weststigerman
Well-known member
If Justin Holbrook was the best coaching option on the market, Benji doesn’t seem so bad.
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
rugbygoated
Well-known member
I disagree. Just as we seemed to turn a corner vs Bulldogs late in the season. We lose 3 in a row including two bad losses vs cowboys and titans. Plenty of scoreless halves, choking big leads, massive losing streaks, shooting ourselves in the foot, still somehow can't win 3 in a row. We still don't have a consistent regular halfback in the NRL. AD has had a breakout season and is in a contract year. He will be good for us again but we can't rely on him solely. Luai can never step up whether he is at 6 or 7. Latu is still very green and has a lot of improvement but needs an experienced 7 to learn from. I think we finish bottom 4
rugbygoated
Well-known member
Eels will be top 8 next year. Ryles is a good coach. Iongi is a great player and will only get better. Lomax, Fox, Moses in the backline is a lot of points. Good rotation of hookers in Ryley smith and da silva. Decent forwards.
Knights have signed trey mooney, sandon smith and dylan brown. Holbrook too. They will not be near top 8 but they will improve with new combinations.
Titans will improve a lot with hannay as coach and foran in coaching staff. Brimson at centre and Kini at fullback is promising.
Manly could get the spoon imo... Fogarty is a decent player but in a bad team he doesn't shine. Loss of DCE and turbo bros potentially on the outer is another distraction
Dragons with senior Flanno will never win the spoon. They are ugly to watch but they have been in plenty of close games this year losing by a small margin and Atkinson will help them win those games next year.
Rabbitohs won't get spoon with wayne. This year was the year if at all. Murray back will be huge.
Cowboys have terrible defence and todd payten will be first coach sacked next year I think but there's no way they're finishing bottom 2 with dearden there.
Who does that leave? Tigers. We have ticked the box. 3 spoons and then a 4 spot jump. Coach and team seem happy to 'improve' and this acceptance of a low standard is not a good attitude going into the off season. Kai Pearce-Paul being our only notable signing is a worry. Jock Madden will be a solid backup but that's all. Mav Geyer might surprise a few, but ultimately his ceiling isn't very high. It is good to build some depth, but we need a lot more class. I'm not hopeful of a good season next year
rugbygoated
Well-known member
Worst value for money buy of the season by a mile
Agreement we have Luai,Latu and Doueihi as our halves,
A dominant middle forward would be my first option.
I think we are one of the more difficult to predict teams for whether or not we improve next year.
You made some fair points in that our squad is essentially the same plus KPP and the side was very fortunate with injuries this year. So it's entirely possible if we are sitting middle of the pack or worse as far as injuries go we will regress next year. Particularly as I agree there is plenty of reasons to expect more from some of the other lowly ranked teams.
However there is a lot of potential for natural development in individuals across our best 17, Bula, Skelton, Taylan May, all 3 Fainus, Pole. I'm less confident but it is possible that we see more consistency from Toa plus who knows if Doueihi can turn himself into a capable 13 (if that is the plan). Enough individual improve will lead to a significant team improvement. I've more faith in some of the above than others, and I'm certainly not predicting we will suddenly look like top 8 material but next year is not without hope.
I think Dragons are really building something.
2 X Couchman, Egan, Stewart, Halangahu are all going to have very good careers and is the making of a very strong pack in the future. Theres a few more highly regarded young forwards following them but it remains to be seen if they kick on should they reach first grade.
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
Unfortunately, we shouldn’t be in the position we are with Benji, considering a certain ex coach of ours and the position he’s in atm. And for us to luck into him after Cleary doing what he did was very fortunate. We could have easily ended up with a rookie. But Sheens decided to go into business for himself and set this club back even further than it was after Cleary took off.
crazycat
Well-known member
Say you have the next GI or Israel Folau. You see them score 1-2 tries indivdually per game on the wing.
Do you:
push them to Fullback or Center where they score less?
or
keep them where they are?
Nofo was horrible for us. Because he let through more tries then he scored. But if you had a Nofu that could defend like Turuva, he would be worth 650k.
Center/wings are strike weapons. some don't even need you to give them the ball, they just snatch it.
Magpies1969
Well-known member
Is there an official list of players being farewelled now season is over?
supercoach
Well-known member
Games are not won on paper but when you stack our roster up against the other 16 I don’t see a top eight finish. I think we will be in the pack fighting for a finals spot but lack the grunt to ice it. Of course nobody can predict injuries and bad luck, so anything can happen, but I think we could finish anywhere between 17th and 10th. If Richo rattles a tree or two and two quality players drop than it’s a different story.
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
It will be at the Grand Final luncheon before the GF
There is always room for growth with most squads and I think without the distractions that impacted a percentage of the year we have scope to continue to improve. A couple of quality additions certainly would not go astray.
Injuries and depth is always the key to a successful/ unsuccessful season and the teams there at the end of the season usually have been able to utilise their good depth players, and have the majority of their best healthy.
Injuries and depth is always the key to a successful/ unsuccessful season and the teams there at the end of the season usually have been able to utilise their good depth players, and have the majority of their best healthy.
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
I like that attitude of self-belief. Push for a spot and push the squad to improve.
TV Ted Ellery
Well-known member
I was going to say the same. Old mate's extolling a utility, Grant Atkinson, like's the second coming of Andrew Johns, but it's the Dragons wealth of junior talent which will see them rise from 2027, if not 2026.
Buttface
Well-known member
We could target them while Flanno is on the nose due to continuing to picking his son and before he gets them winning.
They also have one of the best young halfbacks coming through. Check the number 7 in this game, he seems like a real talent.
Wezt
Well-known member
Bit of delusion in this statement, they beat us with half their squad out
Tom Shines
Well-known member
The Eels are your definition of a one man team … if Moses is injured ( he has missed plenty of time the past couple of years) they will be at the foot of the table again
