2022 Season General Discussion Thread

[Titslover]

SEN interviewed Jaimin Joliffe recently:



Key takeouts:
-Primary focus recently is on defensive detail at training (as it shouldve always been...)
-2022 pre-season conditioning sounds inadequate and the players know it, relying on GPS data etc. to dictate the workload. Says next pre-season will be different and compares it to the Cowboys approach.
-Says the entire team backs Holbrook and the playing group have a strong bond with him
-A few positive comments on Sam Verrills as a potential signing
-Speaks about Melbournes ability to slow the ruck and win the tackle

Joliffe is a really well spoken bloke. Not a worldbeater by any means but seems like a good influence to have in the squad, was encouraging to hear him say next pre-season will be the hardest they've ever had and hes looking forward to it, just because he wants to get better.

Was interesting his phrasing about Verills was "thats a great signing for us" not "would be a great signing." Wonder if that means he knows it is done.

[JunctionBlock]

$8M+ Raiders, Eels

BT is the Raiders operating budget for the club so high for the Raiders due to paying Ricky Stuart fines?

[Whats Doing]

With Wallace gone and Ese Ese likely, we will need to recruit a top Front Rower for next year and likely a mid tier one as well. Unfortunately slim pickings on the market until 2024.

[Whats Doing]

Very sad to hear of Paul Green passing away

[Titanic]

Very sad to hear of Paul Green passing away

absolutely stunned

[Hail Sezer]

Shocking and extremely sad news about Paul Green. May he rest in peace.

[JunctionBlock]

Devastating news. Thoughts are with his family.

[Bayside Titan]

Sad news. Thoughts amd condolences to his family.

[willhelm]

I've been highly impressed with Jojo so far. He is an intelligent defender who seems to make the right choice 9 times out of 10 and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. While he is not yet the biggest attacking threat, I think he will transition into a centre sooner rather than later and will be a draw-and-pass type who will not necessarily make the line break himself, but will frequently set up his outside man. Like an inverse James Roberts -- not going to make the highlight reel too often, but I know who I'd rather have in my team on a weekly basis.

[Hail Sezer]

I've been highly impressed with Jojo so far. He is an intelligent defender who seems to make the right choice 9 times out of 10 and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. While he is not yet the biggest attacking threat, I think he will transition into a centre sooner rather than later and will be a draw-and-pass type who will not necessarily make the line break himself, but will frequently set up his outside man. Like an inverse James Roberts -- not going to make the highlight reel too often, but I know who I'd rather have in my team on a weekly basis.

Yeah well said mate.

He's transitioned particularly well and it's largely because he ticks the little boxes and effort-areas, which he was doing in Qcup as well. He's got a tough task defending next to Sami who can't wrap up the ball and struggles with making the right decision to be passive or shoot, but Jojo's physicality is super impressive for a 19 year old. Carries hard, tackles hard, competes on everything.

He'll develop more physically with age, and so will his game. Seems a kid who prepares well, is professional about his business and has a great support network around him.

He did also recently come out and say he wants to play centre:
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...four-games-in/

[willhelm]

Bit of a tangential rant but I just noticed that the NRLW starts this week and the NRL has shoehorned it into the tipping comp, which I'm currently leading in (work comp, not the LOT comp which I forgot to register for this year). I wish them the best of luck in trying to get a women's game to be financially viable but it's not something I personally have the time for or interest in. It will always be an inferior product due to the lack of physicality, and as I only have time to follow one league, it will always be the men's. So, why shoehorn it into the tipping comp? Why can't they be separate like they always have been? I follow all kinds of news and stats for my tips in the men's comp and now I have to try to somehow pick the women's games too. There's a solid chance I will lose out on a couple of grand because of this, just so some knobs in NRL HQ can virtue signal and boost their ESG scores.

[Upthetits]

https://rugbyleaguewriters.com/nrl-2...ds-in-support/


Just got this off the Gold Coast titans subreddit

[MaroonTitan]

Thanks Upthe. It's a really good read.

[Dobes]

What do you all think of the spine at the moment for next year?

I think:

1. Campbell

6. Boyd

7. Foran

9. Verrills

I think Brimson would go well in the centres. Though I definitely wouldn't be opposed to leaving him at 6 with Foran at 7 either.

[NZTITAN]

What do you all think of the spine at the moment for next year?

I think:

1. Campbell

6. Boyd

7. Foran

9. Verrills

I think Brimson would go well in the centres. Though I definitely wouldn't be opposed to leaving him at 6 with Foran at 7 either.

Definitely disagree with the Brimson to centre stuff i've seen around social media. He's too small and as the Manly game has shown, you ideally want him on the ball more, not sitting on an edge. Happy enough with shifting Foran to 7 if Sexton underperforms, with Verrills coming and Erin Clark's recent rise at lock, we'll have enough playmakers in the middle so we could probably get away with doing that.

I've got:

1. Brimson
6. Foran
7. Sexton*
9. Verrills
14. Campbell

I like Tanah, but if McIntyre can cover some 9 along with E Clark, I think that will open up some possibilities there with still being able to carry a J Campbell/P Turner as the utility. Tanah alone is fine too!.

Personally I think our biggest issue is our 2-5 next season, absolutely 0 clue how we line up out there, just a weird combo of underperforming/cooked NRL players (Kelly, Herbert, C Thompson), a couple of guys who should be wingers (Sami & Jojo - who needs to learn how to play centre still but he should be there long-term 100%), some young pups in Q Cup (Spry, Francis, Ngamanu, Khan-Pereira) and Marzhew who is almost impossible to play based on defense alone. Just so hard to find the right fit of guys. I think we need to get a Ricky Leutele type of outside back.