DCE to Tiger in swap for Da Silva and Royce Hunt. Aloli medically retired to open spot. We pick up Sexton rest of season, Dogs take one of our players in swap.
Saab gets the short straw out of them all. Good problem to have depth to cover the back 5. Hope Garrick gives Turbo the 100 pages instruction booklet on how to defend when next to DCE.
Best player to coach would be Croker. Fits the mould of Bellamy and Robinson, played with the best but not noted as the best player. True grit and hard work mixed with talent.
Jazz to start at 13, Bully and Tak starting props, Jake and Brown/Spiley rotation. Hoppa fullback and Turbo 14 to add spark. Read Mahoney next year to start at hooker with Crocker off the bench to play second hooker and middle of needed.
I’m not aware of any up and comes in our NSW cup or juniors ready for a step up. We might need to think outside the box and bring in 2 or 3 of the best Super league 22-25 year olds and look for that more mobile forward pack that’s use to playing an open style of play.
We came out in the second half with 5 hit ups and a kick, no ball movement or second phase play, we probably completed at 90% but invited Newy back into the game. A lot of positional changes during the game admittedly but Manly lost the game rather than Newcastle winning it.
Brookes plays his role and defends well, if he was injured I would be tempted to try Kolua for a week or two as an experiment, Kolua is not a kicker that I know of but would play straight and his speed would be on show.
If we could pick up Reed Mahoney and say Moeaki Fotuaika from Titans, how do you pay for this…Turbo & Crooker retire/move on. Spine 1 Hoopa/Koula, 6 Brooks/Large, 7 Fogarty/Walsh, 9 Mahoney/Maaguati.
Waddell is like Hetherington at Newcastle, aggression and potential but to many errors and penalties. Good Reggie’s player but should have played Bullemor at 11 and lodge to start. Did Caleb even get a run tonight, if not the Waddell should have minded the pine while Caleb had a crack.
In hindsight might have been better to start Brooks at 7 and say you run the show and let Arthur’s coming in from Reggie’s settle in at 6. Will say our middle defence was not great and JakeT and BenT didn’t help with that. Oka got no ball and if brooks played right side he could have brought him...
Getting cut up the middle, we should recruit Jake Turbo to clean that up. Arthur’s concussion didn’t help, play percentage and Turbo/Kolua/Hoppa will ice it at the end of the game.
Fletcher baker on the outer at Broncos, young forward with potential from Roosters system and has played at Broncos good pick up for Brown/Lodge future replacement with years to develop further.
