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Message: [QUOTE="McHunt, post: 3512271, member: 9853"] I'm pretty happy with the entire team at the moment. Our spine was substantially weaker/greener than Penrith's tonight but even so, I think we put in a finals worthy performance. I have concerns, sure, but in contrast to previous seasons, we're seeing the same team each week. And they're starting to look like a team. The least of our concerns is effort. Even our weakest look like they're giving their all. No one gets dropped for bludging. Breaking it down: 1. Walsh: future of club. Electric, plucky, and a little too error prone now. But enjoy this raw phase while you can. He won't be this fast forever. But he will be the Australian fullback. No concern. 2. Oates: in my team until he's not. Plenty of pressure from below. No concern. 3. Staggs: could do more with the ball, but everything else, superb. No concern. 4. Herbie: a hog but makes up for it through workload. Reasonable concern replacing him. 5. Cobbo: gifted, but bumbling. Some concern about commitment and attention. 6. Mam: work in progress. Building a premiership worthy combo with Walsh. Unconvincing game manager, especially kicking. Still green, so no concern yet. 7. Reynolds: key to our success. Must play for us to win. Major succession concern. 8. Jensen: good enough, but should be worried about who's coming up through the grades. No concern. 9. Billy: serviceable, but lacks footie smarts, which matters if Reynolds is out. Widely held concern about this position, but not a crisis. 10. Haas: has lifted another notch this season. Next notch is sending the opposition off limping. Only concern is securing him forever. 11. Capewell: one of the best support players in the comp. Plays more like a centre than a second row. Possibly better suited to the bench. Some concern he might be getting past his prime. 12. Riki: coming into his own this season. No concern. 13. Patty: future captain. No concern. 14. Paix: other half of the hooking tag team. Both will do, but neither are outstanding. Neither offer much spark off the bench. One will have to go. And it's likely to be Cory. Widespread concern, but not as much as in the preseason. 15. Flegler: good enough, sometimes great. Better off the bench. Big concern replacing him. 16. Hetherington: good enough. Should start feeling pressure from lower grades. No concern. 17. Taupau: probably good enough. No concern, but might not have won an extension yet. 18. Arthars: excellent injury cover. No concern. 19. Madden: too soon to tell. But looks like Croft MK II. Major concern if he's earmarked as Reynold's successor. Backs: depth is fabulous. Spine: depth is weak. Forwards: depth is unknown, but some promising youngsters coming through. TL;DR: I think we can make top 4 with the cattle on hand, but realistically expecting to last the entire season with the squad intact is wishful thinking. Then we're in trouble. Our spine relies on Billy/Paix shovelling towards our brilliant backs, but falls apart without Reynolds, Mam or Walsh. Dummy half isn't an immediate problem for us, but it's not our strength, and it's exposed when we lose one of our spine. Next year we need a half behind Reynolds who's more convincing than Madden is now, more game management skill from our dummy half and more spark from our bench utility. Or at least 2 of those 3. [/QUOTE]

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