Opinion Who do you think will have a breakout year for the Bulldogs???

[flamebouyant]

Given all the somewhat negative talk on here atm, and the lack of any major signing news, let's all have a think about who we do have on the books for next year, and who we think will have a breakout season???.........
Will Meaney cement his position on the wing, or will Okunbour have a massive off season and have a breakout year?
Will Reimis solidify his claim of being our best winger and leading tryscorer again, or will he make the move to the centres and kill it?
Will JMK improve out of sight and cement himself as our first choice hooker after his decent 2019 form?
Can Wakeham have a sensational season while making a permanent halves position his own? Or will Lewis and Cogger step up?
Will DWZ improve his ball playing and become a world class fb??
Will CHN continue his fantastic 2019 form, or will Stimson prove that he deserves a starting spot?
Will To'omaga and RFM continue their steady improvement and lock down a bench spot, or even push for a starting birth?
Will Napa learn to dominate the middle with measured aggression and heavy hits?
Can Tolman learn to stay out of the way on the 4th, while continuing his herculean efforts in defense?
Can Hopoate's silky hands set up many more tries for us with our possibly improved attack?

Who do you think will rise to the top of our team sheet this year and provide the best value to our teams chances next season???

Personally, I think Okunbour will have a big year. I also think JMK and Wakeham will really step up this year. If these 3 players can shine then we are well on our way back to the top.
We have some quality forwards, some quality backs, and halves with potential. So if we can get a small amount of improvement from every position, which I think they all have have the potential to do, then we can make some real progress!!
Yes I am optimistic, but shouldn't we all be??

 

[jamma01]

I think Okunbour will have a big year. Needs to improve defensively but he is a great athlete.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Depends. The few players I'd pick out as having a break out year are reliant on opportunities or extended minutes that might just not be there for them. Wakeham and To'omaga would be my two players, both bring skills that the majority of our squad don't possess so if they get the opportunity and can build some consistency there will be a lot of stand out plays/performances from them. RFM sort of already had his break out a few seasons ago, Pay just needs to give him more minutes through the middle and the bloke will be punching out 100m+ with multiple tackle breaks and offloads on a regular basis.

 

[Kempsey Dog]

Renouf would have been the easy pick imo, but with the injury sustained at the end of the season in not so sure, as I'm not sure how his preseason is going. Other than that, our halves given they have actually had a real half helping them at training now.

 

[_G-Dog_]

For the sake of the team we need all the boys in our spine to fire.. JMK Lewis Cogger Wakeham

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Renouf would have been the easy pick imo, but with the injury sustained at the end of the season in not so sure, as I'm not sure how his preseason is going. Other than that, our halves given they have actually had a real half helping them at training now.

To'omaga has been doing all gym work and running on the alterg since the backend of last month, so his preseason hasn't been as interrupted as expected on here.

 

[wendog33]

My Christmas wish is for our talented few juniors to be given a fair go, and minutes, to develop their huge potential. Up to Pay to make that happen.

Wakeham, after being groomed for so long, and stepped up in those International games, playing alongside better players than in our own team, shone, and must be picked.

 

[Moedogg]

Meaney will probably have a "most improved" type of year, similar to Bryson Goodwin in 09.
He looked really good at the back end of the year once he got a couple of games under his belt...

 

[Kempsey Dog]

To'omaga has been doing all gym work and running on the alterg since the backend of last month, so his preseason hasn't been as interrupted as expected on here.

Ok awesome, wasn't following his progress thought he would have been out of action for longer so that's good to hear.

 

[Scoooby]

JMK, wakeham and DWZ

and if they do they will really help us reach a lot of potential and offer some great attacking play, these 3 for mine can take us to the next level in 2020...!!! We all know dwz has already done that let year. But they will all shine for us as one.

 

[Dogzzz of War]

Stimson

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Ok awesome, wasn't following his progress thought he would have been out of action for longer so that's good to hear.

Yh hopefully he gets smashed with cardio, pretty much all he needs to focus on.

 

[Spoonman84]

Renouf would have been the easy pick imo, but with the injury sustained at the end of the season in not so sure, as I'm not sure how his preseason is going. Other than that, our halves given they have actually had a real half helping them at training now.

Renouf basically has to have a beak out year in my opinion. He’s 25 now and had it’s a case of now or never.

 

[JUNKYARD DOGS]

DWZ and Lewis/Wakeham Combo I’m hoping.

 

[DinkumDog]

Good post mate.
I’d like to see a few progressions:

- DWZ: organise, run, support.
- Jacko to return to top form (at #13).
- Meaney to own the wing and show the pace we know he’s got.
- Some young fellas to earn and own their spots: Harper or Averillo in the centres, Wakeham/Cogger/Lewis to develop a halves partnership that works.
- Napa/To’omaga up front.
- Stimson to give us creative go forward.

Am I asking too much??
I think we have some good improvement in us and can force into the 8 in 2020.

 

[Spoonman84]

Good post mate.
I’d like to see a few progressions:

- DWZ: organise, run, support.
- Jacko to return to top form (at #13).
- Meaney to own the wing and show the pace we know he’s got.
- Some young fellas to earn and own their spots: Harper or Averillo in the centres, Wakeham/Cogger/Lewis to develop a halves partnership that works.
- Napa/To’omaga up front.
- Stimson to give us creative go forward.

Am I asking too much??
I think we have some good improvement in us and can force into the 8 in 2020.

Add some ball playing for DWZ too and that’s pretty much it.

Plus if we could get one of these young back rowers in the lower grades to jump out of the ground and demolish reggies to force their way into NRL would be a nice surprise.

 

[2144superman]

I really think JMK will have a season to remember, playing at 9 suits him and he has been on the improve with every game he has played, needs to be flogged during pre-season training so he is able to play longer minutes. His biggest issue will be staying injury-free and hopefully having a bumper season.

 

[flamebouyant]

Renouf would have been the easy pick imo, but with the injury sustained at the end of the season in not so sure, as I'm not sure how his preseason is going. Other than that, our halves given they have actually had a real half helping them at training now.

From all reports he is tracking well. So fingers crossed. The good thing about the recovery of a forward is that they can work on their upper body strength until their hearts content when they are suffering from such injuries.

 

[flamebouyant]

For the sake of the team we need all the boys in our spine to fire.. JMK Lewis Cogger Wakeham

JMK is progressing really well IMO. He was moved around a lot when he first started with us, but since he has started at hooker he has consistently progressed. His running game has been pretty impressive, and you cant question his defense given he has never consistently played in the middle. His timing in regards to when he he should run has also improved, and I believe that we are starting to see the quality tha Pay saw in him to begin with.
The only way is up for him.

 

[flamebouyant]

JMK, wakeham and DWZ

and if they do they will really help us reach a lot of potential and offer some great attacking play, these 3 for mine can take us to the next level in 2020...!!! We all know dwz has already done that let year. But they will all shine for us as one.

Were on the same page with this it seems. DWZ definitely has improvement in him, but given he played so well this year already, I have not earmarked him as one the players that will "breakout" so to speak. But Wakeham and JMK really look the good. JMK had a really solid first full year in fg, and Wakeham showed that he is capable of stepping up during his international games. He definitely shows the most attacking potential of all of our halves. He just needs to mature his game and work on his defense. But it seems obvious to me that the whole team has laced a massive emphasis on defense this year, so I expect this will come.