2023 Season General Discussion Thread

[Menoitios]

I like the Monaghan signing. Mick was as good at 9 as he was at 7. Ditto Des. Maybe they, along with Foz, can help take Tanah's game to another level...and should help Weaver develop into an excellent player.

A mate of mine tells me neither Des nor Michael would not make it in todays game. The game's moved on. I look at it differently. Sometimes going back to the past is a good idea.

I quite enjoyed watching the broncos play that 90's style footy Kev had them playing this year. (Not as much as I enjoyed watching them lose the GF LOL!) It worked well for them. There are some lessons there we could learn from that if we're clever enough.

@HS, can you give me your opinion on Seth Nikotema? Much appreciated!

[Hail Sezer]

Question also is do we have the funds after the Tino and Fifita upgrades?

Keep in mind JB we released Joe Vuna which should give us a spare ~$1mil ish to play around with

[Hail Sezer]

I like the Monaghan signing. Mick was as good at 9 as he was at 7. Ditto Des. Maybe they, along with Foz, can help take Tanah's game to another level...and should help Weaver develop into an excellent player.

A mate of mine tells me neither Des nor Michael would not make it in todays game. The game's moved on. I look at it differently. Sometimes going back to the past is a good idea.

I quite enjoyed watching the broncos play that 90's style footy Kev had them playing this year. (Not as much as I enjoyed watching them lose the GF LOL!) It worked well for them. There are some lessons there we could learn from that if we're clever enough.

@HS, can you give me your opinion on Seth Nikotema? Much appreciated!

Seth is a pretty straight up and down role-playing back rower. Stylistically I've always thought he's in the same mould as Jordan Riki. Not as big though. Runs a decent line, works hard, carries tough. Strong and reasonably athletic.

He trains well and is a high-effort kid who earned his full-time contract through how well he adapted to his first NRL pre-season straight out of school. Overtook a few others in our system who were probably more naturally gifted and had better junior accolades.

He's still only 19 so will physically develop/mature a fair bit over the next 1-2 years. For 2024 he'll be trying to get as many cup games as possible under his belt. Has been playing GCRL A-grade for most of this season (to get used to playing against men).

[Appsy]

I still feel as if I'm in the minority still about Hunt; I just do not see him delivering the football needed and could potentially cause an unnecessary rift in the squad, just as he has at the Dragons. If we did not have Foran, I would 110% be on board with pursuing him for the experience alone. But since that is not the case, I want to see the likes of Weaver and Boyd have a full pre-season under Des and Monaghan and allow them to have the chance to show that they are the half needed for this squad.
Do you know how discouraging it'll be for them to be young and talented but have to wait in line behind two men who most likely within in the next 16 months will retire? And I guarantee a lot of Titans fans would be absolutely feral if we let Weaver go and we see him thriving in another club because we decided to have the oldest halves pairing in history.

Mind you, I'm all for Hunt as a player. And if he does come and delivers the only result needed (not making finals, Im talking winning it all) I will take back my word. But what's the point in having him come and play, potentially lead us to the finals but we get knocked out, then retires. That'll leave us back to where we began without a genuine 7.

[Menoitios]

Seth is a pretty straight up and down role-playing back rower. Stylistically I've always thought he's in the same mould as Jordan Riki. Not as big though. Runs a decent line, works hard, carries tough. Strong and reasonably athletic.

He trains well and is a high-effort kid who earned his full-time contract through how well he adapted to his first NRL pre-season straight out of school. Overtook a few others in our system who were probably more naturally gifted and had better junior accolades.

He's still only 19 so will physically develop/mature a fair bit over the next 1-2 years. For 2024 he'll be trying to get as many cup games as possible under his belt. Has been playing GCRL A-grade for most of this season (to get used to playing against men).

Cheers, mate! So '24 should be a big year for him in qcup.

Sounds like a keeper. Could develop into a Kobe Hetherington type...fingers crossed!

[Menoitios]

Hers's a left fieldy...given it's the off season and I want to see him in the side, does Ben Liyou have any ball playing skills or is he a simple, roll your sleeves up prop? Could he play 13?

All a bit of fun, but what I want next year is a forward pack (including bench) that does not fold or take a backwards step. A big, aggressive, dominating, eat the oppositions heads type of pack that can give our halves time and space to ply their trade in good field position.

Is that too much to ask?? Haha!

[mdrew]

Hers's a left fieldy...given it's the off season and I want to see him in the side, does Ben Liyou have any ball playing skills or is he a simple, roll your sleeves up prop? Could he play 13?

All a bit of fun, but what I want next year is a forward pack (including bench) that does not fold or take a backwards step. A big, aggressive, dominating, eat the oppositions heads type of pack that can give our halves time and space to ply their trade in good field position.

Is that too much to ask?? Haha!

Ben Liyou was a five eight coming through the juniors with the Grafton Ghosts.

[gotitans101_]

I still feel as if I'm in the minority still about Hunt; I just do not see him delivering the football needed and could potentially cause an unnecessary rift in the squad, just as he has at the Dragons. If we did not have Foran, I would 110% be on board with pursuing him for the experience alone. But since that is not the case, I want to see the likes of Weaver and Boyd have a full pre-season under Des and Monaghan and allow them to have the chance to show that they are the half needed for this squad.
Do you know how discouraging it'll be for them to be young and talented but have to wait in line behind two men who most likely within in the next 16 months will retire? And I guarantee a lot of Titans fans would be absolutely feral if we let Weaver go and we see him thriving in another club because we decided to have the oldest halves pairing in history.

Mind you, I'm all for Hunt as a player. And if he does come and delivers the only result needed (not making finals, Im talking winning it all) I will take back my word. But what's the point in having him come and play, potentially lead us to the finals but we get knocked out, then retires. That'll leave us back to where we began without a genuine 7.

Completely agree. I don't like the idea of playing two 33+ year-olds in the halves. Either one or the other for me.

[Titanic]

No argument from me. His Origin intercept balanced his GF dropped bomb otherwise he's just an aging whining hb/hk for mine. I can understand all those that want him but it's a meh from me.

[Menoitios]

Ben Liyou was a five eight coming through the juniors with the Grafton Ghosts.

Hello!! Here we go boys...LOL!

[The Birdman]

Keep in mind JB we released Joe Vuna which should give us a spare ~$1mil ish to play around with

I think you might have worded this in a confusing manner. I'm guessing you meant we had/have circa $900k in cap space if we could get Hunt last season and letting Vuna go should free up a top 30 spot and a minimum contract circa $150k. $900k + $120k = circa $1 million.

Unless Vuna was on more than the minimum it might not free up anything though as you'd need to keep $120k aside minimum per roster slot for each top 30 spot I'd imagine.

Correct me if I'm wrong HS.

[Hail Sezer]

I think you might have worded this in a confusing manner. I'm guessing you meant we had/have circa $900k in cap space if we could get Hunt last season and letting Vuna go should free up a top 30 spot and a minimum contract circa $150k. $900k + $120k = circa $1 million.

Unless Vuna was on more than the minimum it might not free up anything though as you'd need to keep $120k aside minimum per roster slot for each top 30 spot I'd imagine.

Correct me if I'm wrong HS.

I was just being a sarcastic twat by implying Vuna was on $1mil

[The Birdman]

I was just being a sarcastic twat by implying Vuna was on $1mil

Haha I thought that was a 1% possibility

[JunctionBlock]

I was just being a sarcastic twat by implying Vuna was on $1mil

I got it, but you forget, when someone leaves they're on a minimum, when we sign them is when it's reported that we paid a million.

[Titansborn'n'bred]

I thought I read an article recently where Luke Burt had resigned with Bears but can’t find it so maybe I was tripping. It got me thinking though, how they’ll manage coaches at QRL level. Now that we’ve confirmed partnership with Ipswich Jets (who someone are supposed to have an affiliate role with Roosters) are they going to move Burt accross. I guess if anyone pledges their allegiance from 2024 onwards with the Bears, your severing ties with the Titans and committing to the Bronx. After some thoughts from those in the know