Do we have the mongrel we need?

[Tiger_heart]

I must admit I think what we seem to have is a lot of "nice" guys, across the park. Don't get me wrong, I mean this in the sense of willing, enthusiastic players. Yet, as the saying goes, nice guys finish last. We seem to have a team made up of players who are often outmuscled or overwhelmed by others. (Controlled) aggression is what most teams play-by (allowing for those that push the boundaries, which is part of the game) - yet more often than not, this aggression from us is not sustainable, usually only lasting the initial 10-15m.
Can we honestly say that any pack in the competition would look at us and be worried about being outmuscled in the forwards? Or have backs that have the ability to break tackles? I am not talking about the size of the dog in the fight....

Perhaps this comes down to self-belief, which is something we are low on, at present.

 

[Go_You_Good_Things]

I must admit I think what we seem to have is a lot of "nice" guys, across the park. Don't get me wrong, I mean this in the sense of willing, enthusiastic players. Yet, as the saying goes, nice guys finish last. We seem to have a team made up of players who are often outmuscled or overwhelmed by others. (Controlled) aggression is what most teams play-by (allowing for those that push the boundaries, which is part of the game) - yet more often than not, this aggression from us is not sustainable, usually only lasting the initial 10-15m.
Can we honestly say that any pack in the competition would look at us and be worried about being outmuscled in the forwards? Or have backs that have the ability to break tackles? I am not talking about the size of the dog in the fight....

Perhaps this comes down to self-belief, which is something we are low on, at present.

A one word answer.
NO.

 

[Roar_Power]

Its strange because I think the intention was to introduce mongrel and grunt with the likes of Klemmer and Bateman. Problem is they have been nothing but pussy cats....

 

[The Chad]

Hetherington, Horsburgh, Ofehangue.

Play Seyfarth & Sam Fainu in the 2nd Row.

Add in Klemmer with that support cast.

Then we don't get bullied.

Pole & Sione Fainu offering impact off the bench.

 

[InBulaWeTrust]

Hetherington, Horsburgh and Seyfarth together frightens me

 

[old_man_tiger]

Hetherington, Horsburgh and Seyfarth together frightens me

You're worrying about nothing. They would be suspended so much they'd hardly play together.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

Hetherington, Horsburgh and Seyfarth together frightens me

And we think we have a sin bin problem now….

 

[tigeress]

NO

 

[GNR4LIFE]

We barely have anything we need

 

[Tucker]

Hetherington, Horsburgh and Seyfarth together frightens me

It would be fire works...a return to the bash brothers

 

[The Chad]

Hetherington, Horsburgh and Seyfarth together frightens me

Hopefully they would scare the opposition equally!

 

[The Chad]

It would be fire works...a return to the bash brothers

I'm ok with that- at least it'll be fun to watch.

 

[Kelce68]

I'd cop a Horsburgh, as much as I think he's remarkably average, 8 days a week over Jack Hethrington.

Discipline has cost us at least 4/5 games this season, we've set a club record for sin bins, yet people are suggesting, of all people, Hethrington, who, despite being the poster boy for penalties, dumb plays and hot-headedness, also averages a whopping 61 metres per game this season.

Don't.

 

[Tucker]

I'd cop a Horsburgh, as much as I think he's remarkably average, 8 days a week over Jack Hethrington.

Discipline has cost us at least 4/5 games this season, we've set a club record for sin bins, yet people are suggesting, of all people, Hethrington, who, despite being the poster boy for penalties, dumb plays and hot-headedness, also averages a whopping 61 metres per game this season.

Don't.

Jack has given away 4 penalties this year and been charged twice....in 15 games. I wish our players were as ill disciplined as he is.

 

[Kelce68]

Jack has given away 4 penalties this year and been charged twice....in 15 games. I wish our players were as ill disciplined as he is.

That's more a reflection of how diabolical they've been versus how saintly he is would be my summation.

Get rid of them as well as not bring him over.

 

[Tucker]

That's more a reflection of how diabolical they've been versus how saintly he is would be my summation.

Get rid of them as well as not bring him over.

So Sezer, Api and Klemmer and Seyfarth are also on the chopping block?

 

[The Chad]

I'd cop a Horsburgh, as much as I think he's remarkably average, 8 days a week over Jack Hethrington.

Discipline has cost us at least 4/5 games this season, we've set a club record for sin bins, yet people are suggesting, of all people, Hethrington, who, despite being the poster boy for penalties, dumb plays and hot-headedness, also averages a whopping 61 metres per game this season.

Don't.

JWH, Collins & Radley- how do they fare in penalties & hot headedness?

Pretty sure I read the Roosters are the most penalised team this year. But teams don't bully them, and they win.

As for metres per game- how many Dolphins forwards average over 100m a game? You'd be surprised. Bulldogs forwards?

 

[Kelce68]

So Sezer, Api and Klemmer and Seyfarth are also on the chopping block?

They're names you mentioned, not me.

But yes, Sezer and Klemmer should be on the chopping block. Bateman obviously already is. Likewise with Naden.

Seyfarth is borderline, specifically as it pertains to his discipline.

Api is, obviously, an exemption, despite the fact that even his form of late has been down on his normally high standards.

If your argument is that Jack Hethrington hasn't had issues with discipline, regardless of his 2024 disciplinary stats, then so be it.

I noticed you made no mention of his yardage output that I also included in my argument against his signing.

 

[The Chad]

I feel like I'm Hetherington's cheer squad some days, which is ridiculous because I've never been the biggest fan tbh.

But- the critics of Hetherington I think tend to get sensationalised by the big mistakes- the high tackles, fights etc. These are NOT every 5 minutes. They aren't repeat sets of 6 on the 5th tackle. It's not laying on the tackled player and giving a penalty away to let the opposition out of their own 10m & release the pressure.

There are penalties, and then there are 'penalties'.

The Tigers give games away on the back of dumb penalties. Not sensational ones.

 

[Kelce68]

JWH, Collins & Radley- how do they fare in penalties & hot headedness?

Pretty sure I read the Roosters are the most penalised team this year. But teams don't bully them, and they win.

As for metres per game- how many Dolphins forwards average over 100m a game? You'd be surprised. Bulldogs forwards?

You're drawing long bows.

Do Radley and co. exclusively win their games? Or is more to do with Walker, Keary, Manu and Teddy and their class shining through.

I'm not going to argue that I don't want an intimidating pack, everyone wants that. But there are more variables in creating a dominant pack than just picking big, angry boys.

To reiterate, I'd love an angry pack. But I want good players first. I don't put Hethrington in that box.