Breakthrough players 2020

[Barry Badrinath]

i'd like to see some more from riley dean at warrington, he showed more in one match against sintellins than dec patton has shown in most of his first team career.

 

Also i'd like to see ellis robson and eribe doro get a chance in first team, hopefully the reserves will be the stepping stone they and a lot of kids need to make the jump

[Guest]

Add in Trueman, Richardson and Mclelland already playing - sounds like the halves might be entering a renaissance in England?

[Man of Kent]

2 hours ago, nadera78 said:

You being so desperate for him to play for England that you mention his name in every single thread feels a bit...stalkerish. 

Stay off the cheese, bro.

[Lowdesert]

Connor Wynne.  Hull FC.  Feisty half back with pace off the mark.  I think he’ll be good.

[OMEGA]

3 hours ago, meast said:

The standouts from Huddersfield for me are Innes and Louis Senior, Jake Wardle and Oliver Wilson, I'm also hopeful that Sam Hewitt, Ollie Russell, Jon-Luke Kirby can kick on but i can see their game time being limited should we keep a relatively fit squad.

There's also Dom Young whose possibly the best of the lot!

6'6" 108KG centre or wing who has genuine speed and know how to play. Still only 18 and has had a number of NRL clubs sniffing around, most notably Melbourne Storm and Canberra.

Features a bit in tese highlights

 

[MZH]

16 hours ago, Leonard said:

Only 21. He came on leaps and bounds in the second half of the season and will benefit from working with Ward and playing regularly.

We don't need another Lewis Bienek....

Is he still playing? 

 

16 hours ago, Leonard said:

I assume the boat has sailed on Matongo?

Always looked to have the size, but not the dog to be a top prop. 

This is a make or break season for Bienek. He had injury problems which meant he didn't really get a pre season last year and when he eventually got fit he ended up out on loan (mainly for salary cap reasons I believe). He seems to still be very much in Radford's plans so hopefully he has a big off season and gets some more chances next year.

Matongo has improved year on year since he reached the first team. Don't forget that he was a latecomer to the sport. Only picked up a rugby ball aged 15/16. Last season was derailed a little for him when his mum died. He had quite a long time out of team after that with lots to deal with. We often write off props too early imo, they often don't come into their own until their mid 20's. I still think he has the ability to push for international honours somewhere down the track.

All that said the best young prop at Hull is Jack Brown. He's only 19 but he will be a star. We should see him make a few appearances next year too.

[Southerner80]

17 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

He’s always injured! 

Defensively he’s a bit suspect but he’s got pace and some power.

Watched the highlights of the PNG game earlier and it struck me GB didn't have any players with the pace to do what that Kumuls player did from acting half at the end of the first half. We’re in dire need of pace.

The lack of raw speed was very notable. Its vital to have at least 2 backs if not 3 who are rapid and one out and out flyer. 

If strength is a vital part of RL so is speed. 

[GeordieSaint]

3 hours ago, Leonard said:

Looked great for the schoolboys when beating the Aussies.

But was poor in both games vs London at Ealing. 

Hopefully he kicks on.

He was Man of the Match against Warrington at the HW, and really good in other performances such as Leeds away if I remember correctly. He'll have a few dodgy games - he's only 18 after all - but he'll be a cracker IMO.

[Mumby Magic]

6 hours ago, meast said:

To Hull KR or Huddersfield?

Haha, as having a bright future.

[OMEGA]

Tom Johnston isn’t really injury prone, however the 2 injuries he’s suffered have been bad ones, ACL rupture in one knee then the other.

Hes absolutely outstanding and can score from anywhere no matter how the odds are stacked against him. He’s every bit as good of a finisher as Makinson and only needs the slightest opportunity to score.

We’ll have to wait and see whether he can recover enough to recapture his form, to be fair he managed after the first knee injury so there’s every hope he’ll come back just as good.

As for his defence, he’s no worse than any other player but often gets let down by poor defence inside him.

If he hits form again then it’s Makinson & Johnstone on England’s wings IMO which gives the England backline genuine pace and threat to the oppositions line.

Slightly off topic, I’d pick Evalds at Full Back. Still quite young and has genuine pace whilst possessing a natural support game which isn’t as common as you’d think.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

At Leeds we have Jack Walker who could be an international in a year or 2.

Further off we have Harry Newman and Mikolaj Oledski who hopefully will establish themselves as good Super League players this year.

Corey Johnson could well break into Super League this year and Tom Holroyd looks a great prospect too. 

[Cheshire Setter]

5 hours ago, Barry Badrinath said:

i'd like to see some more from RILEY DEAN  at warrington, he showed more in one match against sintellins than dec patton has shown in most of his first team career.

Oodles of raw attacking talent with some mean defence (as seen in that game).

The player you forgot though who has impressed most and got MOM vs Catalans was Josh Thewlis.   Slotted straight in at full back like he’d always been there. And only 17 to boot.

My only worry is that Price is a little too close to his established first teamers (as Smith was) and doesn’t seem to be prepared to drop any key players even if out of form.   It’s the opposite of what I expected after the sound bites when he first arrived.   I thought he was going to set a bar to aspire to.

Well, we’ll know the score by early-season 2020.

[BroncoFan]

Definitely need to start bringing these young guns through instead of this “protecting them ######.

for example I hope Hull KR don’t sign an experienced number 7 and stick with Mikey Lewis, now there is an exciting talent with loads of pace.

[Mushy]

We can actually produce a fair few players with potential in their teens, but not a lot of those end up being the stars we hope they’ll be.

Our player physical development is some way behind the NRL’s still, with our lot falling behind in terms of power and agility as they move into the first team in Super League. It shouldn’t be that surprising when you look into it though, ex players end up as conditioners so the same mistakes get repeated as do the same omissions in prep - there are almost no sprint coaches attached to super league clubs for instance, so don’t be surprised that our players end up slowing down so dramatically as they age  

I think the skill and decision-making development is also really poor, otherwise why would we end up with first team players who can only pass one way and have no idea how to play what they see. There’s a killing to be made if any of our clubs in the UK actually got it right and used the very best development coaches and methods. 

[Magic Superbeetle]

At Saints we probably have 3 categories 

youngsters: Welsby, Dodd and Simm are all with an outside chance of making a name for themselves, but depends on when and where injuries occur really

make or break: Eaves, Bentley and Costello are either going to fall in the pecking order or take the shirt in the first team (think Bentley in particular will be the breakout for Saints next year)

established looking for honours: Knowles and Lees (don’t really think these guys are breaking through?)

[DoubleD]

9 minutes ago, Magic Superbeetle said:

At Saints we probably have 3 categories 

youngsters: Welsby, Dodd and Simm are all with an outside chance of making a name for themselves, but depends on when and where injuries occur really

make or break: Eaves, Bentley and Costello are either going to fall in the pecking order or take the shirt in the first team (think Bentley in particular will be the breakout for Saints next year)

established looking for honours: Knowles and Lees (don’t really think these guys are breaking through?)

I haven’t seen enough of Eaves. Bentley will make it in my opinion but I’m not convinced Costello will

[Saint Toppy]

On ‎18‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 21:06, Leonard said:

Lewis Dodd

He definitely has a step on him.

 

You can see why Saints were happy to let Richardson leave. At 17 he's already a more complete player and while I don't think 2020 will be his break out year (unless there's long term injuries to Lomax & Fages) he will definitely be getting some game time.

The other Saints player who I think will break into the 1st team tis year is centre Nico Rizzelli. He's the one to watch for me along side Dodd.

[Lowdesert]

On 19/11/2019 at 20:45, OMEGA said:

Tom Johnston isn’t really injury prone, however the 2 injuries he’s suffered have been bad ones, ACL rupture in one knee then the other.

Hes absolutely outstanding and can score from anywhere no matter how the odds are stacked against him. He’s every bit as good of a finisher as Makinson and only needs the slightest opportunity to score.

We’ll have to wait and see whether he can recover enough to recapture his form, to be fair he managed after the first knee injury so there’s every hope he’ll come back just as good.

As for his defence, he’s no worse than any other player but often gets let down by poor defence inside him.

If he hits form again then it’s Makinson & Johnstone on England’s wings IMO which gives the England backline genuine pace and threat to the oppositions line.

Slightly off topic, I’d pick Evalds at Full Back. Still quite young and has genuine pace whilst possessing a natural support game which isn’t as common as you’d think.

Evalds is a good shout.  Genuine pace.

[Dunbar]

On 19/11/2019 at 19:36, Emosi Koloto said:

Definitely need to start bringing these young guns through instead of this “protecting them ######.

for example I hope Hull KR don’t sign an experienced number 7 and stick with Mikey Lewis, now there is an exciting talent with loads of pace.

Exactly.  I don't understand why we take talented 19 year olds and send them away to play with lower league players and coached by lower league coaches.

We all accept that the NRL is a higher standard than the Super League and yet in Australia they have no problem putting the best young players into the mix and give them a steep learning curve. 

Is it any wonder that our 18 year olds who are just as good as their Australian counterparts are miles behind them at 21. These three years are essential to their development, play them in the top league and have them coached by the top coaches.

[graveyard johnny]

looking for that young gareth ellis  to improve this season at hull 

[Oliver Clothesoff]

On 20/11/2019 at 09:55, Magic Superbeetle said:

At Saints we probably have 3 categories 

youngsters: Welsby, Dodd and Simm are all with an outside chance of making a name for themselves, but depends on when and where injuries occur really

make or break: Eaves, Bentley and Costello are either going to fall in the pecking order or take the shirt in the first team (think Bentley in particular will be the breakout for Saints next year)

established looking for honours: Knowles and Lees (don’t really think these guys are breaking through?)

Costello’s going nowhere. Okay for cover as and when but he’s not going to oust Naiqama or Percival and it seems like Simm is highly rated with Rizelli behind him, so I think once Costello’s contract is up, he’ll go. 

Personally, I want to see more from Aaron Smith. I’m not convinced as yet. 

[Saint Toppy]

On ‎19‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 14:15, OMEGA said:

There's also Dom Young whose possibly the best of the lot!

6'6" 108KG centre or wing who has genuine speed and know how to play. Still only 18 and has had a number of NRL clubs sniffing around, most notably Melbourne Storm and Canberra.

Features a bit in tese highlights

 

Is he the lad who played for Hudds 1st team this year in the game at Saints ?

If so, he had a real mare - looked way out of his depth 

[Saint Toppy]

1 hour ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Costello’s going nowhere. Okay for cover as and when but he’s not going to oust Naiqama or Percival and it seems like Simm is highly rated with Rizelli behind him, so I think once Costello’s contract is up, he’ll go. 

Personally, I want to see more from Aaron Smith. I’m not convinced as yet. 

Gotta agree about Costello, not seen anything yet to convince me he's anything more than a squad player. Wont be long before Simm & Rizzelli overtake him

[Guest]

Oli Leyland and James Meadows are two other potentials at Broncos. 

[OMEGA]

On 21/11/2019 at 16:49, Saint Toppy said:

Is he the lad who played for Hudds 1st team this year in the game at Saints ?

If so, he had a real mare - looked way out of his depth 

I don’t think so as he was recovering from a bad foot injury early in the season, that said he would only have been 17 years old at that time as well.

Had he not sustained the foot injury he was due to fly to Melbourne and spend a couple of months training with the Storm to aid his development.