Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Spartan117]

The QLD maroons also drill the word ABSORB defensively into the team,

Just hold on and the game will turn back in our favour.

💯 a mindset.

 

[Telltails]

Since the six again came in you have to be able to capitalise on your opportunities in attack. Any team that fails to do that puts more pressure on your defence and pay the penalty.
Teams like Penrith and Melbourne are great because they do both well.

 

[upthetigers]

I am not going to be one who dreams away and then gets mad at the team by round 10 when we realise nothing has changed. It's expectation now after 3 seasons in a row

We've had the best rebuild in recent NRL history alot has changed. The irony is if players had the same "losing" mindset then yeah nothing would change.

 

[Nadz4483]

Might be overreacting a bit but this quote from Tito regarding Benji has me worried a bit -

“And then he was just talking to me, like, brah, you don’t have to treat me like that. I’m one of the boys. So that was pretty cool to hear from him. It was pretty cool to see.”

Benji definitely does come off as 'one of the boys'. I think it's our biggest issue heading into the season is how he will change his approach and I am very uncertain that he would be willing to be less 'flexible' and holding mediocre standards. Regardless of how many great resignings/signings in the off season, how many training camps, positive culture vibes, punishments for players being unfit, or anything else, none of this hype in the off season will mean anything if the most important figure in the club can't deliver.

Benji is still fairly young,only just finishing up in the game himself... Maybe he still feels a connection with the younger crew, as long as when it comes to game day, he puts the serious face on.... We've tried the hard approach with madge, we got worse....

 

[upthetigers]

Benji is still fairly young,only just finishing up in the game himself... Maybe he still feels a connection with the younger crew, as long as when it comes to game day, he puts the serious face on.... We've tried the hard approach with madge, we got worse....

Being relatable is a drawcard but yeah come gameday you gotta be ruthless

 

[Buttface]

They should never have let Ben Gardiner go did wonders in reserve grade another dumb decision the club made.

Let Webster go to. Not that I think he’ll be the next Bennett, but he’s done ok.
I have said at great length, years ago and again after we let those go, why don’t we have a development program for NRL coaches? Ben Gardiner and Webster would have been good candidates. Problem for us is we need to start out with a good head coach or a GM of football that has the nouse and the experience.

 

[Le Tiger]

So we talking on here that if Benji doesn't make top 10 he gets sacked?

What happens if we come 11th/12th and are only 1-2 wins out of the 8. Sack him then? Even if it's clear we are improving each year?

And on the flip side, what if we do make the 8, we can't go into 2026 with a coach off contract, will be too much media noise.

So if we do make the 8, how many years do you extend Benji for?

 

[upthetigers]

So we talking on here that if Benji doesn't make top 10 he gets sacked?

What happens if we come 11th/12th and are only 1-2 wins out of the 8. Sack him then? Even if it's clear we are improving each year?

And on the flip side, what if we do make the 8, we can't go into 2026 with a coach off contract, will be too much media noise.

So if we do make the 8, how many years do you extend Benji for?

What great points!!

 

[GNR4LIFE]

So we talking on here that if Benji doesn't make top 10 he gets sacked?

What happens if we come 11th/12th and are only 1-2 wins out of the 8. Sack him then? Even if it's clear we are improving each year?

And on the flip side, what if we do make the 8, we can't go into 2026 with a coach off contract, will be too much media noise.

So if we do make the 8, how many years do you extend Benji for?

I don’t think it will be as grey as that if that’s where we end up on the ladder, We’ll have a good feel either way whether he can cut it or not.

 

[Tiger-ferret]

IMO if Benji ain’t making semis it will completely depend on who else is available to replace him. He might come 9-10 if there’s no one better then he maintains his contract.

 

[bbobb]

That is both Melbourne and Penriths main thing .

And Defence is built on Fitness.

I agree but also attitude is important and that speaks to the way it is coached.

In my opinion, while the systems etc are important, the top teams also have the defensive mindset that gives them the resilience to defend when the chips are down. Teams like Penrith and Storm actually put doubts in the mind of their opponents attacking capabilities, leading to desperation and mistakes. This is where they pounce.

We need to be able to do similar.

 

[supercoach]

In recent years our defence has been terrible. The two most contributing factors, was lack of line speed and discipline.

Our line speed was nearly nonexistent compared to Melbourne Penrith and the Dogs. Those teams raced up together in a line and competed in every play.

Our discipline was terrible because we had to find ways to slow the other sides down and stop their momentum, that led to six again and penalties .

Iam confident this season things will improve with the introduction of a few guys from good systems. Although it may take a few weeks to gell

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Let Webster go to. Not that I think he’ll be the next Bennett, but he’s done ok.
I have said at great length, years ago and again after we let those go, why don’t we have a development program for NRL coaches? Ben Gardiner and Webster would have been good candidates. Problem for us is we need to start out with a good head coach or a GM of football that has the nouse and the experience.

Gardiner was the bigger loss for me B with Sheens experience he must have seen the potential in him, it almost seems like he let him go so that it wouldn't interfere with the progression of Benji to head coach the fairytale of the succession for Benji had a lot in euphoria, while that was happening Gardiner was let go. I hope Benji succeeds but Sheens get the old boys back together thinking could have deprived us of a better coach.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

I agree but also attitude is important and that speaks to the way it is coached.

In my opinion, while the systems etc are important, the top teams also have the defensive mindset that gives them the resilience to defend when the chips are down. Teams like Penrith and Storm actually put doubts in the mind of their opponents attacking capabilities, leading to desperation and mistakes. This is where they pounce.

We need to be able to do similar.

Your right B if you are prepared to move up quickly in a straight chain that frustrates the opposition, but team fitness has to be good enough to do it the whole match, strong voices on both sides of the field pushing the guys a must as well and don't forget if the line is broken the amount of defenders getting back to cover needs to be high again related to team fitness.

 

[upthetigers]

Your right B if you are prepared to move up quickly in a straight chain that frustrates the opposition, but team fitness has to be good enough to do it the whole match, strong voices on both sides of the field pushing the guys a must as well and don't forget if the line is broken the amount of defenders getting back to cover needs to be high again related to team fitness.

Remember scrambling well with Cleary. I'd give my left nut to be able to defend that well this season.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Remember scrambling well with Cleary. I'd give my left nut to be able to defend that well this season.

Yeah I do mate he had nowhere near as good a roster as we do now just proves if the team has the right mind set in defense it can be done look how good we all felt when this was happening what gets me is why did they give away the defensive strategies when it clearly worked.

 

[Masterton]

Yea I used to think of him as the lead singer of Wolfmother...
Wolfmother, a damn awesome band and incredible live before they were famous.

I had the misfortune to sit behind him at the Gabba one long, hot afternoon.

 

[liltiger]

I remember listening to Sterlo on radio several years back he said something along the lines of:
"the most successful premiership campaigns are based on a strong unwavering defense."

Never forget the game against Brisbane in the 05 finals series, they made a Ton of offloads and even more line breaks but our scramble won us that game. Pretty sure it was Heinghington who scrambled and tackled his backside off.

 

[liltiger]

They should never have let Ben Gardiner go did wonders in reserve grade another dumb decision the club made.

Gardiner was a big loss, only led us for one game and had us playing well. The one I wish we kept who I think would have got the guys towing the line is Payton.

 

[innsaneink]

In recent years our defence has been terrible. The two most contributing factors, was lack of line speed and discipline.

Our line speed was nearly nonexistent compared to Melbourne Penrith and the Dogs. Those teams raced up together in a line and competed in every play.

Our discipline was terrible because we had to find ways to slow the other sides down and stop their momentum, that led to six again and penalties .

Iam confident this season things will improve with the introduction of a few guys from good systems. Although it may take a few weeks to gell

Spot on... And it's why I constantly bang on about limiting opposition post contact metres.... But the line speed has to be top notch to achieve this.
Imo these two factors are parts A & B of any major improvement