Opinion Backline

[Mr. Ditkovich]

I’d have

1. Meaney

2. Hopoate

3. Montoya / Chrichton

4. Holland

5. Smith

 

[Boxer]

1. Meaney
2.holland
3.olive
4.hoppa
5.smith

 

[oldpuppy]

All I want is Holland and Smith to be on the right side together. Don't want hopoate being our new mbye where we where always fixing a right with a wrong to simply fit him in.

 

[Haddaway]

All I want is Holland and Smith to be on the right side together. Don't want hopoate being our new mbye where we where always fixing a right with a wrong to simply fit him in.

Yep they were forming a good little combo at the end of the season.

 

[speedy2460]

Its generally accepted that Hoppa is just to slow to be a fullback. Then why would you consider him as a winger with his lack of pace.
A winger is essentially a finisher. So we have a finisher without pace?
The only logical choice, is to put Hoppa on the bench, if we must play him. He has a bit of footy smarts
and could fill in a multiplicity of positions if needed. However, there is better options than that.

 

[TOTTO]

Pretty depressing looking at the options ,don't rate Chrichton at all to short and slow really hope they all prove me wrong though.

 

[Kelpie03]

Its generally accepted that Hoppa is just to slow to be a fullback. Then why would you consider him as a winger with his lack of pace.
A winger is essentially a finisher. So we have a finisher without pace?
The only logical choice, is to put Hoppa on the bench, if we must play him. He has a bit of footy smarts
and could fill in a multiplicity of positions if needed. However, there is better options than that.

Although he was good for us at FB late last year, I believe Hoppa would be most useful for us playing 5/8 he has a footy brain and would be a big help for the Prince., I don't hold up much hope for Foran

 

[Dognacious]

Meaney
Okunbor
Hopa
Holland
Smith

Okunbor is big strong and reasonably fast I don’t care if he misses a tackle or two. Chuck him in and see if he can step up.

So we got Chrichton to play reserve grade?

 

[Mitch Connor]

Meaney
Smith
Holland
Hopoate
Crichton

Cerruto
Katoa
Harper
Olive
Montoya

Okunbor backrow.

 

[EB18]

Would like Hoppa on the wing but he will probably be forced into centre. Meaney has to start at fullback if he's playing firstgrade. Holland and Smith have to make up one edge so that leave Crichton or Montoya to take up the the final spot..

If Hoppa and Montoya are on the same edge together like last season then lets not bother showing up to any games next year and just forfeit. The games over before it even starts. Putting them 2 on the same edge again is suicide. I cant remember a worse wing centre pairing ever in terms of def.

Hoppa as a centre is plain suicide as well if you ask me. His first contact in def is pathetic its like his scared to put his body on the line. Im struggling to see what his best position is because his also way too slow for fb.

 

[EB18]

1. Meaney
2. Okunbor
3. ?
4. Holland
5. Smith

 

[Kempsey Dog]

1. Meaney
2. Smith
3. Holland
4. Hopoate
5. Crichton
Not a fan of the left edge but I think it's the best we have ATM. Don't want Harper getting thrown into first grade yet

 

[xreedmatic]

Pay will go with
Meaney
Crichton
Hoppa
Holland
Smith

 

[UndeadShadowMan]

Hoppa being the only experienced back in the whole club is a worry. Surely we must have enough cap room to buy an experienced back seeing 75% of our club are now up & comers or fringe 1st graders. I have a bad feeling about next year we got the weakest roster out of any club.

 

[Tassie Devil]

Really gotta hope we're going to bring in at least one player, if not two.

I'm positive as hell about next year, but backline does worry me. Totally get why Napa was signed, excited about that. But surely we've gotta bring in more experience in that backline?

 

[TwinTurbo]

What I find most interesting about this thread is that there are so many alternatives, there is competition for almost every spot. No one is guaranteed their position, someone can mount a challenge by training, playing well and displaying the right attitude and they will push you down the pecking order. Every player needs to be on their game not just to win this game but to even stay in the team for the next game. It also has off the field effects, play up and the next guy in line will step up, right into your spot and you might not get it back.

External competition is good but having the guy next to you at training every day looking at taking your position away from you. That's a whole new level of making sure you leave nothing on the table, in training or playing. I like it.

Go Dogs

 

[Tassie Devil]

What I find most interesting about this thread is that there are so many alternatives, there is competition for almost every spot. No one is guaranteed their position, someone can mount a challenge by training, playing well and displaying the right attitude and they will push you down the pecking order. Every player needs to be on their game not just to win this game but to even stay in the team for the next game. It also has off the field effects, play up and the next guy in line will step up, right into your spot and you might not get it back.

External competition is good but having the guy next to you at training every day looking at taking your position away from you. That's a whole new level of making sure you leave nothing on the table, in training or playing. I like it.

Go Dogs

There's two sides or ways you can look at this though. Is the reason no one is guaranteed their position more because we don't have any standout players in the backs? A majority of teams would have at least a few gun players in the backs, do we have one?

 

[Howard Moon]

Hoppa being the only experienced back in the whole club is a worry. Surely we must have enough cap room to buy an experienced back seeing 75% of our club are now up & comers or fringe 1st graders. I have a bad feeling about next year we got the weakest roster out of any club.

Might not have as much experience as other players in the comp but I have no doubt that Smith will be one of the form outside men of the NRL next year... however it would be nice to get at least one signing for the left hand side

 

[TwinTurbo]

There's two sides or ways you can look at this though. Is the reason no one is guaranteed their position more because we don't have any standout players in the backs? A majority of teams would have at least a few gun players in the backs, do we have one?

Smith, I think he's gun, maybe not a bazooka but nice useful Baretta M9 perhaps.
Foran is gun, a pretty big gun, a .44 Remington Magnum (Make My Day), as long as he stays fit of course.
Lewis has the potential to be a gun, at the moment a Glock 26 perhaps.
This will get the natives stirred up, I think Hopoate is gun, a very reliable gun, never fails, always just works like a Colt 1911.

That's more than enough gun analogy.

Go Dogs

 

[Mozzie]

I think Hoppa will start at full back and Meaney on the wing and as the games progress Meaney will mix it up with Hoppa until Meaney proves he is the best option. Then Hoppa will be moved into the Centres. the other spots are other than Smith on the wing are up for graps preseason and trials will sort that out.