Recruitment and retention

mr_c said:

could see that coming with us getting riely price who i been told has impressed the house down , would't not suprises if saw him upgraded also be intresting to see what lewis / oryn does both i was told they were looking at options too

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Oryn didnt take his opportunity like i thought he might. Fortunate for him

Liverbird with Phins up said:

Oryn didnt take his opportunity like i thought he might. Fortunate for him

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When the injuries became too much, Oryn seemed to throw in the towel a bit. Didn't want to step up and be a forward leader. Lacked the confidence perhaps. It was disappointing but perhaps understandable. We need him at 100% next year. Running around with Tom Gilbert tackling everything that moves at least. We have some good attacking forwards, like Donoghue, Lemuelu, Flegler, Safiti and JMK but need to tighten up the defence.

Riley Price is nearly 2yrs older than Oryn Keeley.

Keeley has played 24 NRL games and 39 lower grade games including the 2024 State Final where he was player of the match by many lengths in the only win a QLD based side has had in the last decade.

Price has played 3 NRL games including the one where Penrith rested 16 players and 72 lower grade games.

Price won't be replacing Keeley anytime soon. He's a signing for Redcliffe who is a very solid second tier player.

Red said:

When the injuries became too much, Oryn seemed to throw in the towel a bit. Didn't want to step up and be a forward leader. Lacked the confidence perhaps. It was disappointing but perhaps understandable. We need him at 100% next year. Running around with Tom Gilbert tackling everything that moves at least. We have some good attacking forwards, like Donoghue, Lemuelu, Flegler, Safiti and JMK but need to tighten up the defence.

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For a young fella, and forwards to mature later i reckon, he probably still needs and experienced forward to lead the way for him. So I will give him that grace period.

We were decimated in the forwards last year. However, I would have liked to see a little more at the very least.

257Matt said:

Riley Price is nearly 2yrs older than Oryn Keeley.

Keeley has played 24 NRL games and 39 lower grade games including the 2024 State Final where he was player of the match by many lengths in the only win a QLD based side has had in the last decade.

Price has played 3 NRL games including the one where Penrith rested 16 players and 72 lower grade games.

Price won't be replacing Keeley anytime soon. He's a signing for Redcliffe who is a very solid second tier player.

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lucky don't really give a rats what you think , most forwards ain't an good under 24 anyway may have cup side contract but can just as easy be upgraded , your stats mean jack to me , shows you you no .... all if you rely on stats

Liverbird with Phins up said:

For a young fella, and forwards to mature later i reckon, he probably still needs and experienced forward to lead the way for him. So I will give him that grace period.

We were decimated in the forwards last year. However, I would have liked to see a little more at the very least.

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I agree but he's not that young anymore. Is he 24 next season? Time to step up and make a name for himself or fade out.

Red said:

I agree but he's not that young anymore. Is he 24 next season? Time to step up and make a name for himself or fade out.

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Yeah. Make or break year this one for him.

i actually wouldn't be surprised if we pick up another pom before 27

Woolf does have that connection. However, the glaring gap we have is at 5/8th and i know Williams is there next season. And i dont rate him at the level we need to be at for top4. And im not sure about english 5/8ths

Liverbird with Phins up said:

Woolf does have that connection. However, the glaring gap we have is at 5/8th and i know Williams is there next season. And i dont rate him at the level we need to be at for top4. And im not sure about english 5/8ths

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I haven't met anyone who understands what the purpose of recruiting Williams was. He was a very good playmaking halfback 5 years ago but given we already have exactly the kind of halfback Williams was..... All I can say is that I'm looking forward to seeing what Woolf has in mind.

Red said:

I haven't met anyone who understands what the purpose of recruiting Williams was. He was a very good playmaking halfback 5 years ago but given we already have exactly the kind of halfback Williams was..... All I can say is that I'm looking forward to seeing what Woolf has in mind.

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well looking at what we have we hardly going be putting likes of jake or kurt full time into halfs ( which i guessing they got a inkling kodi may not stay on ) which would leave a problem no brad no kodi would see us with very inexperienced halfs pairing , and club don't look like they would pay overs for a player hence none those halfs came here ( and the ones we got aint ready another assest we would be able to see him guide our young halfs to get them to nrl readness

he be fine even if kodi was here we can easily play one at 14

previous form means nothing to the coach people rubbished molo n co n they worked there asses off

mr_c said:

lucky don't really give a rats what you think , most forwards ain't an good under 24 anyway may have cup side contract but can just as easy be upgraded , your stats mean jack to me , shows you you no .... all if you rely on stats

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Price won't be taking Keeley's spot in the squad any time soon

mr_c said:

lucky don't really give a rats what you think , most forwards ain't an good under 24 anyway may have cup side contract but can just as easy be upgraded , your stats mean jack to me , shows you you no .... all if you rely on stats

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You don't "give a rats" what he thinks, but you respond to every post. Matt provides some excellent info on here. All you provide is bad spelling and negativity. Chill out, dude!!!!

257Matt said:

James Walsh to Cowboys

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He has been released from the final year of his contract. That opens up a spot in the top 30.

Blockade said:

You don't "give a rats" what he thinks, but you respond to every post. Matt provides some excellent info on here. All you provide is bad spelling and negativity. Chill out, dude!!!!

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Thanks and the one I was most slammed on was saying Kurt Donoghoe will be in the 17 every week in 2025 unless injured or suspended and he played 22 games missing 2 due to a calf injury. In the game where HIA's during games and from next year in warm ups and games where an independent doctor detached from the clubs can pull you off the field you need a player who's very capable of playing multiple positions. Clubs who carry 4 forwards on the bench get eaten alive when an outside back is off for HIA. Donoghoe has now turned his utility value into evolving the lock role at Dolphins where he plays a lot of different roles whilst frequently topping tackle counts.

Challenge for Dolphins next year will be finding a spot for Fuller for more than 3 games as he continues to prove with every performance he's a bonafide NRL player.

Blockade said:

He has been released from the final year of his contract. That opens up a spot in the top 30.

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Yes it does. As much as I liked James Walsh his performances in 2024-25 regressed as a second rower and progressed as a centre where his most dominant performances were at centre with NRLQ & Capras. Cowboys fans are trying to take comfort he's more of a forward & yet salivate over the highlights videos for the damage he caused at Capras as a centre. As good as he played in the outside backs Dolphins have 2 of the best 5 centres in the world with Herbie & Hammer, they signed Cobbo, Averillo is still around, Naufahu emerged late in the season, Nonu is progressing really well & Fuller is outstanding 75% of the time he plays NRL.

I'm very happy for Brian Pouniu he's an inspirational story. He's more effective at second row & can also play centre plus he's a true local junior from North Lakes and captained Redcliffe to premiership success in Cyril Connell in 2024. He's been with Dolphins since day one.

Now the squad balance in the Top 30 is:
13 backs
15 forwards
1 utility (Donoghoe)

In a game it's 7 backs, 9 forwards & Donoghoe whether he's lock or 14 the balance is now much better as hard as it was letting Walsh go he was given 3-years in a squad that's very top heavy talent wise with all their Origin players plus Drinkwater & Purdue but lack substance and depth as we saw exposed quite a few times including by Dolphins at Townsville.

I still feel Dolphins are one depth prop short in the rotation I would have loved for Tawha or Kerr to stay and had they known Walsh was going they could have kept him that's the luck of the bounce.

257Matt said:

Thanks and the one I was most slammed on was saying Kurt Donoghoe will be in the 17 every week in 2025 unless injured or suspended and he played 22 games missing 2 due to a calf injury. In the game where HIA's during games and from next year in warm ups and games where an independent doctor detached from the clubs can pull you off the field you need a player who's very capable of playing multiple positions. Clubs who carry 4 forwards on the bench get eaten alive when an outside back is off for HIA. Donoghoe has now turned his utility value into evolving the lock role at Dolphins where he plays a lot of different roles whilst frequently topping tackle counts.

Challenge for Dolphins next year will be finding a spot for Fuller for more than 3 games as he continues to prove with every performance he's a bonafide NRL player.

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Was that you who said that about Donoghoe , would never have known that.

Red said:

I haven't met anyone who understands what the purpose of recruiting Williams was. He was a very good playmaking halfback 5 years ago but given we already have exactly the kind of halfback Williams was..... All I can say is that I'm looking forward to seeing what Woolf has in mind.

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I dont even think he was that good for canberra to be honest.

Like you, I am very interested to see what Woolf has in store. Maybe he knows him better then Ricky, and can unlock something we are yet to see. However, if we get an older version of the Canberra player, ill be screaming SoS mark 2.

There are a few positions on the field you cant screw around with. 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 8.

The rest i'm of the belief you can bleed youngster, or try something different as long as those positions above are rock solid.

In fact most clubs would spend most of their salary cap on those positions, and if they are they need to adjust that.

Woolf is gambling at 6. Well at least that's my impression. And I am uneasy about that situation.

Liverbird with Phins up said:

There are a few positions on the field you cant screw around with. 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 8.

The rest i'm of the belief you can bleed youngster, or try something different as long as those positions above are rock solid.

In fact most clubs would spend most of their salary cap on those positions, and if they are they need to adjust that.

Woolf is gambling at 6. Well at least that's my impression. And I am uneasy about that situation.

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1,6,9 they are your main positions 6/7 are interchangeable in the modern game meaning as long as you have a strong player in either your fine. Melbourne have shown this for years