Player contracts

[supermario]

There's a rumour going around that Luke Towers is close to signing with the Sharks. Don't know how true this is but if anybody knows anything, please post it up here. Also we've apparently signed kid by the name of Danny White, a five-eighth from Keebra Park High in Queensland. Is currently playing Arrive Alive Cup with Keebra so he might pop on tv soon when Keebra get televised.

I will back that up, Towers will not be re-signed by the club

[Rooster_6]

I'd take Dylan Sharp over Brad Takairangi. I just can't understand why we would sign Takairangi into our fulltime squad for next season. Dylan Sharp is exactly what you said, isn't too flash but hits hard in defence and takes the ball up when nobody else is doing it.

Takairangi is a ball player, I'd say he's a replacement for Sa who they are looking to offload. He'll be 3rd in line as the ball-playing backrow behind Cherro then Koups imo.

[Rooster_6]

I will back that up, Towers will not be re-signed by the club

Interesting, my source is someone who used to play in the Roosters Under 20's... he did tell me this a good month ago though so who knows, stuff changes I guess.

[Guest]

I will back that up, Towers will not be re-signed by the club

Why is this? He clearly has a lot of talent that we can develop. A local junior as well which is a massive bonus. He'd be a very good depth signing for our outside backs stocks next season.

[Guest]

Takairangi is a ball player, I'd say he's a replacement for Sa who they are looking to offload. He'll be 3rd in line as the ball-playing backrow behind Cherro then Koups imo.

I don't think Takairangi was a good signing IMO. There are plenty of other players we could have signed if we wanted a ball-playing backrower. One player in particular that comes to mind that can be a real success as a ball-playing backrower is Martin Taupau from the Bulldogs NYC. This kid toys with players in the NYC. Has the size, strength and the game to be successful.

[Guest]

There are two other ballplaying backrowers in the NYC who are FAR better than Takairangi, and also actually contribute in hitting the ball up and making tackles too - Troyden Watere (NQLD Cowboys) and Daniel Penese (Penrith Panthers).

I see Cherrington as Mason's replacement in 2011, to be completely honest. I would expect him to not play TOO much first-grade next year, maybe a dozen or so games, but once Mason leaves, Cherrington will step in for him.

I also expect young Mose Masoe to eventually step in and replace Paea as our consistently explosive and devastating impact prop, whilst regarding Boyd Cordner, I honestly believe Conn will play the worker role next season, but by 2011, young Boyd will be ready for the big time.

I highly rate Ethan Lowe (as a tackling lock), Isaac Maliota (as an explosive prop), Dane Cordner (as a mongrel like Nate) and Martin Kennedy (as a high workrate frontrower) but I struggle to see these guys getting much of a look-in behind the more obvious prospects such as Waerea-Hargreaves, Myles, Nuuausala, Cherrington, Symonds and the highly rated Boyd Cordner, who will make up our pack for years to come.

[Guest]

There are two other ballplaying backrowers in the NYC who are FAR better than Takairangi, and also actually contribute in hitting the ball up and making tackles too - Troyden Watere (NQLD Cowboys) and Daniel Penese (Penrith Panthers).

I see Cherrington as Mason's replacement in 2011, to be completely honest. I would expect him to not play TOO much first-grade next year, maybe a dozen or so games, but once Mason leaves, Cherrington will step in for him.

I also expect young Mose Masoe to eventually step in and replace Paea as our consistently explosive and devastating impact prop, whilst regarding Boyd Cordner, I honestly believe Conn will play the worker role next season, but by 2011, young Boyd will be ready for the big time.

I highly rate Ethan Lowe (as a tackling lock), Isaac Maliota (as an explosive prop), Dane Cordner (as a mongrel like Nate) and Martin Kennedy (as a high workrate frontrower) but I struggle to see these guys getting much of a look-in behind the more obvious prospects such as Waerea-Hargreaves, Myles, Nuuausala, Cherrington, Symonds and the highly rated Boyd Cordner, who will make up our pack for years to come.

You are definitely spot on. We've got a range of different types of forwards coming through the grades as you've mentioned but they are stuck behind our more senior prospects who are also relatively young as well. To be honest, I just can't see how Daniel Conn would fit into the pack, even though you've mentioned him as being in the worker role. Symonds seems to have a good workrate and offers more as well being a wide-running backrower.

On Penese and Watene, these two are absolutely miles ahead of Takairangi in terms of development at the moment but I'd imagine they've been locked up by the Panthers and Cowboys respectively. Mack have you seen big Martin Taupau from the Bulldogs? Watched him play on Monday night, tore our NYC to pieces and as highly as I rate Martin Kennedy, Taupau made him look like a little boy.

[Rooster_6]

I don't think Takairangi was a good signing IMO. There are plenty of other players we could have signed if we wanted a ball-playing backrower. One player in particular that comes to mind that can be a real success as a ball-playing backrower is Martin Taupau from the Bulldogs NYC. This kid toys with players in the NYC. Has the size, strength and the game to be successful.

Takairangi would've cost peanuts, Taupau wouldn't... he'd crack our 25 man squad and we've already signed arguably the best second rower in the Under 20 competition. There's the difference why one was signed and the other/others were not. Takairangi's problem is not talent it's his work rate... something the club obviously feel they could work on.

[Guest]

Takairangi would've cost peanuts, Taupau wouldn't... he'd crack our 25 man squad and we've already signed arguably the best second rower in the Under 20 competition. There's the difference why one was signed and the other/others were not. Takairangi's problem is not talent it's his work rate... something the club obviously feel they could work on.

That's true. But just seeing Taupau play on Monday night, he just annihilated our NYC. I'd put him up there with Jared Wearea-Hargreaves. Hopefully the club can work on Takairangi and turn him into a solid FG player.

[Rooster_6]

There are two other ballplaying backrowers in the NYC who are FAR better than Takairangi, and also actually contribute in hitting the ball up and making tackles too - Troyden Watere (NQLD Cowboys) and Daniel Penese (Penrith Panthers).

I see Cherrington as Mason's replacement in 2011, to be completely honest. I would expect him to not play TOO much first-grade next year, maybe a dozen or so games, but once Mason leaves, Cherrington will step in for him.

I also expect young Mose Masoe to eventually step in and replace Paea as our consistently explosive and devastating impact prop, whilst regarding Boyd Cordner, I honestly believe Conn will play the worker role next season, but by 2011, young Boyd will be ready for the big time.

I highly rate Ethan Lowe (as a tackling lock), Isaac Maliota (as an explosive prop), Dane Cordner (as a mongrel like Nate) and Martin Kennedy (as a high workrate frontrower) but I struggle to see these guys getting much of a look-in behind the more obvious prospects such as Waerea-Hargreaves, Myles, Nuuausala, Cherrington, Symonds and the highly rated Boyd Cordner, who will make up our pack for years to come.

Cherrington is nothing like Mason, he's a good ball player who is only effect wide of the ruck. If anything Mose will be the most likely to replace Mason, but then again I don't actually think we need to replace Mason if he leaves just put in someone like Symonds who can gain a lot of metres and play 60+ metres. However I get the feeling Mase will stick around so a bit pointless now to through hypotheticals around.

[Rooster_6]

That's true. But just seeing Taupau play on Monday night, he just annihilated our NYC. I'd put him up there with Jared Wearea-Hargreaves. Hopefully the club can work on Takairangi and turn him into a solid FG player.

Warea-Hargeraves is an enforcer... I don't expect him to dominate the NYC in the same way a ball runner/ball player like Taupau does. Defence isn't exactly on the highlight reels of the Under 20's.... it's why players like Taupau perform so well. A little early to compare them imo.

[Guest]

There is a few NYC props that seem to almost toy with the blokes in the NYC.

Last year, Russell Packer, Aiden Tolman, Sam McKendry, Trent Merrin, Leeson Ah Mau, James Tamou, Tim Mannah, Tohi Leha and Robert Worsely were the ones who seemed to churn through the metres at a huge rate, in a devastating manner.

This year, Tolman, Packer, Tamou and Mannah are regular first-graders, Worsely, Lega and Darby haven't had chances. Ah Mau, McKendry and Merrin continues to destroy packs in the U20's, but now they are competing with the seriously dominating props Siosaia Vave and Tinirau Arona (who were regular bench impact men last year), as well as more explosive kids like Martin Taupau, Jesse Bromwich, Andrew Fifita and David Hala, all of whom have the unbelievable ability to break the line for such sizable kids.

Our best U20's prop this year has been Isaac Maliota, who is good but probably about midrange in terms of the U20's props. And as far as I am concerned, only the cream of the crop will make it to first grade. We will definitely see plenty of Merrin, Ah Mau, Vave, Arona, Bromwich, Taupau, McKendry and Hala in years to come - they are THE top of the props.

Fifita is tremendously strong but has awful mobility and fitness, but you never know, he could make it big. Most of the others like Maliota, Dunamic Lui, Brad Lupi, Shaun Spring...they are all middle-ground.

[Guest]

Cherrington is nothing like Mason, he's a good ball player who is only effect wide of the ruck. If anything Mose will be the most likely to replace Mason, but then again I don't actually think we need to replace Mason if he leaves just put in someone like Symonds who can gain a lot of metres and play 60+ metres. However I get the feeling Mase will stick around so a bit pointless now to through hypotheticals around.

Cherrington has the size to do well in the middle too, he just is too young to learn how to use his frame properly.

It took Nuuausala 2 years to learn how to hit the line in the right fashion so that he can continue driving his legs and search for an offload, it is why forwards developing is so much harder.

[Guest]

There is a few NYC props that seem to almost toy with the blokes in the NYC.

Last year, Russell Packer, Aiden Tolman, Sam McKendry, Trent Merrin, Leeson Ah Mau, James Tamou, Tim Mannah, Tohi Leha and Robert Worsely were the ones who seemed to churn through the metres at a huge rate, in a devastating manner.

This year, Tolman, Packer, Tamou and Mannah are regular first-graders, Worsely, Lega and Darby haven't had chances. Ah Mau, McKendry and Merrin continues to destroy packs in the U20's, but now they are competing with the seriously dominating props Siosaia Vave and Tinirau Arona (who were regular bench impact men last year), as well as more explosive kids like Martin Taupau, Jesse Bromwich, Andrew Fifita and David Hala, all of whom have the unbelievable ability to break the line for such sizable kids.

Our best U20's prop this year has been Isaac Maliota, who is good but probably about midrange in terms of the U20's props. And as far as I am concerned, only the cream of the crop will make it to first grade. We will definitely see plenty of Merrin, Ah Mau, Vave, Arona, Bromwich, Taupau, McKendry and Hala in years to come - they are THE top of the props.

Fifita is tremendously strong but has awful mobility and fitness, but you never know, he could make it big. Most of the others like Maliota, Dunamic Lui, Brad Lupi, Shaun Spring...they are all middle-ground.

The top props are so mobile you could put them in the centres and they'd still have the same impact. It's unbelievable how agile and mobile some props are these days. Maliota has most definitely been our best prop this year, but is not as agile as the top props in the NYC. But in saying this, he is an impact prop, much like Nuusuala and maybe if we persist with him, he will come good. We've got some really good young kids coming through the grades and even though results have not shown it, the talent is there. From last year's NYC side, 9 have played NRL football this season. That is amazing considering we came 2nd last in 2008. This year's team has already produced Tom Symonds and Martin Kennedy and I'm expecting Masoe, Williamson, Moeakiola, Towers, Dane Cordner and Boyd Cordner to join them in the next season or two. Whether these guys play well enough to retain a spot in the top grade remains to be seen.

[Guest]

Warea-Hargeraves is an enforcer... I don't expect him to dominate the NYC in the same way a ball runner/ball player like Taupau does. Defence isn't exactly on the highlight reels of the Under 20's.... it's why players like Taupau perform so well. A little early to compare them imo.

Defence is absolutely atrocious in the NYC. I'm not sure they practice doing any defensive drills in NYC. The amount of points scored in every game is terrible. But I guess you take more risks in the NYC than you would in the NRL. Though that is why the Toyota Cup is exciting to watch.