General Your 2025 team

[John Nick]

Definitely need to see how things pan out in the trials before anyone gets locked in... Everyone has to earn their spot.

You're a fast learner.
Of course everyone should earn their position. It's what fg is all about.
No free rides

 

[Neo]

You're a fast learner.
Of course everyone should earn their position. It's what fg is all about.
No free rides

The problem is that trials aren’t really utilised. Yes 80% of the team will already be picked, and that goes for all the sides due to the salary cap. There is also the fear of injuries.
The first 2 trials will be all the youngsters and fringe players. The final trial will see the shadow side play the first half together, with some of the better performer youngsters and guys outside the 17 playing the second half.
They may be even more conservative this year with starting the season early in Vegas

 

[John Nick]

The problem is that trials aren’t really utilised. Yes 80% of the team will already be picked, and that goes for all the sides due to the salary cap. There is also the fear of injuries.
The first 2 trials will be all the youngsters and fringe players. The final trial will see the shadow side play the first half together, with some of the better performer youngsters and guys outside the 17 playing the second half.
They may be even more conservative this year with starting the season early in Vegas

And that's the way it should be.
No lock ins before Xmas ffs.
Turn up. Do the hard yakka.
Show what you got in the trials and hope you are on the team sheet come round 1.
Not rocket science.
All teams have guys on Train and Trial.
WHY??

 

[Inruin]

The problem is that trials aren’t really utilised. Yes 80% of the team will already be picked, and that goes for all the sides due to the salary cap. There is also the fear of injuries.
The first 2 trials will be all the youngsters and fringe players. The final trial will see the shadow side play the first half together, with some of the better performer youngsters and guys outside the 17 playing the second half.
They may be even more conservative this year with starting the season early in Vegas

I'm sure a lot of credence is put in performances by players in a trial involving warriors c team vs tigers b team..... It's a hit out prior to the season. You are exactly right with the majority of the team already picked. I'm not sure why that's so hard for some to comprehend.

 

[John Nick]

I'm sure a lot of credence is put in performances by players in a trial involving warriors c team vs tigers b team..... It's a hit out prior to the season. You are exactly right with the majority of the team already picked. I'm not sure why that's so hard for some to comprehend.

So why has every club that has ever played in the game of rugby league in every grade always held trials going back before you were born if they are a waste of time??.
Stars have been discovered in these stupid waste of time games.

 

[Stalefish540]

So why has every club that has ever played in the game of rugby league in every grade always held trials going back before you were born if they are a waste of time??.
Stars have been discovered in these stupid waste of time games.

They are a merely a hit out to get some minutes in the legs against someone that isn't an opposed in-club run as you've been doing all preseason.

Your coach has been watching you day in, day out for what is it 3-4 months of preseason they do now?

Before my time, but maybe back in the day when they didn't have such extensive preseasons and players held down second jobs possibly cracking a team may have happened like that or lower grades still possibly. Certainly not in first grade, at least you wouldn't imagine bar a couple of spots the coach may be 50/50 on one player or another.

 

[John Nick]

They are a merely a hit out to get some minutes in the legs against someone that isn't an opposed in-club run as you've been doing all preseason.

Your coach has been watching you day in, day out for what is it 3-4 months of preseason they do now?

Before my time, but maybe back in the day when they didn't have such extensive preseasons and players held down second jobs possibly cracking a team may have happened like that or lower grades still possibly. Certainly not in first grade, at least you wouldn't imagine bar a couple of spots the coach may be 50/50 on one player or another.

Really. Tell the young guys that.
This is their chance for exposure on the biggest stage they have seen.

 

[Inruin]

They are a merely a hit out to get some minutes in the legs against someone that isn't an opposed in-club run as you've been doing all preseason.

Your coach has been watching you day in, day out for what is it 3-4 months of preseason they do now?

Before my time, but maybe back in the day when they didn't have such extensive preseasons and players held down second jobs possibly cracking a team may have happened like that or lower grades still possibly. Certainly not in first grade, at least you wouldn't imagine bar a couple of spots the coach may be 50/50 on one player or another.

Hence why they are called preseason games and not trials. Useful to get some game time under the belt before the season starts and try out some combinations. The NRL have tried to make them a little more meaningful lately because every club uses them for the same thing in the same way. You are right about the coach having observed a player for a long period of time already and majority of the team will have been penciled in well before the preseason games. I can't imagine a 30 minute hit out us going to tell Webster anything he doesn't already know about RTS for example.

 

[WA Warrior]

They are a merely a hit out to get some minutes in the legs against someone that isn't an opposed in-club run as you've been doing all preseason.

Your coach has been watching you day in, day out for what is it 3-4 months of preseason they do now?

Before my time, but maybe back in the day when they didn't have such extensive preseasons and players held down second jobs possibly cracking a team may have happened like that or lower grades still possibly. Certainly not in first grade, at least you wouldn't imagine bar a couple of spots the coach may be 50/50 on one player or another.

I would agree 99.9% of the time and it will be a mere formality for all the other teams most probably.
You would head into a season knowing your 17 bar 1 or 2 spots.
But it’s not totally obvious who our best 17 is this year.
Need to see them in real playing conditions and how they combine.
So this year I think the preseason games won’t just give us a good hit out but also determine our line up.

 

[John Nick]

Hence why they are called preseason games and not trials. Useful to get some game time under the belt before the season starts and try out some combinations. The NRL have tried to make them a little more meaningful lately because every club uses them for the same thing in the same way. You are right about the coach having observed a player for a long period of time already and majority of the team will have been penciled in well before the preseason games. I can't imagine a 30 minute hit out us going to tell Webster anything he doesn't already know about RTS for example.

Webster didn't know last year that RTS wasn't a centre when he said he would be our centre .
Bet you he has learnt that lesson

 

[Stalefish540]

I would agree 99.9% of the time and it will be a mere formality for all the other teams most probably.
You would head into a season knowing your 17 bar 1 or 2 spots.
But it’s not totally obvious who our best 17 is this year.
Need to see them in real playing conditions and how they combine.
So this year I think the preseason games won’t just give us a good hit out but also determine our line up.

Hopefully the club have shelved the ridiculous all in seniors or bust cock up that was this past season.

We aren't in a window so they can let go of that idea. If we aren't willing to properly start blooding guys like Ali, Leka, Sifakula etc. and start building towards a potential window in the future then it's going to be another frustrating year of head meets table.

 

[Milking!]

My take on trials is that it gives the vets some k’s in the legs, rookies a semi-taste of the big time, and the opportunity for a couple of fringies to plant a few seeds of ‘you gotta find a way to get me in there’ for the coaches.
I reckon a good chunk of the round 1 team is pencilled in, the rest will be those on the edges.
Be really interesting to see if any of the young forwards can bang the door down and get minutes, or even starting jobs.

 

[John Nick]

Hopefully the club have shelved the ridiculous all in seniors or bust cock up that was this past season.

We aren't in a window so they can let go of that idea. If we aren't willing to properly start blooding guys like Ali, Leka, Sifakula etc. and start building towards a potential window in the future then it's going to be another frustrating year of head meets table.

Good post. There is others that you haven't mentioned that will be fired up for a crack in the trials or preseason games or whatever you want to call them.
This is their first and maybe only chance to shine.
Some disrespect the importance of these challenges but they obviously have never been in the situation.

 

[Milking!]

Does RTS even want to play FB on a regular basis? Seems to me that if he wanted it, it would’ve happened.
I reckon it’s either stick with the known commodity of CNK or hand the jersey to TT and let him know he’ll get a really good window to show what he can do.

 

[Zahnos06]

Get a bloody sprint coach in!
Maybe, I think he could transition to the 2nd row as well eventually.
I seen someone raise this before, is Berry a chance on the wing?

I like the idea of Berry on the wing, think he would be a good suit for it

 

[Inruin]

My take on trials is that it gives the vets some k’s in the legs, rookies a semi-taste of the big time, and the opportunity for a couple of fringies to plant a few seeds of ‘you gotta find a way to get me in there’ for the coaches.
I reckon a good chunk of the round 1 team is pencilled in, the rest will be those on the edges.
Be really interesting to see if any of the young forwards can bang the door down and get minutes, or even starting jobs.

Spot on. And players will have received regular reviews, feedback on where the coaches think they are at and what needs to be worked on. If there is a position that has a couple of players vying for it then a preseason game might swing it one way or the other. But like you say, the majority of the round one team will be pencilled in. We will get a really good indication of what AW is thinking in one of the preseason games where he will name what would be regarded as a full strength team to start with. Then we might see any positional changes like where RTS lines up, who the halves are, etc

 

[WA Warrior]

I like the idea of Berry on the wing, think he would be a good suit for it

At least have him spend time there over preseason hey.
What could it hurt.
Huge upside if he could make it work.

 

[John Nick]

Spot on. And players will have received regular reviews, feedback on where the coaches think they are at and what needs to be worked on. If there is a position that has a couple of players vying for it then a preseason game might swing it one way or the other. But like you say, the majority of the round one team will be pencilled in. We will get a really good indication of what AW is thinking in one of the preseason games where he will name what would be regarded as a full strength team to start with. Then we might see any positional changes like where RTS lines up, who the halves are, etc

You are catching on fast. Preseason/trials will help AW form the rest of his line up.
Especially the bench. Preseason games can swing decisions one way or another as you rightly say. Congrats

 

[Inruin]

Does RTS even want to play FB on a regular basis? Seems to me that if he wanted it, it would’ve happened.
I reckon it’s either stick with the known commodity of CNK or hand the jersey to TT and let him know he’ll get a really good window to show what he can do.

Who would you put at fullback for round one and where are you playing RTS if it's not him there? Seems like the backline is the biggest points of contention for most and the bench make up. Who you got for your 1-7?

 

[Milking!]

At least have him spend time there over preseason hey.
What could it hurt.
Huge upside if he could make it work.

He’s got speed, aerial skills, superb defender and is the same height as Zac Lomax (who did pretty well shifting out).