Just as an interesting exercise; (I have not heard any rumours)



If you had to put together the Wire team for 2013 that was capable of winning the GF/CC, who would you a) buy, or b) promote from our juniors, assuming we lost 3 key players; Hodgson and Briers to e.g. player / coaching jobs and Monas due to e.g. long term injury ?



I found this quite tough

Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders for a start.



1- Ratch would get that jersey.

6- O'Brien would play alongside Myler, bring in Luke Gale as cover.

9- I'd take a stab at Paul McShane if Daryl Clarke doesn't sign like rumours suggest.

Ideally i'd like -

a fullback

a centre

a halfback

and a prop

paul gallen

Sonny Bill Williams







no, seriously, I would

Would you consider moving Waterhouse / Harrison to prop and bringing in Currie to the interchange bench ?

And the other positions would be filled by the existing squad, but who would you put there ?

Nah, i would like a top notch Prop bringing in, although i could see harrison in the front row down the line.

Someone to replace Bridge !

Craig Bellamy

DAVID BELLAMY!!!!

Would love Gallen as well.



Ratchford will be FB long term.



So that leaves us with replacing Briers which I still think is sort of impossible.

they would be really good acquisitions

































If we have ambitions of finishing mid table.

We often see things the same way. I'd add a quality ball playing LF to that list too.



In other words most of our spine 1, 6/7, 13 needs replacing.



I do worry about 2013/14.

1 = Ratchford

6/7 = Myler/O'Brien - Though bringing in an experienced half may be required to replace Briers. Both players will have had a further experience/tutelage.

13 - Harrison/Grix



I don't think it is that desperate a situation, it could be a lot worse.



Obviously, Briers' replacement, be it internal or external is the biggest consideration.

I think we already have that in Grix.



If Briers weren't to be here next season (and I would sob myself to sleep at night if that happened) I think a nice marquee NRL signing would be good to bring on the Myler/O'briens of this world, someone in the mould of Thurston would be nice

i think we are now in a position where we don't need massive changes just tweeks so if gallen came in then an aussie would have to go so i will pressume hodgson.



fb - ratch 1st choice riley backup



wings - j monas, riley 1st choice evans, williams and helewell back up



centre - atkins, bridge 1st choice blythe, evans and shaw backup



halfbacks - briers, myler 1st choice o'brien, ratch back up



props - carvell, hill 1st choice wood, cooper, harrison, gallen back up



hooker - m monas 1st choice higham, dwyer backup



2nd row - westwood, waterhouse 1st choice harrison, tyke, blythe, currie, grix, laithewaite backup



loose - gallen 1st choice grix, harrison, cooper, currie back up



plus the acadamy products out on dual registration i think we are more than covered for next season

Thought we still had a spare spot as we didn't replace King on the Quota? As Waterhouse replaced Anderson.

thought quota went down

Dave Taylor.

I'd forget trying to get any NRL players - salary cap increases there will see anyone decent enough to improve our squad staying firmly put. The NRL teams are sorting there squads already for 2013 & shuffling players around looking beyond that. Given that they are also looking to improve squad depth the players left over after that i'd be reluctant to go after.



You'd need to be looking closer to home at the like os Dureau, etc

...is an absolute monster with a good pair of hands, can't see him leaving Souths though, they're building something there.

I thought he'd already signed for Gold Coast for next season and beyond. Ben T'eo in to replace him.

No point wasting your money on him when Gareth Hock is a better player.







Rock 'n' Roll

He did, for four years. I think there is still ongoing concerns about the Titans finacial viability.