Honest assessment on 2018

Hard to say this far out… All we keep hearing is the same dribble about how the team is bonding better than ever, Ivan's cliches & that ridiculous bus theory. Like usual, non of it will mean anything come round 1 when we will need to turn up each week to play football for each other.

I'm expecting Cowboys to turn it on tonight, but dont think it will have any bearing on our season. Getting some air into the boys lungs under match conditions and working on timing/communication will be good for us this far out.

I feel it will be round 8-12 before we see this group become a team, and then we may put together some back to back wins that will give us a gauge what the wash-up of the season will be.

We only need to win the grand final in September/October, so we have a long journey until then!
 
would have liked are chances better if we had signing a gun backrower, but will be happy if we make the 8\. and are defense is better.
 
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I think we will finish between 8-12, some really positive movements forward in our development as a team but like many have said the squad will need some time to gel and I think we are 1-2 out and out quality players from giving it a real shake up.

We have some good depth this year so injuries shouldn’t cruel us as much as they have in the past, I think if we cop an injury the players we will have to cover will be of a similar level unlike the past when we have relied on players such as Littlejohn and Rankin.

Our first 5-6 games are scary though and watching Storm last night I can’t see us coming within cooee of them. Normally I would think meeting the top teams at the start of the season is good before they have clicked into top gear but geez storm may click early this year!
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Yep 8th-12th sounds spot on.
Having 2 home games "away" vs Newcastle and the Maggots will bite us hard though, stupid decision by the club IMO. We need every advantage we can get at the moment.
 
Well the right conditions seem to have been created they seem a happy bunch in the moment lots of depth.
Ivan seems to have recruited to give Brooks a chance witb plenty of go forward and mentoring and he may play McQueen to cover him and I feel that we will be competing every game something that hasn't happened for a while. Our go forward should ensure that our defense will need to absorb less energy from opponents.
The weak link is a supposed lack of class but that may become irrelevant if guys like Twal,Milne, Marsters Brooks and rhe new signings develop.
I think Cleary identified soon as he walked in last year that sadly there was a lack of togetherness commitment belief and energy within the group so his remedy was to release the trouble makers build go forward and buy committed players so that way if we stay in games longer we may overcome " the blockages in performance "
That Easts game first up has already got a grand of my money at 9.5pts start.
 
@ said:
@ said:
I think we will finish between 8-12, some really positive movements forward in our development as a team but like many have said the squad will need some time to gel and I think we are 1-2 out and out quality players from giving it a real shake up.

We have some good depth this year so injuries shouldn’t cruel us as much as they have in the past, I think if we cop an injury the players we will have to cover will be of a similar level unlike the past when we have relied on players such as Littlejohn and Rankin.

Our first 5-6 games are scary though and watching Storm last night I can’t see us coming within cooee of them. Normally I would think meeting the top teams at the start of the season is good before they have clicked into top gear but geez storm may click early this year!

Yep 8th-12th sounds spot on.
Having 2 home games "away" vs Newcastle and the Maggots will bite us hard though, stupid decision by the club IMO. We need every advantage we can get at the moment.
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I really don't think home ground advantage is as big a deal to us as it might be to some other teams. We often play better away from home I reckon.
 
@ said:
Well the right conditions seem to have been created they seem a happy bunch in the moment lots of depth.
Ivan seems to have recruited to give Brooks a chance witb plenty of go forward and mentoring and he may play McQueen to cover him and I feel that we will be competing every game something that hasn't happened for a while. Our go forward should ensure that our defense will need to absorb less energy from opponents.
The weak link is a supposed lack of class but that may become irrelevant if guys like Twal,Milne, Marsters Brooks and rhe new signings develop.
I think Cleary identified soon as he walked in last year that sadly there was a lack of togetherness commitment belief and energy within the group so his remedy was to release the trouble makers build go forward and buy committed players so that way if we stay in games longer we may overcome " the blockages in performance "
That Easts game first up has already got a grand of my money at 9.5pts start.
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A grand??! Jeepers mate you are brave. Hope you have a win.
 
Magpie Magic…A grand on us to beat the roosters, a side we never beat, boosted this year by Tedesco and Cronk?
I like your style.
 
Looking at last night trial against Cowboys showed that we will be competitive in most games we play this year with Ivan resting the BIG 7 for next weeks trial against the Sharks there was plenty of go forward our backs showed some pace liked the look of Reynolds Gamble Rochow Milne Lolo Thompson Fonua appears to be an angry man and will be an asset if he can control himself Brooks looked confident with his new team mates in one word promising
 
We just beat last years grand finalist in a trial. i know it's a trial and no more then that but to travel to cairns and beat them with alot of our new recruits not playing must account for something. I just watched Clearys video on his thoughts b4 the trial and his quote "The night before CHRISTMAS" has got me really excited. Can't wait for my West Tigers to open my present the nighr b4 Christmas
.
 
I am not convinced that Lalohea is 80% goal kicker, and we desperately need one. The closest (established) goal kicker is Marshall, but does this mean Brooks or Raynolds out?
Most likely Milne and Marsters are not the answer.
 
our backline will struggle all year. if we are thereabouts around round 7/8, i hope cleary makes a mid season play for a good centre- it could be the missing piece.
 
@ said:
our backline will struggle all year. if we are thereabouts around round 7/8, i hope cleary makes a mid season play for a good centre- it could be the missing piece.
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I'm not worried about out outside backs. Fonua, Milne, Nofo, Masters, MWZ, Kev and Tui will go well. Our halves and hooker are where we are the weakest.

The forwards should be fine as well but there is so much depth in the forwards it's going to take a while to figure out our best team.
 
@ said:
@ said:
Well the right conditions seem to have been created they seem a happy bunch in the moment lots of depth.
Ivan seems to have recruited to give Brooks a chance witb plenty of go forward and mentoring and he may play McQueen to cover him and I feel that we will be competing every game something that hasn't happened for a while. Our go forward should ensure that our defense will need to absorb less energy from opponents.
The weak link is a supposed lack of class but that may become irrelevant if guys like Twal,Milne, Marsters Brooks and rhe new signings develop.
I think Cleary identified soon as he walked in last year that sadly there was a lack of togetherness commitment belief and energy within the group so his remedy was to release the trouble makers build go forward and buy committed players so that way if we stay in games longer we may overcome " the blockages in performance "
That Easts game first up has already got a grand of my money at 9.5pts start.

A grand??! Jeepers mate you are brave. Hope you have a win.
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Click to expand...

easy money haha
 
Well my bet was with 9.5 start but feel we are in with a big chance. As last nights trial showed we are ready and the intensity is there and we rolled down the park easy and think Roosters pushing Pearce out who was close to the team may cause them a few issues.
Anyway been watching and betting on RL a while with some success and reckon Cleary has got team in a good psychological zone somehow even fringe players were retained for a fresh start. Next year when some may have to be released more work will be required to keep everyone together.
Its realky sad for us fans but when Cleary walked in last year he would have picked that sadly many didn't really care for our club and detected he was shocked by the lack of commitment by some which is cardinal in a body contact sport.
Coupled with JTs tactics which resulted in sets which didn't last long the opposition had too much energy in attack hence Goulds claim we were unfit.
Anyway our season and whether we make finals will depend on us getting a few "lucky "wins in early rounds against tough opposition to boost our confidence. We are "due" for what its worth against Easts and Melbourne. Thinking team is predisposed perhaps mentally (judging by the the interviews I've heard)to feel that nobody expects them to win early and thats good meaning it shouldn't affect their whole season but to make 8 they will need to surpass their own expectations in early rounds so we need the bounce of the ball there.
 
I recorded every game last year and have just finished watching them. I think the bounce of the ball went against us last year. Sure we were not up for it but we never got the rub of the green. A losing team is easy for a ref to blow a penalty against and that happened alot. Not blaming refs we have to get the ref to know we are a wining team. Refs love the winning teams or a team that always wins. That smells alot like the WESTS TIGERS to me right now. I can feel it.
 
@ said:
Well my bet was with 9.5 start but feel we are in with a big chance. As last nights trial showed we are ready and the intensity is there and we rolled down the park easy and think Roosters pushing Pearce out who was close to the team may cause them a few issues.
Anyway been watching and betting on RL a while with some success and reckon Cleary has got team in a good psychological zone somehow even fringe players were retained for a fresh start. Next year when some may have to be released more work will be required to keep everyone together.
Its realky sad for us fans but when Cleary walked in last year he would have picked that sadly many didn't really care for our club and detected he was shocked by the lack of commitment by some which is cardinal in a body contact sport.
Coupled with JTs tactics which resulted in sets which didn't last long the opposition had too much energy in attack hence Goulds claim we were unfit.
Anyway our season and whether we make finals will depend on us getting a few "lucky "wins in early rounds against tough opposition to boost our confidence. We are "due" for what its worth against Easts and Melbourne. Thinking team is predisposed perhaps mentally (judging by the the interviews I've heard)to feel that nobody expects them to win early and thats good meaning it shouldn't affect their whole season but to make 8 they will need to surpass their own expectations in early rounds so we need the bounce of the ball there.
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Ballsy, hopefully you're right!
 
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