Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

FrodoTBaggin said:
Yes but keep in mind we had statistically the 2nd hardest start to the comp this year.

To start the comp last year we played Titans, Knights with KP injured in the first minute, Bulldogs, Storm, Broncos, Eels, Manly, Penrith in horrible conditions & Dragons. (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16). So we played 3 bottom four sides, 3 top 4 sides, 2 mid table and Knights minus Ponga which is bottom / mid table tbh.

This year we have played 1, 2 ,4 , 6, 7, 9, 10, 11. That is 3 top 4 sides, 2 bottom 8 sides, and 3 teams 1 point off the 8.

We probably have a few more wins at the start of last year with this squad + Training staff.
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We've had a number of winnable games this season and we've failed to win them.

I like your optimism, I'm just not sure I share it. My biggest concern is I think our Team in better on paper, but not on the bit of paper the ladder is on. Why is that?
 
Tigerbenb said:
Ok here we go….

Surely, every week in training you could see that the players we have, and the team picked each week is not up to it?

Even the bench - name me one player that would cause any nrl coach bother in game prep, or strike any fear into the opposition ? Nadda, no one.

Our attack is poor, there is no cohesion , and my mind is boggled, as our head coach was an attacking apex warrior in his prime time ?

Staines, toa, naden - honestly they are poor.

Bula - I think such a long deal on massive $$$, we got hyped in a shithouse season and signed on hope.

We play with no vigour , intent or focus.

Galvin I hope kicks on , ball playing lock after a year or two in the gym and growing ?

Look in qld - don’t see a lot of nsw cup . Can anyone comment on Isiah Iongi? Penrith fullback , Preston Riki , young Skelton at the dogs seems to get a lot of wraps?

We haven had a decent centre in over 10 years. Yet it is constantly our weakness.

Heath Mason going ok ?

Latu isn’t a 9… the kid is the 6.

Bateman - sheenius signing, he’s not the player he was , and fair enough too I guess.
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I can't understand the Bula critics he is playmaking and supporting more, his defence and positional play is solid, I'm genuinely curious what you don't like about him anyway sorry to go on a rant lol I just think give it time he will be a star. The Fiji connection will work.
 
Leck said:
Cocaine is a performance enhancing drug, just ask Maradona... bugger we can't because he's dead.

I worked with his ex-wife Cath Mahoney, who wrote a book about that period in his and her life. It's an interesting read and offers a different perspective.
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So she wrote a book about Joey to make a quid. Pass.
 
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Bones said:
We've had a number of winnable games this season and we've failed to win them.

I like your optimism, I'm just not sure I share it. My biggest concern is I think our Team in better on paper, but not on the bit of paper the ladder is on. Why is that?
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Simply the reason why is because we aren't the only team improving. From the bottom 4 last year, Titans & Dragons got new coaches and Bulldogs got a great leader in Crichton and a few decent squad buys.

Edit: Dolphins who were the next lowest also signed Herbie & Flegler

we are ahead of that group next year though, Titans lose Fifita and Dragons lose Lomax & possibly Sua. Dolphins lose Bennett.
 
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FrodoTBaggin said:
Michael Chammas on 100% footy says we have offer Doueihi a min wage deal (150k)
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That would be a massive insult to the members and other players on the roster.
He has to earn an extension and prove his body is strong enough not to fall to pieces the second he gets on field. We simply cannot continue to hand out contracts to players that haven't earned it.
That's how we filled our squad with bludgers like Toa, Naden etc.
If someone plays consistently well then that's one thing. Douieihi could miss 10 tackles in his first game back and look miles off the pace, we'd look pretty stupid offering him a contract then. With only 2 spots left We simply don't have the space to accommodate him currently. If we offloaded 4-5 players then there might be room for him, if he earns a minimum wage deal
 
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crazycat said:
Trying to work out who you would sign then?

Lomax? We go all out and spend 800/900k and drag him out of Parramatta's clutches to get a premadonna?

Should we have gone hard for Best and done a 900k, to see him stay at the knights?

Olam was a risk and Olam clearly isn't our problem in our backline.
It's the Toa/Faatape/Naden + turnstyle wingers that is a huge problem.

John Morris and Benji need to get our back line defending and fixing our defensive holes. While Bula can score, he doesn't have the fullback experience that Teddy or a Slater/Stewart would have in reading where the holes will appear. We need to train up and toughen up. Till we can hold off the attack and not have 3-4 tries scored against us each game, we will keep loosing.

Olam is an upgrade on any Center we have had play for us since Chris Lawrence's time.
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I think it's wise to actually think about who else would sign the player we are thinking about. No top club would have signed Naden, and Melbourne were trying to get rid of Olam of the back of his worst year. The red flags were there.

We are now desperate for another edge backrower with size and power, and Blore is going well, but great bit well and will only get better. He has so much more upside long term then Olam.

So it's not so much a matter of who I would sign, its more of who won't the top clubs even look at, and stay away from them.
 
Our squad on paper should be between 8th and 10th, four winnable games went begging. The problem is our game strategy.

Benji should have had at least 2-3 years as an assistant coach under an experienced head coach, rather than being thrown in the deep end.

Sheens' used-by date had already expired. Flanagan would have been the smart choice.
 
balmain boy said:
That would be a massive insult to the members and other players on the roster.
He has to earn an extension and prove his body is strong enough not to fall to pieces the second he gets on field. We simply cannot continue to hand out contracts to players that haven't earned it.
That's how we filled our squad with bludgers like Toa, Naden etc.
If someone plays consistently well then that's one thing. Douieihi could miss 10 tackles in his first game back and look miles off the pace, we'd look pretty solid offering him a contract then. With only 2 spots left We simply don't have the space to accommodate him currently. If we offloaded 4-5 players then there might be room for him, if he earns a minimum wage deal
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No more offensive than giving those squad spots to the likes of Tumeth, Matamua, Webster-Mansfeild...
And a long list of other blokes that are unlikely to leave a stamp on NRL
 
Leck said:
Our squad on paper should be between 8th and 10th, four winnable games went begging. The problem is our game strategy.

Benji should have had at least 2-3 years as an assistant coach under an experienced head coach, rather than being thrown in the deep end.

Sheens' used-by date had already expired. Flanagan would have been the smart choice.
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It's hard to say it's the game strategy when if you listen to Benji he's constantly saying that the players didn't apply what they'd practiced at training.
It's the players' mental weakness that's the problem. That's hard to fix with this group of halfwit boofheads. Only Api and Galvin have any football nous.
 
Todd Packer said:
It's hard to say it's the game strategy when if you listen to Benji he's constantly saying that the players didn't apply what they'd practiced at training.
It's the players' mental weakness that's the problem. That's hard to fix with this group of halfwit boofheads. Only Api and Galvin have any football nous.
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It’s lack of quality in The NRL squad plus lack of depth. Benji‘s lack of experience maybe a minor factor, but lack of hardened NRL players in our club is the major factor..along with speed power and skill
 
Todd Packer said:
It's hard to say it's the game strategy when if you listen to Benji he's constantly saying that the players didn't apply what they'd practiced at training.
It's the players' mental weakness that's the problem. That's hard to fix with this group of halfwit boofheads. Only Api and Galvin have any football nous.
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Mental fortitude and man management is all about how a coach gets the best out of a player, regardless of their skill.
 
Todd Packer said:
It's hard to say it's the game strategy when if you listen to Benji he's constantly saying that the players didn't apply what they'd practiced at training.
It's the players' mental weakness that's the problem. That's hard to fix with this group of halfwit boofheads. Only Api and Galvin have any football nous.
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Unlike San Walkers cross field kick on Sunday who showed his skill, vision and comfort in a coach who lets him project that.
To me that was really playing what’s in front of you. I loved it.
 
Halbrowne61 said:
Unlike San Walkers cross field kick on Sunday who showed his skill, vision and comfort in a coach who lets him project that.
To me that was really playing what’s in front of you. I loved it.
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Sam's a born and bred footy player.
We recruit blokes who can run and tackle, sometimes pass, but aren't dialled in enough to mentally work out how to take advantage of situations that pop up in front of them.
I watch the "Behind the Roar " episodes and I can't work out how most of them make it through a day. There's nothing happening upstairs with these knuckleheads.
 
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