Benji 2025 and Beyond

[GNR4LIFE]

Just watching NRL 360. Wtf is Ellias smoking? Thought top 8 or even top 4 so benji is struggling 🤣🤣.

It’s also cringy he keeps referring to the club with “we” lol.

Why is top 8 something to laugh at? The consensus at the start of the season was that we would be around the edge of the 8.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

People said the same about the Raiders at the beginning of the year, lots of no names.
But a lot of them have really kicked on.

Parra are playing an expansive game at time especially their left shifts with JAC on the end - looks very good very fast slick and fluent

Moses does make a huge difference and they have a lot of good young guys coming thru

They look on the up. Unfortunately.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Am I missing something but watching the eels play the last few weeks with a rookie coach , I have seen more upside with the Eels than with us for the next year.

I hear the excuse that we have a new squad this year, which is fine. New squads do need time to gel. But not a whole season. I think at this point, it’s what you see is what you get.

 

[bigsiro]

Why is top 8 something to laugh at? The consensus at the start of the season was that we would be around the edge of the 8.

What consensus?

(Btw not defending Elias 🤮)

 

[GNR4LIFE]

What consensus?

(Btw not defending Elias 🤮)

The consensus on the forum. The expectation was getting out of the bottom 4 at minimum.

 

[king_sirro]

Am I missing something but watching the eels play the last few weeks with a rookie coach , I have seen more upside with the Eels than with us for the next year.

This is what is worrying me so much now with Benji. The Eels have built throughout the year ti the point they now compete without Moses. It looks like Ryles new his plan, stuck to it and now the entire group is working together.

At the Dolphins, Wolfe started terribly. Once they got going he was asked what he changed, his response "nothing. We trusted what we were doing and stuck to it". He had a clear plan.

The chopping and changing from Benji has been very alarming. It suggests he is throwing darts.

 

[bigsiro]

The consensus on the forum. The expectation was getting out of the bottom 4 at minimum.

Our own fans’ perennial unrealistic expectation bias is hardly a consensus – it’s more of a closed-loop hallucination.

 

[king_sirro]

Also, the panic about players leaving if Benji goes, its not like they can follow him anywhere. No one else is hiring him. So maybe one or even 2 try to use it as an excuse to get out, so what. A.good coach outweighs losing a couple of players. Long term it does anyway

 

[Tom Shines]

Why is top 8 something to laugh at? The consensus at the start of the season was that we would be around the edge of the 8.

Did you think we would make the Top 8 this year with this squad still with limited depth and forward impact ?

I was hoping for 10 wins which would probably land them 12-14…

 

[Tom Shines]

Also, the panic about players leaving if Benji goes, its not like they can follow him anywhere. No one else is hiring him. So maybe one or even 2 try to use it as an excuse to get out, so what. A.good coach outweighs losing a couple of players. Long term it does anyway

I think the only one that has a clause to leave early is Luai ?

 

[weststigers]

Did you think we would make the Top 8 this year with this squad still with limited depth and forward impact ?

I was hoping for 10 wins which would probably land them 12-14…

This sounds a little too sensible for this forum.

 

[bigsiro]

I don’t remember which thread it was in but it would be interesting to read back now what we all predicted. Anyone got a good memory and a link?

 

[hank37w]

I think the only one that has a clause to leave early is Luai ?

As we have seen, it doesn't stop them from leaving.

 

[Tom Shines]

As we have seen, it doesn't stop them from leaving.

We need to agree though to let them go

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Did you think we would make the Top 8 this year with this squad still with limited depth and forward impact ?

I was hoping for 10 wins which would probably land them 12-14…

I thought we’d be on the edge. I don’t think many would have been expecting out season to be over in June/July.

 

[Tiger-ferret]

Why is top 8 something to laugh at? The consensus at the start of the season was that we would be around the edge of the 8.

It’s the “even top 4” which is just ridiculous but nice try.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

It’s the “even top 4” which is just ridiculous but nice try.

Top 4 is a bit crazy. What else is crazy is how long it’s been since we made the 8, and it seems to be accepted that this is just another year on the pile.

 

[Tiger-ferret]

Top 4 is a bit crazy. What else is crazy is how long it’s been since we made the 8, and it seems to be accepted that this is just another year on the pile.

It’s a crazy length of time! It all makes sense with the talk of how little $$ the tigers have to play with off the field. How our coach is paid by a sponsor etc etc.

Tigers are seen stepping stone for the young up and comers and a retirement paddock for the experienced bit worn out.

Even talk of Cherry Evan’s being offered a “possible” job after footy yet tigers get made an example of with Farah. From the top down we are the whipping boys.

I buoyed by Luai’s recent comments. I think the players need to want it. We need more actual first graders!

 

[Jolls]

Top 4 is a bit crazy. What else is crazy is how long it’s been since we made the 8, and it seems to be accepted that this is just another year on the pile.

I think it all depends on how glass half full or empty you are. I hung my hat on 12th due to our lack of depth and a developing coach. We simply had (have) too many starters that are top 30 material but would be playing KoE at most other clubs. They need to be playing KoE for us to provide great depth.

The benefit for us is that when players do fall out of the tree they have a heaps of NRL experience to assist in the development of our pathways players ont he way through and will be capable backups. to my mind we have resolved one centre, with adequate support in the other spot with potentially a second strike centre in the making. We have possible solved the second edge postion but we need to resolve the key middle issues of an Alpha prop and a specialist NRL ready lock.

That should get us up into the 8 in 26 - who knows, could be the first to win it from the bottom of the 8! Realistically our window opens in 27.