Round 9: MANLY vs TITANS (2023)

[Whats Doing]

I don't love our middle depth and we're really being tested there with JJ out and Stimson on an edge.

The rest of the roster I think our depth is actually pretty good tbh

Just shows our edge depth is not that strong either having to move Stimson to the edge after only one injury. (Fermor) and Klese ( who is inexperienced) with personal issues to deal with for the first few rounds of the season. There is not much experience and quality depth below Fermor and Fifita on the edges.

[Hail Sezer]

Just shows our edge depth is not that strong either having to move Stimson to the edge after only one injury. (Fermor) and Klese ( who is inexperienced) with personal issues to deal with for the first few rounds of the season. There was not much experienced and quality depth below Fermor and Fifita on the edges.

Do you think most squads have experienced and quality players as depth for every single position on the squad? That's just not realistic with the salary cap and squad restrictions.

The whole idea of depth is that you have cost-effective players who can fill a role. Stimson is exactly that and we're fortunate he can play edge and middle. Klese is an emerging option as you say and having family issues is irrelevant. Vuna and Sam Mac are also edge depth, as is Jacob Alick.

[Cowabunga]

If we think depths bad now, wait till origin when we have a big chance of missing Tino, Fifita and Moe if he keeps playing like this... We might need Brett White to chuck on the boots. Vuna, Iszac and Haas and Mikaele and Sam Mac are going to be the only guys left unless we go with the rookies hahahaha.

[shamus]

If we think depths bad now, wait till origin when we have a big chance of missing Tino, Fifita and Moe if he keeps playing like this... We might need Brett White to chuck on the boots. Vuna, Iszac and Haas and Mikaele and Sam Mac are going to be the only guys left unless we go with the rookies hahahaha.

We are only going to miss them for the 3rd Origin.

[Whats Doing]

Do you think most squads have experienced and quality players as depth for every single position on the squad? That's just not realistic with the salary cap and squad restrictions.

The whole idea of depth is that you have cost-effective players who can fill a role. Stimson is exactly that and we're fortunate he can play edge and middle. Klese is an emerging option as you say and having family issues is irrelevant. Vuna and Sam Mac are also edge depth, as is Jacob Alick.

I was saying that Klese was having personal issues and was out and in that context it put a strain on our depth. The point I was making was only in respect of Klese not being available for selection and not any other matter.

No where did I say that every position needs to have experienced and quality depth as my comments were originally about the middles and then the 2nd row.

Having players who can play edge and who are also of being NRL standard are 2 different issues. If you think Vuna and Mac are NRL standard edge forwards who would be in the top 17 in other clubs then our views are quite the opposite. Alick unfortunately cannot get a run in his years at the club so judgement cannot be made. Stimson is much more effective in the middle and was used their extensively in his 3 years at the dogs coming off the bench in the vast majority of games. Defensively he has been good on the edge but is no threat in attack.

I am of the view that our quality in depth on the edge at this point in time is quite limited after Fermor and Fifita. Klese shows the most promise at this stage (should have been given a starting position already this year) but is still relatively raw

[Cowabunga]

We are only going to miss them for the 3rd Origin.

Depending on minutes played and if they back up, I don't think Tino did last year but he was our only guy. Round 14 is 3 days after game 1, Round 17 against Broncos is 4 days after game 2 and then round 3 it's open season. They should've put byes after origin imo.

I don't love guys backing up.

- - - Updated - - -

To WD: Klese wasn't out, He's been in QRL the whole time and those two aren't in our 17, Sam Mac is clearly on the way out and Vuna is pretty much our 2nd last prop option.... Of course depth isn't great in the second row we're probably spending 1.9m on Fermor and Fifita, we've got two 2nd rowers who could be playing origin for years or around it. Barely anyone has good depth in those positions. I'm pretty sure Granville played front row for Cowboys.

[MaroonTitan]

If you think Vuna and Mac are NRL standard edge forwards who would be in the top 17 in other clubs then our views are quite the opposite. Alick unfortunately cannot get a run in his years at the club so judgement cannot be made. Stimson is much more effective in the middle and was used their extensively in his 3 years at the dogs coming off the bench in the vast majority of games. Defensively he has been good on the edge but is no threat in attack.

I am of the view that our quality in depth on the edge at this point in time is quite limited after Fermor and Fifita. Klese shows the most promise at this stage (should have been given a starting position already this year) but is still relatively raw

I understand where you're coming from WD but I'd argue that Bellamy could put all those players you mention in his 17 after a single preseason. Clark would be a weapon for the Storm.

I think Clark isn't allowed to play the role he's best suited to when he comes off the bench. He has to be the big middle, instead of surrounded by big middles and can't be what he can be on both sides of the ball.

[Whats Doing]

Cowa,

You are right about Klese. I thought he was out at the beginning of the the season but as you said, he was with Tweed.

In respect of Vuna, we are now playing him prop out of necessity due to our lack of middles but he was recruited as an edge forward and has played the majority of his career on the edge unless he was coming off the bench.

[Hail Sezer]

I was saying that Klese was having personal issues and was out and in that context it put a strain on our depth. The point I was making was only in respect of Klese not being available for selection and not any other matter.

No where did I say that every position needs to have experienced and quality depth as my comments were originally about the middles and then the 2nd row.

Having players who can play edge and who are also of being NRL standard are 2 different issues. If you think Vuna and Mac are NRL standard edge forwards who would be in the top 17 in other clubs then our views are quite the opposite. Alick unfortunately cannot get a run in his years at the club so judgement cannot be made. Stimson is much more effective in the middle and was used their extensively in his 3 years at the dogs coming off the bench in the vast majority of games. Defensively he has been good on the edge but is no threat in attack.

I am of the view that our quality in depth on the edge at this point in time is quite limited after Fermor and Fifita. Klese shows the most promise at this stage (should have been given a starting position already this year) but is still relatively raw

You said that our depth is not a strong point, then criticised the planning of the roster, and then used the backrow as an example and said it had poor depth because "there is not much experience and quality depth". That's why I assumed you were using that logic assessing the roster depth. Apologies if I've misunderstood.

Where did I say that Vuna and Mac are NRL standard edge forwards who would be in the top 17 at other clubs? You said we didn't have depth in the position. I gave you the depth chart. Those two are further up the chart than they should be because of injuries. That's it. Every club has players like that at the bottom end of the roster. You could nitpick any roster and say player X and Y wouldn't make the 17 at any other club...that's what the salary cap does to roster construction. On Stimson, where you or I prefer him is irrelevant - I prefer him in the middle too but he's playing backrow and is depth for the backrow for our team.

We've got two potentially origin starting backrowers and a lot invested there. Beau's injury couldn't be forseen and I don't think it is particularly good use of the salary cap or roster space to overcapitalise on the depth for the position. The roster plan of having Stimson, some bottom roster guys + an emerging talent is good roster management IMO.

[Cowabunga]

I'm pretty sure Vuna was always going to play prop since he came back from the ACL cause he's bulked up a fair bit.

[Cowabunga]

Could be up to 20mm of rain in Manly for the game, Makes me even more nervous for our bench.

I'd switch Tino to 2nd row and Stimson to starting prop with Moe. Bring on Haas and move Tino into the middle, Basically have Stimson with Moe and Tino with Vuna till the last 60 and then Tino and Moe together. Whoever is in better shape out of Stimson and Haas can go to the 2nd row for the last 20. Their left side defence is horrible so Tino can have a crack at them a bit and I think it gets rid of our end of game fatigue.

What is the actual plan for JC going to be? I love the injury cover but you got to have a back up plan to use him if that doesn't happen and not late in the second half, Get him in around the 25/30. If Holbrook has a plan I think there's a good chance it's Tannah go to 9 and JC goes to 6 but on the right. It's not ideal at all but we just have to get him out there imo if he's on the bench.

This is all a pipe dream because Holbrook doesn't have a clue how to use a bench and I'm an idiot to be fair.

[lonegull]

Turbo ruled out

[willhelm]

The way Turbo has been going this year I'm more worried about Weekes.

[Seaside Garbo]

I’m going to play the devil’s advocate but is it better to lead a game 26 nil after 30mins and still be in the game at the last play or get smashed in both halves like what has happened both games so far this week.

[gotitans101_]

I’m going to play the devil’s advocate but is it better to lead a game 26 nil after 30mins and still be in the game at the last play or get smashed in both halves like what has happened both games so far this week.

The former, definitely the former. At least we put ourselves in positions to win games. Both Cows & Knights performances were just awful for the entire game.