Best 23 in 2025

[JLC]

I'd be looking at Quaynor.

Which key forward was it late last year that Quaynor did a job on as an undersized shut down defender? It might have even been Cameron. Whoever it was, Quaynor got the chocolates, and it's probably something to try again every now and then when there is a super mobile key forward on the opposition. We know we can't trust Moore to stick, so Quaynor isn't a bad option.

IQ did play on Cameron but Cameron was hampered and was not his normal mobile self.

That is not to say that IQ couldn't be a good option.

 

[Harry O]

Been a lot of love for Reef this pre season but with Jesse Hogan in opening round we might have to delay that move for a few rounds

Opening round team -

Maynard Moore Quaynor
Houston Howe J Daicos
Lipinski N Daicos Crisp
JDG Mihocek Schultz
Elliott McStay Hill
Cameron E Allan Perryman
Sidebottom McCreery Membrey Frampton Parker

Pendles Mitchell and WHE rested

 

[DopeMaster]

Been a lot of love for Reef this pre season but with Jesse Hogan in opening round we might have to delay that move for a few rounds

Opening round team -

Maynard Moore Quaynor
Houston Howe J Daicos
Lipinski N Daicos Crisp
JDG Mihocek Schultz
Elliott McStay Hill
Cameron E Allan Perryman
Sidebottom McCreery Membrey Frampton Parker

Pendles Mitchell and WHE rested

Why are we resting Pendles and WHE in round 1 again?

 

[Matrix10]

Why are we resting Pendles and WHE in round 1 again?

Need a rest after a gruelling 7 months of non contact training and Holidaying in Europe

 

[Jelly Bean]

Been a lot of love for Reef this pre season but with Jesse Hogan in opening round we might have to delay that move for a few rounds

Opening round team -

Maynard Moore Quaynor
Houston Howe J Daicos
Lipinski N Daicos Crisp
JDG Mihocek Schultz
Elliott McStay Hill
Cameron E Allan Perryman
Sidebottom McCreery Membrey Frampton Parker

Pendles Mitchell and WHE rested

yeah, I'd be pretty surprised if we rested Pendles in round 0...

We need to be 4-3 after our first 7 in my view - we will play full strength until then at least before we start thinking about strategically resting any of the oldies. The only time i am resting Pendles is if a) we are playing WCE in perth, North, or if he is feeling a little sore for any reason.

 

[Harry O]

yeah, I'd be pretty surprised if we rested Pendles in round 0...

We need to be 4-3 after our first 7 in my view - we will play full strength until then at least before we start thinking about strategically resting any of the oldies. The only time i am resting Pendles is if a) we are playing WCE in perth, North, or if he is feeling a little sore for any reason.

As we have seen over many years the pace of the game in early March is extreme. A young man’s game for a few rounds until normality sets in
Maybe sub vest for Pendles. Not sure he touched it in opening round first half last year

 

[cfc19902010]

Been a lot of love for Reef this pre season but with Jesse Hogan in opening round we might have to delay that move for a few rounds

Opening round team -

Maynard Moore Quaynor
Houston Howe J Daicos
Lipinski N Daicos Crisp
JDG Mihocek Schultz
Elliott McStay Hill
Cameron E Allan Perryman
Sidebottom McCreery Membrey Frampton Parker

Pendles Mitchell and WHE rested

Houston can’t play as suspended

 

[nahnah]

FB: Brayden Maynard, Billy Frampton, Isaac Quaynor
HB: Jeremy Howe, Darcy Moore, Dan Houston
C: Harry Perryman, Scott Pendlebury, Josh Daicos
HF: Bobby Hill, Dan McStay, Lachie Schultz
FF: Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Beau McCreery
FOLL: Darcy Cameron, Nick Daicos, Jordan De Goey
INT: Mason Cox, Jack Crisp, Steele Sidebottom , Will Hoskin-Elliott
Sub: Ed Allan

Depth around the mark:
Membrey
Parker
Lipinski
Markov
Dean
Sullivan
McInnes

Untried/ very limited exposure:
Jiath
DeMattia
Cochran
West
Hayes
Ryan
Smit
Steene

Break glass:
Macrae
Johnson
Long

Not sure of status for 2025:
Mitchell
Harrison


I prefer Josh on a wing than half back
Not confident at all in Mitchell's injury so have left him out
I'm a Cox guy.. for structure

 

[Jen2310]

If we go without Cox (if we play 2 rucks, then it'll either come down to WHE v Membrey)

Reef. Moore. Howe
Maynard. Houston. Josh D
Lippa. Crisp. Sidey
Cameron. Jordy. Nick
Hill. Mcstay. Schultz
Beau. Checkers. Jamie.
Int: Perryman. IQ. Pendles. Membrey.
Sub: WHE

You can lock in Josh at HB
And Lippa and Sidey on the wings. I've seen enough evidence from multiple match sims now.
I just dont know how the defence and forward line will line up. Once reef is recovered from his knock, we'll see. And Mcstay and WHE out there in match sim.

 

[Juan Ide]

If we go without Cox (if we play 2 rucks, then it'll either come down to WHE v Membrey)

Reef. Moore. Howe
Maynard. Houston. Josh D
Lippa. Crisp. Sidey
Cameron. Jordy. Nick
Hill. Mcstay. Schultz
Beau. Checkers. Jamie.
Int: Perryman. IQ. Pendles. Membrey.
Sub: WHE

You can lock in Josh at HB
And Lippa and Sidey on the wings. I've seen enough evidence from multiple match sims now.
I just dont know how the defence and forward line will line up. Once reef is recovered from his knock, we'll see. And Mcstay and WHE out there in match sim.

Cox in, Reef out for mine. Otherwise looks great.
Plenty of backline cover from Crisp, Sidey, Pendles & Perryman, as required...

 

[Jen2310]

Cox in, Reef out for mine. Otherwise looks great.
Plenty of backline cover from Crisp, Sidey, Pendles & Perryman, as required...

Its not cox v reef though. Those players you listed as the sort of role that Reef has been playing.
It'll be cox v Membrey v WHE
Its Reef v Frampton v Dean

 

[Jen2310]

I can't see Edward here. WTF Jen?
I'm losing my shit. Get him In there somehow. Christ!

I feel like he's competing with Perryman for a spot in the midfield.
He'll get opportunities with injuries.
Unless swap WHE out as sub for him. Just can't find a spot for him atm.. I'd like to but its bloody hard.

 

[Fat Jesus]

I feel like he's competing with Perryman for a spot in the midfield.
He'll get opportunities with injuries.
Unless swap WHE out as sub for him. Just can't find a spot for him atm.. I'd like to but its bloody hard.

Yes, I was joking ha. I know you also like the way he's been training.

 

[FromTheBoundaryLine]

If we go without Cox (if we play 2 rucks, then it'll either come down to WHE v Membrey)

Reef. Moore. Howe
Maynard. Houston. Josh D
Lippa. Crisp. Sidey
Cameron. Jordy. Nick
Hill. Mcstay. Schultz
Beau. Checkers. Jamie.
Int: Perryman. IQ. Pendles. Membrey.
Sub: WHE

You can lock in Josh at HB
And Lippa and Sidey on the wings. I've seen enough evidence from multiple match sims now.
I just dont know how the defence and forward line will line up. Once reef is recovered from his knock, we'll see. And Mcstay and WHE out there in match sim.

I’m intrigued by Josh Daicos’ move to half back. Do we intend to use both he and Houston as our distributors from half back? I had Josh earmarked for wing with some more stints in the middle myself.

 

[Jen2310]

I’m intrigued by Josh Daicos’ move to half back. Do we intend to use both he and Houston as our distributors from half back? I had Josh earmarked for wing with some more stints in the middle myself.

Looks that way.
There has been no sign of wing time or midfield in general for him. Hasn't been training or playing there all preseason. Guess they still like him off half back. Seems to work well with Houston off the half back line from what I can see.

 

[Vankri]

I’m intrigued by Josh Daicos’ move to half back. Do we intend to use both he and Houston as our distributors from half back? I had Josh earmarked for wing with some more stints in the middle myself.

I’m the other way. I was hoping we would stick with the half back experiment. People forget that whilst Josh was amazing in 23 (though lost some spark at the end of the season and in finals), he was far from that in 24 up until the move at half back.

My hope was that we got Perryman to be a defensively minded mid and hence Josh at HB. You can very easily swap them but to me our midfield lacked that defensive running and positioning especially once Mitchell went down.

I’m open to switching it back depending on how Perryman performs, plus Fly’s mantra is versatility so you’d expect lots of rotations in these two positions, but it’s my preferred set up at round zero.

You can also argue this setup allows us more flexibility in the middle (with the likes of Lipinski, Sidey, even Allan).

 

[sr36]

I’m intrigued by Josh Daicos’ move to half back. Do we intend to use both he and Houston as our distributors from half back? I had Josh earmarked for wing with some more stints in the middle myself.

Half backs get more of the ball. Wing is becoming a lower possession position, so it makes sense to have your best users at half back.

 

[sr36]

If we go without Cox (if we play 2 rucks, then it'll either come down to WHE v Membrey)

Reef. Moore. Howe
Maynard. Houston. Josh D
Lippa. Crisp. Sidey
Cameron. Jordy. Nick
Hill. Mcstay. Schultz
Beau. Checkers. Jamie.
Int: Perryman. IQ. Pendles. Membrey.
Sub: WHE

You can lock in Josh at HB
And Lippa and Sidey on the wings. I've seen enough evidence from multiple match sims now.
I just dont know how the defence and forward line will line up. Once reef is recovered from his knock, we'll see. And Mcstay and WHE out there in match sim.

I think that's a fair chance if we're fit.

The bolded 3 the ones who might miss out with Cox, Allan a chance to be in there ahead of Membrey and WHE and no idea in terms of Reef and other defenders.

 

[Jen2310]

I think that's a fair chance if we're fit.

The bolded 3 the ones who might miss out with Cox, Allan a chance to be in there ahead of Membrey and WHE and no idea in terms of Reef and other defenders.

Yeah it's hard to say atm. There are a couple pieces now evident, but some still left up in the air. We'll start to see more as we inch closer

 

[sr36]

Yeah it's hard to say atm. There are a couple pieces now evident, but some still left up in the air. We'll start to see more as we inch closer

I think there's about 20 who are locks to start the season if everyone is fit with about half a dozen battling it out for the last couple of spots. Possibly more than half a dozen if a couple end preseason flying.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Barring injury, I think Cox 100% plays. We are 14 - 4, 16 - 3 and 10 - 4 over the last 3 seasons when he plays.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Half backs get more of the ball. Wing is becoming a lower possession position, so it makes sense to have your best users at half back.

Does the wing position even exist any more? Wings are getting possessions basically across the whole ground these days.

 

[sr36]

Does the wing position even exist any more? Wings are getting possessions basically across the whole ground these days.

So are centre half forwards, but yeah it's a position or a role is probably a better term than position in the modern game.

 

[DopeMaster]

Half backs get more of the ball. Wing is becoming a lower possession position, so it makes sense to have your best users at half back.

Ah that actually sheds some light on the Daics situation for me.

Couldn’t figure out why we’d moved our AA winger to the half back line, only to replace him with Lipinski who IMO is right on the edge of the 22. Just couldn’t handle the heat in finals unfortunately.

 

[TheVillageIdiot7]

A legit question for those that have Membrey / Checks / McStay fwd.

What is it that demands we should go that way?
Specifically over the 2 ruck strategy we've favour?

I absolutely do not get the love for it.
i'm actually intrigued to hear about why we should go this path?