Benji 2025 and Beyond

[Harvey]

Bring back Madge in all seriousness

He played luai in origin

Has history with Richo winning at souths

He’s the only one available who has the pedigree.

Was it also Richo that sacked him at Souths or had he moved on?

In all seriousness Madge's use of the bench was terrible & I was not unhappy to see him go. The replacement plan was terrible, but that does not ,eam that he shouldn't have been replaced

 

[hank37w]

Just on Benji's approach to this game and how wrong he got it. I was thinking this is a great trial run for how he can get a team up for a finals game. Yes I know it's slightly different, but you could have really amped up the importance of this game and treat it like a finals match. Full on do or die preparation all week. Instead, he took the easy option and said "have fun". It's concerning. He didn't test himself, he didn't test his players. He went on holiday again.

Yes, I felt all along that having the bye leading up to the "Spoon Bowl" was always going to be a problem for the coach and players with both groups completely losing focus and not treating this game with the importance that it should of had.

 

[Harvey]

Luai will suit Benji. Plays off the cuff with no structure.

Have a look how Penrith's attacking structure has fallen to pieces since he took up the organising role.

 

[Vicious]

Maybe that's where Doueihi is going to play!!! Has the experience, big kicking game, voice & sees himself as a half. No spot in the top 17 atm for him.

I think he will still be under strong consideration for a starting spot in our outside backs, but if not in our NRL side we could do a lot worse than playing him 5/8 in NSW Cup.
If we are in a situation where a fit Doueihi, Staines and Starford To’a are all playing NSW Cup and trying to force their way into our NRL team, then we will be in a much better position with genuine competition for NRL jerseys, not just handing them out regardless of form.

 

[batboy]

Yes, and we were constantly told that we don't sign anyone that Benji did not want because this is Benji's team.

Admittedly it originally was all about it being Benji's team in 2025 when he was supposed to be handed the reigns as Head Coach but due to circumstances created by this club Benji was pushed into the head coaching role a year earlier than originally planned, but if you are being completely honest you would have to admit that the last 2 spoons are Benji's because he has effectively been the coach. (many would argue ineffectively)

Hopefully we snag a few more decent signings and are more competitive next season and for a change we actually do something about our defensive issues other than just talking about them.

I'll let this season go and begrudgingly give Benji the benefit of the doubt, but if there is not a dramatic improvement next year with "Benji's Team," then Club Legend or not, Benji will be on shakey ground and I can see Richo being pretty ruthless if things don't turn around dramatically.

No one is considering the 12 months previous - Where they threw Noddy into the job so Benji, Farah and Sheens could mastermind the ascent.
No decisions were getting made without Benji - Remember....

Benji has been making all the decisions / signings since mid 2022 (And who knows how long before that)
- This IS the 3rd year.

 

[Tiger001]

Luai will suit Benji. Plays off the cuff with no structure.

Have a look how Penrith's attacking structure has fallen to pieces since he took up the organising role.

Luia can play structured and to script when needed.

He is a selfless leader.

 

[hank37w]

No one is considering the 12 months previous - Where they threw Noddy into the job so Benji, Farah and Sheens could mastermind the ascent.
No decisions were getting made without Benji - Remember....

Benji has been making all the decisions / signings since mid 2022 (And who knows how long before that)
- This IS the 3rd year.

Throwing Noddy under the bus was a truly low act.

 

[liltiger]

You could....
But I been watching it for too long to blame the halves (Again - Or Still)

Seyfarth runs a line, makes a break and scores a try the other week (For the first time in his life)
- We carry on like a future Immortal...
Watch us off the Ball - Spectators most of them.

How often do you see a line break or someone poke their nose through and there's no one there...
they're not there - Because they don't practice it, They don't have those efforts in their game.
We don't attack with Defence (Like the 16 other teams)

We're permanently in captains run mode - Worse still, We keep lumping it on one bloke to fix.
You can only push shit uphill for so long before it starts rolling back all over you.

Agree totally the team looks like it does sweet f.a off the ball in attack, can't remember the last time someone actually hit the line at pace. They just seem to stand around waiting for a one out play.

 

[Kelce68]

Roster is improving?
On what basis....
WE CAME LAST!!

And then we lost Stefano, Bateman and Papali'i....

Jerome is an upgrade on what we have at 7.... I see minimal improvement elsewhere.
Any team in the comp wouldn't swap 2 Royce Hunts for Stefano (Evident by Stefano going to the comp favourites and the other to the Wooden Spooners)
Anyone watching Turuva this year has seen him be mostly monstered with the ball....
The others are unproven at week to week NRL.

To claim the Roster is improving is.... Hopeful (At best)

Yes. The roster is improving.

Luai, Skelton, Turuva, Hunt and Bird coming in.

Galvin, Latu, Pole, Da Silva, Samuela and Sione all unearthed this season and improving and, as JR said, will be a year older in 2025.

Bateman, Stefano, Tupou and Papali'i leaving. Of that group, in terms of output this year, only Papali'i provided value for money and even then he was out for 2/3 months. Bateman was passable but didn't provide value for his contract. Stefano was largely very disappointing and Tupou was barely sighted being injured this year.

Your argument on Stefano for Hunt and noone would take it because 'one is going to comp favourites and other to the wooden spooners' - as if that is some type of rationale for their ability.

Does that also apply to Luai?

On paper, there are some big names leaving. But their output has not been worthy of their pay cheque, even if they, statistically, have been serviceable.

Above all else, if you want raw, dishonest numbers, the last two seasons we've finished with 4 wins. This season, we've finished with 6.

That's an improvement in the only stat that matters; wins. Not an acceptable level of improvement by any stretch, but we've unequivocally performed better than 2022 and 2023, 50% better in fact.

Do not for a moment think that this is an endorsement of our current state, nor that I think everything is hunky-dory, but yes, the roster is improving, as has the wins column this year.

 

[jadtiger]

Throwing Noddy under the bus was a truly low act.

I honestly don't rate Noddy as being a good coach but the way Sheens treated him (and our club) at the time was absolutely disgraceful.

 

[magpiesteve]

I cannot get over Stefanos lack of effort in that game. It was arguably the worst I have seen in WT jumper & thats saying something. Bellamy will need a cattle prod to get him going. Good luck Storm.

 

[Kelce68]

I honestly don't rate Noddy as being a good coach but the way Sheens treated him (and our club) at the time was absolutely disgraceful.

Nup, stuff him.

He's hopeless. Couldn't get a single win in a 10-game stretch and now has the girls team absolutely nowhere.

Nice guy, had a rocky run personally, but I fail to see what he adds to the organisation at all.

Between Noddy, Payne and Marshall, the coaching prowess at our club is a stand up routine at the moment.

 

[batboy]

Nup, stuff him.

He's hopeless. Couldn't get a single win in a 10-game stretch and now has the girls team absolutely nowhere.

Nice guy, had a rocky run personally, but I fail to see what he adds to the organisation at all.

Between Noddy, Payne and Marshall, the coaching prowess at our club is a stand up routine at the moment.

Meanwhile, Robbie Mears builds all these kids we're excited about now through the Juniors and is
somehow no longer in the System....

Mustn't be one for the Cool Aid?
Or we've got something against proven coaches??

 

[Tucker]

Above all else, if you want raw, dishonest numbers, the last two seasons we've finished with 4 wins. This season, we've finished with 6.
That's an improvement in the only stat that matters; wins. Not an acceptable level of improvement by any stretch, but we've unequivocally performed better than 2022 and 2023, 50% better in fact.

Those 6 wins still got us last place outright. It is true its an improvement for us, but nothing to be proud of in any way.

 

[Demps]

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[Betterdays22]

Yes. The roster is improving.

Luai, Skelton, Turuva, Hunt and Bird coming in.

Galvin, Latu, Pole, Da Silva, Samuela and Sione all unearthed this season and improving and, as JR said, will be a year older in 2025.

I think this is the key. If you look solely at ins and outs I can see the argument that the roster hasn't improved a great deal, but our top 30 SHOULD be greatly improved next year after the development of the young players this year. Hopefully we can add Jordan Miller to the above list.

A large part of whether we are successful next year is just how much our young guys have grown and developed through this year. If their progress stalls, or they regress, Benji might be in trouble.

 

[Kelce68]

I think this is the key. If you look solely at ins and outs I can see the argument that the roster hasn't improved a great deal, but our top 30 SHOULD be greatly improved next year after the development of the young players this year. Hopefully we can add Jordan Miller to the above list.

A large part of whether we are successful next year is just how much our young guys have grown and developed through this year. If their progress stalls, or they regress, Benji might be in trouble.

And in that sense, it's where we want to be in my opinion.

You want the ball in your own court when it comes to developing your own juniors to bring the club success.

The junior talent has arrived, it's now up to the club to foster it into playing well against men, then to be ready for first grade, to then handle weekly first grade and then, hopefully, onto learning how to excel at NRL level.

This is where we've been diabolical in the past. Let's hope that has changed for the better.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Which version of Jordan Miller?

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

And in that sense, it's where we want to be in my opinion.

You want the ball in your own court when it comes to developing your own juniors to bring the club success.

The junior talent has arrived, it's now up to the club to foster it into playing well against men, then to be read dy for first grade, to then handle weekly first grade and then, hopefully, onto learning how to excel at NRL level.

This is where we've been diabolical in the past. Let's. Hope that has changed for the better.

The club has to foster themselves first

 

[hank37w]

I honestly don't rate Noddy as being a good coach but the way Sheens treated him (and our club) at the time was absolutely disgraceful.

Fully agree.