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Team selections tinkering for 2024

The Birdman

The Birdman

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It's of course way too early as I'm sure the top 30 will change a bit between now and next season but I have been thinking about how I'd like the team to line up in 2024. Given that I think the club got it pretty wrong most of the year you'll see my suggestions will seem quite left field to the consensus but hear me out.

I think we were particularly conservative in our selections this season and I feel like it cost us more than a couple of games. That being said I think the forwards pretty much pick themselves with the signing of Keenan Palasia, but the backs are where there is some room for significant debate. I feel like the only real debate in the forwards is who out of Randall and Palasia starts at lock and which one of them comes off the bench. David Fifita stays left edge, Fermor tries his luck on the right edge as Fifita was much better on the left.

As you are all probably aware I have a strong inclination that we need to get Kini, AJ and JC playing 80 minutes each week and I understand not everyone will agree with this. I respect the way Foran played, particularly as the year progressed but I think with his age and the fact he wears out with 20 to go and often gets hurt, I'd like to see him more as squad cover next season rather than a walk up start. Even though Kini didn't have his greatest game against the Bulldogs he was still busy and I can't wait to see him after a good offseason in the gym.

I also feel like we have some good depth in the forwards, but if we could move someone like Clark on for a genuine middle or edge forward I'd feel like we have great balance. We are probably a centre short (Schoupp doesn't count) but if we play AJ there I guess we are fine. I'm really hoping Pahulu gets a chance to debut early in the year too. I'm also a bit on the fence with Lofi who really needs to up his effort and footy IQ in a big way to cement his spot.

I also like the idea of having a half option as the 18th man as I feel it is the hardest position to shuffle when there is a HIA, other than hooker but we have Randall in the 17 who can play hooker if Verrills goes off for a HIA.

I'll start with the assessing where our outside the top 18 options likely sit.

Could surprise us as a good first grade option
Pahulu

Depth/Suspension/Injuries decent squad options
Maumalo/Boyd/Liu/Stimson/Clark

Deadweight or not ready to contribute right away or possibly ever
Ryan Foran/Liyou/Schoupp/Spry

Here are a couple of team selection options I'd like to see us consider for next year. Feel free to shout me down.

Option 1

1. Kini
2. Lofi
3. BK
4. Jojo
5. Sami
6. AJ
7. JC
8. Mo
9. Verrills
10. Tino
11. Fifita
12. Fermor
13. Palasia

14. Randall
15. Jolliffe
16. Iszac F
17. Haas

18. Foran/Weaver

The radical all out offense option that could make us a little unbalanced in the halves but if it works out we would be one of the most dangerous teams in the competition with threat and strike all over our backline.

If JC can be Jahrome Hughesed we would be a scary proposition.

Kicking game, game management, organisation and playmaking questionable though.

Option 2

1. Kini
2. Lofi
3. BK
4. AJ
5. Sami
6. JC
7. Foran
8. Mo
9. Verrills
10. Tino
11. Fifita
12. Fermor
13. Randall

14. Jojo
15. Jolliffe
16. Palasia
17. Haas

18. Weaver/Iszac

A bit of a safer option but still a team with a lot of strike. Still a bit of a question mark with the long kicking game though. Not a fan of a centre on the bench but I feel with three bigs we can afford to carry an OB as injury cover.

Option 3

1. JC
2. Lofi
3. BK
4. Jojo
5. Sami
6. AJ
7. Weaver
8. Mo
9. Verrills
10. Tino
11. Fifita
12. Fermor
13. Randall

14. Kini
15. Jolliffe
16. Palasia
17. Haas

18. Foran

I like the balance of this team but it is a lot to ask of a rookie halfback. The bench has both size and spark.
 
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Good choices mate, I’m at a complete loss as to what Des does with Brimson, JC, Kini, Foran and Boyd essentially fitting into 3+1(being #14) positions, I truly have no idea. So my 17 based on players i’ll lock in right now is;

1. ???
2. Maumalo (Yep I know)
3. Kelly
4. Jojo Fifita
5. Sami
6. Foran
7. ???
8. Moe
9. Verrills
10. Tino
11. D Fifita
12. Fermor
13. Palasia/Randall

14. ???
15. Liu (I guess)
16. Jolliffe
17. Randall/Palasia

The forwards massively pick themselves, we look pretty strong in the middle and still have Erin Clark and Stimson as depth. I went with Maumalo and Jojo in the outside backs and will catch some heat for that but frankly I’m just not a Lofi guy, I appreciate his speed but we absolutely needed some size coming out of our end this season so for that reason I hope we load up on some big carriers in the aforementioned and take some load off the forwards. I don’t even know if Maumalo will be here next season but I kinda hope he is.
 
Great thread, Birdman. I agree that Des will possibly shake things up and come up with better formulas than us (in his white coat). What I can't see though based on this year's form is Haas in the 17 to start the year.

There's a few questions that Des will answer. Like is Jojo an option on the left wing ahead of Lofi? Will Francis be retained and leapfrog them both? What does any of that mean for which side Sami plays? Will Liyou feature next year? Is Izsac getting bigger and better (I think he's still growing)? Who are our two best 13s and which one starts? Is sacrificing Brimos involvement at centre worth giving Kini and JC 80 minutes?

Des might also be very unforgiving early next year and drop players to learn lessons. It's possible we sacrifice a game here and there to improve players long term. It could be hard to watch to start with but good for us.
 
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