General Your 2024 lineup

[John Nick]

i rate RTS, but he is an unknown quantity as a Centre in NRL. Who are the best defensive Centres. I think it is Pompey and Berry, and they are the incumbents.

True. As good as he once was he needs to earn his spot.
Same as anyone. You don't get handed a centre position in any FG NRL team.

 

[Boats n Hoes]

1. CNK
2. DWZ
3. Berry
4. RTS
5. Montoya
6. TMM
7. SJ
8. AFB
9. Egan
10. Bunty
11. Capewell
12. Ford
13. Harris

14. Walker
15. Niukore
16. Barnett
17. CHT

I don’t see Capewell having signed to play from the bench. He’s starting on my left edge. TMM has better D and distribution than Metcalf, so he’s in my spine. Important for us to be settled and have structure for 1st part of season, but certainly see Metcalf forcing his way in later in year.
Last year our bench impact between 30min-55min was some of worst in comp. A lot of effort to sort this will be done during pre season. For me Barnett, Niukore and Walker all come on to provide the needed exp here. I see Niukore now as a middle only moving forward. Bunty plays 1st 20mins and maybe a late 10-15min. CHT provides the bench cover needed. Egan will go for 60+ mins like last year and CHT covers there and any injury cover as needed.
SJ to kick goals. They’ll work thru the off season to get him right.
Jazz, Pompey, Metcalf, Ale, Kosi, Lussick all next up but don’t see them in our 1st team of the year. But shit our Reserve grade side looks stacked!!

Probably this line up for me as well. Although Metcalf for TMM i wouldnt have an issue with either.

Thought with the bench even though early on in the season it looked like the Dylan/Jazz combo was going to be a real point of difference for us and provide us with that energizer bunny boost it never reached the same heights as it did in those first few games and particulary after Jazz came back from injury thought their impact was nowhere near those early season levels.

Plus i thought at times with the small bench when Lussick was added to that mix we struggled (particulary when Fonua Blake went off) for ruck speed which the good parts of our attack was so reliant on......and at the same time because of lack of size struggled to slow down oppositions ruck speed.....inevitably we had the game plan and fitness to get over most oppositions but at those times in matches struggled to sustain dominance, so a Barnett/Niukore bench appeals to me.

I'd probably start Capewell on the left edge as thats where he was with the Broncos and move Ford to the right, but end of the day these guys should be able to intermix and whatever combination they work with better should determine it.

 

[SBW1]

Are CHT and RTS likely to start the season in NSW Cup?

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Lol it does my head in seeing Ali in so many people's team Rd 1.

The bloke has had 1 game in FG. He'll be a star of the future hopefully, but now is not his time unless we're hit with signficant injury. If 2 of Berry, Pompey, and RTS went down I still think we'd play Capewell or Niukore there before starting Ali in Rd 1.

We had a great year this year, so you look to build on it. Playing Berry and others out of position, picking youth in key position when we have solid experienced options, and picking Bunty and expecting him to do more than he did last year is not going to increase our chances of making the big dance Nek year

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Lol it does my head in seeing Ali in so many people's team Rd 1.

The bloke has had 1 game in FG. He'll be a star of the future hopefully, but now is not his time unless we're hit with signficant injury. If 2 of Berry, Pompey, and RTS went down I still think we'd play Capewell or Niukore there before starting Ali in Rd 1.

We had a great year this year, so you look to build on it. Playing Berry and others out of position, picking youth in key position when we have solid experienced options, and picking Bunty and expecting him to do more than he did last year is not going to increase our chances of making the big dance Nek year

Mind blowing aye. Not being a dick but it does seem like it’s those who know rugby league and those who don’t. You’re not going to put a 19y old over two guys who actually played relatively well, one gained NZA selection. It’s a no brainer.

 

[Franky]

I would go this team

1. CNK
2. DWZ
3. Berry
4. RTS
5. Montoya
6. TMM
7. SJ
8. AFB
9. Egan
10. Niukore
11. Ford
12. Capewell
13. Harris

14. Walker
15. Ale
16. Barnett
17. CHT

Don’t like leaving Jazz out, but he seems a poor fit next to Barnett and Walker on the bench. A shame about Sifakula’s injury, if Capewell/Ford get injured, Niukore/Barnett would need to go back to the edge.

 

[waipiro]

Mind blowing aye. Not being a dick but it does seem like it’s those who know rugby league and those who don’t. You’re not going to put a 19y old over two guys who actually played relatively well, one gained NZA selection. It’s a no brainer.

IMO he looked pretty sharp against Canberra so not sure what his age is got to do with it. If he's ready he's ready.
I do think the leading contenders for RD 1 centre are Berry and RTS at this stage.

 

[waipiro]

The bloke has had 1 game in FG. He'll be a star of the future hopefully, but now is not his time unless we're hit with signficant injury. If 2 of Berry, Pompey, and RTS went down I still think we'd play Capewell or Niukore there before starting Ali in Rd 1.

You reckon he would have got a 2nd game this year if he wasn't injured in the canberra game?
I think he is too highly regarded to be the 6th choice centre for round 1......otherwise he wouldn't have started a game this year.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

You reckon he would have got a 2nd game this year if he wasn't injured in the canberra game?
I think he is too highly regarded to be the 6th choice centre for round 1......otherwise he wouldn't have started a game this year.

Yeah of course, he probably would have got a few more.

And again to be clear I don't think they wouldn't pick him at all next year, I think starting off the year Webby will be conservative and go defence over attack. If that's the case you don't start with a 1 game rookie. But again, it all depends. If we had 2 long term injuries then you may as well chuck him in, the sooner he's up to speed the better. But if there's one or two injuries that are only a few weeks worth of an injury I think they'll try and plug that gap in a defensive way

 

[Warriorsfan92]

IMO he looked pretty sharp against Canberra so not sure what his age is got to do with it. If he's ready he's ready.
I do think the leading contenders for RD 1 centre are Berry and RTS at this stage.

Of course he did. That’s one game.

 

[JaggedJ]

Are CHT and RTS likely to start the season in NSW Cup?

CHT - maybe
RTS - no chance

 

[Dannevegas]

You think so?
Berry is a shoe in?
I'd think Pompey makes a good case. Pompey also kicks.

Kicks 0 from 3. Besides that unfortunately Pompey’s just to slow and lacks X factor. If we want to win a win a comp we need strike across the park. Leiataua, RTS and Berry to an extent give us that.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Just rewatching the final v Broncos and while we were well beaten in the end, jeeze theres sooo many little moments in the game that we could have gone a different way.

After 30 min were down 24 - 12 but had missed 3 kicks at this point. There's 6 points gone begging.

RW then had his 3m pass that went forward to put them up to 30 points which shouldn't have been counted.

Jackson Ford scoring off an offside position - better execution could have resulted in a try. If the RW forward pass didn't happen and Jacko scored that, were 24 all heading in to the 60th minute. Literally anyones ball game at this point.

Pompey being sin binned for a dumb play, resulted in a try to Make later on.

There was also one fairly poor tackle early on by DWZ that resulted in a try to their winger (Capewell beat DWZ and passed to unmarked winger)

On a different night half of those things get reversed and it's a closer game.

Next year I hope were in a similar position against Penrith or Broncos etc, we've improved our team recruitment and experience wise while they've both lost some key players. If we improve 5-10% and they decline by 5% were a great chance I reckon.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

I think starting off the year Webby will be conservative and go defence over attack. If I that's the case you don't start with a 1 game rookie.

Ali has never lost a NRL game and never missed a tackle.

The best win and defensive stats in our squad. And he’s better in attack than defence

 

[Noitall]

RW then had his 3m pass that went forward to put them up to 30 points which shouldn't have been counted.

I wondered if some old ghosts came back to haunt us when this happened? Either the broncos went to another level or we were so rocked by what looked an obvious decision and capitulated. We were battling to stay in it but at that moment the rest of the game flowed so naturally for the broncos. It’s been good to know they’ve used a mental coach (not a crazy bastard) to fight off some of those demons that have hindered us over the years and hope it continues.

 

[waipiro]

Of course he did. That’s one game.

So he played really well in the only chance he has had. So why couldnt he be a shot for round 1?

I would suggest debuting in Canberra for crokers 300th game would be much more pressure than a rd1 game and he played well.
And while Pompey and Montoya were solid that side was problematic for a number of weeks so a change wouldn't be out of the question....and for both those positions.

 

[waipiro]

Yeah of course, he probably would have got a few more.

And again to be clear I don't think they wouldn't pick him at all next year, I think starting off the year Webby will be conservative and go defence over attack. If that's the case you don't start with a 1 game rookie. But again, it all depends. If we had 2 long term injuries then you may as well chuck him in, the sooner he's up to speed the better. But if there's one or two injuries that are only a few weeks worth of an injury I think they'll try and plug that gap in a defensive way

Yeah could be right. I get a feel that Webster will really start to blood these young guys early and especially with the signing of Capewell who will act as a steadying hand with some of our older heads.
Broncos and Panthers have done similar and havent been scared to give young guys a go early...tago has really grown heaps since they had faith to drop him in at 20yo.

 

[John Nick]

Yeah could be right. I get a feel that Webster will really start to blood these young guys early and especially with the signing of Capewell who will act as a steadying hand with some of our older heads.
Broncos and Panthers have done similar and havent been scared to give young guys a go early...tago has really grown heaps since they had faith to drop him in at 20yo.

If I recall correctly Johnson only got a FG start due to an injury when it was considered that he wasn't ready.
In my day Dennis Williams was considered under done for rep football but soon dispelled that theory with a try in the first few minutes of his test debut

Some will be ready early and some will never be ready

 

[Shogun]

Has there been a team with so many players with 3 names before? Got AFB, CHT, CNK, DWZ, RTS, TMM & Tanner Stowers Smith. Even if only the 1st 6 play the same game that's gotta be some kind of record and Guinness do records of all sorts of dumb shit.

 

[El Chuckie]

I would go this team

1. CNK
2. DWZ
3. Berry
4. RTS
5. Montoya
6. TMM
7. SJ
8. AFB
9. Egan
10. Niukore
11. Ford
12. Capewell
13. Harris

14. Walker
15. Ale
16. Barnett
17. CHT

Don’t like leaving Jazz out, but he seems a poor fit next to Barnett and Walker on the bench. A shame about Sifakula’s injury, if Capewell/Ford get injured, Niukore/Barnett would need to go back to the edge.

At the risk of sounding like a scratched record, Pompey pretty much can't be left out if SJ doesn't kick. I don't necessarily like it - particularly if he's going to miss pressure kicks in close games - but he's still miles ahead of our next kicking option.