I will agree we are weaker next year.
Sorry I just don’t see how we could possibly be “weaker”.
For starters 100% of our 2025 spine will have a preseason together, which wasn’t the case last season with 50% missing. Sexton and Tracy are now included, that on its own is a huge strength.
Last preseason the coaching staff concentrated on defence, which they needed to, and that resulted in a dramatic climb up to 2nd best in the NRL. Those disciplines and principles are now ensconced in every player, no need to learn the basics, this preseason is about improving that strength even further.
With less time required to be spent on defence there will be more time available to spend on attack. Further developing teamwork such that it is automatic, each player now being familiar with the players inside and outside. With that comes the ability to develop plays specifically around the oppositions weaknesses and our strengths.
Looking at the forwards who have left, Farmer Silly, Kautoga, Patolo and Tetevano they have been replaced by better players in Amone and Tupouniua plus Hayes, who will be better after his first 9 NRL games, and Todd, who is hopefully over his broken bones. King and Hughes, particularly, now have had a full NRL season and their games will have progressed as a result.
In the backs our only real loss is JAC, but we do have pretty decent options in Wilson and Montoya, whose kick returns may well suite us better. Plus Xerri has had a full season after 4 years away from the game, there‘s plenty of improvement there.
Last but by no means least, we have stable and capable coaching and high performance staff who have now learnt after a full season how best to work together. Plus the players now know what is expected of them and judging by the early preseason videos and pictures they came back ready to go. I don’t think many, any, of them would have failed their preseason KPI’s.
In summary, I’m seeing plenty of strengthening and no real weakening.
It is worth keeping in mind that for every team that has strengthened their roster, by adding players, another team has been weakened, by loosing those players.
Team First