Benji 2025 and Beyond

[Lestronge]

Are you serious at all about wanting to retain Galvin? The plan is a failure. I realise what you are saying about chopping and changing every year, but if you already know it’s not working, you don’t persist with it for the sake of it. Especially when it’s costing us players. At this rate Galvin will be next.

How do you know it’s not working ? I saw a team with 8 x19 year olds compete with teams with hardened veterans . And the only reason they lost a lot of the time , is they’re 19 and their bodies weren’t up to it yet . It wasn’t some skill thing , or X and O thing .
A big issue also was when api was off the pace for whatever reason , the team lacked an adult in the room . And if Bateman was in the team , Jesus … it was like trying to get a bachelor party led by frank the tank through a pub crawl … sure you might get there , but it will be chaos along the way .
I’m not making excuses . We are too far down this road to turn back . So hold on tight , because we are going down this cliff road , whether we die or not .
I wish it wasn’t so . I wish Madge worked ! It sux he didn’t. I wish Cleary senior could have convinced his son to leave to come here , instead of the other way around . I wish we hired the infinite amount of better coaches available when we hired Taylor . Same for potter .
But this iS the ride we’ve put on . And the only chance we have of success is to see it through . Because jumping off 💯 means no success ! And we all know it . Whether you think the next idea will be successful or not . That’s simple math .

 

[Lestronge]

Plenty of Guys with Uni degrees - plenty of Guys with Coaching experience....
Our Coach prefers to give those jobs to old mates.

I'll see you bout this time next year when your opinion of the new coach parallels the opinion of the last coach.

Wtf are you even talking about ! “Yea I’ll see you next year bla bla bla “
I explained the mates thing . As far as I know that was the plan . We had no identity as a club so this is all about instilling that . I was all for Morris , and I thought Furner would be stuck around . And then Farah was named and I was perplexed . Then heighno …. And yea. We were all left scratching our heads . Or maybe it did , if the number one goal was a culture reset . I don’t know . And neither do you .
But as for your dismissal of an actual breakdown of the football field issues we have … to have another cry … I simply don’t respect it . It’s just whinging with an agenda .
I’ll say again . Our number 1 issue . We were weak/ lacked strength and weren’t fit enough . That’s the 5-10 person strong performance team .
But the coach was horrid with his bench rotations , some of his ideas didn’t work around a lot of things , and inevitable he needs to be a whole lot better . The whole club does .

 

[jirskyr]

I really hope Benji has learnt from his mistakes and short comings in his rookie season.

Kind of a redundant thing to say? Applies to all coaches and really all humans at all times.

 

[batboy]

I’ll say again . Our number 1 issue . We were weak/ lacked strength and weren’t fit enough . That’s the 5-10 person strong performance team .

lead by Peter Moussa?
(Also a mate) Worked with Benji for a large part of his career.

Club hasn't been fit since Steve Folkes left.

 

[Lestronge]

lead by Peter Moussa?
(Also a mate) Worked with Benji for a large part of his career.

Club hasn't been fit since Steve Folkes left.

it’s all data though . It’s not like Ronnie Palmer has em doing hill spirints before they hit the pub every Tuesday night .
They’re all wearing GPS trackers , heart rates , food , skin folds , water intake , rest , hydro pools , strength metrics etc .
It’s literally a science . Do we have the right software or the right guys interpreting that data ? I couldn’t tell you . They might be cutting edge .
I actually think a big stuff up was around the slow down in march re. Because we had a round 1 buy.
I honestly think we would have been better off playing a mid week trial against a NSW cup team , then inter squad contact sessions right up to round 2 .but I’m not a sports scientist so who am I ?
I also think the way our buys wee spread out was horseshit as well . Round 1 and and the second last round ! Ridiculous it should have been 1 and 17 or there about to be fair . These are all factors for 27 round competition.
I also agree with Tucker said we need more adults in the team . But we honestly had guys like Naden and Sullivan in the squad , they couldn’t do a job and spent the year in KOE . Bateman had his usual quitting on his team , that came a year earlier than expected , and Stef said “I’m going to the best team in the nrl “ totally forgetting he wa being paid to play for his current club .
We need another middle who’s up for the battle . Honestly like a Mick Crocker type player . I don’t know where that guy is or even if he exists anymore . But that hard nut lunatic , to rally behind .

 

[Bellend]

1. Galvin did not ask for a release both occasions it was agent driven and his Dad followed the agent lead. Once Richo became more active a lot of the b/s driven stopped.

People can say what they want about Benji but unless there is a massive improvement in fitness levels, and playing standards then Benji will not last past 6 games next season.

 

[twentyforty]

1. Galvin did not ask for a release both occasions it was agent driven and his Dad followed the agent lead. Once Richo became more active a lot of the b/s driven stopped.

People can say what they want about Benji but unless there is a massive improvement in fitness levels, and playing standards then Benji will not last past 6 games next season.

Are you thinking Benji could get sacked if he is 0-6?

 

[Lestronge]

Are you thinking Benji could get sacked if he is 0-6?

I think he could . But is 2-4 sackable ? 1-5 ? The way guys are going on it’s a lost cause already .
For me I can see it . That spine next year is top 8 for sure . Not sure about the rest of the team .

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Are you thinking Benji could get sacked if he is 0-6?

That shouldn’t be a profound prediction. Even 0-4 he will be struggling.

 

[batboy]

That shouldn’t be a profound prediction. Even 0-4 he will be struggling.

He's had a 'Very' easy run of it this year....
Fans, Media, Public.... He's very popular and has been given a decent grace period.
If we're not looking any good by Easter - that will evaporate overnight!!

If he thinks 2024 was a struggle, He might be in for a real awakening with a slow start come 2025

 

[BAGNF05]

Excuses excuses.
I love Wests Tigers fans and their excuses…

Grab a Websters, under R. Reasons.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Who is Webster? Did he wear a skirt?

 

[Oldman]

That shouldn’t be a profound prediction. Even 0-4 he will be struggling.

What if the draw comes out and our first 4 rounds are
Penrith
Melbourne
Broncos
Roosters
and we lose all of them by 6 points or less.
I would think the team must be playing alright but some have the Coach sacked.
Realistically I’m thinking 10 wins next year is a big improvement,
We still require a couple more forwards to achieve that.

 

[BAGNF05]

That’s the problem, however we can’t use that as an excuse, because it is of our own doing.

Those who did it are gone. I’m allowing the new people a little rope to fix it.

 

[Lauren]

Lauren, can you post the article?

Gus Gould admits five year plan is running five years late​

SPORTING NEWS
16 December, 2015

Penrith Panthers boss Phil Gould admits his five-year plan for rebuilding the club is running several years behind schedule.
MORE: Top league stars to face off in All Stars clash | End of the road for Mason? | Broncos closing in on Roberts

The outspoken Channel Nine commentator and Panthers premiership-winning coach took over the reins of the cash-strapped club in 2012, famously declaring it would take five years to return the club to the top of the NRL tree.

Things looked on track in 2014 as Ivan Cleary's side defied an injury crisis to secure a top-four berth.
But a disappointing 11th-place finish last season led to Cleary's sacking, with former Broncos coach Anthony Griffin to mentor the Mountain Men in 2016.

And as they enter the fifth year of his tenure as general manager of football, Gould warned Panthers fans more patience will be required.

"We're a young side, we've lost a lot of experience depth," Gould told The Daily Telegraph.

"We've let go of nine senior players and seven of those have been replaced by young kids coming through.
"But we've got ourselves to the point where we've got a squad the coach can work with the next four or five years, and I think they'll grow in strength from there."

It's not all bad news for the Panthers, who won the Holden Cup last season.

But with several veterans having moved on, Gould insists the Mountain Men are still a work in progress.

"They're probably a little bit young at the moment, but if injuries are kind, they'll be competitive," he said.

"They'll keep getting better. They'll be completely different in two or three years when some of these guys have 80 to 100 games under their belts.’"

Gus Gould admits five year plan is running five years late | Sporting News Australia

www.sportingnews.com

 

[Lestronge]

What if the draw comes out and our first 4 rounds are
Penrith
Melbourne
Broncos
Roosters
and we lose all of them by 6 points or less.
I would think the team must be playing alright but some have the Coach sacked.
Realistically I’m thinking 10 wins next year is a big improvement,
We still require a couple more forwards to achieve that.

I’m honestly hopeful of finals . That backline of
Bula
Skelton
Olam
Turuva
Lualilii
Is just infinitely better with a nrl offseason under lukes belt , and just a genuinely better backline . Simply out of yardage . Where the forwards can have hit up at the 30m line would be nice .
The forwards are light a couple of players . But the nrl season hasn’t ended and there’s always an agitation come Nov/dec.
whoever this mystery assistant coach is as well . I hope they can help fill the void of Benjis inexperience and temper some of his sheenius ideas . It’s September . There’s time .
Just reference that backline to the one we played against parra . And there’s enough in that alone for optimism .

 

[BAGNF05]

I’m honestly hopeful of finals . That backline of
Bula
Skelton
Olam
Turuva
Lualilii
Is just infinitely better with a nrl offseason under lukes belt , and just a genuinely better backline . Simply out of yardage . Where the forwards can have hit up at the 30m line would be nice .
The forwards are light a couple of players . But the nrl season hasn’t ended and there’s always an agitation come Nov/dec.
whoever this mystery assistant coach is as well . I hope they can help fill the void of Benjis inexperience and temper some of his sheenius ideas . It’s September . There’s time .
Just reference that backline to the one we played against parra . And there’s enough in that alone for optimism .

I really hope Luke L has a huge pre-season. Loved his input at such a young age.

A few really honest forwards who buy into the club plan and we’re rolling.

 

[stephen]

Development club. Who are WT trying to be? Wentworthville Magpies? This is Sheen's bullshit, justifying poor recruiting and he and McDonnell simply signing the 2022 harold matts team to development contracts that rolled into top 30 without having to prove a single thing in the higher age groups. The odds of a bunch of juniors from one age-group team going onto be consistent NRL players is very small. You're lucky to get 3 or 4, WT chanced on something like 10.

It's a farking professional (supposed to be) NRL club. The kids develop in junior grades on junior deals or on development contracts, not in the top 30.

Yep. Sheens swept into town & sold us a Monorail.

 

[Tucker]

Those who did it are gone. I’m allowing the new people a little rope to fix it.

Benji isn’t gone and he had a massive say over recruitment and strategic direction over the past 2.5 years.

 

[Bellend]

It does not matter who we play it is just the manner in which play and perform
What if the draw comes out and our first 4 rounds are
Penrith
Melbourne
Broncos
Roosters
and we lose all of them by 6 points or less.

I want to see the basics of improvement like line speed in defense, players able to string passes together, proper tackling not attempt WWE style. What is the game plan.