We Are Now Contenders (As of Round 11)

[umina panther]

You can sugar coat the performance against the West Tigers all you like but despite our stellar defence it was NOT a performance any where near the level of a side destined to make a grand final or go one better.

It was a game we were entitled to win 46-2 not 16-2.

There are many positives about the way we are going about our business and getting the job done but I don’t see us being a serious contender unless are execution and attacking structure improves considerably.

We are no where near the level required to be a serious contender for this premiership even allowing for the fact we are sitting on 16 points with an 8-3 record.

The thing is that this comp is that weak and wide open that we actually are right in it

 

[age.s]

Comp always looks weak when you look down from the top. We're just not used to this vantage point.

 

[Kilkenny]

The thing is that this comp is that weak and wide open that we actually are right in it

You may well be right about the overall strength of the competition but that doesn’t alter the fact we were entitled to put the West Tigers to the sword and despite everything in our favour in the 2nd half we failed to score a single try. I came away from the game disappointed with our second half performance and haven’t seen or read anything to change my view.

 

[Pomoz]

It is as simple as this. Maloney and Cleary have played 3.5 games together. They have no combinations yet. Last week Maloney wasn't at training because of the birth of his son. They just need time together.

The halves have a powerful pack they can harness, they just need to develop understanding together. If they do that by the time the semi finals come, we will be potent. If not, we will just be difficult to beat and a pain, but not a threat. Either way, nobody will want to play us because this year our pack really belts the crap out of you, win, lose or draw.

 

[Fangs]

The thing is that this comp is that weak and wide open that we actually are right in it

This is it boys.

We are The Champions.

 

[Sime_11]

we are contenders for this year, we lost our gun half for 8 weeks and we are still top 4 going into origin period WHILE losing key players at the same time..... i actually feel like the other top teams at the moment (Dragons, Souths & storm) have showed the cards their potential so far during the season....we are still getting wins with injuries and with our halves only playing 3.5 games together so far....

i genuinely believe we haven't shown our full potential yet and im hoping we dont show our full potential until September....

i think we also need to remain grounded - origin will be the biggest test our of season as we will lose a few keys players BUT we still have good players in our squad to do a job for us during that period.

what excites me is that we are going so well given our injury toll - take our injuries out of souths, dragons & storm and they wont be top 4. if Cleary & Maloney fire like we all hope they will - we will definitely go deep into September - and i think we will be the hardest team to beat,

1. we've had games where we've come from behind (multiple times) to win
2. we've won games leading from the front (like the other 3 have done mostly this season)

teams are fearing us as we dont say die and i fn love it !!!!!! we are becoming a team who is being genuinely feared for once. Our fitness is insane and with Maloney/Cleary able to dictate the game - that just gives us additional weapons/firepower.

Saturday night's game is more dangerous for St George than it is for us, if we beat them, that shows that St George have peaked to early and can be beaten... if we lose, it hurts us, but we arent at 100% and we arent playing at 100% - we know we have more potential....

we are already being noticed by the comp now, but a win against St George puts us to equal favourites for the comp IMO. i just hope that Saturday night is a sell out as it deserves to be... this will be one of the games of the season !!!

 

[superpanther]

we are contenders for this year, we lost our gun half for 8 weeks and we are still top 4 going into origin period WHILE losing key players at the same time..... i actually feel like the other top teams at the moment (Dragons, Souths & storm) have showed the cards their potential so far during the season....we are still getting wins with injuries and with our halves only playing 3.5 games together so far....

i genuinely believe we haven't shown our full potential yet and im hoping we dont show our full potential until September....

i think we also need to remain grounded - origin will be the biggest test our of season as we will lose a few keys players BUT we still have good players in our squad to do a job for us during that period.

what excites me is that we are going so well given our injury toll - take our injuries out of souths, dragons & storm and they wont be top 4. if Cleary & Maloney fire like we all hope they will - we will definitely go deep into September - and i think we will be the hardest team to beat,

1. we've had games where we've come from behind (multiple times) to win
2. we've won games leading from the front (like the other 3 have done mostly this season)

teams are fearing us as we dont say die and i fn love it !!!!!! we are becoming a team who is being genuinely feared for once. Our fitness is insane and with Maloney/Cleary able to dictate the game - that just gives us additional weapons/firepower.

Saturday night's game is more dangerous for St George than it is for us, if we beat them, that shows that St George have peaked to early and can be beaten... if we lose, it hurts us, but we arent at 100% and we arent playing at 100% - we know we have more potential....

we are already being noticed by the comp now, but a win against St George puts us to equal favourites for the comp IMO. i just hope that Saturday night is a sell out as it deserves to be... this will be one of the games of the season !!!

and our biggest loss so far this year is against a fired up cowboys team ( 6 points)

 

[cain3y]

and our biggest loss so far this year is against a fired up cowboys team ( 6 points)

and that was 4 trys each. We have only been out scored for trys once this year by the dogs.
Dragons have been out scored twice.

So even in the other games we have lost this year we have still scored the same amount of trys.

 

[superpanther]

and that was 4 trys each. We have only been out scored for trys once this year by the dogs.
Dragons have been out scored twice.

So even in the other games we have lost this year we have still scored the same amount of trys.

And that was off a dodgy call by the refs!!!

 

[mxlegend99]

and our biggest loss so far this year is against a fired up cowboys team ( 6 points)

Cowboys even fired up are pretty average though. We couldnt have played worse and only lost by 6.

We have made nearly every game close. We need some more big wins.

Starting this weekend. I want to see a 27+ poing victory.

 

[cain3y]

Cowboys even fired up are pretty average though. We couldnt have played worse and only lost by 6.

We have made nearly every game close. We need some more big wins.

Starting this weekend. I want to see a 27+ poing victory.

Yeah I'd like to see a lot more poings being scored too.

 

[David brown]

Comp always looks weak when you look down from the top. We're just not used to this vantage point.

Nah, The comp is pretty shit this year... Teams like Cowboys, Storm, Brisbane, Sharks are no where near the force they were in years past... would the team running 3rd be pumped 34-0 and also have 50 put on them a few weeks before hand in previous years ?.. Nah...

Seriously the only 2 decent consistent teams this year are us and Dragons... The rest are a mess on occasions..

 

[superpanther]

Nah, The comp is pretty shit this year... Teams like Cowboys, Storm, Brisbane, Sharks are no where near the force they were in years past... would the team running 3rd be pumped 34-0 and also have 50 put on them a few weeks before hand in previous years ?.. Nah...

Seriously the only 2 decent consistent teams this year are us and Dragons... The rest are a mess on occasions..

could be worse could be a parra fan!!!

 

[Kilkenny]

I believe we are at least as good as most of our main competitors in the spine, forwards and bench/depth.

I still have reservations about our outside backs, getting Blake back soon and eventually Mansour will make a huge difference. The current three quarter line of Chrichton, Peachy, Whare & Phillips is not good enough and clearly lacks strike power.

Once SOO is out of the way hopefully we can have Mansour, Peachy, Blake and Phillips which would Cleary be an upgrade on what we have now.

 

[unKwn]

which would Cleary be an upgrade on what we have now.

ah, I see you have the same problem as me. in the past 2 years it's been impossible for me to differentiate between Cleary and clearly.

 

[Kilkenny]

ah, I see you have the same problem as me. in the past 2 years it's been impossible for me to differentiate between Cleary and clearly.

To think I haven't even had a drink. So can't offer that as an excuse.

 

[TheFrog]

Once SOO is out of the way hopefully we can have Mansour, Peachy, Blake and Phillips which would Cleary be an upgrade on what we have now.

It's a decision for down the track but I think the coach will be loathe to drop Whare.

 

[mxlegend99]

Contenders and now favorites you would think.

That was by far our best game since Hook arrived.

 

[OldPanther]

That was amazing. Finally brushed off the easy draw stuff and definitely look like contenders after that.

 

[soc123_au]

Halfway through & we are the best defensive team in the comp. Who'd have thunk it..