Compared to other clubs

C

Chunk

Well-known member
I don't want to be too much of a doomsday merchant but when you look at other clubs and their line ups and potential line ups we seem to be way down the bottom.

We get carried away with our 'youngsters' and a couple of good purchases but are they really comparatively that good. (Might add. KPP seems like a powder puff compared some of these guys)

Now I may be wrong and other people know more then I do, its just what it seems like

Dragons, Parra have these young powerful forwards coming through, Dolphins have a awesome backline with a solid pack, Raiders have these gun pacey backs and big, powerful forwards, Cowboys seem to always have big young powerful forwards coming through. Warriors, Panthers, Roosters obvious about their pipeline and so on

I'm sure I've missed something but are we keeping up?
 
What drives me crazy is our inability to develop outside backs. We’ve only developed one centre in 25 years. And even he got a crippling injury and spent the second half of his career plodding in the second row. There’s talk about Makasini, but we’ll see. And if he does somehow make the leap, I have little faith he’ll actually stick around.
 
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Chunk said:
I don't want to be too much of a doomsday merchant but when you look at other clubs and their line ups and potential line ups we seem to be way down the bottom.

We get carried away with our 'youngsters' and a couple of good purchases but are they really comparatively that good. (Might add. KPP seems like a powder puff compared some of these guys)

Now I may be wrong and other people know more then I do, its just what it seems like

Dragons, Parra have these young powerful forwards coming through, Dolphins have a awesome backline with a solid pack, Raiders have these gun pacey backs and big, powerful forwards, Cowboys seem to always have big young powerful forwards coming through. Warriors, Panthers, Roosters obvious about their pipeline and so on

I'm sure I've missed something but are we keeping up?
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Mate . People want to kick the shit out of Benji. Have a look at the cattle we have,and then what chance has he got. Ill stand by what ive stated, we are years away from being competetive. Forget about this year, worry about how bleak it looks next year. Only my opinion and happy for everyone to bash me for it.
 
Chunk said:
I don't want to be too much of a doomsday merchant but when you look at other clubs and their line ups and potential line ups we seem to be way down the bottom.

We get carried away with our 'youngsters' and a couple of good purchases but are they really comparatively that good. (Might add. KPP seems like a powder puff compared some of these guys)

Now I may be wrong and other people know more then I do, its just what it seems like

Dragons, Parra have these young powerful forwards coming through, Dolphins have a awesome backline with a solid pack, Raiders have these gun pacey backs and big, powerful forwards, Cowboys seem to always have big young powerful forwards coming through. Warriors, Panthers, Roosters obvious about their pipeline and so on

I'm sure I've missed something but are we keeping up?
Click to expand...
I don't know about way down the bottom, more so amongst the bottom. Our roster is sub par but not disgustingly poor. There is more than enough talent there to be performing better than we are. I don't even really mean winning more games. We sit about where I would expect in that regard. I just mean we are not producing on the field.
People point at the tight losses and believe where close. I can't think of any of those tight losses where it wasn't one of the worst recent performances by the respective opposition. Yet, even with our opposition off their game they still outplay us.
I do agree however that I cannot see where the future improvement comes from. As you said the likes of Dragons, Warriors and Roosters have some fantastic young forwards coming through.
Recruitment is the key short term because there is something broken with our junior development and/or retention.
In short, no we are not keeping up. I don't think we are miles behind we are narrowly behind and seemingly unable to close the gap.
 
the enforcer. said:
Mate . People want to kick the shit out of Benji. Have a look at the cattle we have,and then what chance has he got. Ill stand by what ive stated, we are years away from being competetive. Forget about this year, worry about how bleak it looks next year. Only my opinion and happy for everyone to bash me for it.
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No one is going to bash you for putting an opinion forward respectfully.
I agree with what you said with the caveat that I don’t believe Benji is the victim here as he built this squad and has been working on it since the back half of 2022. Additionally, he has spent 3 preseasons with them and is in his 3rd year coaching them. He needs to produce results with them ASAP.
Unfortunately I’d suspect the current injuries have provided him with excuses that many are going along with.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
What drives me crazy is our inability to develop outside backs. We’ve only developed one centre in 25 years. And even he got a crippling injury and spent the second half of his career plodding in the second row. There’s talk about Makasini, but we’ll see. And if he does somehow make the leap, I have little faith he’ll actually stick around.
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Wash your mouth out with soap GNR if you mean Chris Lawrence.
HE WAS ONE OF THE BRAVEST MEN TO EVER PUT A FOOTY JERSEY ON.
HE WAS NEVER A PLODDER.
 
the enforcer. said:
Mate . People want to kick the shit out of Benji. Have a look at the cattle we have,and then what chance has he got. Ill stand by what ive stated, we are years away from being competetive. Forget about this year, worry about how bleak it looks next year. Only my opinion and happy for everyone to bash me for it.
Click to expand...
Benji is going to do a Cameron Ciraldo next year, just watch us fire.
 
supercoach said:
Our very best fit 17 players if available every week could get us close to a mid table finish. Throw in injuries suspensions and dubious calls, we plummet to a Bottom three team. We desperately need more speed and a major overhaul of our forward pack
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I would say our top 15 players would make us a reasonable chance at spot in the top 8 but when you get to about player 19 in our squad the massive differences to ALL other clubs starts to show,nearly all our supporters would acknowledge that we lack depth as a squad and once injuries/suspensions start we are in a world of pain.This year that has been made even worse by the fact we have been unable to get replacements to players we have let go during the season (i imagine because nobody is available or what we need as a player).
It sucks big time but i honestly believe the club is slowly turning the ship around and things will improve but not this year.We need to get greater decent quality depth and as annoying and hard as it seems to be i feel it is happening.
 
IMO we really need to keep working on the engine room.We're never spoken of the team
that keeps winning the forward battle.We never have a flow of ascendancy in the forwards
to gain territory in the forward battle.Teams no who getting it before we let the pass go.
Manly were all over us the other night.

We never seem to get anywhere with our flat line of attack in the backline. Like watching under 6's
catch and pass sometimes.Never seems quick enough. Never look fast enough to make a break out
wide.Never a chance for a cutout pass to a winger(centre always in the way). It's like we never train for attack. Esp edge plays.

I don't know what Richo and Benji are going to do to get us out this. If there is a war chest,can we use
it?
 
supercoach said:
Our very best fit 17 players if available every week could get us close to a mid table finish. Throw in injuries suspensions and dubious calls, we plummet to a Bottom three team. We desperately need more speed and a major overhaul of our forward pack
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Exactly. We were a 50% team through 10 weeks. Depth now has predictability got us. Big recruitment year for us.
 
You look at a team like the Raiders, they would have players behind the top 17 capable of covering any injuries suspensions or lack of form without to much effect on the team.

We have Bulla go down and we are in all sorts of bother. Our top 17 is far from great, but there is a gulf of different to the players below them. I have said before, half a dozen of our top 17 should be our depth players
 
supercoach said:
You look at a team like the Raiders, they would have players behind the top 17 capable of covering any injuries suspensions or lack of form without to much effect on the team.

We have Bulla go down and we are in all sorts of bother. Our top 17 is far from great, but there is a gulf of different to the players below them. I have said before, half a dozen of our top 17 should be our depth players
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And let’s not forget Ricky has had plenty of lean years along the way but he is realistic about what’s he’s up against being at a non-glamour club. Our club needs to show patience and stick at a plan like Canberra has.
 
supercoach said:
Our very best fit 17 players if available every week could get us close to a mid table finish. Throw in injuries suspensions and dubious calls, we plummet to a Bottom three team. We desperately need more speed and a major overhaul of our forward pack
Click to expand...

Yeah, probably but if it was up against top 17 of other clubs, I think we would still struggle.

That overhaul you're talking about doesn't look promising. When you look at the big picture, unlike other clubs, we don't seem to have the players coming though, and it looks like we won't be buying anyone of note.
 
Chunk said:
Yeah, probably but if it was up against top 17 of other clubs, I think we would still struggle.

That overhaul you're talking about doesn't look promising. When you look at the big picture, unlike other clubs, we don't seem to have the players coming though, and it looks like we won't be buying anyone of note.
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Our first recruitment haul under Richo netted Luai, Turuva, May & Skelton among others. There’s still plenty of time before 2026. It’s not a time to panic.
 
Dunno why but for so many years WT ignored the trend for bigger, taller, faster wingers and forwards especially backrowers. In general competition we were behind due to that fact alone. I cannot believe that with all our junior competition teams we had none of these type of players to identify and promote. Instead we went for smaller types probably in the belief they were more agile but that hasn't worked, the old saying a good big man will beat a good small man still is true. I think we have begun to recognise the error but again contracts have to be honoured or paid out before new blood can be brought in and that too takes time.
 
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