Will we have the youngest team in the comp next year?

[Guest]

Theoretically, going by the age they will be next year:

Anthony Minichiello - 30
Sam Perrett - 25
Mitchell Aubusson - 23
Setaimata Sa - 23 (although they are more likely to pick a young centre)
Shaun Kenny-Dowall - 22
Todd Carney - 24
Mitchell Pearce - 20
Lopini Paea - 26
Jake Friend - 20
FP Nuuausala - 23
Willie Mason - 30
Nate Myles - 25
Braith Anasta - 28

Ben Jones - 20
Tom Symonds - 21
Anthony Cherrington - 22
Jared Warea-Hargreaves - 21

That is an average age of around 23-24. What other teams would be close to that? Probably the Canberra Raiders?

Even most of our depth are relatively young next year, with fringe players like Aiden Guerra (22), Daniel Conn (24), James Aubusson (24), Nick Kouparitsas (26), Martin Kennedy (21), Mose Masoe (21), Stanley Waqa (22), Sisa Waqa (24) are all still pretty youthful, and even some of the guys with their futures up in the air, like Luke Towers (21), Mark Talanoa (21), Sandor Earl (21), Sonny Tuigamala (22), Tu'u Maori (22), Rohan Ahern (22), Smith Samau (24) and Riley Brown (26) are still young.

I'm not sure about Hauraki and Moujalli, but I believe both are a little bit older.

Is there a record for the youngest top 25 named?

[Geohood]

By interest what was the average age of our team at about the season of 2000?

[Roosterfarian]

I like the subtle way you use a topic on players ages to mask your addiction to naming 65 players in one post mun.

[Guest]

Actually mun, de ganja in meh system would not give meh da mental logik to do such a ting...

...mun.

[novice chook]

Their physical age is not as important as their 'mental' age.

Some players mature faster than others.

You can have one 20 year old who acts and thinks like a 16 year old and another who acts and thinks like a 25 year old.


NC

[BUDDY]

For any 2010 teams posted, can we pleeeeeease replace SKD with someone else or "N/A".

It just gives me the shivers at the thought he will be there next year.

[Guest]

Their physical age is not as important as their 'mental' age.

Some players mature faster than others.

You can have one 20 year old who acts and thinks like a 16 year old and another who acts and thinks like a 25 year old.


NC

The mental age is hard to gauge though. I guess you can see it in playing style, but we haven't seen enough of the likes of Symonds yet to see his level of maturity. Personally, I think Nuuausala matured tremendously from last year. In 2008, he was error-prone, ill-disciplined, lacked fitness and consistency - all the signs of a younger mental age. However this season ,he has seemed to overcome lots of his previous shortcomings.

[novice chook]

From what I saw of Symonds he seemed a very mature player for his age mentally - there was little sign of panic in his decisions in attack or defence and he looked liked he belonged in first grade from game 1.

Compare that with someone like SKD for example, who always looks as though he's in two minds and whose facial expressions telegraph his indecision to the oppostion (let alone the supporters). And another player like Sonny T who looked like a rabbit in headlights every time the ball or the opposition came anywhere near him.

Mitch Pearce is one that fluctuates in mental maturity. He can play like a seasoned pro one set and then be guilty of a brain explosion the next. I suspect that's a insight into his persona generally.


NC

[melon....]

The mental age is hard to gauge though. I guess you can see it in playing style, but we haven't seen enough of the likes of Symonds yet to see his level of maturity. Personally, I think Nuuausala matured tremendously from last year. In 2008, he was error-prone, ill-disciplined, lacked fitness and consistency - all the signs of a younger mental age. However this season ,he has seemed to overcome lots of his previous shortcomings.

This year he was just error-proned, ill-disciplined, lacked fitness, but at least he's now consistent. :-)

[Guest]

5 errors in 20 games (the first of which was in Round 15).

Averaged 13 runs for 95 metres, 19 tackles and 45 minutes per game when starting at prop , as well as clocking up a season total of 37 offloads (8th in the NRL, behind guys like B Harrison, A Tupou and J Sutton).

His only poor games were mainly the ones in which he started on the bench, and even in those games, he had a few good ones.

Your bias against big FPN is strange Melon. Even guys like Mario know that this kid has a huge future and he is showing glimpses of serious potential this year.

[Guest]

Your bias against big FPN is strange Melon. Even guys like Mario know that this kid has a huge future and he is showing glimpses of serious potential this year.

I also reckon FPN is hopeless.

[Vasco]

I think he's a bench player. Too slow around the ruck. In fact, most of our forwards are.

[Chookies74]

FPN and Lopini, both...
have lots of talent
play well in patches
need a dose of harden the f*ck up

Hopefully Mr Smith can get inside their heads and get them game-on all the time.

[Guest]

FNP is a typical Islander..

Big & strong...But struggles with fitness..

He is as fit as he's ever been this year....& he still has nothing in 2nd halves..

That is when the dropped balls while trying to play it,& the lateral misses kick in..

Plus his go-forward disappears after the break too..

I'm stunned that people on here rate him AT ALL..

We need Morley & Cusack type props..guys who can maintain quality in their games for 80 minutes..

Too many Islanders in our pack at the moment..

[Vasco]

FNP is a typical Islander..

Big & strong...But struggles with fitness..

He is as fit as he's ever been this year....& he still has nothing in 2nd halves..

That is when the dropped balls while trying to play it,& the lateral misses kick in..

Plus his go-forward disappears after the break too..

I'm stunned that people on here rate him AT ALL..

We need Morley & Cusack type props..guys who can maintain quality in their games for 80 minutes..

Too many Islanders in our pack at the moment..

I heard not long ago that one of the junior competitions (SG Ball or Harold Matthews) had something like 65% Polynesians.

So get used to having "too many".