Magpie_Magic
Well-known member
Finally a decent post.
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
Tucker
Well-known member
Who were our top two halves?
Sure as shit isnt Brooks/Doueihi…that wasn’t your answer was it?
There are green shoots. As there is every year.
Bula is a shoot. The forward pack is a shoot. Api as an onfield leader is a shoot.
I don’t count the new halves or juniors as shoots yet as they haven’t displayed enough or in most cases anything to encourage that type of talk.
tony soprano
Well-known member
While I agree we sucked hard this year.
I think I see improvement in culture, recruitment and pathways for the future.
Tucker
Well-known member
Not that I necessarily disagree with you on every point....but
What is the improved culture? around the club or on the field?
Recruitment is a bit washy...we'll wait and see on that point. It better not be finished yet or we are doomed.
Pathways...no I dont agree...pretty poor reading:
- U/16’s MacArthur Wests Tigers = 4th in a 10 team comp, played finals
- U/17’s Balmain = 9th in a 15 team comp, no finals
- U/17’s Wests = 8th in a 15 team comp, no finals
- U/18’s MacArthur Wests Tigers = 6th in a 10 team comp, no finals
- U/19’s Balmain = 12th in a 16 team comp, no finals
- U/19’s Wests = 5th in a 16 team comp, played finals
- U/21’s Wests Tigers = Wooden spoon
- KOE Cup = 11th in a 13 team comp, no finals
- Telstra Premiership = Wooden Spoon
Betterdays22
Well-known member
I agree. Too many intangibles when people talk about the progress in "culture" and "pathways". Its a good distraction from the actual measures of progress and totally removes accountability from decision makers. It's easy to talk about how the players love each other and want to help the club, but we've heard it all before. The improvements in pathways i'm guessing are more to do with the structure and investment, I don't know enough about it, but the results make for pretty grim reading. I understand Rome wasn't built in a day, but the fact is we are no better off than the Bulldogs or the Dragons - not that it would really matter if we were marginally better.
tony soprano
Well-known member
Agreed
I'm easily influenced by the club and had buy in once latu signed.
Think coaching structure improving, Fulton should have us competing with the likes of manly (improvement) hoping we retain the likes of Galvin and co.
tony soprano
Well-known member
Good point.
I do see some tangible things at the club that make me believe the club has a good culture
- don't think we should underestimate benji he's a smart guy, think he knows its a players market and regardless will create a great culture among the players
- we've come last this year and the club hasn't turned against each other too much which is a good sign
- I got invited to a ten year membership event and for a pleb like me that does a small membership each year I am really proud of the club for that. For the amount of staff and players to give up their time for that event shows great culture. I know other clubs don't bother with this stuff for people putting in more money and time than me for other clubs
- real and meaningful community work
I know there's a lot of issues to still be addressed but there is still a lot to be proud of regarding some of the stuff that the club is doing.
Jolls
Well-known member
Don't want to be accused of being a happy clapper - but I think there is evidence of improvement in many areas.
Culture is hard to put a finger on - but they have chosen the right leader and we have some senior leader skills that are starting to rub off on their charges. You can see the improvement in Twal and Big Red in particular. Neither are going to set the world on fire but the noticable change in theit skill set and attitude is positive. If only we had similar growth in our backs.
Recruitment. They have identified, and taken steps to address our key weakness. I agree that the players, less Sezer, haven't got any runs on the board but based on their protentail, and what was on the merket I think we have done OK. I think we can give them a pass on effort - proof will have to wait - but surely it is better than what we had
Pathways. I agree that the team results don't stack up. I expect that amongst the average there are a few nuggets and we know only a small percentage will make the grade. The key issue for us is the poor performances in 21s and Cup - it shows a clear lack of depth to support our imediate growth. Recruiting will need to be astute for the next couple of years and focus not only on the FG team.
I note that we have recently introduced a spine academy so, to me, they are starting to target key areas and looking to emulate the Panthers model. So some positives even though the results on a whole look pretty average.
I trust that what we are seeing is the start of the climb off the bottom of the NRL pile. I am optomistic for 2024, but really don't expect to see big movement until 25/26.
Roar_Power
Well-known member
I agree with the majority of this. Weaknesses next year will be the continued blooding of young guys (inexperience), new combination in the halves will take time to develop chemistry and our backline. The latter concerns me most. I hope we make at least two changes to this prior to 2024 kickoff.
Betterdays22
Well-known member
Fair points. It is meaningful that as a long suffering fan you are made to feel appreciated. Unfortunately I think that should be a bare minimum along with community engagement, but I will take your point that other clubs aren't doing this as true.
We can agree about Benj. He is the right type of person who can succeed. I like John Morris as assistant. Api is a hell of a leader and the best player we have had for a very long time.
I want to have faith that things will turn around, but in reality there are 16 other clubs who claim to have a good culture, who have their own superstar juniors that are discussed with excitement on their own forums and each season have their own promising green shoots. Difference is most of these clubs actually have results on the field to show for it.
tony soprano
Well-known member
For sure, we need to keep improving and hope other clubs have some bad seasons.
We are well below all the teams in the NRL this season.
The_Patriot
Well-known member
Good comp.
The_Patriot
Well-known member
As you can see with teams like Manly and some of the top squads in the comp other than Penrith its really only about top end talent. If we produce a handfull of them from those poor performances JOB IS DONE.
I like our chances.
Its obvious looking at the very poor performances of our cup ,flegg and junior teams that no short term solution in next 3 years is going to come from our pathways
That leaves us with Recruitment being the only way to get to finals 2024 or 2025
In the NRL ranks little is unsigned where they are . We need some outside backs
I heard no news on Ngatlik ? Will he make our squad next year ? Maybe we could do some deals for some signed elsewhere but maybe surplus to their needs ?
Need to kick a few recruitment goals ! Don't want another year or two of mediocrity
That leaves us with Recruitment being the only way to get to finals 2024 or 2025
In the NRL ranks little is unsigned where they are . We need some outside backs
I heard no news on Ngatlik ? Will he make our squad next year ? Maybe we could do some deals for some signed elsewhere but maybe surplus to their needs ?
Need to kick a few recruitment goals ! Don't want another year or two of mediocrity
Roar_Power
Well-known member
I think we will see some movement for sure in the off-season. Things could shift quite markedly. I am sure Benji can see the deficiencies to be fixed.
Agree with pathways. Still a work in progress but I would hope 3-4 players already identified can come good - Matamua, Kit, TDS and I have high hopes for Feledy and Samuela Fainu.
I think Phil Gould described it best with juniors , especially when you’re trying to fill positions in first grade with those players as soon as possible .
You’re constantly moving players up and down , evaluating picking players in positions where you want to evaluate them .
Our core best u21s spent a lot of time floating between first grade ,sg ball , reserve grade , and minimal in flegg.
Our backline especially the halves have had zero stability so that filters down . As well as KOE cup , is dominated by teams that have the most continuity. It’s not really a good barometer. Especially with first grade being such a shit show .
When the first grade team finds something resembling continuity and results , that will flow downstream , for a variety of reasons . It’s not really a good judge of whether kids can play or not .
It’s not obvious at all actually these junior grades mean [This word has been automatically removed] all we could play all these 21 year olds and go undefeated and win flegg (see the 2021 flegg team where only 1 of them made nrl) or we can bring through players for the future like we have this year
Fallen Angel
Well-known member
If only I had a dollar for every junior that’s been highly touted only to come into grade and people complain about a year later.
Yea maybe ! But that was fans over hyping guys like Lazarus , miller , Rowe , etc . Not many of them were the cream of their generation . We just had rose coloured glasses .
I tend to try and listen to people who don’t have a vested interest , and are objective . And for that guys like Galvin , fainu , kit and Iuke ,Big miller, have industry wide raps .
The last industry wide raps I can remember we developed that were considered minimal first graders , potential superstars, were Suli and Paseka .
Both were at manly a year later .
Not many of our squad these last 5 years were tigers juniors .
