Benji 2025 and Beyond

[GNR4LIFE]

I think it’s a reflection on how dumb teams can be these days. The field goal is an obsolete play these days. Teams usually only go for them in the final 5 minutes. It’s actually seen as a negative play a lot of times. If there is 15 minutes to go, with scores level, going for a field goal is a negative. Yet if you get a penalty right in front, you obviously take the two. What’s the difference?

 

[Jolls]

This is likely the first time I have ever defended Doueihi as a playing talent on this site.
Go back a few years and I was the one starting threads saying we have to let him go.
This year though...he has not been a problem at all. He has done a job for us. He has made most of his tackles and contributed with the ball. The centre pairing of him and To'a are a major reason this side is staying in games this year.
I wouldnt be surprised if there was a leaderboard for WT player of the year, that his name would be sitting in the top 6.
I also find the criticism of him this year to be historical in nature. People are saying he cant tackle or is too slow. In our club he is 2nd for linebreak assists, 2nd for kicking meters, 2nd highest back for tackles made, 3rd for try assists, 3rd for linebreaks, 3rd for offloads, 5th for runs, 5th for run meters, 8th for missed tackles and comp wide he is 11th for top point scorer.
His discipline needs work as does his decision making....those can both be improved quite easily this next pre season.

I doubt that his 1% efforts can be improved though and that is where he is lacking. I'm happy with what he has provided this year to date and I would be happy to keep him as a KoE backup. I don't see him as a as a starter except as injury cover. We need better.

 

[Tucker]

I doubt that his 1% efforts can be improved though and that is where he is lacking. I'm happy with what he has provided this year to date and I would be happy to keep him as a KoE backup. I don't see him as a as a starter except as injury cover. We need better.

Im sorry, but this is not the year to stick the boot into this guy's efforts.
He has had a go.
He has outperformed guys in this team who are earning a lot more money and are a lot more highly regarded. His ballplaying at the line has been better than all other halves this year.
Had he not played this year, we wouldnt have been as competitive.
I think he has become a kicking bag these past few weeks because hes had a run in with Marshal and signed with Moses.
Its not his football.

 

[Tom Shines]

Im sorry, but this is not the year to stick the boot into this guy's efforts.
He has had a go.
He has outperformed guys in this team who are earning a lot more money and are a lot more highly regarded. His ballplaying at the line has been better than all other halves this year.
Had he not played this year, we wouldnt have been as competitive.
I think he has become a kicking bag these past few weeks because hes had a run in with Marshal and signed with Moses.

What are your thoughts on Benji’s treatment in the media as opposed to Bennett ?

They have literally just played the same team in back to back weeks with similar inept performances and near identical scores … they have the same number of wins this year and Souths a much inferior for and against …

Benji is criticised for his sides performance ..perhaps rightfully so if a little over the top … not a peep about Bennett… and even worse …they are glazing him in the paper today saying he should be the Kangaroos coach at the end of the year …

 

[weststigers]

That’s the frustrating part.
I expected finals this year or very close to them as this squad has a lot of class in it.
Unfortunately our spine has just fallen short too many times when it came to sealing the game.
Not kicking the field goal today is an example.

On the flip side, the field goal could have opened us up to the short kick off and/or a 20m restart and given them more time in good field position to attack us and run us down.

We were 8 ahead at that stage and a try off the kick off would have us 3 in front instead of 2 in front like we ended up...the only thing it would have mitigated was the chance to lock it up with a 2 point field goal whereas time was the enemy for the Roosters, not the 1 extra point.

Pretty sure Benji was directing them not to take it for that very reason. He knew we were out on our feet and wanted to keep it down that end as much as possible.

Personally, I was happy we didn't take it. I remember being run down before after trying to take the 1 when we didn't need to.

 

[innsaneink]

I think it’s a reflection on how dumb teams can be these days. The field goal is an obsolete play these days. Teams usually only go for them in the final 5 minutes. It’s actually seen as a negative play a lot of times. If there is 15 minutes to go, with scores level, going for a field goal is a negative. Yet if you get a penalty right in front, you obviously take the two. What’s the difference?

Really?

You generally get the ball back from the penalty and the odds of success are much greater, theres no attempted charge down etc

 

[innsaneink]

On the flip side, the field goal could have opened us up to the short kick off and/or a 20m restart and given them more time in good field position to attack us and run us down.

We were 8 ahead at that stage and a try off the kick off would have us 3 in front instead of 2 in front like we ended up...the only thing it would have mitigated was the chance to lock it up with a 2 point field goal whereas time was the enemy for the Roosters, not the 1 extra point.

Pretty sure Benji was directing them not to take it for that very reason. He knew we were out on our feet and wanted to keep it down that end as much as possible.

Personally, I was happy we didn't take it. I remember being run down before after trying to take the 1 when we didn't need to.

Mate....Benji was frantic on the sideline...thanks for the remider I'll have to re-watch that again, just so much going on it was a hectic final few minutes

 

[Jolls]

Im sorry, but this is not the year to stick the boot into this guy's efforts.
He has had a go.
He has outperformed guys in this team who are earning a lot more money and are a lot more highly regarded. His ballplaying at the line has been better than all other halves this year.
Had he not played this year, we wouldnt have been as competitive.
I think he has become a kicking bag these past few weeks because hes had a run in with Marshal and signed with Moses.
Its not his football.

Tucker, my reservations about AD pre-date these last few weeks. If you note Ink's post I have been riding him too much for a long while. I'm not saying that he is a bad player - he is just not what we need going forward. He will get a gig at another club - another club that will not push for a top 4 postion.

If we are seriously building he can't be here next year as anything but a backup.

Can he kick? Sure. Is it good enough? No.
Can he defend as a centre? Yes. Is it good enough? Mostly -but he doesn't do the 1% to make him worthwile carrying
Can he attack? Sure - he is direct and has a big body. Is is good enough? Just - but he isn't a strike weapon and we defintely need one.

He is doing well in a side that has mid table written all over it. We are mid table because we are missing creativity on the edges. Galvin cramping us up was one problem and that has been soved. Seyfarth on an edge is another and that has been identified and we have a solution in KPP (if that turns out to be the case is a separate issue).

Add a strike centre to compliment what Toa has been delivering (and I trust he is keeping a space warm for Makasini when he develops) and an addtional move the needle forward and we should be a bottom of the 8 side roster wise.

Develop or upgrade Bula and identify a class 13 and we are now looking like a top 4 team.

The next question is what do we need to do with the coach - is he developing enough to get us there?

 

[weststigers]

Tucker, my reservations about AD pre-date these last few weeks. If you note Ink's post I have been riding him too much for a long while. I'm not saying that he is a bad player - he is just not what we need going forward. He will get a gig at another club - another club that will not push for a top 4 postion.

If we are seriously building he can't be here next year as anything but a backup.

Can he kick? Sure. Is it good enough? No.
Can he defend as a centre? Yes. Is it good enough? Mostly -but he doesn't do the 1% to make him worthwile carrying
Can he attack? Sure - he is direct and has a big body. Is is good enough? Just - but he isn't a strike weapon and we defintely need one.

He is doing well in a side that has mid table written all over it. We are mid table because we are missing creativity on the edges. Galvin cramping us up was one problem and that has been soved. Seyfarth on an edge is another and that has been identified and we have a solution in KPP (if that turns out to be the case is a separate issue).

Add a strike centre to compliment what Toa has been delivering (and I trust he is keeping a space warm for Makasini when he develops) and an addtional move the needle forward and we should be a bottom of the 8 side roster wise.

Develop or upgrade Bula and identify a class 13 and we are now looking like a top 4 team.

The next question is what do we need to do with the coach - is he developing enough to get us there?

What did you think of Turuvas style at fullback vs Bula?

 

[jadtiger]

....or you are 6 points in the lead with a couple of minutes to go. If we hadn't got that soft penalty we were probably on the wrong end of a golden point loss.

As it was, after kicking the penalty goal, we conceded the Tedesco try. FG was the right call at that time - twice - and we stuffed it both times,

100%,i have always been a firm believer in taking points when they are available especially when you are trying to wind the clock down.Yesterday we failed twice to do that when it was easy to add to our lead.
We are a very dumb football team when it comes to closing out a game.

 

[Jolls]

What did you think of Turuvas style at fullback vs Bula?

I think I posted it during the game - Bula needs to learn from Taruva on how to push up in and around the ruck. He does get up there at times but doesn't have the explosive impact that Taruva has so he can't play the saem type of game.

I would like to see him working more with Pole, May and Api in theat middle corridor once the game opens up a bit. Him and Latu could develop a great combination as well. It is a bit harder with Luai as he moves around so much so I think he sweeps a little wider on that side.

 

[Tucker]

What are your thoughts on Benji’s treatment in the media as opposed to Bennett ?

They have literally just played the same team in back to back weeks with similar inept performances and near identical scores … they have the same number of wins this year and Souths a much inferior for and against …

Benji is criticised for his sides performance ..perhaps rightfully so if a little over the top … not a peep about Bennett… and even worse …they are glazing him in the paper today saying he should be the Kangaroos coach at the end of the year …

Wayne has had a tough run with injuries this year, but yes, he is underperforming.
He has earned a bit of wiggle room due to his past performances whilst Benji is 2 spoons from 2 starts with a bottom 4 performance in his 3rd.
Criticism is justified

 

[innsaneink]

What did you think of Turuvas style at fullback vs Bula?

He was great. Very dangerous around the ruck many near line breaks...very busy and it could be something to look into further.
They say Taylan May is a better winger than center soooo.....who knows
If Bula listsens to his agent and is outta here at some stage next year theres options

 

[weststigers]

He was great. Very dangerous around the ruck many near line breaks...very busy and it could be something to look into further.
They say Taylan May is a better winger than center soooo.....who knows
If Bula listsens to his agent and is outta here at some stage next year theres options

Yeah was thinking the same thing. We have options in key positions.

L Fainu is another example. Not many teams have lost their so called superstar half and can throw an even better one in behind him a week later.

Same goes for Turuva.

I think many underestimate how calculated the club has been in recruitment and retention so far.

 

[Milky]

I don’t think he is a head coach but I also don’t think we should sack him.

Let him see out 25/26 and if he doesn’t make finals or significantly improve next year then he should make the call himself to take the back seat.

Sacking him isn’t the right thing to do, not when he has completely overhauled the roster to suit his style.

He should be given an opportunity until the end of next year to see how he progresses.

Keep in mind he has taken a risk on a lot of juniors at the expense of short-term success, not that there are better options available internally but we don’t know what potential veterans we could have secured externally.

 

[Tom Shines]

Benji is not getting sacked based on Richo’s ABC interview which I expect him to reinforce on 360 tonight… I doubt there is even another option under consideration…

People may as well just move on at this stage …. Revisit June next year …

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

He was great. Very dangerous around the ruck many near line breaks...very busy and it could be something to look into further.
They say Taylan May is a better winger than center soooo.....who knows
If Bula listsens to his agent and is outta here at some stage next year theres options

Wouldn't surprise me if by the end of the season Makasini is left centre & May outside him.

 

[innsaneink]

Wouldn't surprise me if by the end of the season Makasini is left centre & May outside him.

What side did he play on Saturday?

I hope whatever and however his development comes about is closely planned and controlled and not reactive to injuries etc
One game in reggies so far...half even

 

[1eyetiger]

Anyone know how Taylan went

 

[WesternSuburbsBoy]

Benji is not getting sacked based on Richo’s ABC interview which I expect him to reinforce on 360 tonight… I doubt there is even another option under consideration…

People may as well just move on at this stage …. Revisit June next year …

Which is 100% the right call. All you have to do is look at Latu's post game comments, Twals comments in the presser & then some of the boys re sharing what Latu said about Benji on Instagram. To me that was a message from the playing group to a bit of the 'noise' around Benjis future... this is the coach we want & we are fully behind him.