2026 recruitment & retention

[Sheikheagle]

No haven’t hit a ball in 20 years I reckon

I took it up again when i retired in 2018. Handicap of 18 allows me to win cash off my mates.

 

[madmax]

More concerned that we are actively recruiting these flops.

So Moale is a flop? Hetherington is a flop?

 

[susan]

Interesting decisions to be made in 2026 if Moale comes early

TKO
Simpkin
Psseka
Burbot
Ola
Navale

Moale
Bull
Heatherington
9/ utility

Take away the emotion and whose place does Jake take out of that lineup ?
Siebold will punt Navale no doubt and that will be a huge mistake.
And in terms of props there is no way he is better than the four in front of him. You can't make virtually zero metres playing in a prop rotation in the modern game.

Given our usual injury count it probably won't matter but I cannot fit him in our best 17 given how NRL is played now.

 

[madmax]

YDKSAFB

Mate I wouldn’t let these guys get to you. Like stated many times according to the so called experts no player is good enough to wear Maroon & White.

 

[47MVEagle]

Mate I wouldn’t let these guys get to you. Like stated many times according to the so called experts no player is good enough to wear Maroon & White.

Haha these clowns don’t bother me, clown sh1t by sh1t clowns is all it is 👍

 

[double hoops]

Will they?

Dogs smaller pack got exposed.

We will see. I'm not saying it will be the end of the big man. Dogs getting Thompson says says they know they need a little bit. But he's a mobile big man.

But the days of 4 big men in the 17 long gone.

I think we will find some middle ground.

 

[LeonardCohen]

My ? mark on Davey is his mobility. The game is just getting quicker and quicker, and I suspect a few more teams will follow the dogs with a smaller more mobile pack this off season. One big bopper on the field at any time yeah ok. I suspected the Heather signing could be a step that way. But moale suggests we will stay pretty big. A Combo at best.

His fitness and weight will need to be managed but what he brings is vital to our attack (and something the Dogs don't have, which is what Thompson is being bought to do next year) and that's the ability to attract and crash defenders inside 20m zone. His size and strong carry will be used for the halves to play off the back of; the shape left and right of the ruck will come from these play-the-balls.

 

[Stewbojevic]

His fitness and weight will need to be managed but what he brings is vital to our attack (and something the Dogs don't have, which is what Thompson is being bought to do next year) and that's the ability to attract and crash defenders inside 20m zone. His size and strong carry will be used for the halves to play off the back of; the shape left and right of the ruck will come from these play-the-balls.

He’s actually a very mobile big body from what I’ve seen. Certainly not a lumbering type

 

[double hoops]

His fitness and weight will need to be managed but what he brings is vital to our attack (and something the Dogs don't have, which is what Thompson is being bought to do next year) and that's the ability to attract and crash defenders inside 20m zone. His size and strong carry will be used for the halves to play off the back of; the shape left and right of the ruck will come from these play-the-balls.

My hope is we get a more mobile version of Davey. He's a big human. I think our slow in the middle was exposed this year. There's still a place for a Matt Lodge and a Jurbo. But the minutes are getting less and Less, and Navale exceeded expectations for mine. He'd be my first picked, seriously. That's the tough call and freshen up I think we need.

 

[Brookie1973]

I took it up again when i retired in 2018. Handicap of 18 allows me to win cash off my mates.

18 is the best handicap. 1 shot per hole. Simples.

 

[Disco]

We will see. I'm not saying it will be the end of the big man. Dogs getting Thompson says says they know they need a little bit. But he's a mobile big man.

But the days of 4 big men in the 17 long gone.

I think we will find some middle ground.

Thats the thing, balance.

 

[madmax]

My hope is we get a more mobile version of Davey. He's a big human. I think our slow in the middle was exposed this year. There's still a place for a Matt Lodge and a Jurbo. But the minutes are getting less and Less, and Navale exceeded expectations for mine. He'd be my first picked, seriously. That's the tough call and freshen up I think we need.

All fit & firing we can cause some real trouble next season & beyond!!!
Trbo (C)
Saab
Garrick
Koula
Lehi
Brooks
Fogarty
Paseka
Simpkin
TKO
Brbo
Olakau’atu
Navale
Res: Walsh, Bully, Hetherington, Moale.
Sipley & Aloiai gone. Possibly Croker also.
I don’t know where Jrbo, Lodge, Brown, Waddell fit in?? Plus the fact waiting in the background will be Laiafi, Bryan, Hart, Bryan, Pua’avase…..
Other signings: Wilson (confirmed), ZDC
Backs depth: Faulalo, Willett, Wilson, Large
I think things are looking pretty good to be honest.

 

[Disco]

Jake will be in the 17, anything outside that is fan fiction.

 

[Eagles4Life]

Jake will be in the 17, anything outside that is fan fiction.

Pragmatically, Jake will be our starting lock and Captain for the entire season. The only way that changes is if he suffers further concussions and faces potential medical retirement during the season.

 

[The '47ers]

Jake will be in the 17, anything outside that is fan fiction.

Yeah can't wait 🙄

 

[Stewbojevic]

Our depth in the middle is starting to look decent… we’re still extremely skinny on depth for edge backrowers and hookers though. Especially if Croker retires and Zaidas moves on as rumoured.

I’d like to see two more signings to round things out. A young edge and hooker looking for opportunities, around 21-22 years old.

Hart is promising but probably too young. Ashton Large also several years off

 

[TheEagle]

Interesting decisions to be made in 2026 if Moale comes early

TKO
Simpkin
Psseka
Burbot
Ola
Navale

Moale
Bull
Heatherington
9/ utility

Take away the emotion and whose place does Jake take out of that lineup ?
Siebold will punt Navale no doubt and that will be a huge mistake.
And in terms of props there is no way he is better than the four in front of him. You can't make virtually zero metres playing in a prop rotation in the modern game.

Given our usual injury count it probably won't matter but I cannot fit him in our best 17 given how NRL is played now.

I would assume if Moale comes in 2026, Taukeiaho won’t be offered a new deal by Manly.

 

[TheEagle]

This is what I think our best lineup is for 2026
1: Turbo
2: Garrick
3: Faulalo
4: Koula
5: Hopoate
6: Walsh
7: Fogarty
8: Jake
9: Simpkin
10: Paseka
11: Olakauatu
12: Burbo
13: Navale
14: Brooks/Dockar Clay
15: Hetherington
16: Bullemor
17: Moale (if at Manly in 2026) if not Paul Bryan

 

[TheEagle]

This is what I think our best lineup is for 2026
1: Turbo
2: Garrick
3: Faulalo
4: Koula
5: Hopoate
6: Walsh
7: Fogarty
8: Jake
9: Simpkin
10: Paseka
11: Olakauatu
12: Burbo
13: Navale
14: Brooks/Dockar Clay
15: Hetherington
16: Bullemor
17: Moale (if at Manly in 2026) if not Paul Bryan

I could also see Moale if he’s at Manly be one of our starting props, pushing Jake back to lock.

 

[Phobia]

Interesting decisions to be made in 2026 if Moale comes early

TKO
Simpkin
Psseka
Burbot
Ola
Navale

Moale
Bull
Heatherington
9/ utility

Take away the emotion and whose place does Jake take out of that lineup ?
Siebold will punt Navale no doubt and that will be a huge mistake.
And in terms of props there is no way he is better than the four in front of him. You can't make virtually zero metres playing in a prop rotation in the modern game.

Given our usual injury count it probably won't matter but I cannot fit him in our best 17 given how NRL is played now.

If Moale is a mid-season transfer next year, don’t worry… By our luck, half of our pack will have had season ending injuries by then.

If he arrives in the pre-season, I imagine he’d be pushing Navale out. I’m not too concerned by this from a long term perspective, as I have no doubt that Taukeiaho will retire at the end of next season. Navale is signed until the end of 2027, so it isn’t really a rush with him. He will get plenty of game time as our next-available middle… Someone will always be injured.

On another note, unlike the plodders we’ve been playing ahead of him this year, he’ll have actually decent players ahead of him, e.g. Paseka, Hetherington, Moale. This is opposed to this year’s cartel of Waddell, Lodge, and Brown… Who Navale will no doubt be ahead of next year.