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2022 - First - Last. Or somewhere in between.

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,931
I know I’m a supporter but am I missing something?
Every article I’ve read lately & heard on the radio has us wooden spooners or at worst second last.
Surely we finish in front of the cowboys, Warriors, Knights, Tigers & possibly the dogs & Titans 🤷🏼‍♂️
Especially the Cowboys.

Whoever is in charge of their recruitment needs to be shot. Chad Townsend at >$800k? Makes Norman look like a bargain.
 

Dracarys

Juniors
Messages
808
Bit of a panic buy for the Cowboys but Townsend is solid. Never out of the game and a class above Mr "Over It".
 

Walpole

Juniors
Messages
2,418
I know I’m a supporter but am I missing something?
Every article I’ve read lately & heard on the radio has us wooden spooners or at worst second last.
Surely we finish in front of the cowboys, Warriors, Knights, Tigers & possibly the dogs & Titans 🤷🏼‍♂️
Very few journo's have thoughts of their own. One bloke probably picked us to run last and the rest have just piled on.
 

kit66

Bench
Messages
3,578
The optimism of the offseason is a wondrous thing to behold.

i wouldn’t be shocked if we make the 8, but we are a middling team at absolute best.

And people talking up Woods? He’s a penalty magnet who was too slow in the ruck before the game sped up. With the new interpretations he’s a deadset liability.

Woods 2021, started all 24 games - 12 penalties, not great but not that bad either for a big fella, 4 Ruck infringements and just 2 "inside 10 metres" so he's no slouch getting back on side. So not really a penalty magnet and more importantly he's definitely not a Judiciary magnet. He did have his good points too, first prop picked every week, consistently made considerably more metres and pcm's than his prop partners - starters or bench (except Rudolph's 3 games there), few missed tackles, 18 off-loads, pretty quick play the balls and very few handling errors. In fact his stats overall are better than any STI forward.
I have my misgivings about some of our new recruits but Woods isn't one of them. Of all of them he's the most experienced by far, most consistent, least of an injury concern and exactly what we've been missing up front. Hardly a liability. A bargain priced topline prop, fkn yeah woo ! I'm really happy he'll be in a Dragons' jersey this year, can't wait.

This site is great for anyone missing the good old days of dial up. Fair dinkum.
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,931
Woods 2021, started all 24 games - 12 penalties, not great but not that bad either for a big fella, 4 Ruck infringements and just 2 "inside 10 metres" so he's no slouch getting back on side. So not really a penalty magnet and more importantly he's definitely not a Judiciary magnet. He did have his good points too, first prop picked every week, consistently made considerably more metres and pcm's than his prop partners - starters or bench (except Rudolph's 3 games there), few missed tackles, 18 off-loads, pretty quick play the balls and very few handling errors. In fact his stats overall are better than any STI forward.
I have my misgivings about some of our new recruits but Woods isn't one of them. Of all of them he's the most experienced by far, most consistent, least of an injury concern and exactly what we've been missing up front. Hardly a liability. A bargain priced topline prop, fkn yeah woo ! I'm really happy he'll be in a Dragons' jersey this year, can't wait.

This site is great for anyone missing the good old days of dial up. Fair dinkum.
That puts him 19th in the league for penalties conceded, 7th for middle forwards. (To put that in context players above him include Lodge, JWH, Hetherington).

Setting aside stats, (lies, damned lies etc) his defensive effort is concerning. I regularly see him failing to make the effort to cover the inside in defence, and I’ve seen plenty of tries scored through the middle with him still walking back onside after being slow to get out of the ruck.

Given that neither of these are able to be supported by stats, I guess I’d just say that watching him play for us could be a shock, and you may find yourself screaming at him to be less of a lazy prick.
 
Messages
17,252
That puts him 19th in the league for penalties conceded, 7th for middle forwards. (To put that in context players above him include Lodge, JWH, Hetherington).

Setting aside stats, (lies, damned lies etc) his defensive effort is concerning. I regularly see him failing to make the effort to cover the inside in defence, and I’ve seen plenty of tries scored through the middle with him still walking back onside after being slow to get out of the ruck.

Given that neither of these are able to be supported by stats, I guess I’d just say that watching him play for us could be a shock, and you may find yourself screaming at him to be less of a lazy prick.
This!

every bloody game. FRUSTRATING
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,412
That puts him 19th in the league for penalties conceded, 7th for middle forwards. (To put that in context players above him include Lodge, JWH, Hetherington).

Setting aside stats, (lies, damned lies etc) his defensive effort is concerning. I regularly see him failing to make the effort to cover the inside in defence, and I’ve seen plenty of tries scored through the middle with him still walking back onside after being slow to get out of the ruck.

Given that neither of these are able to be supported by stats, I guess I’d just say that watching him play for us could be a shock, and you may find yourself screaming at him to be less of a lazy prick.
Bringing balance back to the Forum!
Excellent post, his defensive efforts/reads are a problem.
Also he lacks any punch in attack, Rudolph made him look silly in comparison last year (hes one hell of a damaging forward).
Sure his stats are OK but in reality he walks into the defensive line, turns, reverses then offloads to a player standing still.
Top bloke though, good for culture and stuff.
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,931
Bringing balance back to the Forum!
Excellent post, his defensive efforts/reads are a problem.
Also he lacks any punch in attack, Rudolph made him look silly in comparison last year (hes one hell of a damaging forward).
Sure his stats are OK but in reality he walks into the defensive line, turns, reverses then offloads to a player standing still.
Top bloke though, good for culture and stuff.
It’s one of the problems that I have with stats.

His PCMs are great. But the metres that he makes post contact are a slow wrestle, usually with him ending up on his back, and always with a slow play the ball. The defensive line has all the time in the world to reset. I’d hate to be the next prop to take a hit up. Or a half trying to create on the next tackle.

But yeah. Good bloke. All the personality of a quirky haircut.
 

kit66

Bench
Messages
3,578
Bringing balance back to the Forum!
Excellent post, his defensive efforts/reads are a problem.
Also he lacks any punch in attack, Rudolph made him look silly in comparison last year (hes one hell of a damaging forward).
Sure his stats are OK but in reality he walks into the defensive line, turns, reverses then offloads to a player standing still.
Top bloke though, good for culture and stuff.

I like Rudolf, good strong runner of the ball but misses 3-4 tackles a game, not what you want from a lock and I prefer a lock like JDB with ball skills and can link in for attacking plays with some good passing. Rudolf averaged just 9 metres a game more than Woods but played more minutes.
I wanted TPJ when we were recruiting but instead we got Woods, much cheaper and can do a job. We can grumble all we want but it aint gonna change. Woods and Burgess are signed.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,412
I like Rudolf, good strong runner of the ball but misses 3-4 tackles a game, not what you want from a lock and I prefer a lock like JDB with ball skills and can link in for attacking plays with some good passing. Rudolf averaged just 9 metres a game more than Woods but played more minutes.
I wanted TPJ when we were recruiting but instead we got Woods, much cheaper and can do a job. We can grumble all we want but it aint gonna change. Woods and Burgess are signed.
And they are only signed on short term deals also which is good.
I guess I was just surprised that many on the forum reckon he'll be a handy pick up.
Sharks fans were happy he wasn't in their plans for 2022.
Grumbling done from me. Bring on the season now!
 

randomdragon

Juniors
Messages
1,825
That puts him 19th in the league for penalties conceded, 7th for middle forwards. (To put that in context players above him include Lodge, JWH, Hetherington).

Setting aside stats, (lies, damned lies etc) his defensive effort is concerning. I regularly see him failing to make the effort to cover the inside in defence, and I’ve seen plenty of tries scored through the middle with him still walking back onside after being slow to get out of the ruck.

Given that neither of these are able to be supported by stats, I guess I’d just say that watching him play for us could be a shock, and you may find yourself screaming at him to be less of a lazy prick.
Who said he’s going to be in first grade anyway? I’d say burgess, lawrie, JDB, molo, mcguire(not suspended) are all ahead of him
 

Draginzaaar

Bench
Messages
3,306
Bringing balance back to the Forum!
Excellent post, his defensive efforts/reads are a problem.
Also he lacks any punch in attack, Rudolph made him look silly in comparison last year (hes one hell of a damaging forward).
Sure his stats are OK but in reality he walks into the defensive line, turns, reverses then offloads to a player standing still.
Top bloke though, good for culture and stuff.
Isn't offloading to a player standing still that players problem? If they know he's going to offload......
 
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Crush

Coach
Messages
10,412
Isn't offloading to a player standing still that players problem? If they know he's going to offload......
I like it when offloads are made to guys running forward, attacking, hitting holes, breaking the line.
My point was that Woods lacks potency, unpredictability. He has one gear.
The offload when the play has broken down to a flat footed player doesnt acheive anything in the current game which is all about speed, quick play the balls.
But he's ours now, hopefully the other props play so well that Woods doesnt make the NRL side, thats what we want.
 

randomdragon

Juniors
Messages
1,825
Also what might sway hook to play/not to play woods is the fact that if he plays X amount of games he gets resigned for the year after. May want to use him sparingly to not trigger this
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,931
I like it when offloads are made to guys running forward, attacking, hitting holes, breaking the line.
My point was that Woods lacks potency, unpredictability. He has one gear.
The offload when the play has broken down to a flat footed player doesnt acheive anything in the current game which is all about speed, quick play the balls.
But he's ours now, hopefully the other props play so well that Woods doesnt make the NRL side, thats what we want.
100%.

There’s a huge difference between hitting the line, poking your nose through and giving an offload to a player with momentum, versus backing into the line, wrestling long enough for the line to be reset, then dumping off the ball to a flat footed player who gets smashed.
 
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