Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Tom Shines]

Cotric is crap. He is an average nsw cup player & offers us no better than what we already have.
If we are after him it shows how desperate we really are.

I don’t want to sign him to a new deal at the present moment … but an average NSW cup player sounds like an upgrade …

 

[Tom Shines]

Oh can you?

Well, as long as we're making assurances, here's one: Bula is both defensively and positionally far better than those three.

He's also learning on the run on how to attack and is 12 months almost to the day from his debut. He will improve in this area in time.

How long have those blokes been around first grade?

This dude has been scapegoating Bula since the end of last season … seems very odd to me looking at some of the other guys running around in the Top 17 most weeks ..

 

[Telltails]

I’m over the forwards copping unwarranted criticism. We’re holding up in the middle better than we did for years. People have forgotten the bad old days when the middle was route 66 and our edges were easier to unlock than a cable tie.

Yep. I will keep defending IPap. You can't make 47 and 48 tackles play 80 then be expected to be more impactful with ball -same with Api. It's just not realistic.
We need an edge running forward sure but those effective players are not tackle machines and rarely do they play 80. The forwards we have got this year are having a go and their effort areas should be acknowledged.

 

[BAGNF05]

You can target almost any player after a loss and more so when teams lose more than they win. In the games we won when the whole team performed well Bula completely outshone Will Kennedy and in the Parra game featured in the winning try exactly as a full back with an attacking opportunity in position should do.
Lower place teams are consistently inconsistent.
He is nowhere near the best FB but he is as hindered as any young player could be, learning his craft in a key position in a wooden spoon team.

He’s been in our top five players every week, including yesterday when he ran for 224m and only made one error that I can recall. Just emotion over rational thinking I’d say.

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

Panthers Forwards 692 v 762 meters…
Post contact meters for Forwards Panthers 216 v 313 ours…
We made less ineffective tackles than the Panthers also.

Overall as a squad Panthers made 5 more meters than us for the game and we made 115mtrs post contact more than them. The backs made the meters more than ours by a margin.

We had the better field positioning during the game. We had more offloads and 80 more passes in the game than the Panthers - our halves and backs were ineffective today.

Good assessment

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

we have approached the raiders around cotrics availability

@kade7, welcome back...we've missed your posts

 

[gregjm87]

Yep. I will keep defending IPap. You can't make 47 and 48 tackles play 80 then be expected to be more impactful with ball -same with Api. It's just not realistic.
We need an edge running forward sure but those effective players are not tackle machines and rarely do they play 80. The forwards we have got this year are having a go and their effort areas should be acknowledged.

I agree with what you've said regarding IPap and Api but if some of our middles were truly having a go IPap wouldn't be topping the count every week.

 

[Roar_Power]

Cotric is crap. He is an average nsw cup player & offers us no better than what we already have.
If we are after him it shows how desperate we really are.

100%. He sucks. Who cares how old he is. We need to aim much higher if we want to leave the cellar. Cotric doesn't help us do this.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Edit: Throw Reece Walsh and Cobbo into this team and nobody is knocking the forwards.

Its hard to prove a negative

 

[BAGNF05]

Yep. I will keep defending IPap. You can't make 47 and 48 tackles play 80 then be expected to be more impactful with ball -same with Api. It's just not realistic.
We need an edge running forward sure but those effective players are not tackle machines and rarely do they play 80. The forwards we have got this year are having a go and their effort areas should be acknowledged.

100%. Another thing that happens when your backline is finding space is the opposition forwards get moved around more and get tired. Opening up more opportunities for everyone including edge forwards. At the minute teams are just loading up on us as we’re not really wearing them out. Too one dimensional.

 

[BAGNF05]

Its hard to prove a negative

Or disprove a good point.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

The complaint is how ineffective the wingers we have currently are.

Brian To'o isn't the fastest winger but his strong carries help the team in each set.

Staines can't take those hit ups because he just gets folded and pushed back.

I like Tupou but he's an incomplete product at the moment and he's leaving anyway.

Backline needs an overhaul and if the Cotric info is true, it makes sense.

1 Bula
2
3
4 Olam
5 Cotric

Just need to improve the other side also

How does Cotric on last 2yrs form improve what we already have?

His work rate is poor, his meter coverage average at best (he is outside top 30 wingers for efficiency) & he will be costly. If it happens hope I’m wrong but so think be would be a dud buy.

Tupou injury sure he is better than anyone next in line as a depth/emergency full in but I don’t think he is an upgrade on Tupou or Staines.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

I can assure you if we had Taafe, Tracey or Brimson playing fullback for us we wouldn’t be struggling to score tries or make line breaks.

Taafe disagree but Tracey & especially Brimson scoreline would be different.

 

[gregjm87]

Any chance we can find a genuine elite lock prospect? I think one thing our forwards need and don't have is a guy with a short ball at the line who can get the receivers noses through the line for a quick play the ball, but also with the games sense and physicality to hold the ball and get a quick ptb of his own if the defence hold off him.
I dont think the forwards are doing enough but I think they are on a hiding to nothing just hitting it straight up off a half or Api.

 

[TYGA]

I’m over the forwards copping unwarranted criticism. We’re holding up in the middle better than we did for years. People have forgotten the bad old days when the middle was route 66 and our edges were easier to unlock than a cable tie. Klem beats Tamou by a country mile.

Edit: Throw Reece Walsh and Cobbo into this team and nobody is knocking the forwards.

Benji has to do something about the outside backs. The Broncos have Mariner, Cobbo, Staggs, Walsh, Arthur’s, Oates, Sailor and let go Farnworth. They would all start in our backline.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Or disprove a good point.

It’s a point that will never be proven. Look at Ice in 21-22. Best, most destructive forward in the comp. Now he is a powder puff. Given the amount of players who have come here and lost their mojo, you could forgive me for being skeptical.

 

[BAGNF05]

Benji has to do something about the outside backs. The Broncos have Mariner, Cobbo, Staggs, Walsh, Arthur’s, Oates, Sailor and let go Farnworth. They would all start in our backline.

Agree, Bula and Olam would shine with better players around them. Everyone else we have in the OB backs I’d be moving on from. AD walks back in to a centre spot atm.

 

[Telltails]

I agree with what you've said regarding IPap and Api but if some of our middles were truly having a go IPap wouldn't be topping the count every week.

Bigger bodied men are never going to move as laterally to get into a position to make as many tackles. It appears that's IPap's role in the team and he is doing it pretty well - but with those numbers he will also miss a few as does Api. Makes me shake my head when people have a crack or are questioning why they are looking gassed - their workload is immense more than any other players on the field.

 

[BAGNF05]

It’s a point that will never be proven. Look at Ice in 21-22. Best, most destructive forward in the comp. Now he is a powder puff. Given the amount of players who have come here and lost their mojo, you could forgive me for being skeptical.

You only had to watch Brisbane play last night to know what I’m saying. Ice is going okay. Our backline is the significant issue needing attention.

 

[TYGA]

It’s a point that will never be proven. Look at Ice in 21-22. Best, most destructive forward in the comp. Now he is a powder puff. Given the amount of players who have come here and lost their mojo, you could forgive me for being skeptical.

He had one breakout season and was solid again. Was never defensively good powerful player when put in holes can be unstoppable. He hasn’t changed he no longer runs off Moses is the difference.
TBH he’s a solid player for us runs hard and tackles all day but never has any space to work with. He doesn’t suit this team will change with Luai.