intensity from what he’s used to coming up. TMM can do things Walker can’t as well as vice versa, can recall games we played terribly where Walker had to play in the halves in 2023 so I see them both offering something different. Healey might become that player that can fill that role or we use the bench differently next year but Webster consistently says at the moment they’d rather carry a utility than a sole back up hooker. For the reasons I gave on Gannon, I’d extend TMM as insurance
I’m a big fan of Healey. But this isn’t his year. You give it to TMM every day of the week simply because of the experience and stability he adds to the roster.
So many new pieces in the squad. It’s incredible what this team has achieved. TMM brings a feel of familiarity and calmness to the group. With all the helter skelter movements in and outs he’s exactly what we need as a back up.
Healey will just have to wait. looks likes he’s itching to go and you want that in your back up players but he’s just gonna have to wait…
I have resigned to the fact this is probably TMM last year at the club.
The angle im looking at for me is Martin vs Hanson. Hanson looks very settled at cup level, is it overkill to sign Martin on?
Your right I think it is his last year. I'm just trying to get the general feeling on Hanson and weather hes ready to play NRL.
I know what Martin can do for the club and yes he's a very steady player and of course he will do a job.
You would have to think by 2027 Cleary and Hanson are the cup halves back up to CHT and Metcalf.
TMM could sign with another team tomorrow and we wouldnt miss a beat.
We lost Barnett and didn’t miss a beat, probably our best all round performance. That’s a good system
He seems to play best in focal point positions like halfback or fullback, where he is the guy and rather than run a move from someone else he is the instigator.
I really like him, I my read of Websters take is that TMM isn't doing some aspects of what they want from him (well anyone can come to that conclusion). 100% that Webster would have had direct conversations about where things are not where he wants them, he did make that comment in the media about needing to work on his game.
Sure has and I think that reinforces even more that Webster is pretty direct with these guys about what he wants.
Difference of course is where those players are in their career arcs and the expectations that come with that.
Agreed, his defence is up there.
Picking apart his game you would assume that taking the line on and playing up in the face of the defence....putting his body on the line to get balls away....would be one area all halves could do more of.
But I suspect it is about doing Websters game plan, while that is pure conjecture on my part, Websters game plan is very simple, boring, predictable, completions....kick chase....completions.....kick chase.
We saw how Metcalf committed himself to that game plan, how it killed all of Metcalfs creativity and took his running game out of Warriors attack for more than seven rounds of clunky, no instinctive, talentless attack.
But Metcalf stuck to Webster ball strictly, despite the criticism that came his way during the early rounds for having zero creativity.
We also saw how once Metcalf had Websters kick chase rinse and repeat down pat the trainer wheels were taken off by Webster and Metcalf started running again...boom our attack is starting to click.
So this is pure conjecture on my part, but TMM probably didn't do the same as Metcalf, when TMM had the keys he played what was in front of him right away, he played eyes up at every opportunity.....which is why I said originally that I wonder if TMM made the right noises when asked the hard questions by the coach about his commitment to the game plan vs his own personal style of play.
Kick and chase, rinse and repeat is not really TMM's game.
I’d like to see Tom Ale given a run in place of TSS . Stowers-Smith has been solid but as we are half way through the season it would be good to build the squad depth a little further in case of injuries or suspensions.
Have not been a great fan of either play, I like your thinking though.
I see both as typical Poly stolid build not lean muscled enough and slowish, the lack of height in so many of our poly players is annoying too....since there is no shortage of tall athletes out there.
Having said all of that, I have come to like TSS a little, I can see he is trying hard out there, so that gets massive ups from me. I just need more time to get used to the guy I spose.
And I see Ale who I think has been the most overrated player at the club was putting on a lot of footwork in the last cup game Vs the Eels, so yeah that gets my respect and attention, I might have written him off too soon also, maybe he does have a role....maybe.
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