Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 11:33 am  

No chance of been successful with Cator as our LF.

Jebson isn't ready to be in our best 17, Staverley is definitely a middle player, although like Taylor might start his career wider.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 12:47 pm  

Anything on outside back Pearson mentioned, or was that just the resigning of Vuli?

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 1:07 pm  

Dave K. wrote:

No chance of been successful with Cator as our LF.

Jebson isn't ready to be in our best 17, Staverley is definitely a middle player, although like Taylor might start his career wider.

Think Cator might improve with a bigger pack around him. We need at least one workhorse in the pack. Nice to have a choice though

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 2:17 pm  

hull2524 wrote:

Think Cator might improve with a bigger pack around him. We need at least one workhorse in the pack. Nice to have a choice though

No chance, played over 20 games last year, no trys, no try assists, can you remember him making a break, a really good pass or a big tackle last season?

I can remember Lane who gets so much abuse doing some of these things, can anyone remember Cator doing anything of notice with the ball?

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 2:18 pm  

hull2524 wrote:

Think Cator might improve with a bigger pack around him. We need at least one workhorse in the pack. Nice to have a choice though

If we are happy to just have a "workhorse" in the team, is there an argument for Houghton at 13? He is defensively solid, has a bit of a passing and kicking game, and having Brown, Houghton and Smith all in the 17 gives us a lot more options and flexibility.

Walker
Tindall
Carlos
Sutcliffe
McIntosh
Hoy
Trueman
Ashworth
Nu Brown
Eseese
Sao
Okunbor
Houghton

Pele
Brown
Smith
Scott

Centre is really up in the air. Its a toss up who is better between Scott and Carlos but I think Scott can offer a bit more in the pack. I'm hoping that Mitch can get fully fit and maybe put some pressure on for the centre position. We also need the likes of Jebson, Staveley, Martin etc to keep improving and providing a bit of competition.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 2:38 pm  

I don't think Smith see Sao in the backrow, rarely played him there last season, even when we where really short and choose to play the likes of Lane, Lovodua or Scott there.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 2:44 pm  

Dave K. wrote:

No chance, played over 20 games last year, no trys, no try assists, can you remember him making a break, a really good pass or a big tackle last season?

I can remember Lane who gets so much abuse doing some of these things, can anyone remember Cator doing anything of notice with the ball?

Cator is an interesting one, I recall he was very well recieved when he first came in and before he did his achilles the first time. Not sure if it was because he played better, had a team around him that better suited his attributes or we were so bad that a high work rate made him look amazing. Or perhaps a combination of all of them.
As it is currently, I agree with you in that we need more in that position.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 4:27 pm  

Mr. Zucchini Head wrote:

If we are happy to just have a "workhorse" in the team, is there an argument for Houghton at 13? He is defensively solid, has a bit of a passing and kicking game, and having Brown, Houghton and Smith all in the 17 gives us a lot more options and flexibility.

Walker
Tindall
Carlos
Sutcliffe
McIntosh
Hoy
Trueman
Ashworth
Nu Brown
Eseese
Sao
Okunbor
Houghton

Pele
Brown
Smith
Scott

Centre is really up in the air. Its a toss up who is better between Scott and Carlos but I think Scott can offer a bit more in the pack. I'm hoping that Mitch can get fully fit and maybe put some pressure on for the centre position. We also need the likes of Jebson, Staveley, Martin etc to keep improving and providing a bit of competition.

I also would see Houghton as a better option at 13 than any of Cator,lane or Fash,but i guess that would depend on where Brown starts either in the halfs before Trueman is back or starting nine.
I think we all have that optimistic if only feeling for next season but then when reality kicks in and you see how weak we are in the second row, lack of strike accross our threequarters i think we are going to need defenders like Houghton and Mitch in the team.
Dont think any of our younger players are ready yet for regular S/L and will be used by Smith in a similar way he did this season given Cator,Lane and Fash are all still likely to be in or around the 17 man squad.
Still think Luis Johnson could do a job for us if we could get him on a 1 year deal/ 1 year option

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 4:36 pm  

Dave K. wrote:

I don't think Smith see Sao in the backrow, rarely played him there last season, even when we where really short and choose to play the likes of Lane, Lovodua or Scott there.

Ligi is not mobile enough for a second row.
When he played there for Samoa he had some really good fast players around him so his lack of mobilty wasnt shown as much as it would be in our team.
Second row is a real concern and im surprised the club have seemingly opted to run with a possibly third choice relatively novice overseas player and what looks like Lane again or as muted moving another front row into the second row.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Mon Oct 30, 2023 4:49 pm  

Full strength I’d go with Nu Brown at 13. But given Hoy, Walker and Truemans injury records, he’ll probs spend most of his time in the halves