Toia or Manu ???

[Bates]

Definitely Toia imo.

Sammy Walker and Toia will develop a deadly combination on the right edge. Toia will be unstoppable in red zone! It's very exciting.

With that said, let's use the money set aside for Manu to lure the Big Dog home. We need him! Yes we're rebuilding however Jared will help out during this dogs breakfast of a transition period.

[GC6]

If I go by 2024 plus trials and round 1, I would say Toia.
I personally felt like Manu had already checked out last season so it was frustrating.
Toia looks hungry and I hope he can get some consistent games in.

[ism22]

Manu's the past, bruh. He's not coming back... he's in Japan and has already inked a contract for afterwards.

Toia is our man. He'll take time but a bit like when we unearthed RTS and Moga in 2012 (when we were going pretty shyte)... he's got talent written all over him. Hopefully more RTS and less Moga, of course.

[MKCS]

Why not both? Toia apparently predominantly played left centre, Manu of course played right centre, if Manu did somehow come back for next season then we could line up with Tedesco, Mark N, Toia, Manu and Dom Young, not a bad backline there at all.

[Superdag]

Good idea if you can keep him on the field ,looks like Spencer has taken over jwh role now. Jwh would of been a good forward coach if he was to tell them to do something I bet you it would get done.

[Bates]

Why not both? Toia apparently predominantly played left centre, Manu of course played right centre, if Manu did somehow come back for next season then we could line up with Tedesco, Mark N, Toia, Manu and Dom Young, not a bad backline there at all.

Toops is locked in for 2026.

[Roosterfarian]

Good idea if you can keep him on the field ,looks like Spencer has taken over jwh role now. Jwh would of been a good forward coach if he was to tell them to do something I bet you it would get done.

Spencer couldn't polish JWH's shoelaces.

[Rooster_6]

Coming into 2025 I thought the centres was going to be a real problematic area and admittedly it still may prove so because after our first choice options there’s no depth so injury may dictate otherwise but I’ve been really happy with what I have seen from Marky Mark & Toia in the centres so far in the trials and Round 1.

Both are sub 50 game NRL players so you have to expect there will be some fluctuations in form over the year but I think we need to move on from Manu. It was his choice to move on, we need to do the same. If something happens in the future then sure but for now we’ve got bigger problems than the centres to fix and Joey Manu doesn’t address any of those concerns.

[DP1990]

Why not both? Toia apparently predominantly played left centre, Manu of course played right centre, if Manu did somehow come back for next season then we could line up with Tedesco, Mark N, Toia, Manu and Dom Young, not a bad backline there at all.

With recent form, if anything the backline should look like the following:

1. Teddy
2. Toops
3. Billy Smith (if he can get on the field and not get injured within the first 5 minutes)
4. Toia
5. Mark N


Note: Dom Young is a liability in defence and should be dropped and sent to reserve grade to improve. Toops is solid, reliable and one of the veterans in the team so he's staying.

[DP1990]

I like Toia, lots of promise and hunger from the young lad. Can't wait to see him progress !

[Bates]

Coming into 2025 I thought the centres was going to be a real problematic area and admittedly it still may prove so because after our first choice options there’s no depth so injury may dictate otherwise but I’ve been really happy with what I have seen from Marky Mark & Toia in the centres so far in the trials and Round 1.

Both are sub 50 game NRL players so you have to expect there will be some fluctuations in form over the year but I think we need to move on from Manu. It was his choice to move on, we need to do the same. If something happens in the future then sure but for now we’ve got bigger problems than the centres to fix and Joey Manu doesn’t address any of those concerns.

If there was money set aside for Manu, would reallocating it to lure JWH back address and improve our position in your opinion?

[caz]

i'm thinking there's little chance of manu coming back and no chance for jwh

[Lydon]

i'm thinking there's little chance of manu coming back and no chance for jwh

Sounds good to me..

[Rooster_6]

If there was money set aside for Manu, would reallocating it to lure JWH back address and improve our position in your opinion?

I don't buy the JWH narrative that's being spun in the media, I think it's just lazy journalism, he made the decision to retire from the NRL. The choice to go to the super league was around longevity and it takes a lot to relocate a family to another country. I just don't think there would be the appetite on his end to return unless he's unhappy in England which doesn't seem to be the case at all.

However given the injuries to the Va'a boys and Seve deciding to give the game away I think a short term signing in the front row would be a logical decision. We have done it in the past signing players to 1yr or less deals like Nathan Brown, Matt Lodge, Luke O'donnell & Zane Tetevano to varying degrees of success.

[MKCS]

With recent form, if anything the backline should look like the following:

1. Teddy
2. Toops
3. Billy Smith (if he can get on the field and not get injured within the first 5 minutes)
4. Toia
5. Mark N


Note: Dom Young is a liability in defence should be dropped and sent to reserve grade to improve. Toops is solid, reliable and one of the veterans in the team so he's staying.

For 2025 I agree that Tupou should remain but he hasn't really had a great season in a while now, you could tell last year that he'd lost a step or two and from what we've seen of him this year it seems the same also. Do we really want to end 2026 with a 35 year old winger being our first choice?

With Dom Young, I agree that he's a complete liability in defence but he's also our best finisher and attacking player so he needs to remain until we have other players in attack that can make up for his loss.

I've said it before but I think we need one of Kotoni Staggs or Selwyn Cobbo for next year. Teddy, Mark N, Cobbo, Toia and Dom Young is a very good backline