2024 Season General Discussion Thread

[Hail Sezer]

Thanks for posting WD

[Titslover]

Thanks for posting mate! Good to hear that the boys will spend time training in different positions. Really sounds like Des rates Kini as well so he could be sniffing around the 17 early in the year.

[willhelm]

Could Kini play centre?

[GCTTSD]

I love ajs support play and his running game but ideally having him at centre and Campbell or Kini at FB gives us the most well balanced team in attack and defence gives us game breakers on both edges with fifita on left and Brimmo on right and Kini overlapping like Reece Walsh on the edges . In saying that AJ is our best defensive fullback by a longshot due to Kini and Campbell's size

[Cowabunga]

Like Des said I see the versatility as a massive bonus especially considering AJ and Foran tend to miss a few a games.

AJ at right centre is what I'd be doing, might save his body a bit but I think his communication out there could be a big bonus for our defence especially with Fermor/Fifita going back there, It was so bad this year and I think a pre season with AJ out there could improve that right side a lot, Purely from a defensive stand point.

I'd have JC at 1 and whenever Foran is out you can move JC to 6 and bring Kini in. I don't see the rush to be playing Kini at 1 full time till he's a bit more mature body wise, He gets targeted/smashed every single game but he's also handled everything so far.

I wonder if Kini has the same rules where he'll have to sit out a month or whatever the timeframe is for a mandatory offseason? Everyone else would be starting pre season when he goes on break.

[Hail Sezer]

Des the madman is going to turn JC into an origin halfback or something isn’t he

[T0ken]

Des the madman is going to turn JC into an origin halfback or something isn’t he

JC the new JT?

Desneyland has the wildest rides

[psmitty]

Like Des said I see the versatility as a massive bonus especially considering AJ and Foran tend to miss a few a games.

AJ at right centre is what I'd be doing, might save his body a bit but I think his communication out there could be a big bonus for our defence especially with Fermor/Fifita going back there, It was so bad this year and I think a pre season with AJ out there could improve that right side a lot, Purely from a defensive stand point.

I'd have JC at 1 and whenever Foran is out you can move JC to 6 and bring Kini in. I don't see the rush to be playing Kini at 1 full time till he's a bit more mature body wise, He gets targeted/smashed every single game but he's also handled everything so far.

I wonder if Kini has the same rules where he'll have to sit out a month or whatever the timeframe is for a mandatory offseason? Everyone else would be starting pre season when he goes on break.

I would have this also. AJ centre, JC fullback and Kini to develop and come in with injuries.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...078d55c1e783ad

Fox has us as one of the clubs that Papenhuzen could go to. I very much doubt that as we have enough problems without adding a fourth potential fullback.

[Titanic]

Isn’t anybody worried about size? I am not questioning courage or ability but good big teams always beat good small teams.

[NZTITAN]

Isn’t anybody worried about size? I am not questioning courage or ability but good big teams always beat good small teams.

Absolutely, the projected back 5 (J Campbell, Sami, Kelly, Brimson, Lofi) has an average size of 183cm & 89 kg (smallest in the league), it would've been pretty solid 10-15 years ago but smaller & lighter backlines haven't aged well since, especially when there are zero crossfield threats there, no real big 'metre eater' let alone multiple, and no player there that defends at an above average level for their position. Hoping for some Jojo and Tony Francis jumps as I think it'll become clear early on when we can never get out of our own half on attack that we need some big fellas out there.

[Cowabunga]

Issue is where are these big wingers/centres available? Size would be nice but it's not really an option and I think defence is a bigger issue. If we can actually defend well we don't need to be coming out of our own end constantly. Most of our backs are so young that they're still putting on more weight and muscle.

We make metres fine now, It's our defence at 17th for conceding metres is a bigger red flag for me.

[T0ken]

Conceding line breaks is the bigger issue than making metres

Our metre making strategy last year was quick shifts to lofi who would burn the winger for speed or pass inside to Kelly for a line break. Sometimes he’d even get a sick chip kick on and get a TA

Just to set expectations we will never be a big beefy backline but if we pick right we could have the most agile backline in the league with Lofi / Kelly (ugh) / Campbell or Kini / brimson / Jojo or Sami

Ideally I’d move Jojo to Kellys centre spot but Kelly did hold his own while integrating a rookie winger into his edge so he gets a pass mark for now

[Titanic]

Can’t agree … if we select or recruit bigger bodies surely we will be a bigger beefier team :-)

[willhelm]

I’m not fussed. Look at Penrith. Turuva, To’o and Tago are midgets. Crichton is the only aerial threat but it’s not fully utilised at centre. I think the meta of the game has changed again to favour mobility over size. That said, I would probably move Sami back to left wing over Lofi and play Jojo on the right. Lofi is fun to watch in full flight but he gives me heart attacks in defense.

[The Birdman]

My backline (assuming Foran is locked in by Des at 6)

1. JC
2. Kini
3. Kelly
4. AJ
5. Sami
6. Foran
7. Boyd/Weaver

It's going to be an unpopular opinion but Kini is already a heap better than Lofi. His kick returns and workrate are much better than Lofi's and he has a much higher footy IQ.