Latest Rnd 1 Predictions - Billy in, Toops out

[Bondicigar]

I figure Coach Robbo will give Joseph Suaalii another shot at centre, and Connor Watson will have a similar role as in 2022 as a running forward, with Sandon Smith as the second dummy half and also covering the halves like The Hutchinator.

It will be interesting to see how Tyler Moriarty plays if he gets a shot at the NRL in 2024.

Don't know if robbo will be prepared to put much time in developing young Jo in the centres now he's leaving .
personally I'd use him as a battering ram in a super sub type roll.

[Mickie Lane]

I figure Coach Robbo will give Joseph Suaalii another shot at centre, and Connor Watson will have a similar role as in 2022 as a running forward, with Sandon Smith as the second dummy half and also covering the halves like The Hutchinator.

It will be interesting to see how Tyler Moriarty plays if he gets a shot at the NRL in 2024.

I sort of agree with you in regards to Suaalii but I’m thinking he’ll be on the wing. To me even though I think he is a top winger I couldn’t put him ahead of Toups, Young or Billy because of the fact he is leaving but for all we know the Chooks may not re-sign Billy beyond this season.
It appears to me that Nick & Robbo have done a SBW deal with Suaalii so I can’t see him playing 2nd grade because they don’t want to upset him because they want him back.
To play Suaalii in the centres ahead of Smith is the wrong thing to do to Billy IMO.
It will be interesting to see who runs out in the backline if everyone is fit for rd 1.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

There is no universe where a fit Toups is overlooked on the left wing, for anyone. Sualii can never play on the left side of the field ever again, whatever position he plays. He's a chance of starting the season in reserve grade, along with Sitili. Someone said Sitili when fit is our best second rower? Good lord. He's not even in the top 3.

[The Lip]

There is no universe where a fit Toups is overlooked on the left wing, for anyone. Sualii can never play on the left side of the field ever again, whatever position he plays. He's a chance of starting the season in reserve grade, along with Sitili. Someone said Sitili when fit is our best second rower? Good lord. He's not even in the top 3.

I disagree Sitilli is a game breaker and in our top two second rowers

[Mickie Lane]

There is no universe where a fit Toups is overlooked on the left wing, for anyone. Sualii can never play on the left side of the field ever again, whatever position he plays. He's a chance of starting the season in reserve grade, along with Sitili. Someone said Sitili when fit is our best second rower? Good lord. He's not even in the top 3.

That was me & I stand by it.
He has a much harder edge to the way he plays then N Butcher or Gus, he scores more tries than any other forward & he stings in defence.
If you think Wong is better than him at this stage then you are kidding yourself.

[Easts75]

Rob Toia looking at April/May return.

Hope he stays injury free and we get a glimpse of him in firsts at some stage this year

[Vasco]

That was me & I stand by it.
He has a much harder edge to the way he plays then N Butcher or Gus, he scores more tries than any other forward & he stings in defence.
If you think Wong is better than him at this stage then you are kidding yourself.

Have to agree with you. We missed Sitili's strike power on the edges.

[Steggles]

Have to agree with you. We missed Sitili's strike power on the edges.

I agree with you guys; Sitili is a gun. I don’t know if we can win a comp this year with Nat B and Wong as our starting back row.

[Waylander]

Sitili is a beast .... on his day, or rather, on his 10 - 15 minutes. He tends to drift in & out of games. I can't think of a single occasion where has stood out across his whole time on the field. He has great moments, which he needs to convert into great matches to take his game to the next level.

[ism22]

Jizzy sez...

1. Teddy
2. Toops
3. Billy
4. Manu
5. Sua'ali'i / Young
6. Keary
7. Walker
8. Collins
9. Cheese
10. May
11. Butcher
12. Crichton
13. Rads

14. Watson / Sandon
15. Spence
16. Wongie
17. Whyte

---

It's a damn good team!!! If we gel then we'll be a 100% stacked team versus Walsh, Haas, Carrigan and Reynolds. IMO the Drongos MASSIVELY over-achieved in 2023 because everybody was expecting them to finish bottom-4. 2024 we'll be ready for Walshie's coke-fuelled surges, Reynolds' party trick of trying to find touch off the drop-out and their 'pass it to one of the two big dudes!!!' tactics.

I get that you wanna peak at the right time of the year. However, Robbo's taken his periodisation to the next level in recent years by playing the first ~2/3 of the season like we're already dead and buried. A less chaotic / scattered looking start to our season could see us smoke the Drongos outta the blocks without peaking too early.

To use a longwinded anecdote... my current marathon training program's divided into mesocycles and the first was base training, I'm now into lactate/endurance training (next cycle's race prep). Though I'm not gonna be carb loading and tapering for my Sunday long run... I'm still expecting to do 20km at race pace and record some good numbers. If I were to do 1/3 at a recovery pace with 20km at a base training pace then I'd be behind on my schedule. You don't need to be peaking for finals footy in order to be playing solid footy that's impressive for a round ~1-10 effort.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Sitili is a beast .... on his day, or rather, on his 10 - 15 minutes. He tends to drift in & out of games. I can't think of a single occasion where has stood out across his whole time on the field. He has great moments, which he needs to convert into great matches to take his game to the next level.

Which is why he isn't in our top 3 second rowers. And now coming back after a knee reconstruction? Prob not in the not 5.

[Bates]

Jizzy sez...

1. Teddy
2. Toops
3. Billy
4. Manu
5. Sua'ali'i / Young
6. Keary
7. Walker
8. Collins
9. Cheese
10. May
11. Butcher
12. Crichton
13. Rads

14. Watson / Sandon
15. Spence
16. Wongie
17. Whyte

---

It's a damn good team!!! If we gel then we'll be a 100% stacked team versus Walsh, Haas, Carrigan and Reynolds. IMO the Drongos MASSIVELY over-achieved in 2023 because everybody was expecting them to finish bottom-4. 2024 we'll be ready for Walshie's coke-fuelled surges, Reynolds' party trick of trying to find touch off the drop-out and their 'pass it to one of the two big dudes!!!' tactics.

I get that you wanna peak at the right time of the year. However, Robbo's taken his periodisation to the next level in recent years by playing the first ~2/3 of the season like we're already dead and buried. A less chaotic / scattered looking start to our season could see us smoke the Drongos outta the blocks without peaking too early.

To use a longwinded anecdote... my current marathon training program's divided into mesocycles and the first was base training, I'm now into lactate/endurance training (next cycle's race prep). Though I'm not gonna be carb loading and tapering for my Sunday long run... I'm still expecting to do 20km at race pace and record some good numbers. If I were to do 1/3 at a recovery pace with 20km at a base training pace then I'd be behind on my schedule. You don't need to be peaking for finals footy in order to be playing solid footy that's impressive for a round ~1-10 effort.

The Broncos all but won it. They'll be serious contenders once again this year. Roosters, Penrith, Broncos and Storm are my top 4.

[Mickie Lane]

Which is why he isn't in our top 3 second rowers. And now coming back after a knee reconstruction? Prob not in the not 5.

We'll see what Robbo has to say about that.

[Thirteen]

Which is why he isn't in our top 3 second rowers. And now coming back after a knee reconstruction? Prob not in the not 5.

Not in the top 5? Have you been drinking Bay?

[Bates]

Not in the top 5? Have you been drinking Bay?

They tend to crack their 1st tinny open around 11am down at BB and in bed by 8pm.