NRL young talent - how does ours compare?

[Guest]

We have already locked up Tom Symonds, Ben Jones, Jake Friend, Ryan Williamson and Boyd Cordner long-term, so that is a start. Let us look at the players who will be too old for the NYC next year firstly. Those are:

Luke Towers - keep
Martin Kennedy - keep
Mose Masoe - keep
Sandor Earl - keep
Mark Talanoa
Robbie Williams
Ben Murray
Ray Tafokitau
Dylan Sharp

We already know that O'Sullivan has wraps on Mose Masoe, and I believe he is under contract for another year or two. He has been injury prone though, but he has the size and aggression to be something special if he works on his consistency. Martin Kennedy and Sandor Earl have both played first grade, and are bright prospects worth being retained IMO. Towers is just a natural talent who is also as wholehearted as they come, plays well above his weight, he is skillful and can break the line too. The rest aren't really worth mentioning, just a bunch of backrowers and centres who haven't really shown any sort of form warranting new contracts (although Dylan Sharp is pretty gutsy).

As for the rest...the key players still eligible for next seasons NYC who have looked outstanding prospects this year that we should hold onto and keep an eye on are:

- Cheyse Blair (fullback/centre)
- Isaac Maliota (prop)
- Dane Cordner (prop/backrow)
- Olireti Samuela (hooker)
- Ethan Lowe (backrow)

Blair is a rangy and fast outside back with loads of potential, and I know for sure that O'Sullivan rates that kid very highly. Maliota and Cordner are great frontrowers, Maliota being an explosive runner, while Cordner is more of a Myles-type mongrel enforcer. Samuela is a nippy hooker who can actually run from dummy half and give our team a roll on. And Ethan Lowe is a young kid who has been outplaying some of the more experienced backrowers, with a tremendous workrate.

All the rest aren't anything flash. Jerome Leolahi has been an honest toiler, as has Andrew Clayton, while Anthony Gelling, Sam Brunton, Valeni Tia Tia and Tom Pelo have had sparks of brilliance, but none have really shown anything that warrants them being retained as NRL prospects. Tim Condon, Matt Hands, Jacob Miller and Brad Murray have all failed to really nail any of the halves positions. I would love to see more of Fine Moeakiola, but injuries have stunted his season. All are eligible for NYC still next season however, so expect to see a fair few of them running around again.

So in summary, the kids I'd be looking forward to seeing retained for at least another year to come are:

Luke Towers (Jets)
Martin Kennedy (Jets)
Mose Masoe (Jets)
Sandor Earl (Jets)
Dane Cordner (NYC)
Olireti Samuela (NYC)
Ethan Lowe (NYC)
Isaac Maliota (NYC)
Cheyse Blair (NYC)

...plus the aforementioned Boyd Cordner, Ben Jones, Jake Friend, Tom Symonds and Ryan Williamson, who are odds on to playing First Grade anyway.

[Guest]

We have already locked up Tom Symonds, Ben Jones, Jake Friend, Ryan Williamson and Boyd Cordner long-term, so that is a start. Let us look at the players who will be too old for the NYC next year firstly. Those are:

Luke Towers - keep
Martin Kennedy - keep
Mose Masoe - keep
Sandor Earl - keep
Mark Talanoa
Robbie Williams
Ben Murray
Ray Tafokitau
Dylan Sharp

We already know that O'Sullivan has wraps on Mose Masoe, and I believe he is under contract for another year or two. He has been injury prone though, but he has the size and aggression to be something special if he works on his consistency. Martin Kennedy and Sandor Earl have both played first grade, and are bright prospects worth being retained IMO. Towers is just a natural talent who is also as wholehearted as they come, plays well above his weight, he is skillful and can break the line too. The rest aren't really worth mentioning, just a bunch of backrowers and centres who haven't really shown any sort of form warranting new contracts (although Dylan Sharp is pretty gutsy).

As for the rest...the key players still eligible for next seasons NYC who have looked outstanding prospects this year that we should hold onto and keep an eye on are:

- Cheyse Blair (fullback/centre)
- Isaac Maliota (prop)
- Dane Cordner (prop/backrow)
- Olireti Samuela (hooker)
- Ethan Lowe (backrow)

Blair is a rangy and fast outside back with loads of potential, and I know for sure that O'Sullivan rates that kid very highly. Maliota and Cordner are great frontrowers, Maliota being an explosive runner, while Cordner is more of a Myles-type mongrel enforcer. Samuela is a nippy hooker who can actually run from dummy half and give our team a roll on. And Ethan Lowe is a young kid who has been outplaying some of the more experienced backrowers, with a tremendous workrate.

All the rest aren't anything flash. Jerome Leolahi has been an honest toiler, as has Andrew Clayton, while Anthony Gelling, Sam Brunton, Valeni Tia Tia and Tom Pelo have had sparks of brilliance, but none have really shown anything that warrants them being retained as NRL prospects. Tim Condon, Matt Hands, Jacob Miller and Brad Murray have all failed to really nail any of the halves positions. I would love to see more of Fine Moeakiola, but injuries have stunted his season. All are eligible for NYC still next season however, so expect to see a fair few of them running around again.

So in summary, the kids I'd be looking forward to seeing retained for at least another year to come are:

Luke Towers (Jets)
Martin Kennedy (Jets)
Mose Masoe (Jets)
Sandor Earl (Jets)
Dane Cordner (NYC)
Olireti Samuela (NYC)
Ethan Lowe (NYC)
Isaac Maliota (NYC)
Cheyse Blair (NYC)

...plus the aforementioned Boyd Cordner, Ben Jones, Jake Friend, Tom Symonds and Ryan Williamson, who are odds on to playing First Grade anyway.

You are a genius. Love your work.

I'll throw in my two cents as well and we'll see how it compares.

There's the obvious players like Cordner, Jones, Williamson, Symonds and Williamson who would be tied up for the next few years already.

Looking at players who will be too old for NYC next year, I'd keep exactly who you said.

Sandor Earl
Martin Kennedy
Mose Masoe
Luke Towers

Earl is in the NRL team at the moment and doesn't seem to be out of his depth so I'd keep him. Towers is just a freak, does things that nobody else can just with his sheer ablity to evade the defence. But is prone to the stupid odd mistake, like kicking on the first tackle. Kennedy debuted this year and has had his season disrupted by injury but when on the field and 100% fit, he looks the goods. Masoe is just a plain monster. He played one game of Toyota Cup this season against the Broncos and he was just about the best player on the field that night. Takes 4 or 5 defenders to stop him and is unstoppable from about 10 metres out.

Now onto players who are eligible for next year's Toyota Cup competition, there are several players who I highly rate. The following are a must to be retained:

Cheyse Blair
Isaac Maliota
Fine Moeakiola
Olireti Samuela

These four players are the pick of the bunch still eligible for Under 20's for next year. Blair is still eligible for SG Ball next season but has enormous talent and plays way beyond his years. Is a very good fullback and should improve even more next year. He is a very good chance of making the Australian Schoolboys this year. Reminds me of Josh Dugan. Maliota is coming along very nicely.. Has a very aggressive style of play and is always willing to put up his hand for some work. Being a prop, it will take him several more years to develop into an NRL standard prop but the signs are there of a good prop in the making. Is a Stanley-Waqa clone. Moeakiola has been injured for most of his two years with the club but was apparently rated as the brightest prospect in years to come through at the Bulldogs alongside Idris a few years back. If he stays injury-free, will play first grade next year at some stage. Reminds me of a young Lote Tuqiri. Samuela has the skillset to be a successful hooker. Takes on the line occasionally and is very good at engaging the markers. Can be our third-string hooker next year behind Friend and James Aubusson and would not look out of place if he debuted next season. He reminds me of Cameron Smith in the way he gets out of the dummy half and gets the team going forward.

[Guest]

I think Maliota has a more well-rounded game than Stanley Waqa. Either way, obviously the club rates Williamson, Symonds, Pearce, Friend, Cherrington (has he re-signed?), Jones, B Cordner and the newly signed Warea-Hargreaves very highly, hence the long-term contracts in place for these blokes. I would just like to know what the clubs stance is on:

The current Jets players, in particular Rohan Ahern, Matthew Hall, Stanley Waqa, Sonny Tuigamala and Tu'u Maori...

The U20 players who will be 21 next year, in particular Luke Towers, Martin Kennedy, Mose Masoe and Sandor Earl...

...and the U20 players who will be still in the NYC next year, in particular Isaac Maliota, Cheyse Blair, Olireti Samuela, Dane Cordner, Ethan Lowe and Fine Moeakiola.

The rest, I very much doubt will make top firstgraders.

[Guest]

I think Maliota has a more well-rounded game than Stanley Waqa. Either way, obviously the club rates Williamson, Symonds, Pearce, Friend, Cherrington (has he re-signed?), Jones, B Cordner and the newly signed Warea-Hargreaves very highly, hence the long-term contracts in place for these blokes. I would just like to know what the clubs stance is on:

The current Jets players, in particular Rohan Ahern, Matthew Hall, Stanley Waqa, Sonny Tuigamala and Tu'u Maori...

The U20 players who will be 21 next year, in particular Luke Towers, Martin Kennedy, Mose Masoe and Sandor Earl...

...and the U20 players who will be still in the NYC next year, in particular Isaac Maliota, Cheyse Blair, Olireti Samuela, Dane Cordner, Ethan Lowe and Fine Moeakiola.

The rest, I very much doubt will make top firstgraders.

I've been very suprised that Tu'u Maori has not appeared in first grade this year. He played very well in the World Cup at the end of last season and didn't look out of place playing against the Kangaroos and the Kiwis. Hopefully he gets retained as he's a very good player, just needs an opportunity.

I think our NYC team will do well next season. We've got some very good players who are eligible and hopefully there are not many injuries or suspensions like this season.

[supermario]

Just watching the Dragons V Manly match, Warea-Hargraves started the game at 2nd row, but was playing like a 3rd prop. hit hard, but just a bit quiet at them moment.

[Guest]

Mack what do you think of Rohan Ahern?

Last season I saw him playing NYC and he was an absolute gun. He had a shoulder reconstruction mid-season last year and has never been the same.

[Guest]

He has lost his offload, as well as his impact at the line.

He was always a staunch worker in attack and defense, but really he doesn't offer any more than what Aubusson, Symonds or Kouparitsas offers at lock.

Like I said before, I don't see a long term future at the club for any of the current Roosters-contracted Jets regulars - Sonny Tuigamala, Rohan Ahern, Matthew Hall, Tu'u Maori and Stanley Waqa. The only one I can see us keeping is Cherrington and maybe Sisa Waqa.

The best thing to do is focus on holding onto the best of the graduating U20's players from this season the way we did with Tom Symonds - Luke Towers, Mose Masoe, Martin Kennedy, Sandor Earl - these blokes will be shifting between Jets and First Grade next year. Next move is to look around at the better players in other NYC teams who will be too old for the competition and make decent offers - similar to what we did with Warea-Hargreaves.

Lastly, we need to pick out the long-term potential players in our U20's team now and develop them at a solid rate a bit like the way we are treating Ryan Williamson - the Cordner boys, Isaac Malioa, Ethan Lowe, Fine Moeakiola, Cheyse Blair.

[Guest]

I think we should keep Stanley Waqa and Rohan Ahern. I see potential in these two as well as Tu'u Maori. The problem is we have a lot of kids and we just need to pick the ones that have the most potential and develop them. As with any club, we just can not keep all of them. Waqa will only get better and same with Ahern. Blair won't be ready by next year and needs a bit more time. Same with Ethan Lowe and Maliota. The Cordner's might be ready by next year, especially Boyd. Williamson, Towers and Moeakiola will be ready by next year and they should be competing for spots come early next year. They'll be ready because they're outside backs. They are all potent players on their day. But it still remains to be seen whether they can handle the grind of NRL week in, week out.

[Pass the Ball]

John Sutton would be the last person on earth i would pay to play football..

Biggest imposter in the NRL...

I woke up on saturday morning and my kids said, "What's that all over your face, Dad"...

I knew it was the egg from John Sutton...

[Kingbilly]

I woke up on saturday morning and my kids said, "What's that all over your face, Dad"...

I knew it was the egg from John Sutton...

I predict you will be able to wipe that egg off your face soon.
He will come crashing down. (hopefully)

He is even dumber than Trent Barrett

[Cockadoodledoo]

I predict you will be able to wipe that egg off your face soon.
He will come crashing down. (hopefully)

He is even dumber than Trent Barrett

He craps over Sa from a great height though..