Offseason Discussion thread

[BDR]

Something to replace the weekly match threads as a place to put general chat.

Te Maire Martin has been named in the Kiwis train-on squad ahead of their end of season fixtures
https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/09/03/canterbury-bulldogs-rookie-reimis-smith-joins-returning-stars-in-extended-new-zealand-kiwis-squad/

 

[Minto]

Posted this in the U20 forum but I'll put it here as well:

Peter Hola, Sean Mullany, Emry Pere and Murray Taulagi selected in the Junior Kiwis wider squad

http://nzrl.co.nz/kiwis-and-junior-kiwis-wider-squads-announced/

 

[Cowboy Pete]

What. Off season. What happened. The Finals are four weeks off and we are about to find the Speed and get peaking.

I guess the only Peaking I will see this year are the four Bantam Pekin chicks I have ordered for my granddaughter's 6 yo Birthday.
Maybe in a years time they will lay the golden egg and the Premiership.

 

[Cowboy Pete]

Our New Mascot. The Pekin Bantam Hen.

.

 

[Thurman Merman]

So who's our captain(s) next year? Just Scott or co-captain with Morgan/Cooper?

 

[Eaglestreetcowboy]

Can't believe the media is banging on about the dogs on mad monday. Who cares if the players have a few drinks? Provided they aren't breaking any laws, it's no ones business

 

[Jagjaxon]

Personally i'd like just Morgo to captain us but could see a Scott/morgo or scott/coops combo
1.Barba
2.Fedlt
3.Oneil
4.Opiac
5.Gela-Mosby
6.Clifford
7.Morgo
8.Scott
9.Granville
10.McLean
11.Cooper
12.Hess
13.Taumalolo

14.Hampton
15.Asiata
16.Bolton
17.Jensen

Temarie is unlcuky to miss out

 

[BDR]

Can't believe the media is banging on about the dogs on mad monday. Who cares if the players have a few drinks? Provided they aren't breaking any laws, it's no ones business

To be fair I don't think it's legal to get your kit off in public, might have to ask @butchmcrichard for confirmation though

 

[donuts]

i would have hampton instead of o'neil...

hampton and mosby together on one side with barba sweeping in behind them would be frighteningly quick

 

[Minto]

I’d have Tuala over both of them

 

[samuraipolice]

Really interested to see who gets the 6 next year. Clifford looks like he has a lot of potential however the TMM-Morgan combo took us to a grand final and they really compliment each others play styles.

 

[BDR]

Really interested to see who gets the 6 next year. Clifford looks like he has a lot of potential however the TMM-Morgan combo took us to a grand final and they really compliment each others play styles.

I fear for TMM, think he might get caught as the odd man out with a planned spine of

1. Barba
6. Clifford
7. Morgo

He is probably even unlikely to get the 14 unless Hampton winds up playing centre

 

[Benchy]

To be fair I don't think it's legal to get your kit off in public, might have to ask @butchmcrichard for confirmation though

But "Doggies Bro!!!..." with the gestures and accent and everything would be a pretty persuasive defence in court I'd imagine...

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[NQ Boy]

I like that there's a bit of competition around some of our key positions. I genuinely can't say who will be our fullback and 5/8 based on what I've seen this year. Hampton finished the season well at the back, TMM had his moments both in the 6 and 1, clifford did not look out of place for a second. Would like us to have a genuine 9 to put some pressure on granville.

I would like to see
1. Barba
6. Clifford (I believe we have to give the kid a shot - he is the future)
7. Morgan (give morgan the 7 so he knows is it HIS team)
14. Hampton (covers every position in the backline and hooker, TMM would be limited to the halves and fullback)

Unless we plan on have 4 forwards on the bench, i dont like the idea of hampton playing centre. I think its easier to have one guy on the bench that can cover any position so there is a straight swap.

I wonder if Clifford will take on the GK duties (provided he is selected)

 

[Mark O Mac]

To be fair I don't think it's legal to get your kit off in public, might have to ask @butchmcrichard for confirmation though

I haven’t read up on the whole story, but Were they actually in public when he got his kit off? Is a private function room in public? I’ve heard of no complaints from the public and the fact a photographer had a long enough lens to see them, doesn’t mean they’ve done anything wrong.

They’d probably be peaking over the back fence to get the same shot if they had of had it in a players back yard.

 

[aqua]

I Am sure temarie will be selected in the halves to start the year if going of what greeny has done in the past is any indication. He will most likely be the kiwis 6.

 

[Cowboy_4_Life]

I like that there's a bit of competition around some of our key positions. I genuinely can't say who will be our fullback and 5/8 based on what I've seen this year. Hampton finished the season well at the back, TMM had his moments both in the 6 and 1, clifford did not look out of place for a second. Would like us to have a genuine 9 to put some pressure on granville.

I would like to see
1. Barba
6. Clifford (I believe we have to give the kid a shot - he is the future)
7. Morgan (give morgan the 7 so he knows is it HIS team)
14. Hampton (covers every position in the backline and hooker, TMM would be limited to the halves and fullback)

Unless we plan on have 4 forwards on the bench, i dont like the idea of hampton playing centre. I think its easier to have one guy on the bench that can cover any position so there is a straight swap.

I wonder if Clifford will take on the GK duties (provided he is selected)

I think we can get away with a 4 forward bench whenever one of them is Johnny Ass.

And Big Dogs kicking is the reason I would think he might get the gig over TMM. Although as said somewhere above, I think theres more of a point of difference with a Morgo/TMM combo, when compared to a Morgo/BigDog as I think they have quite a similar style (both can play/kick, but have deceptive power to bust through tackles - whereas TMM more elusive/zippy and can capitalise big on 2nd phase/support plays)... but saying that, having two Morgo type players in the side is not a bad thing (or two Big Dogs for that matter)

 

[Minto]

Some Blackhawks news:

TOWNSVILLE Blackhawks coach Kristian Woolf is returning to the NRL fold after confirming his move to the Newcastle Knights.

Woolf has signed a two-year deal with the Knights to be an assistant coach from next season and will assume the role of a defensive specialist — the same position he held at the Brisbane Bronco for three seasons between 2012-14.

Reports circulated last month that Woolf would be shifting to the Knights, having met with Newcastle head coach Nathan Brown, and finalised a deal last week ahead of the Blackhawks’ elimination Queensland Cup semi-final against Ipswich, which they lost 32-12.

The foundation coach informed his playing group ahead of the game, and says he will leave the club with mixed emotions.

“It really was a difficult decision; I’ve been here for four years now and it’s a terrific club,” Woolf said.

“It took me a fair while to settle on it.

“With this team there’s the potential to win the competition, which is why the loss on the weekend was so disappointing because it was a missed opportunity

“But I just felt like it was time for a freshen up and to enter into a learning curve.

“I think it’s also the right time for the club to try something new and bring someone in with fresh ideas.”

Woolf, a former Cowboys under-20s coach who helped guide the likes of Michael Morgan, Kyle Feldt and Jason Taumalolo into first grade, was unveiled as the club’s inaugural coach ahead of the 2014 Q Cup season.

The Blackhawks have been a dominant force since their inception but have fallen short of premiership success, with their closest tilt coming in 2015 when the club lost that season’s grand final.

Woolf’s rise to the NRL coaching ranks has been one of the Townsville rugby league community’s top success stories.

Starting his coaching career in 2002 as an assistant coach for Townsville Brothers, Woolf guided local nursery Ignatius Park College to the Queensland State Schoolboys Championship in 2004 and linked with the Cowboys as a junior development officer from 2005.

In 2009 he became the club’s National Youth Competition head coach and took North Queensland to the finals for the first time in 2010, leading to the club to its 2011 grand final appearance against the New Zealand Warriors.

He has also coached Tonga since 2014 and propelled the Pacific kingdom through its captivating 2017 Rugby League Word Cup campaign, culminating in a semi-final appearance against England.

The Blackhawks will now begin searching for Woolf’s replacement.

“No doubt there’ll be some terrific applicants,” Woolf said.

“I also like to think the majority of the current squad will be there next season.”

 

[Dream]

That's a big loss.

 

[Desert Qlder]

I'm sorry but Clifford v TMM in the halves is a total no contest.

Jake Clifford is a future star of the game. TMM, while useful, has never really managed to pin down a first grade starting spot. I still haven't been convinced that this will change. Even Hampton was more impressive at fullback than TMM. Hampton was quicker and displayed more consistency.

That said, I am not totally critical of TMM, he is a very handy depth/bench player but if he got an opportunity elsewhere I would not be completely devastated.