2025 recruitment & retention

[Lloyd]

I’ve given him plenty of credit , but my point is ( maybe you’ve missed it ) is that the great coaches all have a major part around them.

A meticulous system.

Without this they don’t succeed, and my example is one of THE great coaches , Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins.

Of course Bellamy & Cleary are great coaches , but they are part of a great system as well.

That’s my point , not to bag him at all but if you took Cleary at the start of 2024 and put him at the Tigers , they would still have finished bottom 4.

Ok I get your point and I agree with what you say on the system. I think though he has gotten the reputation that would allow him to be successful at a lower club simply because players would play for him and attracted to the club.

 

[Disco]

I come here to discuss recruitmment ideas and thoughts and all I see is who is a good coach and who isnt haha, deary me

 

[Stewbojevic]

I come here to discuss recruitmment ideas and thoughts and all I see is who is a good coach and who isnt haha, deary me

Go on then… who are you recruiting for 2025 to make us a premiership threat?

 

[BOZO]

I come here to discuss recruitmment ideas and thoughts and all I see is who is a good coach and who isnt haha, deary me

Just in case you have missed it feathered friend
The news on recruitment is that Mestrov has extended Seibold
Deary me Indeed ....

 

[BOZO]

Go on then… who are you recruiting for 2025 to make us a premiership threat?

I believe we have the strike power to challenge for a Premiership title
I do not believe we have a preimeriahip winning coach
I hope I am proven wrong because all that matters to me most is for Manly to be Magnificent again

 

[Dion Johnson]

Go on then… who are you recruiting for 2025 to make us a premiership threat?

Some young blood with energy to target who would fit under the cap, Ethan Roberts would be my pr

Players to look at, that would fit in the cap.

• Ethan Roberts (backrow)
• Lela Halasima (backrow)
• Dylan Egan (backrow)
• Xavier Willison ( Frontrow)
• Noah Martin (backrow)

 

[silvereagle]

I believe we have the strike power to challenge for a Premiership title
I do not believe we have a preimeriahip winning coach
I hope I am proven wrong because all that matters to me most is for Manly to be Magnificent again

I also hope you are wrong @BOZO about our coach. I gave him a FAIL in 24 for his performance on some very specific grounds. Hopefully he can turn that around in 25. He needs to look no further than the published NRL team statistics. We came 2nd last on "Dummy Half Runs" and 2nd last on "Offloads". One issue points to our hooker and the other issue points to our middles. You would think most smart coaches would be able to fix both.

 

[Disco]

Go on then… who are you recruiting for 2025 to make us a premiership threat?

Well 2025 is tricky to predict as it depends on who clubs are willing to release for cap purposes/squad balance etc.

But in a couple of weeks we can start negotiating with next years class.

I'd be talking to

Blake Mozer
Kai Pearce-Paul/Dylan Lucas
Xavier Willison

I think that could be achievable as none would be on supernova wages yet.

Leo Thompdon would be unreal but possibly out of reach.

If we could lock these three in then Id start working on early releases.

 

[The Who]

I'm confused about our recruitment.
We are losing forwards Lodge, Lawman, Condon, Shoe, Woods and Parker yet the only forwards we have signed for 2025 are Tevaga and Che-Kam -- both journeymen at best -- and an untried second rower from FNQ called Pua'Avase,
We have continued to raid Wests' junior backline stocks with Large and Willett - both with impressive CV's yet seasons from an NRL breakthrough - and Volkman, who has injury concerns.
To me we seem to have an abundance of backline talent, both young and experienced, but nowhere near enough strength in the forwards. Surely we'll nab a well-credential forward or two to fill out our 2025 roster.

 

[double hoops]

I'm confused about our recruitment.
We are losing forwards Lodge, Lawman, Condon, Shoe, Woods and Parker yet the only forwards we have signed for 2025 are Tevaga and Che-Kam -- both journeymen at best -- and an untried second rower from FNQ called Pua'Avase,
We have continued to raid Wests' junior backline stocks with Large and Willett - both with impressive CV's yet seasons from an NRL breakthrough - and Volkman, who has injury concerns.
To me we seem to have an abundance of backline talent, both young and experienced, but nowhere near enough strength in the forwards. Surely we'll nab a well-credential forward or two to fill out our 2025 roster.

It could be that the club continue to value experienced mature men, it could be that our premiership window is still considered now whilst the club has the experience of the two current SOO Captains in the team, and an experienced halfback, and Prop are massive part of a Premiership ingredients.

But hopefully someone sees our pack as old and slow, in a modern game inwhich speed and mobility has dominated.

MCK used to be pretty quick. Jazz certainly brings energy and is a small sized middle.

It's especially the back row that needs attention and our pack generally just needs some younger blood in it that can push for positions to have the correct mix in 25.

 

[Ohgeez]

I'm confused about our recruitment.
We are losing forwards Lodge, Lawman, Condon, Shoe, Woods and Parker yet the only forwards we have signed for 2025 are Tevaga and Che-Kam -- both journeymen at best -- and an untried second rower from FNQ called Pua'Avase,
We have continued to raid Wests' junior backline stocks with Large and Willett - both with impressive CV's yet seasons from an NRL breakthrough - and Volkman, who has injury concerns.
To me we seem to have an abundance of backline talent, both young and experienced, but nowhere near enough strength in the forwards. Surely we'll nab a well-credential forward or two to fill out our 2025 roster.

We are going to need a few of the young props to step up & add some leg speed through the middle next season. Hoping Navale has a big few games for Fiji at lock & can take over from Jake who should be moved to the front row & play less minutes.

In saying that, I agree we definitely need a signing or 2 to compete next year. If we could get a good signing for 2026 there is the chance a team would release them a season early as long as we have the cap space.

For front rowers id be happy if we could get any of Fonua Pole, Davvy Moale, Josiah Pahulu, Leo Thompson or Xavier Willison

Back row options Kai Pearce Paul, Harrison Hasset, Nikora or Wilton

Wishful thinking that we would sign anyone but a cheap player at the back end of their career but hopefully something is in the works, especially considering the 400-500k we have from Shoe…

 

[Disco]

We are going to need a few of the young props to step up & add some leg speed through the middle next season. Hoping Navale has a big few games for Fiji at lock & can take over from Jake who should be moved to the front row & play less minutes.

In saying that, I agree we definitely need a signing or 2 to compete next year. If we could get a good signing for 2026 there is the chance a team would release them a season early as long as we have the cap space.

For front rowers id be happy if we could get any of Fonua Pole, Davvy Moale, Josiah Pahulu, Leo Thompson or Xavier Willison

Back row options Kai Pearce Paul, Harrison Hasset, Nikora or Wilton

Wishful thinking that we would sign anyone but a cheap player at the back end of their career but hopefully something is in the works, especially considering the 400-500k we have from Shoe…

Yeah I think Hassett could be savvy though someone on here mentioned he is off to the Tigers.....no idea of the vaidity of that though.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Aitasi James had a bit of a wrap on him when he arrived, could he be a chance of stepping up?
Or is he just another Ben Condon, young hopeful who didn’t really make the grade?

 

[Ben]

Aitasi James had a bit of a wrap on him when he arrived, could he be a chance of stepping up?
Or is he just another Ben Condon, young hopeful who didn’t really make the grade?

From what I seen James has been a little disappointing. I’m totally happy to be proven wrong but didn’t amount to the hype this year. Seibs stated he seen James in the Tatola mould.
Yet to be seen in my eyes.

 

[Ryan]

Aitasi James had a bit of a wrap on him when he arrived, could he be a chance of stepping up?
Or is he just another Ben Condon, young hopeful who didn’t really make the grade?

Makes Jake Trbojevic look like Usain Bolt in his prime. You could watch him in a 100 metre dash, go on a holiday to Fiji, return, get re-acclimatized, and he'd still have about 20 metres to run.

 

[double hoops]

Perhaps I've just grown inpatient of these bloody big kids that on first appearance have just never learnt to use their giant body. As far as I'm concerned their head gets wired wrong, during childhood. Ur better off recruiting the smaller bloke that has some fight.

Bang for buck Choc destroys T rex 99 times out of 100.

 

[Stewbojevic]

Well 2025 is tricky to predict as it depends on who clubs are willing to release for cap purposes/squad balance etc.

But in a couple of weeks we can start negotiating with next years class.

I'd be talking to

Blake Mozer
Kai Pearce-Paul/Dylan Lucas
Xavier Willison

I think that could be achievable as none would be on supernova wages yet.

Leo Thompdon would be unreal but possibly out of reach.

If we could lock these three in then Id start working on early releases.

I’d love to get one of those Newcastle edges

 

[Highflier]

Well 2025 is tricky to predict as it depends on who clubs are willing to release for cap purposes/squad balance etc.

But in a couple of weeks we can start negotiating with next years class.

I'd be talking to

Blake Mozer
Kai Pearce-Paul/Dylan Lucas
Xavier Willison

I think that could be achievable as none would be on supernova wages yet.

Leo Thompdon would be unreal but possibly out of reach.

If we could lock these three in then Id start working on early releases.

Get Leo ,he is exactly the FR we need

 

[double hoops]

Some how I

Get Leo ,he is exactly the FR we need

Indeed. Which almost guarantees you he will end up at the Roosters or Penrith. You know the really poor teams who like us, just lost their Alpha and are struggling up front.

 

[Phobia]

Get Leo ,he is exactly the FR we need

Agreed. I think we need a prop more than a second-rower.

I agree with the opinion of some of the journos, that Bullemor should further the Hindy impersonation, and be our first pick No. 12.

He's not the same Bullemor that Des ruined on the edge in 2022, he has improved dramatically under Seibs this year. I think him being paired with Brooks will serve him better than being next to Foran, and a hell of a lot better than being next to Schuster. Brooks' short passes to Burbo didn't work 90% of the time, for Burbo's lack of speed of power... Both of which Bullemor has plenty of.

In his last game, at second row, where he filled in for a backline reshuffle vs the Titans, he was outstanding. He was never defensively bad there too, which is more than can be said for Burbo, Schuster, Tuilagi, etc. I think he deserves another crack. Saves us the problem of having to sign a front rower AND a second rower.

Might put Thompson within our $$$...