I actually dont put Hastings that much ahead of Wakeham tbh. Not sure the situation would be much better.
Hastings is slow and seemingly a bit of a prickly character. He does however know how to organise a team and whilst not very dynamic he can play the role of halfback better than anything we have had in our team for a decade. Benji/sheens placed AD/brooks above him in the halves pecking order and now there is a good chance neither of those will be our long term halves options. If he was playing at 7 this year, even if signed elsewhere for next year (genuine 7s are rare in the current game, he definitely would have been picked up elsewhere if Newcastle bailed) then we would probably be 3/6 and in a much better position to recruit where we desperately need external talent (1/6/7). The longer we stink it up this year the less likely we are to be able to recruit quality and the more a risk we are for any up and coming 7 who doesn’t want to end up spat out to super league in a couple of years.
I’m really not sure what is best for this team for the balance of 2023. It seems there are 3 options:
1) play wakeham as the 7 and get brooks to play the traditional 6 role (not 2 5/8ths) like he did with Hastings last year
2) play matamua as 1st receiver (lock) and then play 2 5/8ths (brooks and wakeham/Laurie)
3) brooks at 7/Laurie at 6.
At this point I probably favour seeing how option 2 works given matamua has been on the fringe of 1st grade for a while now and our season is gone anyway.
Lots of "ifs" in there. IMO claiming we would be 3/6 is a massively optimistic call. You do realise that we only won 4 games last year? Hastings was 3/16. Im not sure Hastings would have been the cure all people think.
massively optimistic?
if Hastings plays for us we beat Newcastle (because he doesn’t play against us and Newcastle we’re decimated that game). We would have beaten parramatta imho given the avalanche of possession and statistical dominance but lack of finish in the 20. I also think it’s reasonable to say that we beat titans at home at Leichhardt round 1 with a big off season designed around Hastings 7/brooks 6.
it’s all fantasy football but I don’t thinks it’s a massive call. With the bye that puts you in 9th at worst.
Hastings wasn’t the messiah, but we are now left looking to try to poach a reserve grader from a stronger club.
You would have noted the IMO at the start of my sentence. Dont get me wrong, in our current situation I would rather Hastings be here, but again IMO it probably wouldnt have made that much of a difference. All the things people imagine he would have done for us, particularly "in the 20", he didnt do for us last year. 3/16 last year but would have been 3/6 this year? IMO thats unlikely.
your last sentence says it all for me and to an extent, why Im ok with taking the hit on Hastings. Im extremely nervous about poaching a reserve grader to fix our problem because it has the potential to nail us to the bottom 9 for an extended period. Hastings likewise was never going to fill that position. If we had Hastings on any sort of extended deal, its accepting mediocrity (same as Brooks). Before anyone screams about THIS year, I agree, in hindsight, that it would be good to have Hastings right now, but would you have him if it meant we didnt have Klemmer & Bateman which is potentially the situation. If we had Hastings without Klemmer & Bateman, I dont see how we are any better than last year, where we won 4 games (3/26 with Hastings).
Its funny how the “playing behind a terrible forward pack” defence is never applied to how Hastings performed last year, Although we did hear all summer long about how much better Brooks would be behind this year pack.
Hastings is showing at Newcastle this year what he can do playing with functional forwards and for coach who believes in hIm and it’s risible nonsense to suggest he wouldn’t have made us much better had he stayed this year and been played at seven.
The word from the club was that not only did Sheens think Brooks was a better seven that Hastings, he didn’t think Hastings was a seven at all. At a time when we are crying out for a seven this really should call into question if Sheens actually knows what a good seven looks like.
@avocadoontoast to be fair mate , the think the club has a big circle around large in the same way they had a big circle around benji , bringing him over form nz via Keebra Park etc. this is what they are waiting for I think .
@avocadoontoast to be fair mate , the think the club has a big circle around large in the same way they had a big circle around benji , bringing him over form nz via Keebra Park etc. this is what they are waiting for I think .
He’s 16, he won’t be ready for years. If they think they have the time to plod along waiting for a 16 year old to save them they’re nuts.
@avocadoontoast to be fair mate , the think the club has a big circle around large in the same way they had a big circle around benji , bringing him over form nz via Keebra Park etc. this is what they are waiting for I think .
He’s 16, he won’t be ready for years. If they think they have the time to plod along waiting for a 16 year old to save them they’re nuts.
Unless he truly is generational
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
@avocadoontoast to be fair mate , the think the club has a big circle around large in the same way they had a big circle around benji , bringing him over form nz via Keebra Park etc. this is what they are waiting for I think .
He’s 16, he won’t be ready for years. If they think they have the time to plod along waiting for a 16 year old to save them they’re nuts.
yeah. We could easily accomodate a mature/prime 7/6 and not block any progression in the spine. Da Silva the closest and he’s a 9. This is why we were offering Moses a 5 year deal.
@avocadoontoast to be fair mate , the think the club has a big circle around large in the same way they had a big circle around benji , bringing him over form nz via Keebra Park etc. this is what they are waiting for I think .
He’s 16, he won’t be ready for years. If they think they have the time to plod along waiting for a 16 year old to save them they’re nuts.
Unless he truly is generational
If he’s that good he won’t be staying with us.
Its funny how the “playing behind a terrible forward pack” defence is never applied to how Hastings performed last year, Although we did hear all summer long about how much better Brooks would be behind this year pack.
Hastings is showing at Newcastle this year what he can do playing with functional forwards and for coach who believes in hIm and it’s risible nonsense to suggest he wouldn’t have made us much better had he stayed this year and been played at seven.
The word from the club was that not only did Sheens think Brooks was a better seven that Hastings, he didn’t think Hastings was a seven at all. At a time when we are crying out for a seven this really should call into question if Sheens actually knows what a good seven looks like.
and....?
I can get on board with the argument that Hastings would be useful this year, under the circumstances we now find ourselves. But what if it meant went didnt get Klemmer and Bateman for the next 3 years? even if we did, is Hastings the man to take us to the 8 in the future and make us a future force?
A guy on Facebook reckons Tommy Talau has signed a 2 year deal with Manly.
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A guy on Facebook reckons Tommy Talau has signed a 2 year deal with Manly.
Carriannis said that on ABC
A guy on Facebook reckons Tommy Talau has signed a 2 year deal with Manly.
Carriannis said that on ABC
Was mentioned today on Triple M as well. Read stated that he hasn't been given a look in this year which is just garbage. This is pretty poor from Talau in my opinion.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
We've bent over backwards for that guy and waited a long long time for his return from injury, get stuffed Tom Thumb.
A guy on Facebook reckons Tommy Talau has signed a 2 year deal with Manly.
Carriannis said that on ABC
Was mentioned today on Triple M as well. Read stated that he hasn't been given a look in this year which is just garbage. This is pretty poor from Talau in my opinion.
Agreed that it is poor by Talau after we have looked after him with injuries, Carriannis said they are trying to get him fo rthis year but Tigers lack of depth has stopped it. Im not that fussed about losing him, I dont think he is in our top 2 centres or top 4 2rf, but very worried tha tthis may be the start of an exodus unless we can fix the problems in the club.
this may be the start of an exodus unless we can fix the problems in the club.
That's what I'm worried about. Let's shore up guys like Junior Tupou before he's raided.
We cannot afford to lose these type of players because we have very little in the raw talent department.
