ISP Team Announcement: Round 9

[LARDS]

Just watched the replay of the game.
Luke garner is the only player who held his own in that game. Solid defence and runs hard.
Scored a try and saved a certain try by sheer will. Unfortunately not in the 30 but I hope that changes because he deserves to be in first grade.
As for gamble, I hope we don't need him in firsts yet. Needs to work on his defence.

 

[Demps]

Lol.. Gamble… Cant tackle

Innsaneink …. we do get your message .... can't tackle. can't kick, can't kick goals, and can't pass. He should give up now.

Sorry it will be Ivan's decision, not yours.

Sassy ?‍♂️

 

[Magpies1969]

Reading the insightful comments from Forum members it appears Garner should be considered for one of the vacant NRL spots then considered sometime this year for a spot in the NRL team.

Is he a realistic chance of a contact??????

 

[innsaneink]

I'd say we're highly likely to fill our vacant top squad spots from within and he's highly likely to be the one… He's put his hand up every time I've watched them

 

[The_Patriot]

So I looked through the forums team to play NQ on Thursday Night and 20 odd people straight had Gamble in their team next week to replace Benji Marshall at number 6\. Not to mention people mentioning him right through the pre season and early season. So I thought I better watch this game and see what all this hype has been about. I have seen him in patches and not been overly impressed.

Then today…

Like Ink said *crickets*

Fair points Eddie

I would however separate the 20 people wanting him in the team this week from the handful of people who talked him up at the start.

Of those 20 people at least 18 of them would just be sick to death of the rubbish Benji Marshall is coughing up lately.

As one of the handful who talked up Gamble, my opinion hasnt changed. His form and confidence may have changed but he will play first grade and he does have attributes to be a very good 5/8.

The conversation people should be having is why have the wheels fallen off this team, we need them playing well and putting pressure on the rest of the squad.

 

[balmain boy]

That was an appalling performance, but a very predictable one. That squad that ran out is a wooden spoon level lineup. Compared to the team we had in the first few weeks this team has been raped and pillaged so much it's barely recognisable.

Heleta - 3 penalties for incorrect play teh balls. Unforgivable. (although to be fair half the play the balls in the game still don't come close to the feet, he was the only one pinged)

This side really mirrors the first grade side, only ever worse in the forwards. We lack punch in the forwards and have no pace, skill or power across the board.

The fact our nrl squad is injury ravaged doesn't help, then cutting 2 centres from this quad and losing your star halfback, that's an incredible amount of turmoil to overcome for a bunch of part timers.

Having a few forwards and a back dropping down to this team will help next week, but our team really is desperate for 2 new signings. Pacy outside backs for the nrl squad. ISP will then get eh trickle down effect.

Our development players have been disappointing thus far but also thrown in the deep end in awful teams. Having McIntyre in the centres is just plain awful for his development. Mikaele wasn't mature enough to start this game. He tried to hard at times and made crucial mistakes. Gibbs appears invisible although Smith is apparently busting his ass in an awful team.

Look at the Dragons development player int eh centres, big strong, fast, super skillful. The cutout balls he threw to his wingers were sensational. The tackle on Price was great. This is what you want to have in reserve grade but unfortunately our recruitment across all grades hasn't been good enough. Not a single player in ISP or Flegg with X factor or the ability to break the line.

Gamble wasn't great. He isn't a halfback though. He's also got absolutely nothing to work with. Drinkwater looked good, but it's also much easier to look good when Sue, grant and Felise are bashing the way forward and you've got Nof, Fonua, Tui etc in the backline. His one on one defence wasn't good today though, slipped off too many tackles. The whole team looked gassed though.

 

[The_Patriot]

That was an appalling performance, but a very predictable one. That squad that ran out is a wooden spoon level lineup. Compared to the team we had in the first few weeks this team has been raped and pillaged so much it's barely recognisable.

Heleta - 3 penalties for incorrect play teh balls. Unforgivable. (although to be fair half the play the balls in the game still don't come close to the feet, he was the only one pinged)

This side really mirrors the first grade side, only ever worse in the forwards. We lack punch in the forwards and have no pace, skill or power across the board.

The fact our nrl squad is injury ravaged doesn't help, then cutting 2 centres from this quad and losing your star halfback, that's an incredible amount of turmoil to overcome for a bunch of part timers.

Having a few forwards and a back dropping down to this team will help next week, but our team really is desperate for 2 new signings. Pacy outside backs for the nrl squad. ISP will then get eh trickle down effect.

Our development players have been disappointing thus far but also thrown in the deep end in awful teams. Having McIntyre in the centres is just plain awful for his development. Mikaele wasn't mature enough to start this game. He tried to hard at times and made crucial mistakes. Gibbs appears invisible although Smith is apparently busting his ass in an awful team.

Look at the Dragons development player int eh centres, big strong, fast, super skillful. The cutout balls he threw to his wingers were sensational. The tackle on Price was great. This is what you want to have in reserve grade but unfortunately our recruitment across all grades hasn't been good enough. Not a single player in ISP or Flegg with X factor or the ability to break the line.

Gamble wasn't great. He isn't a halfback though. He's also got absolutely nothing to work with. Drinkwater looked good, but it's also much easier to look good when Sue, grant and Felise are bashing the way forward and you've got Nof, Fonua, Tui etc in the backline. His one on one defence wasn't good today though, slipped off too many tackles. The whole team looked gassed though.

Thanks for the run down. I've missed the last few games with other commitments but had been waiting for an unbiased report.

 

[Sunnycoast_tiger]

That was an appalling performance, but a very predictable one. That squad that ran out is a wooden spoon level lineup. Compared to the team we had in the first few weeks this team has been raped and pillaged so much it's barely recognisable.

Heleta - 3 penalties for incorrect play teh balls. Unforgivable. (although to be fair half the play the balls in the game still don't come close to the feet, he was the only one pinged)

This side really mirrors the first grade side, only ever worse in the forwards. We lack punch in the forwards and have no pace, skill or power across the board.

The fact our nrl squad is injury ravaged doesn't help, then cutting 2 centres from this quad and losing your star halfback, that's an incredible amount of turmoil to overcome for a bunch of part timers.

Having a few forwards and a back dropping down to this team will help next week, but our team really is desperate for 2 new signings. Pacy outside backs for the nrl squad. ISP will then get eh trickle down effect.

Our development players have been disappointing thus far but also thrown in the deep end in awful teams. Having McIntyre in the centres is just plain awful for his development. Mikaele wasn't mature enough to start this game. He tried to hard at times and made crucial mistakes. Gibbs appears invisible although Smith is apparently busting his ass in an awful team.

Look at the Dragons development player int eh centres, big strong, fast, super skillful. The cutout balls he threw to his wingers were sensational. The tackle on Price was great. This is what you want to have in reserve grade but unfortunately our recruitment across all grades hasn't been good enough. Not a single player in ISP or Flegg with X factor or the ability to break the line.

Gamble wasn't great. He isn't a halfback though. He's also got absolutely nothing to work with. Drinkwater looked good, but it's also much easier to look good when Sue, grant and Felise are bashing the way forward and you've got Nof, Fonua, Tui etc in the backline. His one on one defence wasn't good today though, slipped off too many tackles. The whole team looked gassed though.

Maybe our recruitment people should start looking at clubs like dragons,panthers and even broncos
for players that there path way is blocked, cause by better depth of players. I believe we all can name two or three players that are stuck behind players at the current clubs.

 

[magpiesteve]

Wow what was Watson Heleta thinking. I have a lot of time for this player but his repeated play the ball infringements were hard to fathom. The referees made it clear from the preseason that the Play the Ball was an area they intended to clean up. Watson gave away three roll ball penalties which easiliy could have been more . Play the ball is a fundamental of the game & getting it right should be a given.

 

[bp_tiger]

i will say it again and again if the club wants to take the high road and sack players and then release others, then they must replace these players some how, we have thrown away a great start to the season.

 

[balmain boy]

i will say it again and again if the club wants to take the high road and sack players and then release others, then they must replace these players some how, we have thrown away a great start to the season.

Absolutely. Sacking players and then calling up part timers and playing them out of position, 5 weeks into the season, is not how successful clubs are run.

We need to urgently replace Drinkwater too. Sure the replacement won't be as good but an experienced lower grade halfback is a must.

 

[FOD001]

i will say it again and again if the club wants to take the high road and sack players and then release others, then they must replace these players some how, we have thrown away a great start to the season.

Absolutely. Sacking players and then calling up part timers and playing them out of position, 5 weeks into the season, is not how successful clubs are run.

We need to urgently replace Drinkwater too. Sure the replacement won't be as good but an experienced lower grade halfback is a must.

Well we’ll see how Godinet goes this week at 7

 

[Telltails]

i will say it again and again if the club wants to take the high road and sack players and then release others, then they must replace these players some how, we have thrown away a great start to the season.

Absolutely. Sacking players and then calling up part timers and playing them out of position, 5 weeks into the season, is not how successful clubs are run.

We need to urgently replace Drinkwater too. Sure the replacement won't be as good but an experienced lower grade halfback is a must.

Yes - it drives me crazy. What depth???

 

[jirskyr]

Our development players have been disappointing thus far but also thrown in the deep end in awful teams. Having McIntyre in the centres is just plain awful for his development. Mikaele wasn't mature enough to start this game. He tried to hard at times and made crucial mistakes. Gibbs appears invisible although Smith is apparently busting his ass in an awful team.

Look at the Dragons development player int eh centres, big strong, fast, super skillful. The cutout balls he threw to his wingers were sensational. The tackle on Price was great. This is what you want to have in reserve grade but unfortunately our recruitment across all grades hasn't been good enough. Not a single player in ISP or Flegg with X factor or the ability to break the line.

Gamble wasn't great. He isn't a halfback though. He's also got absolutely nothing to work with. Drinkwater looked good, but it's also much easier to look good when Sue, grant and Felise are bashing the way forward and you've got Nof, Fonua, Tui etc in the backline. His one on one defence wasn't good today though, slipped off too many tackles. The whole team looked gassed though.

Maybe our recruitment people should start looking at clubs like dragons,panthers and even broncos
for players that there path way is blocked, cause by better depth of players. I believe we all can name two or three players that are stuck behind players at the current clubs.

I'm not completely clear what's so wrong with the development players? Are they not all sort of gambles, players you would not transition straight to regular ISP or FG side and therefore certainly on fringe?

And also, if the ISP team is depleted, then yes they play some tough games in poor teams? Magpies started the year with a great ISP side and the development kids had next to nothing to do, play Flegg or something, and now they get a look in because the team's been half gutted by the FG side.

Fine and dandy for the Saints ISP team to be doing well, to have some strike young development centre running about in ISP, but they have next to no injuries or suspensions. How will the ISP team look during Origin, or if the Dragons strike some key injuries? How will their development guys go then?

And being the first year of the dedicated development pathway and salary cap, we really can't tell what's to be a normal strike rate for development players to enter FG?

 

[balmain boy]

i will say it again and again if the club wants to take the high road and sack players and then release others, then they must replace these players some how, we have thrown away a great start to the season.

Absolutely. Sacking players and then calling up part timers and playing them out of position, 5 weeks into the season, is not how successful clubs are run.

We need to urgently replace Drinkwater too. Sure the replacement won't be as good but an experienced lower grade halfback is a must.

Yes - it drives me crazy. What depth???

It certainly doesn't help that our only other pool of players, Flegg, are by far the worst team in the competition. Most teams promote their best youth in such circumstances, ours aren't really worthy of spots just yet.

Godinet helps a bit but he's not an organising half, more of a playmaking utility. Someone like him but a 7 would be great.

Surely a couple of backs centres coming for the NRL squad any day now though!