2020 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[Murphy]

I’d imagine he’d still have a property up this way so retiring here would be a likely scenario. I think him mentoring a few of our young hookers to first grade would be excellent because then we wouldn’t need to buy back the farm as they wouldn’t have left in the first place.

[willhelm]

I’d imagine he’d still have a property up this way so retiring here would be a likely scenario. I think him mentoring a few of our young hookers to first grade would be excellent because then we wouldn’t need to buy back the farm as they wouldn’t have left in the first place.

Off field I think he'd be great but at this point in Holbrook's tenure I think we need someone who's going to get the job done on the field. With Tino, Herman and (fingers crossed) potentially Fifita coming next year, it's time to push for top 8 and higher. At this stage of his career, I don't think McCullough is the guy to get us there. McInnes, B. Smith, Parcell, Turpin, Havili are all better options.

Having a property up here and wanting to retire in the area isn't necessarily a positive either. Plenty of players have used that as an excuse to move closer to home, collect a paycheck, and not perform.

[Murphy]

Off field I think he'd be great but at this point in Holbrook's tenure I think we need someone who's going to get the job done on the field. With Tino, Herman and (fingers crossed) potentially Fifita coming next year, it's time to push for top 8 and higher. At this stage of his career, I don't think McCullough is the guy to get us there. McInnes, B. Smith, Parcell, Turpin, Havili are all better options.

Having a property up here and wanting to retire in the area isn't necessarily a positive either. Plenty of players have used that as an excuse to move closer to home, collect a paycheck, and not perform.

Fair point. I think whoever we get in needs to have leadership qualities and out of the ones you mentioned McInnes or B.Smith fill that void as the Broncos have shown why it’s important to have a balanced team compared to one with just young stars.

[willhelm]

Fair point. I think whoever we get in needs to have leadership qualities and out of the ones you mentioned McInnes or B.Smith fill that void as the Broncos have shown why it’s important to have a balanced team compared to one with just young stars.

Agree and I’d be rapt with either of them

[Bayside Titan]

Andrew McCullough seems the best one out of that lot to me. Based off what Mdrew says hooker is one of our stronger junior positions and McCullough would be a great mentor for them. If we blood some solid juniors with a good mentor it should help their progression significantly.

This would be my option. Bring him here to mentor the younger guys. Also he is known to be very professional so that will help.

[indoallstars]

Depending how the trial goes of manase fainu I would seriously be interested if he is found not guilty. He is an absolute gun hooker with silky skills. I don't know if manly extended him or not, but will have to wait until after his alleged court case is resolved. Definitely worth a look in!

[Firetruck]

The absolute last option I would look at is Matt Parcell. Manly shed no tears when he left after only one year. In the Pommy premiership, he was playing for my team Leeds, and they loaned him off to Hull KR because of his lack of work rate and his defensive frailties. We already have enough of those blokes.

[Hail Sezer]

The absolute last option I would look at is Matt Parcell. Manly shed no tears when he left after only one year. In the Pommy premiership, he was playing for my team Leeds, and they loaned him off to Hull KR because of his lack of work rate and his defensive frailties. We already have enough of those blokes.

Yeah I really don’t see the appeal at all. He was a 9 that had a nice highlight package because he could run. He’s not an NRL quality hooker and wasn’t popular off the field either.

Huge no to McCullough as well, I’d rather we persevered with our current batch tbh. The whole “mentor the younger players” point doesn’t really sit with me as a consideration either, I think it’s a loose way to justify signing an older player in a skinny market.

IMO we go hard at Brandon Smith if he’s available or persevere and wait to see who’s available 2022. The UK option is an interesting one, anyone with their finger on the SL have any insight into options here?

Edit: Mdrew do you know if Ediq is doing NRL pre season for 2021?

[mdrew]

Ediq has recently moved up to the Titans Rookie Squad mate, thus he will be in the mix to at least spend a portion of the pre-Christmas training block with the NRL squad.

Yeah I really don’t see the appeal at all. He was a 9 that had a nice highlight package because he could run. He’s not an NRL quality hooker and wasn’t popular off the field either.

Huge no to McCullough as well, I’d rather we persevered with our current batch tbh. The whole “mentor the younger players” point doesn’t really sit with me as a consideration either, I think it’s a loose way to justify signing an older player in a skinny market.

IMO we go hard at Brandon Smith if he’s available or persevere and wait to see who’s available 2022. The UK option is an interesting one, anyone with their finger on the SL have any insight into options here?

Edit: Mdrew do you know if Ediq is doing NRL pre season for 2021?

[willhelm]

I’m genuinely surprised to hear these comments about Parcell. Doesn’t sound at all like the player I watched at Ipswich but then again QCup is a much lesser comp so perhaps he just hasn’t translated it to the top level. It would explain why he’s stuck in Super League. I did hear about the off field unpopularity but that was around the time Hastings was copping it so I chalked it up to a toxic club culture. Happy to backtrack on Parcell if those who’ve watched his recent form in Super League aren’t keen on him.

[GCTTSD]

Someone like Tom starling, havili or even Rueben cotter would probably be our best options on the market

[Croc]

What about Thompson or brimson for hooker? Both quick zippy players, surely one of them could do well

[Mr Bods]

What about Thompson or brimson for hooker? Both quick zippy players, surely one of them could do well

I have had the thought too of having TBoyd at hooker, AJ at FB and Thompson at Utility coming on at Hooker too but I thought it would be just attacked unmercifully. So I support your suggestion.
Thompson is tough, speedy and smart, I reckon you could coach him to be good enough to relieve Boyd for say 10mins before and 10mins after half time.

[Mexican titan]

I have had the thought too of having TBoyd at hooker, AJ at FB and Thompson at Utility coming on at Hooker too but I thought it would be just attacked unmercifully. So I support your suggestion.
Thompson is tough, speedy and smart, I reckon you could coach him to be good enough to relieve Boyd for say 10mins before and 10mins after half time.

We need a specialist top class hooker. Not the suggestions above or some junior coming through that 99% of us have not heard of. We cannot wait. I do think TBoyd will develop into a great utility over time, or personally I would drop Taylor and play him now in the halves.
As others said, McInnes is a top choice. There was a story in the media yesterday about him playing lock and that will ultimately drive his value down. His Manager stressed that he was currently happy at the Dragons but the Manager obviously put the story out there. If not him, then Havili. No to Parcell, not a team man at all. I was really happy when Manly signed him but not unhappy when he was shown the door and it seems like his SL efforts are the same.

[Hail Sezer]

We need a specialist top class hooker. Not the suggestions above or some junior coming through that 99% of us have not heard of. We cannot wait. I do think TBoyd will develop into a great utility over time, or personally I would drop Taylor and play him now in the halves.
As others said, McInnes is a top choice. There was a story in the media yesterday about him playing lock and that will ultimately drive his value down. His Manager stressed that he was currently happy at the Dragons but the Manager obviously put the story out there. If not him, then Havili. No to Parcell, not a team man at all. I was really happy when Manly signed him but not unhappy when he was shown the door and it seems like his SL efforts are the same.

If you’re referring to the comments re Ediq as a junior I don’t think anyone is relying on him or anyone else mentioned. You do need to consider players coming through when recruiting or it’s short sighted, that’s list management 101 and any recruitment officer in the game will attest to that.

I agree with your thoughts about needing a specialist hooker and Mccinnes if he is available - good point about the manager driven article.