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2022 - First - Last. Or somewhere in between.

Jersey No 14

Juniors
Messages
726
Bumped into someone hadn't seen since footy ended.
The question was posed "Where do you think you'll come this year?'
Me - Saints - optimistic - I like to think top 8 A few good buys and our young guys are a bit more mature
more realistic 9-10-11 against others out there - the rest I'd hate to comsider.
But
Something which came out of the conversation
This year (with all the player transfer) I believe there will be the least amount of points between first and last. Maybe 10, maybe a bit more.
Player transfer seems well balanced

So this year it will be score as much as you can - and don't get flogged
for and against will play such a crutial part in this season's table like never before.

Put that one in your piece pipe
 

ALSGI

Bench
Messages
3,101
We have a good balance of experience, talent and depth.

One of the major improvements I’m looking for is discipline on and off the field. This is all about attitude and the coaches most important job. Norman, Vaughan and Dufty gone is an immediate improvement in this area - over to the coaches to fix the rest.

Top 8 is achievable, 5th - 8th I reckon.
 

SnowDragon

Juniors
Messages
785
I thought at 5-1 we were a bargain for the top8, enough that I splashed the cash.

lots of roster changes, but considering key positions and coach remain, I don’t think it will upset the game plan. Good depth which could be critical should suspensions or covid isolation hit us. Some older players with hopefully a point to prove, same for the youth.

Still all that adds up to some unpredictability, I believe top 4 is possible, as is bottom 4, I predict 6th.
 

JohnnoMcJohnno

Juniors
Messages
2,359
Personally I don't see our team doing better than last year. I don't think we have bought well, we have bought cheap. We bought some tradesman like forwards (plus a couple whose best years are behind them) and the pack looks lethargic on paper. Our backs were non threatening last year without Dufty, and the only significant addition is Suli, and Manly preferred Parker to him. We have some good young guys in key positions, but they lack experience and it's unfair to expect too much of Amone, Sullivan and Sloan until they've had a full season behind them.

Of the teams that finished below us last year, the Broncos bought a gun halfback, and the Doggies bought a gun 5/8, a gun winger and a gun forward. I expect those sides will improve. I see Cowboys, Tigers, Warriors and Raiders either not improving or going backwards - we should do better than them. That leaves us running about 12th again. I would be very happy to be proven wrong.
 

SEAT 1A

Bench
Messages
3,089
I can't remember the last time I was confident we would make the eight before the comp started.

So, better than last year and if we make the eight the club is moving in the right direction to be competitive again.
 

Como Connection

First Grade
Messages
5,909
I thought at 5-1 we were a bargain for the top8, enough that I splashed the cash.

lots of roster changes, but considering key positions and coach remain, I don’t think it will upset the game plan. Good depth which could be critical should suspensions or covid isolation hit us. Some older players with hopefully a point to prove, same for the youth.

Still all that adds up to some unpredictability, I believe top 4 is possible, as is bottom 4, I predict 6th.
Agree, I'm on also at $5, very good value.
CC
 

This Year?

Immortal
Messages
31,278
9th.
I think we've got a better team than last season and surely we won't go through something like BBQgate again in 2022. As is our dramatic way I think it will be a rd 24 and/or rd 25 loss which costs us a spot in the top 8 like in 2017, but it will be a character building season and one which will make us get excited about 2023.
 

Gareth67

First Grade
Messages
8,406
Covid will completely stuff up the season. It will be completely random as to where Saints finish. I won't be putting my hard earned money on any fanciful positions.
Agree , that will have a great bearing on every teams chances - regardless of just who they have playing for them .

If the competition remains relatively unscathed by the virus then I will say that the Dragons have the potential to
just scrap into the final 8 .

But only if Griffin has them working together as a team and also if he has managed to exorcise the demons of the last 6 or 7 seasons .
 
Last edited:

randomdragon

Juniors
Messages
1,825
I think we will finish top 8, for those that are predicting top 8 as well who do you have below us? That’s what I struggle with. I can only name, bulldogs, broncos, cowboys, tigers, warriors, knights, canberra. Maybes: south’s, parra, sharks, titans
 

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
8,938
Bumped into someone hadn't seen since footy ended.
The question was posed "Where do you think you'll come this year?'
Me - Saints - optimistic - I like to think top 8 A few good buys and our young guys are a bit more mature
more realistic 9-10-11 against others out there - the rest I'd hate to comsider.
But
Something which came out of the conversation
This year (with all the player transfer) I believe there will be the least amount of points between first and last. Maybe 10, maybe a bit more.
Player transfer seems well balanced

So this year it will be score as much as you can - and don't get flogged
for and against will play such a crutial part in this season's table like never before.

Put that one in your piece pipe
I disagree in respect that I think the difference between Top 4 and Bottom 4 will be similar to this year.
The middle 8 may be closer thats all.
Where do we finish?. Cant see us making the 8 just yet but see us around 10th-11th
Our attack and go forward should improve.
My worries are
1. Defense. across the park. Cant see where the major improvement there is in regards to our grabbing techniques, speed and lateral movement. (especially when fatigue sets in)..poor JDB and McCulloch will do the lions share in the middle
2. Kicking game including field goals
3. Hunt will have to carry too much load to take on the kicking and running of all the on field play IMO whilst Amone and Sullivan are learning
(who is the one we go to to be cool under pressure in a tight game and drag us to the win?). Mbye is an adequate bench back up player but he is not a leader to run the team nor a great kicker.
 
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thebigredv

First Grade
Messages
5,207
Covid will completely stuff up the season. It will be completely random as to where Saints finish. I won't be putting my hard earned money on any fanciful positions.

Getting closer to round one...

Covid screwed us more than other team last year so it owes us one this year; hopefully to work in our favour with no BBQs for starters.

Obviously we've had a mixture of good and arguably very poor recruitment over the last couple years. Might be a bit too much weight bearing on the shoulders of the young backs who we are all excited to see but overall I can't see those young zealous types going any worse than last year. Just as curious to see how the forwards go. They are the lynch pin to success we've been so devoid of recently.

There's at least 8-10 clubs comprised of clearly better balanced squads, already stronger or who have recruited/retained better than us. I can't see finals for us but then again I have to admit there's enough of the unknown with this odd squad to maybe give us a pleasant surprise. Feels more like wishful thinking though.

No activity for 2023 at all yet so you got to wonder what's with the management and aspirations thereof at this joint.
 

Coffs dragon

Bench
Messages
4,247
Luck, injuries and suspensions will play an important part in deciding the top 8 in 2022. We never seem to fair well in this area, so I’m expecting a finish just outside the top 8 around 9th or tenth.
I feel we still lack a quality dummy half that can get us on the front foot and be a threat.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,410
Whilst there is cause for optimism with a couple of young blokes, mainly Sloan and Ravalawa, I don’t think we have the roster to worry too many teams consistently.
Woods, Burgess, Mbye, are all pretty average, nothing to get excited about.
Molo replaces Vaughan, hopefully like for like there and Su’a seems like a good addition. But that’s about it. Suli will likely play 1 in every 5 games well but always be on the verge of being dropped due to laziness.
Teams like Dogs, Broncos will improve with their strong recruitment.
Miracle finish will be scraping into 8 (if Sloan, Ravalawa maybe Amone have huge years) more likely 10th - 14th but hope I am wrong there.
 

Como Connection

First Grade
Messages
5,909
My reasoning is that before the suspensions and the BBQ the team was definitely a top 8 team and next season with the new signings and the young guys coming thru I see it as a much stronger team hence backing them to make the 8 and I never bet on sport only horses. I may be way off the mark, but that's the way I read it!
CC
 

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