General NSW Cup 2025
- Thread starter Damo
- Start date
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The following view is my humble opinion. I could be wrong. So feel free to maintain your view that Gannon will start in the second row in NSW Cup.
My humble opinion is there is no way in God's green earth Gannon signed with us to play NSW cup. Promises will have been made to him where he would be playing next year and those promises either would have been
1) Starting jersey 11 or 12 all year for first grade
2) A bench role for first grade and getting 30 to 40 minutes either at lock or second row (this is what I suspect they have promised)
3) That he is likely for first grade but needs to earn it through a strong pre-season as nothing is a given for the warriors
No one ever gets promised anything but they do share the team vision and realistically where you will sit in it.
I get it that you blokes think Super League is rubbish. I assure you the coaching staff and McFadden do not think that or we wouldn't be getting Gannon in the first place and waste a top 30 spot on him.
The belief on this site that Gannon will be starting in NSW cup and having to earn his stripes is a myth based on posters on this forum replying to one another and creating this belief. He will be playing first grade all the way unless he shits the bed in pre-season and then all bets are off.
My humble view only.
I agree with you on this Wrighty. He would have made sure he was promised a spot in the first grade team either starting or off the bench before agreeing to sign and come half way across the world. The English forwards usually do quite well in the NRL and Gannon would be no exception. We'll just have to wait and see I suppose.
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Thank you enterthewarrior. And your point that he is coming half way around the world for this opportunity is especially germane.
No one is ‘promised’ a spot, except for Roger, Metcalf, Egan, Barnett, fish, Capewell & Clark. The other 10 spots are up for grabs imo.
Gannon was signed as a young promising back row/lock, with connections to agar. He’s just another English forward who is young & eager, wanting to chance his arm at the best comp in the world. Agar knows him well & debuted him as a teenager.
Gannon isnt promised anything. He’ll play cup in 2026, and earn his spot, just like the others. If he has a standout pre season he might snag himself a bench utility role to cover back row & lock, but he isn’t benching leka, Capewell, or Clark.
So he’s competing for a bench spot with Laban, tss, EIT & niukore. ford, vaimauga, & Healey/TMM locked into the other 3 roles.
Let's agree to disagree
If you think he would leave his loved ones behind, his family. his support systems to play NSW cup in NZ then your view on the world and the people in it is much different than mine.
I do think your view is the prevailing one on this forum. But FWIW I am convinced you are wrong.
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I dont believe hes promised anything, dont you think the club has changed the way they make deals?
I believe they have sold him on how he fits into the club long term.
Yes he could start or be a bench player, but I dont think hes promised these positions, he will have to earn it in the off season.
It doesn't seem to be the way webby operates. Hes 21 and is coming from Super League. No need to rush him in either, just let him find his feet. I could be wrong though, it will be interesting if he starts for England against Australia.
I don't think Gannon would be guaranteed a spot as part of signing however the language used would have left him in no doubts about where the Coaches see his future with the club, and they would have said we see you playing in the NRL for the Warriors.
They would not have said you have to prove yourself, because that is amateurish and what fans concoct in their own minds.
Webster will tell all his players, at the start of every season, that all spots are up for grabs. Even though we know that is not strictly true, but they would acknowledge that there are players that because of their experience are sitting where the rest need to get to to make first grade.
There is a reason the club always names guys on the extended bench that have played well in NSW cup, even when they play positions we have too many in the top seventeen for them to realistically get a game, they still pick anyone that plays well, as a reward for effort.
Unlike the fans, the coaches would respect what Gannon has done in the ESL, Webster knows the ESL he has coached up there.
Also you have to remember that there is a personal connection with the Gannon signing, Webster is friends with Gannons old man. So he will have an emotional investment in looking after the guy since he has come all this way to play for him.
I think that what Wrighty says about Gannon not signing here to play NSW cup is bang on point. Of course he didn't he could have easily gone to other NRL clubs who would skip that part to sign a player like him if that was the price of signing.
We are not the only club that were interested in Gannon. He had at least one other Sydney club interested in his signature.
I think Webster will have a plan for Gannon to get plenty of trial time, probably both games, because they need to test out their new toy.
I also think Webster will have more than one plan for Gannon. If he slots in well in preseason and goes well in the trials the plan will be to just get on with it and play him in the NRL round one.
Otherwise his plan will be to give him some NSW cup time, not to prove himself, he has already done that, but to give him a chance to adapt to the Warriors style of play and the steep curve with settling in over here.
I am picking that when they see him move the ball at training the Warriors will go straight to plan A, lets get this guy ready ASAP.
They would not have said you have to prove yourself, because that is amateurish and what fans concoct in their own minds.
Webster will tell all his players, at the start of every season, that all spots are up for grabs. Even though we know that is not strictly true, but they would acknowledge that there are players that because of their experience are sitting where the rest need to get to to make first grade.
There is a reason the club always names guys on the extended bench that have played well in NSW cup, even when they play positions we have too many in the top seventeen for them to realistically get a game, they still pick anyone that plays well, as a reward for effort.
Unlike the fans, the coaches would respect what Gannon has done in the ESL, Webster knows the ESL he has coached up there.
Also you have to remember that there is a personal connection with the Gannon signing, Webster is friends with Gannons old man. So he will have an emotional investment in looking after the guy since he has come all this way to play for him.
I think that what Wrighty says about Gannon not signing here to play NSW cup is bang on point. Of course he didn't he could have easily gone to other NRL clubs who would skip that part to sign a player like him if that was the price of signing.
We are not the only club that were interested in Gannon. He had at least one other Sydney club interested in his signature.
I think Webster will have a plan for Gannon to get plenty of trial time, probably both games, because they need to test out their new toy.
I also think Webster will have more than one plan for Gannon. If he slots in well in preseason and goes well in the trials the plan will be to just get on with it and play him in the NRL round one.
Otherwise his plan will be to give him some NSW cup time, not to prove himself, he has already done that, but to give him a chance to adapt to the Warriors style of play and the steep curve with settling in over here.
I am picking that when they see him move the ball at training the Warriors will go straight to plan A, lets get this guy ready ASAP.
Surely With our young back row spots Capewell’s gonna have to really earn his spot next year, Ideally we should be looking to release him and free up a roster spot. He’s been pretty poor ever since origin and his defence was costly in the panthers game, in a game he should’ve been stepping up.
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To reiterate his context;
1: He’s returning back to the coach who debuted him. For all we know, he thinks agar is the best coach he’s played under & believed in him. Many players follow coaches.
2: he’s young enough to try the nrl, to test himself against the best in the world. He’s already achieved a lot in a short career but if he wants to be the best, he has to play against the best, every week. He can’t achieve that in the super league.
3. In your eye who does he displace? Leka or capes? Or is he benched & replacing EIT, Laban, niukore or tanner? Someone has to miss out. That’s the likely outcome imo but again, he’s competing with some pretty decent players. I guess we will find out but imo he starts in cup, unless he has a stellar pre season, and then works his way to a bench role.
I think he had a good season given the context. Was given the captaincy, won an origin series & was moved out of position multiple times & held his own for the most part.
For what it’s worth, I think he’ll be released in 2027, but I think he’s served his purpose & been a great leader to our young forwards coming through.
Gannon's main connection at the Warriors is Webster.
His old man and Webster played together for the Tigers. Then Webster coached him in Pommy land. They are practically family ole Webby and Young Master Gannon.
As for bench forwards, well Gannon could bench Leka, lots of folk want Leka coming off the bench for impact.
I don't see him benching Capwell, more likely to spell him.
He could bench Clark, I think Clarks style suits coming off the bench, I know that will seem controversial for some, but what is Clarks main asset? his hard running game.
Ergo Clark off the bench would help lessen the dip in yardage when JFH and Barnett come off, and injection of Clark, Ford, or Leka, or Dimitric could really kick us up a gear.
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I am only going to answer Question 3 as I am not comfortable with the framing and semantics in #1 and #2 or the importance given to these factors.
On number 3 he will walk in and a) as log as he is not arrogant and feels like he is all that with attitude b) he trains hard then he walk into being ranked higher than
a) EIT
b) Laban
c) TSS
Our pack probably looks like (assuming Barnett by some miracle back game one)
8 Fish
9 Egan
10 Barnett
11 Niukore
12 Capewell
13 Clark
14 Leka
15 Ford
16 Vaimauga
17 Gannon
I think they will go four forwards on the bench until someone gets injured, which won't take long then TMM to 14
The next ranked forwards in order will be
a) Davvy Moale or insert new fringe prop we sign to replace the lost depth of Bunty and Ale
b) Laban - unlucky to not be ranked higher in the last two matches before injury he started to finally believe and conceive what he is capable of but didn't do enough prior. He will get plenty of game time
c) EIT - he did enough in my view to be ranked higher than TSS. He also should fill out this pre season as he is young
d) Another prospect NSW cup promising forward
e) TSS to be low down the charts after some dissapointing defence towards the end of the season
This is the only scenario he walks straight into the 17 - play as a hooker/backrow cover at the expense of Healey and TMM
I just don’t see Webby dropping his favorite Ford who is a gun bench prop now, Demi - no way, Leka - no way.
Cape, Clark and Marata are auto starters although I’d start Laban over Marata
I don’t dislike the guy and nobody will find a post I made trashing him, except calling him a ginger
Lastly, Healey left his dad’s club to come play for us, did anyone “promise” him he’ll be in the 17? Boyd has 70 games when he came over, did we “promise” him top 17?
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Spent the whole game twidling his thumbs and missing tackles
That's exactly what's happened.
Pretty black and white.
You are severely overrating him if you think he was promised a spot in the 17.
It’s also possible he was promised and before I continue I don’t think they promise anything. I think they give guidelines about where they see you with no guarantees. But I think they paint those guidelines very vividly with extreme granularity down to pecking orders. Anything less wouldn’t allow for these professionals to make career decisions.This is the only scenario he walks straight into the 17 - play as a hooker/backrow cover at the expense of Healey and TMM
I just don’t see Webby dropping his favorite Ford who is a gun bench prop now, Demi - no way, Leka - no way.
Cape, Clark and Marata are auto starters although I’d start Laban over Marata
I don’t dislike the guy and nobody will find a post I made trashing him, except calling him a ginger
Lastly, Healey left his dad’s club to come play for us, did anyone “promise” him he’ll be in the 17? Boyd has 70 games when he came over, did we “promise” him top 17?
So I also think it’s probable TMM starts at 14 game one and Gannon has been told he has been ranked 18th at the club. Anyone would come from England for 18th as you are basically going to be, due to injuries only missing two or three games all year at most. Jazz was ranked 18th going into 2024 and by memory he missed the first two games of the season and played the rest. I looked it up he played 19 out of 24 games which may have included an injury or suspension.
From our perspective as fans and the.clubs perspective the best case scenario is that Gannon wins the 2nd row starting position off niukore after 8 to 10 games.
Marata in 2026 will be in his final year of his contract and I suspect we won’t resign him. We be looking for a succession plan and may pull the pin around game ten and move marata to an impact bench role or injury cover to finish the year. If Gannon is good enough. Which nobody knows yet but that is the best case scenario.
