When do we call time?

[emjaycee]

He must be well off Auva'a.

Yeah, not sure what he is thinking with Auva'a - has been named in the 21 for the last 2 weeks.
Maybe the Salmon thing is more about extra coverage.

 

[emjaycee]

He must be well off Auva'a.

I reckon against the Cowboys our best backline is (injury dependant):
1. French
2. Gennings
3. Mennings
4. Auva'a
5. Hayne
6. Gutho
7. Moses
That frees up Taka to head back into the pigs.

Of course if Moses is out Smith slots into 7 (ouch) or if both are out, maybe Hayne to the halves and Salmon to debut in the centres with Auva'a moving to the wing.

 

[Bazal]

I reckon against the Cowboys our best backline is (injury dependant):
1. French
2. Gennings
3. Mennings
4. Auva'a
5. Hayne
6. Gutho
7. Moses
That frees up Taka to head back into the pigs.

Of course if Moses is out Smith slots into 7 (ouch) or if both are out, maybe Hayne to the halves and Salmon to debut in the centres with Auva'a moving to the wing.

Is Norman due back?

Any issues aside, surely he plays 7 (if fit) if Moses is out...

 

[forward pass]

The thing i don't understand is our complete inability to score tries. I have never seen a side more clueless in how to get across the line.

The part i dont get is that even terrible sides will score tries with enough ball. There is a defensive error or a dropped ball - anything. The terrible Wests sides and even Parra in the early nineties when we couldn't win a game, generally scored a few tries. We just cant find any. None at all. It is really quite amazing.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Not sure amazing is the word I'd choose but I definitely take your point. Clueless works for me.

 

[hineyrulz]

It’s obvious whatever he’s doing isn’t working. Easier to move a coach then move 10 plus players like Stuart did. Every coach has an expiry date, why is that hard to fathom?

BA is like the mouldy stuff you can’t remember what it was in the back of your fridge and are to scared to touch.

It’s not all the coaches fault, Bern and Max as just as culpable but we all know they aren’t going anywhere.

I’m sorry but the coach is devoid of answers of why we are here and how to get us out of this we were rubbish before the injuries hit.

 

[hineyrulz]

Not sure amazing is the word I'd choose but I definitely take your point. Clueless works for me.

And don’t forget very exciting.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

The thing i don't understand is our complete inability to score tries. I have never seen a side more clueless in how to get across the line.

The part i dont get is that even terrible sides will score tries with enough ball. There is a defensive error or a dropped ball - anything. The terrible Wests sides and even Parra in the early nineties when we couldn't win a game, generally scored a few tries. We just cant find any. None at all. It is really quite amazing.

Maybe we don't want to score? Maybe we've been watching Pointless every arvo, and got the objective all arsed up?

 

[hineyrulz]

My mail is that the Board are giving BA time to rebuild following the debacle we know as 2016 and the setback that season caused.

I reckon 2017 was the anomaly and was partially due to an attitude carry over from 2016 and our treatment by the NRL. Effectively we are in year 2 of the rebuild - the same kind of rebuild that took the Panthers 8 years even with Gus at the helm.

Its very exciting.

 

[Happy MEel]

How would anyone see it coming? All the experts in the media tipped us for top eight as well.

They also didn’t spend a whole offseason with the squad.

 

[Happy MEel]

Sure, why not. Bear in mind that I had us finishing 6th or 7th having lost Semi...which I think is relevant because I believe we were already on track to slide somewhat from last season.

-Attitude. Our first big issue. We blew Penrith off the park in the first little bit of the season, thought it was all going to be too easy, and failed to put the game away. We then didn't even bother to leave the sheds vs Manly. That is a player issue no matter how much some like to argue that it falls on the coach. Both losses also show elements of the form issue for certain players.

-Injuries. The biggest issue, like it or not. Gutherson and French, pivotal parts of our success last season for various reasons, missed much of the start of the year. Williams was playing an important role, Takairangi might be a shit player to have in a poorly performing side but he was also a big key for us last season. Brown is obviously immense. Mannah was in immense form, Pritchard was starting to find his feet and our hooking stocks aren't great (as I've said all too many times). Even Hayne hasn't had the chance to show anything either way because he's been injured. This week we had a third string spine and immediately lost two of them.

-Refereeing. And I don't mean some of the conspiracy shit people have come up with at times. The way the game is refereed has changed from last season, and we have suffered for it. Last year we played on the edge and we got away with it, this year with the refs happy to blow 30 penalties a game we aren't. Quite a few teams are in the same boat. Whether this one is a coaching issue, a player issue, a communication issue from the NRL or what, I couldn't say. Likely it would be a combination of these factors.

-Players Form. I've mentioned before that Vave and Matagi, for example, made 100m or more 20 times or so last season between them. Will smith was good last season, King was very good, Taka was a key attacking weapon. We haven't got anything like that input out of those kind of players this season. We saw the difference in that Panthers game when the bench came on and we got torn apart.

-Squad. I've said for years we need a better hooker. Since Peats left tbh. This one can fall 100% on the coach, but I also think that he demonstrated knowledge of our issue. He just wasn't willing to sell the farm to put 600k into Peats or 400k into Rein, and I support that too (although I would have signed Peats, personally).

-Confidence. Losses bring low confidence, which leads to one out footy and panic plays. The more you lose, the worse it gets.

This is a pretty fair assessment. However, I’d say the coach has some responsibility for attitude on game day and for getting players back into form. I’d also throw in a few more including fitness, game plans, team selections (particularly early on) and bench rotations.

 

[IFR33K]

When the team is losing the way it is, it’s very hard to turn it around. The players lose faith in their coach and vice versa. BA could be the greatest guy in the world, but once you lose the dressing room it’s near impossible to turn it around. Seriously what are our options? Would the club be appealing to any genuine first grader at this point in time? Can anyone seriously see us being a powerful club with BA at the helm? Look at the Penrith model. Two very similar clubs, passionate fans, large juniors and so on.

What the merkins in charge should be doing is making a play at Gus!

 

[Happy MEel]

I reckon against the Cowboys our best backline is (injury dependant):
1. French
2. Gennings
3. Mennings
4. Auva'a
5. Hayne
6. Gutho
7. Moses
That frees up Taka to head back into the pigs.

Of course if Moses is out Smith slots into 7 (ouch) or if both are out, maybe Hayne to the halves and Salmon to debut in the centres with Auva'a moving to the wing.

I think if Moses is out and Hayne is fit he comes into the halves and runs the show. He’s our smartest footballer and despite being out of form (and injured) is the most likely to get us out of this rut IMO - especially our inability to score points.

At the very least he plays fullback.

 

[IFR33K]

My mail is that the Board are giving BA time to rebuild following the debacle we know as 2016 and the setback that season caused.

I reckon 2017 was the anomaly and was partially due to an attitude carry over from 2016 and our treatment by the NRL. Effectively we are in year 2 of the rebuild - the same kind of rebuild that took the Panthers 8 years even with Gus at the helm.

Honestly, seems like the board is out of ideas and full of excuses. No wonder where the fans get it from.

 

[IFR33K]

I think if Moses is out and Hayne is fit he comes into the halves and runs the show. He’s our smartest footballer and despite being out of form (and injured) is the most likely to get us out of this rut IMO - especially our inability to score points.

Not sure why people keep expecting Hayne to pull us out of this mess. He’s washed up and finished.

 

[strider]

Maybe we don't want to score? Maybe we've been watching Pointless every arvo, and got the objective all arsed up?

Ping @Gary Gutful .... its ok .... i got this pointless joke

 

[strider]

When the team is losing the way it is, it’s very hard to turn it around. The players lose faith in their coach and vice versa. BA could be the greatest guy in the world, but once you lose the dressing room it’s near impossible to turn it around. Seriously what are our options? Would the club be appealing to any genuine first grader at this point in time? Can anyone seriously see us being a powerful club with BA at the helm? Look at the Penrith model. Two very similar clubs, passionate fans, large juniors and so on.

What the merkins in charge should be doing is making a play at Gus!

Penrith were a basket case and probably still would be without some of Gus' clout scoring them all the TPAs they need

 

[strider]

Not sure why people keep expecting Hayne to pull us out of this mess. He’s washed up and finished.

He is .... but he still might be the most likely to make a difference ... lol

 

[ouryears]

Penrith were a basket case and probably still would be without some of Gus' clout scoring them all the TPAs they need

They are not spending that much, it's called junior development.

 

[IFR33K]

They are not spending that much, it's called junior development.

Gus was interviewed a few weeks back about Penrith and what they’re trying to achieve. He’s basing any potential success Penrith have will be because of the juniors they’re blooding.


How many juniors have we blooded?

Not sure if many people know this, but around 3 years ago, Gus poached parramatta’s juniors boss. Took him and some of his staff. Lol