2023 Season General Discussion Thread

[NZFan]

The kid's improved immensely, and he's done majority of the work in the halves this year. Foran had maybe 2 games where he was decent, but other than that, left most things to Boyd. Boyd can also kick goals like no tomorrow. If we are to drop him, it better be for someone who has an excellent strike rate similar to Boyd's.

He just needs to be given the chance to take it all to the next level. He needs to be unlocked, especially under a coach that doesn't accept bs. But, if it is proven that everything he's done is his best, then I will take a step back and admit where I am wrong. I just do not want to keep rotating halves and resetting the on field playing experience this group has with one another.

See this is where I disagree sorry Appsy. I don’t think he has improved immensely at all. Sure, he can kick goals and organise a backline to get into shape but I don’t think that offsets all of his other qualities that are below average. I don’t mean to beat up on the guy but these are some of the things that I would critique:

- he doesn’t run the ball. He’s only run over 50m in a game 6 games this year. This makes him predictable and easy for defensive lines to slide to his outside players.
- his kicking is also predictable. It’s either a long kick or bomb. Sure he doesn’t do either badly but it’s so easy to defend. This might be the game plan but he’s like a robot and doesn’t seem to have a feel for the game. There’s also been no 40/20 attempts or early kicks to shift momentum.
- his defence is poor. In particular his first contact. He bounces off a lot of tackles.
- he can’t position his second rower in attack. This kind of leans into the first point where he doesn’t run enough but there is absolutely no threat when we go to the right side of the field.

If your measuring his improvement against his two or three games he’s had this season where he was completely atrocious then I can see how he’s improved, but I still don’t think he’s anywhere near first grade material at this point in his career. My biggest frustration I have with him this season is the chances he’s had. He’s had every opportunity to take his game to the next level. Compared to Sexton last year, he’s had more time, he’s been playing outside quality dummy halves with decent service and he’s had Foran to mentor him. If he can’t improve in that environment then when will he?

As others have pointed on on here, he’s more of a roster filler and a third string halfback in my eyes. I think Weaver will jump him in the pecking order next year as he’s a player with actual potential. Boyd hasn’t had the opportunity of learning the trade properly in QCup and would really benefit from that I feel. NRL is not the place to be learning when there is so much to work on.

I know that there isn’t many options out there at the moment and we are really hanging our hopes on Hunt getting out of his contract, I just fear that if that doesn’t work we are in the exact same position this time next year.

[Appsy]

See this is where I disagree sorry Appsy. I don’t think he has improved immensely at all. Sure, he can kick goals and organise a backline to get into shape but I don’t think that offsets all of his other qualities that are below average. I don’t mean to beat up on the guy but these are some of the things that I would critique:

- he doesn’t run the ball. He’s only run over 50m in a game 6 games this year. This makes him predictable and easy for defensive lines to slide to his outside players.
- his kicking is also predictable. It’s either a long kick or bomb. Sure he doesn’t do either badly but it’s so easy to defend. This might be the game plan but he’s like a robot and doesn’t seem to have a feel for the game. There’s also been no 40/20 attempts or early kicks to shift momentum.
- his defence is poor. In particular his first contact. He bounces off a lot of tackles.
- he can’t position his second rower in attack. This kind of leans into the first point where he doesn’t run enough but there is absolutely no threat when we go to the right side of the field.

If your measuring his improvement against his two or three games he’s had this season where he was completely atrocious then I can see how he’s improved, but I still don’t think he’s anywhere near first grade material at this point in his career. My biggest frustration I have with him this season is the chances he’s had. He’s had every opportunity to take his game to the next level. Compared to Sexton last year, he’s had more time, he’s been playing outside quality dummy halves with decent service and he’s had Foran to mentor him. If he can’t improve in that environment then when will he?

As others have pointed on on here, he’s more of a roster filler and a third string halfback in my eyes. I think Weaver will jump him in the pecking order next year as he’s a player with actual potential. Boyd hasn’t had the opportunity of learning the trade properly in QCup and would really benefit from that I feel. NRL is not the place to be learning when there is so much to work on.

I know that there isn’t many options out there at the moment and we are really hanging our hopes on Hunt getting out of his contract, I just fear that if that doesn’t work we are in the exact same position this time next year.

After getting the chance to watch last nights game this morning, I will openly admit that I am wrong about Boyd. Weaver played a good game against a master class team (albeit, kicking early a few times..). I still think Boyd has exceeded expectations, and has done well for majority of the season, but I feel that if he played last night, we would've lost by more. Especially with your point about the second rower in attack. If Boyd was playing he does not lay that ball on for Haas. I think I just truly wanted to believe in the kid as you can tell he's trying, is truly a good bloke, and has that determination (plus I have a bit of bias being a Keebra boy myself). But Weaver lived up to the hype (especially if you watch Q Cup). Weaver season is in full effect. He looked comfortable. He showed he could keep decent control in his debut.

I just worry that if we enter yet another season with a halves pairing change that we will keep taking steps back in progression. I want us to succeed so so so badly dude, as do all of us here. As I've said before, we are so close to finally getting it right. At the end of the day, It'll be down to Des to decide who he starts Round 1 next season. He'd be crazy to not start Weaver next season over Boyd from what I saw in the game. However, Weaver could have two shockers in the next two weeks against Storm and Bulldogs and leave it all open to a battle in the pre season for the 7 jersey.

And I still do not want us signing Hunt. I just do not see the long term benefit of signing Hunt for a year or two max. Even if we sign him and make finals, who's to say we will keep that up once he retires? I do not think Hunt will change all of our issues overnight, especially in defence which has always been our biggest issue.

[NZFan]

I feel ya man. I felt the exact same way about Sexton, but at the end of the day it’s such a important position on the field we can’t wait forever for these guys to develop in grade. In hindsight, I think we brought both Sexton and Boyd into the NRL far too early and it’s hurt their development.

I’m hoping that if we do get Hunt for a couple seasons that Foran retires into coaching with Des. At worse we have him for one more year (and he will likely be injured for much of it). AJ’s got to be our long term 6. He plays like Munster - both are good at fullback but both play better when they get the ball more regularly and can demand when the plays are on.

I think what the signing of Hunt does is allows Weaver to develop in Qup and play short periods in the case of injury/Origin. In two years time he’ll be in position to take over full time - which is realistically when we could be challenging top four. It’s so important that we don’t come bottom four or even bottom eight in the coming two years.

[GCTTSD]

Foran and fermour on the left edge and weaver and fifita on the right could be deadly

[Titanic]

Interesting debate you two, I reckon all of us are swinging through the same highs and lows of the half’s. My assessment is we need results next year and can’t afford another season of building. To do that our defense needs some serious panel beating, we can’t carry AKP in his current state and we need a dominant 7. I’m cutting Weaver some slack on his early kicks because “go out and have fun” means that. More worrying is JC’s no-contact injury. I hope that’s not a sign of things to come and I hope we rest him until pre-season.

[Titanic]

I thought as a group we should not ignore the CM’s comments about Klese Haas try “celebration” yesterday. I feel safe in saying that we have all had bad years at some stage and Klese has had a shocker by anyone’s standards, except perhaps his Titans journey. He is an innocent being drawn, purely through association, into public controversy by a voracious media. As much as I criticize his performances, I have only seen a humble young bloke trying his best. I hope our Club is rallying around him. It’s not my place to comment on the merits of some of his family members’ behavior but I certainly respect his right to support them. Just my opinion.

[Appsy]

I thought as a group we should not ignore the CM’s comments about Klese Haas try “celebration” yesterday. I feel safe in saying that we have all had bad years at some stage and Klese has had a shocker by anyone’s standards, except perhaps his Titans journey. He is an innocent being drawn, purely through association, into public controversy by a voracious media. As much as I criticize his performances, I have only seen a humble young bloke trying his best. I hope our Club is rallying around him. It’s not my place to comment on the merits of some of his family members’ behavior but I certainly respect his right to support them. Just my opinion.

His try celebration wasn't even bad, it's just the media being bored as always trying to create stories as no one want's to provide anything meaningful about the game. Why not focus on his NRL pathway rather than the negative things in the media surrounding his family? Why not focus on the talent both he and his brother Payne have? It's idiotic that the media continues to bring all these players down, yet complain when they're called out on their petty bs.

[AliDavysStep]

Have to hand it to Marzhew, still the super powerhouse but it’s great to see how much he’s cut the dropsies out of his game and I haven’t seen him floundering like a dropped fish in defence (which goes to show how terrible our defensive structure was under Holbrook).
Not too shabby having a piping hot Ponga slicing defences up inside him too. Good on him.

On Lofi, I can’t think of another NRL winger ever that gets absolutely smashed on first contact as consistently as he does.
In that aspect he’s basically the exact opposite of Marzhew lol..but man, that electric speed is as exciting as it gets, so really hoping in the off season he works hard to improve the other parts of his game that are lacking, because the ingredients of an elite NRL winger are there.

[psmitty]

Anyone have any updated news on JC.? Surely they know now what the scans say.

[Hail Sezer]

Anyone have any updated news on JC.? Surely they know now what the scans say.

Dislocated patella

Thank god no ACL

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...campbell-sami/

[NZTITAN]

Dislocated patella

Thank god no ACL

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...campbell-sami/

per NRLPhysio on Twitter:

- avoid surgery + 1-2 months rehab
- surgery + 3-5 months rehab

Huge relief, no rush JC.

[Cowabunga]

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...joseph-pouniu/

Courted by the Gold Coast Titans at age 16, promising young footballer Joseph Pouniu saw his dreams tragically dashed in an on-field injury that left him paralysed.

Pouniu will now complete his final year of school at St Eugene College at Burpengary north of Brisbane via talk-to-text technology on his laptop, with his teacher visiting him in the Princess Alexandra Hospital spinal unit once a week.

Inspired by Pouniu’s resilience, journalist Paul Murray will televise his story and has thrown his support behind the Titans’ charity fundraiser event for the young player and his family, with the help of football greats Matty Johns and Gorden Tallis, who have been regular bedside visitors to Pouniu.

“Joseph was heading for big things in rugby league. A 16-year-old, Year 11 kid, close to clinching a big-time NRL contract,” Mr Murray said.

“He had the world at his feet and then it all suddenly ended.

“Fate couldn’t have dealt a much crueller hand but this isn’t just a story of heartbreak and shattered potential. It’s a story of resilience, of unrelenting courage and love, so let’s do something good for a good family, in an unimaginably tough spot.”

Not a fan of the channel but massive props to them for being the first to cover this story for what it deserves. For all the talk about helping players in need I've heard way to little about Josephs situation from the RLPA.

Tino, Booth and a bunch of others will be on the show.

[Blade07]

I know it’s still a long way away but god I’m keen to see us run out next year. Our young squad are only going to improve under des and apart from the roosters game we have competed hard and haven’t been far off at all. Hoping we can land hunt I honestly think we will. My lineup for next year if we don’t get him would be:
1. Campbell
2. Sami
3. Brimson
4. Kelly
5. Jojo
6. Foran
7. Weaver
8. Mo
9. Verrills
10. Tino
11. Fifita
12. Fermor
13. Palasia
14. Randall
15. Jolliffe
16. Stimson
17. Kini

18. Boyd
19. Haas
20. Alick
21. Liu

[willhelm]

2023 Knights are the 2009 Eels

Ponga to be in prison in 2036

[RavShamrock]

2023 Knights are the 2009 Eels

Ponga to be in prison in 2036