Magical 9 Wins

Odessa

Odessa

Well-known member
At the beginning of the year I posted 9 wins will be a successful year a 50 percent improvement on last year and I still believe that but also think we could have 1 or 2 more wins

I am happy with the fact we will start next year with a settled team would like to keep Naden as bsckup don't think we could pick up someone with his experience for the $$$


Well done to the club for the year and hopefully 12 wins as a minimum for 2026
 
Benji n Richo death riders have been a little quiet recently.
I was happy to eat humble pie and admit I was wrong. Benji isn't the world's best coach but he has helped instill pride into the squad - something severely lacking for a long time.
Club has recruited key players to develop that pride with hopefully a couple more upgrades in the near future.
 
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The jury may still be out on Benji but I’m willing to back him. It’s obvious that many posters don’t like him but personalities aside, you can’t deny that he loves the club and he’s a hell of a capable bloke who seems to be able to do anything he puts his mind to. He is charismatic, passionate and intelligent, and the current players definitely look up to him. He handles the media like a pro.
There are many facets to being the head coach of WTs and the ones he’s short on, I’m willing to bet he’ll learn quickly. The positive thing is that he’s the first to admit his inexperience and that he’s still learning.
 
Yeh don't mind saying I'm a Benji fan and give him leeway that I probably wouldnt have for others. However I'm more for backing coaches these days than players who are like revolving doors. Great rosters make for great coaches and only a few clubs have been able to consistently provide their coaches with that to work with, and we aren't one of them. He mighten be the best coach but he is probably the one we needed for a club that was fast losing any credibility it had left.
 
I wouldnt call it a successful year.
A better, improved season on the previous few.
The change in attitude for mine has been a biggest turn around, we fight for 80 and have been in almost every game this year.
Ive attended more games this year since 2018 or thereabouts, bought more merch...been very hard to support them with clowns like Pascoe and Hagi 'running things'.
Still room for so much more improvement on and off field.
Three more games lets finish the year punching, fighting hard
 
The other factor to consider is the salary cap position advancement this year. We are playing an under strength forward pack due to cap restructuring and creating space for middle/edge signings for next year. Not much different to having a few long term injuries, but self inflicted.
 
innsaneink said:
I wouldnt call it a successful year.
A better, improved season on the previous few.
The change in attitude for mine has been a biggest turn around, we fight for 80 and have been in almost every game this year.
Ive attended more games this year since 2018 or thereabouts, bought more merch...been very hard to support them with clowns like Pascoe and Hagi 'running things'.
Still room for so much more improvement on and off field.
Three more games lets finish the year punching, fighting hard
Click to expand...
hallelujah-gif-7.gif
 
What isn’t being mentioned is that of those 9 wins.
4 of them were extremely dominant in the first Parra match, 2nd Knights match, and the two recent victories over the Bulldogs and Manly.
In all games we left points out there as well.
When we win we win well, not necessarily by blowing teams off the park with attack but by suffocating them with defence. It is a great foundation to build off and that same platform is what the Panthers built under Ivan’s return to Penrith.
 
innsaneink said:
I wouldnt call it a successful year.
A better, improved season on the previous few.
The change in attitude for mine has been a biggest turn around, we fight for 80 and have been in almost every game this year.
Ive attended more games this year since 2018 or thereabouts, bought more merch...been very hard to support them with clowns like Pascoe and Hagi 'running things'.
Still room for so much more improvement on and off field.
Three more games lets finish the year punching, fighting hard
Click to expand...


You would not call it a successful year?

But everything you posted after that is successful year
 
Odessa said:
You would not call it a successful year?

But everything you posted after that is successful year
Click to expand...
Depends on your definition of successful...how you look at it.
Financially for the club i would guess its succesful...i see heaps of new gear at games...crowds up i assume thats a success and improvement.. onfield weve improved a lot, succesful in more games....either way its positive and steps in the right direction
 
innsaneink said:
Depends on your definition of successful...how you look at it.
Financially for the club i would guess its succesful...i see heaps of new gear at games...crowds up i assume thats a success and improvement.. onfield weve improved a lot, succesful in more games....either way its positive and steps in the right direction
Click to expand...
It depends on the context. If we’re coming 4 or 5 consecutive finals appearances than this year would be a failure. Coming off 3 spoons it’s definitely a success. However, given the way we are finishing off, it’s raising the bar and expectations for next year. Next year has to be top 8. The team are proving they can mix it, now they have to follow it up in 26.
 
innsaneink said:
I wouldnt call it a successful year.
A better, improved season on the previous few.
The change in attitude for mine has been a biggest turn around, we fight for 80 and have been in almost every game this year.
Ive attended more games this year since 2018 or thereabouts, bought more merch...been very hard to support them with clowns like Pascoe and Hagi 'running things'.
Still room for so much more improvement on and off field.
Three more games lets finish the year punching, fighting hard
Click to expand...
The club feels...and I say feels because I am not entirely sure what goes on behind the scenes...that 2 people have control and the rest butt out. That is Benji and Richo. For better or worse, the direction and decisions are clear and are made with their end goal in mind.

In prior years, it seemed like everyone had their nose in each others business and there was a wrestle for control. Every month we had stories of infighting and unrest.

I was always prepared to let them execute their plan uninterrupted and I'm glad that has been allowed to happen.

frankly, we are only as good as our current season, but this year...particularly the last 6 games...we can see some coherent football and genuine talent on paper - also resilience as you point out.

The real test is to back it up. 3 games to go...we could finish on 30 points if we play out of our skins. We could also undo all the optimism by dropping all those games.

Then, we've got to do it all over again next season before I can say that Benji has what it takes, but I'm optimistic.
 
Hard to argue against it being a successful year wins have improved the last 2 seasons by 4 to 6 to 9 this season and counting.
We have a not perfect but improved board and a good CEO, a roster that is much better than 2 seasons ago and getting stronger all that needs work is the middle forwards now

Benji with another season under his belt will be better for the next season, defense is looking solid now all that needs work on is attacking strategies by a possible new assistant or a stronger focus on it all off season.

Can we put the angst behind us now and finally look forward to the future seasons, it's all falling into place isn't it.
 
I have been saying for a bit now that they should maintain Benji for next season …originally I had these thoughts more out of creating stability and perhaps placating the senior players rather than Benji’s performance , but this recent run (4 out of 6) has made his retention a 100 percent reality, …good to see that the media has moved onto shitcanning Desy , Peyton and maybe even Siebold by now…

The team looks improved these past 2 games … hopefully something has come together during that period and this doesn’t turn out to be the false dawns we have seen plenty of times previously…

They gotta make the 8 though next season … that should be the achievable target …buy an NRL starting experienced middle and they can do it ..
 
This season is a bit of a mix between the Dogs development curve over the 23/24 seasons. They focussed on the grind and getting that defensive resolve imbedded as muscle memory, plenty of dour attack, one off the ruck, boring and repetitive. Yet this built the platform for them to defend their mistakes and shut opposition attacks down. The thing that gives me hope is that we are actually a better attacking side then they are, we have more x factor in our spine, I would say the only players in the backline that I would swap one of our players for is Critta for Toa and Kiraz for Skelton. In the forwards probably Preston and Kikau (although I would keep Samuela), in the spine I wouldn't want any of them. So, my point is that we have the potential for some significant upside in 26/27 assuming Benji and his assistants can nail it.
 
Difficult to argue with your response @TheEnz. Would love to have them both in the halves but then again they may not compliment each other. There is also a salary cap to contend with. Anyway love your passion mate. Go the Tyges.
 
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