2016 signings player watch thread

[Joshuatheeel]

I doubt Scott will go from origin player to Nsw cup standard within 12 months. Nsw got flogged so of course the defensively effort of each player would be questioned.

It the eels were to sign Jennings / Josh Morris everyone would be excited as we had finally signed a gun centre, yet both were also just as bad as Scoft defensively in the last origin.

Scott is not a attacking forward he is great defensively but also has the ability to hit a hole.

The main reason Arthur has signed Scott ( and watmough) is because we lack some real leader ship in our pack. Apart from Mannah the majority of our forwards are very inexperienced. We probably have some of the best up and coming junior forwards ( Paulo / Pauli / Moeroa / Pritchard ) in the game along with a bunch of 20's with huge potential ( Aloia / twal / tyrell). But with out some experience it is likely they will struggle - look at the Tigers, they have the best young half combo yet no experience .

Scott was the next best option that was available. Some on here think buying a player is as simple as going to woollies and buying who ever you want - but it aren't like that. If Arthur had a choice of anyone, I doubt it would be Scott ( it would actually be graham) but he got the best that was available.

Scott will be massive for our young forwards.

 

[Bigfella]

Well BF, If you have time, can you get down to the Saleyards next week and let BA know that he doesn't have a clue. You can then take on the role of club's recruitment advisor and cap manager, should be pretty easy according to all your comments

Then I will see another premiership sooner than I expected, and I am not the youngest on this bboard

Thanks

f**k you are a tool.

We all know hat sharply says g'day to you and that means you will eat a shit sandwich every year and week in week out so that nothing they do can in any way be criticised.

Meanwhile it's 30 years since a premiership, and we are much closer to being a wooden spoon side than a top 8 side.

You are a truly dumb merkin who thinks that to be a fan you need to piss in the admin's pocket every single day.

Why don't you stick to your bob Fulton conspiracy theories and leave the player analysis to those of us without a board member's c**k wedged down their throat?

I think bozo may know where the missing Malaysian airlines plane is. Why don't you and your impeccable sources chase that one up?

 

[Bigfella]

Or you could possibly reply to the actual points raised about the lack of thrust on the right hand side being exacerbated by weak centres and an average fullback, instead of playing the coach knows best / you aren't a real fan card.

But you can barely write a sentence so I doubt that's an option.

 

[Dogmatix]

Beau Scott was poor vs Souths last night. Looks old, tired and burnt out

 

[Delboy]

Thanks BF appreciate you think so much of my humble opinion

Basically, I am expressing my thoughts that we seem to be keen to tear down everything that is the club. I don't speak to Sharp and surely there has to be a time when we stop moaning and see if the coach can actually achieve something without constantly suggesting they have no idea.

Of course there are weaknesses in the team and they need to be addressed, but if you think they are not trying to address it then clearly you must think they are incompetent

You don't know anything about my background , so i might suggest you would be surprised, but then again. I am just a fan that wants to get behind the team and finds the constant criticism about a coach that is trying to rebuild the club after the disasters of the past few coaches is unnecessary

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Or you could possibly reply to the actual points raised about the lack of thrust on the right hand side being exacerbated by weak centres and an average fullback, instead of playing the coach knows best / you aren't a real fan card.

But you can barely write a sentence so I doubt that's an option.

The right looked a lot better when Robinson was there as the winger ( Morgan is ok, but Robinson just has that ability to be in the right spot at the right time and would make a very good combo with Hoppa). And next year with hopefully less injuries it should be better, Edwards (very good attacking player) will be back ( Which gives that side another option ) plus we will have a experienced fullback ( yeah no super star but very sold). In injuries have been a huge factor this year.

 

[Bigfella]

Thanks BF appreciate you think so much of my humble opinion

Basically, I am expressing my thoughts that we seem to be keen to tear down everything that is the club. I don't speak to Sharp and surely there has to be a time when we stop moaning and see if the coach can actually achieve something without constantly suggesting they have no idea.

Of course there are weaknesses in the team and they need to be addressed, but if you think they are not trying to address it then clearly you must think they are incompetent

You don't know anything about my background , so i might suggest you would be surprised, but then again. I am just a fan that wants to get behind the team and finds the constant criticism about a coach that is trying to rebuild the club after the disasters of the past few coaches is unnecessary

That's just more dribble that doesn't address any of the points.

I'm not interested in your background. This is an Internet forum where people are judged on why they say and how they say it - not who they claim to know or be.

I'm aware of all the name dropping you've employed in the past, but you have nothing interesting to say and don't actually analyse any of the points raised.

You constantly revert to:

1. Who you know or have talked to;
2. How your posts are more "positive" than others:

You still haven't addressed the points and that's probably because you aren't capable of it.

 

[Bigfella]

The right looked a lot better when Robinson was there as the winger ( Morgan is ok, but Robinson just has that ability to be in the right spot at the right time and would make a very good combo with Hoppa). And next year with hopefully less injuries it should be better, Edwards (very good attacking player) will be back ( Which gives that side another option ) plus we will have a experienced fullback ( yeah no super star but very sold). In injuries have been a huge factor this year.

Good point re Edwards.

Tepai being fit, and with a full year under his belt, may hold the real key to that side.

I think both Robbo and faraimo are much better than Morgan on the wing, but if we don't sign hoppa presumably Morgan is a starter. That does worry me.

Is Robinson actually resigned?

 

[Fearless Freeman]

Well BF, If you have time, can you get down to the Saleyards next week and let BA know that he doesn't have a clue. You can then take on the role of club's recruitment advisor and cap manager, should be pretty easy according to all your comments

Then I will see another premiership sooner than I expected, and I am not the youngest on this bboard

Thanks

I totally agree. "Big Fella" should become an NRL coach with that kind of rationale. It's all so easy to critize, condemn, and complain.

 

[Bigfella]

It's a lot easier to say "the coach and club know better" and "you aren't a real fan if you criticise your team".

It's also easy to stay shithouse year after year if people don't criticise or anslyse.

Why should an Internet forum based on support of a team not be permitted to analyse and criticise the selections and recruitment?

Are our selections recruitment and cap management so successful that they are above criticism?

As fans are we not entitled to have those discussions?

You can spot a c**k smoking yes man fan on these forums because they never actually respond to the facts or issue being debated - just crap on with the "why don't you coach them" or "why don't you support another team".

More like dickless freeman.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Good point re Edwards.

Tepai being fit, and with a full year under his belt, may hold the real key to that side.

I think both Robbo and faraimo are much better than Morgan on the wing, but if we don't sign hoppa presumably Morgan is a starter. That does worry me.

Is Robinson actually resigned?

Stagger has suggested he will be. I really hope so, I really think he is the key to the right side.

Morgan is safe but lacks that ability to be in right spot as a winger. A few times Hoppa has given a beautiful pass which has gone to the ground, something Robinson in my opinion would catch.

 

[hineyrulz]

Take pot shots at Bigfella all you want but besides Josh who always adds to the Debate i see no one has taken up Bigfella on any of the valid concerns he raised. This is an RL forum where people have different opinions. Why tear him down for having them when you can't even counter any of his arguements?????

 

[Jake the snake]

f**k you are a tool.

We all know hat sharply says g'day to you and that means you will eat a shit sandwich every year and week in week out so that nothing they do can in any way be criticised.

Meanwhile it's 30 years since a premiership, and we are much closer to being a wooden spoon side than a top 8 side.

You are a truly dumb merkin who thinks that to be a fan you need to piss in the admin's pocket every single day.

Why don't you stick to your bob Fulton conspiracy theories and leave the player analysis to those of us without a board member's c**k wedged down their throat?

I think bozo may know where the missing Malaysian airlines plane is. Why don't you and your impeccable sources chase that one up?

:lol: that's a good spray

 

[hindy111]

Scott was picked for NSW. He wont be again next year. He will still be in our top 13.And would at every other NRL team. He will maybe in his 3rd season become a bench player.

IMO Josh Morris and Graheme are spent. I reckon the dogs are in massive trouble next year TBH. Graheme will be 30. The Morris boys 29 losing prirchard and just a squad of players where most are past best or there best isnt that high. Licha looks ok and so does Mbye. And of course Klemmer and Jackson and Lane are good prospects.
If the Dogs where going to win the comp thou IMO it was this year. Those young forwards contracts are going to be bumped up and other guys will have too leave. Not sure i like the squad Des has put together since there LUCKY grand final against melbourne a few years ago.

 

[T.S Quint]

Take pot shots at Bigfella all you want but besides Josh who always adds to the Debate i see no one has taken up Bigfella on any of the valid concerns he raised. This is an RL forum where people have different opinions. Why tear him down for having them when you can't even counter any of his arguements?????

Well, Bigfella's arguments seem to be:

1. Scott maybe too old and his defence is declining
2. We have no great centres, and Morgan is one of them
3. Luke Kelly is our backup halfback

I would have thought those points have been discussed by many ad nauseum, but I'll give it a go:

1. We don't know how Scott will perform for us next season. He might be declining, he might not. At the moment he is still a very good defender and one or two poor games is not going to change my opinion on that.

2. We haven't finished our recruitment yet. By the looks of things we are still trying to re-sign Hopoate, which I think is a good option. He is skillful and strong, and has leadership qualities. Sure he is not fast, but he doesn't have to be as long as he can get a pass to his outside man which he has proven he is very adept at. Takairangi is also slow, but has also proven to be able to put his winger away (Semi on top of the try list is proof of that). He has also been playing on one leg for pretty much all of this season (seemingly, at least). I do remember he looked pretty sharp with good footwork in his first game against Manly. He stood up Jamie Lyon in that game to set up a try. With a full offseason to recover and work on his speed he may get it back. As for Morgan, he is a backup. He has been for the past 3 years. He's not a great player by any means, but he can plug a hole if we need it. Hopefully we won't need him to do it for a whole season like he has the past 3 years.
Re-signing Robinson would give us some speed on the edge. I hope we do because he has exceeded my expectations this year.

3. He's a backup. He may not even be a first-choice backup. By next year maybe Matterson or someone else can fill that role, we don't know. I'm not that big a fan of Kelly re-signing. I would like to see us go with someone else. But I don't know the specifics of why he was re-signed. Did it have anything to do with the cap? Does Arthur just note rate any of the other choices out there? I don't know. All I know is I hope we don't have to use Kelly next year, and if we do it's only for a game here or there.

 

[T.S Quint]

Scott was picked for NSW. He wont be again next year. He will still be in our top 13.And would at every other NRL team. He will maybe in his 3rd season become a bench player.

IMO Josh Morris and Graheme are spent. I reckon the dogs are in massive trouble next year TBH. Graheme will be 30. The Morris boys 29 losing prirchard and just a squad of players where most are past best or there best isnt that high. Licha looks ok and so does Mbye. And of course Klemmer and Jackson and Lane are good prospects.
If the Dogs where going to win the comp thou IMO it was this year. Those young forwards contracts are going to be bumped up and other guys will have too leave. Not sure i like the squad Des has put together since there LUCKY grand final against melbourne a few years ago.

*Graham.

 

[Joely01]

I liked what I saw from Gordon today. Be it very limited.
His support play is very good

 

[Obscene Assassin]

we are much closer to being a wooden spoon side than a top 8 side.

We're 4 points from being 8th and 4 points from being last. If we had a better run with injuries and better halves to take advantage of what the forwards are doing we'd probably be closer to the top 8, if not in the top 8, than last.

Next year we'll have better halves whilst also maintaining a strong forward pack that is capable of holding the best forward packs in the competition.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

Or you could possibly reply to the actual points raised about the lack of thrust on the right hand side being exacerbated by weak centres and an average fullback, instead of playing the coach knows best / you aren't a real fan card.

But you can barely write a sentence so I doubt that's an option.

Lack of thrust on the right side hasn't prevented us from scoring points. What has lost most games for us is the inability to keep the opposition from scoring when it matters.

 

[Eelementary]

And he plays largely on the right. Where currently our first choice centre will be Morgan, who offers f**k all, and our weaker wing option.

Plus one of our halves will be playing on the right against his natural preference.

It could be a real issue.

And if Scott's defensive game falls away, as the article is suggesting it might be (on a small sample space) it's a genuine concern.

I can't cop people constantly saying don't worry about x being a complete plodder because we have other options.

We don't really have that many. And they are all on the left. And if mau and semi are injured we won't have much thrust, especially with probay the least penetrating fullback in the entire comp, and close to the weakest centre combination.

Depends on what happens with Hopoate - if we retain him, he's our first choice right centre and, lack of speed aside, he can do a job.

I've watched Foran closely since he signed and, despite his preference to play down the left channel, he has shown an ability to spark something on the right.

I suspect Scott will be swapped with Edwards, and if Scott can do nothing but tackle, it will help keep our halves fresh.

You raise some really good points, as usual, but we'll just have to wait and see.

I suspect that Arthur thinks our poor defense is our gravest concern, so he's trying to rectify that first.