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Rumours and Stuff

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
84,154
Look at their ages.

Crichton, Burton are 22. That newbie are 18 those guys aren't there to pass on culture. They are there long term
These merkins were all under 23 when Gould signed them for Penrith. Only Whare and Peachey were there longer than four years:
Roberts
Segeyaro
Whare
Idris
Murdoch-Masila
Peachey
Koroisau
Hiku

These are separate to the experienced premiership winners and other leaders he brought in to complement these guys. Plus all the Kiwis, Queenslanders and country boys he signed to the junior rep teams.
 

Lemon Squash

First Grade
Messages
7,982
What do you want him to do but? Wait 7yrs to build the juniors who may not even be good.
They had to buy

He has every right to buy players, that’s not the argument… my qualm is after we got the spoon in 18 he came out and said (and I’m paraphrasing) “I worry about Parramatta and their identity, they aren’t Parramatta enough, they don’t have enough young blokes who have grown up wanting to play for the club in their first grade squad”

He had every right to make that statement if he honestly thought it was true… but if he honestly thought it was true then why is Plan A at Canterbury to just go out and buy a competitive squad?? It to me is just further truth that Gus talks more out of his arse then his mouth.

Talking about not being Bulldog enough, I would bet my left nut not one player in their top 30 would live in the belmore/canterbury/Bankstown area.
 
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Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
84,154
He had every right to make that statement if he honestly thought it was true… but if he honestly thought it was true then why is Plan A at Canterbury to just go out and buy a competitive squad?? It to me is just further truth that Gus talks more out of his arse then his mouth.
That's only the short term plan. The long term plan means developing the youngsters (as it would be at every club), but you can't just throw SG Ball kids into first grade. Someone needs to fill the top 30 spots now. If they don't exist at your club you need to buy them.
 

Stevie

Bench
Messages
2,538
I am NO Gus fan let me tell you. But almost all I the time I hear HIM speak, not dodgy media snippets etc, I reckon he is bang on the money.
Can’t stand the Dogs but like it or not they’ve made a ripper purchase in him. He’s a winner, and a great RL mind. Again, he drives me a bit nuts but I’d love him at our club.
The Dogs have been one of the worst NRL sides in recent memory the last 4 or 5 years, I don’t want that. I want them to be strong, like Parra it’s great for the game.
 

Lemon Squash

First Grade
Messages
7,982
That's only the short term plan. The long term plan means developing the youngsters (as it would be at every club), but you can't just throw SG Ball kids into first grade. Someone needs to fill the top 30 spots now. If they don't exist at your club you need to buy them.

Did you even read my response to the original question? I’m not having a go at him for buying a squad, he needed to do something to turn the club around, it’s been a shambles for close to a decade. He’s doing well and they are on the up there’s no denying that.

I am just highlighting the fact Gus directly criticised Parramatta for having to many ‘bought’ players in our squad and it’s why we were shit and alluded to the fact players imported from other clubs/areas don’t care as much as juniors.

If he legitimately thought that was the case then why is he doing the same thing at Canterbury?

I remember it specifically because I thought it actually challenged the integrity of our players and management. To be honest I think he was just kicking Parra why we were down.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
It's not that he can't play centre, he is just wasted playing there. And in the end they would've been paying too much.
Crichtons best position is centre.

We can all understand the desire of any talented outside back wanting to transition to fullback for obvious reasons.

Crichton filled in a few times at fullback for us and was perfectly fine I guess, he is no Dylan Edwards, but time will tell I guess whether he can lock down the starting fullback position at the Dogs. He’s getting the big bucks either way, so he can sleep well at night knowing his mortgage payments and other investments will be covered by his $825k a season. Good luck to him.
 

Stevie

Bench
Messages
2,538
Crichtons best position is centre.

We can all understand the desire of any talented outside back wanting to transition to fullback for obvious reasons.

Crichton filled in a few times at fullback for us and was perfectly fine I guess, he is no Dylan Edwards, but time will tell I guess whether he can lock down the starting fullback position at the Dogs. He’s getting the big bucks either way, so he can sleep well at night knowing his mortgage payments and other investments will be covered by his $825k a season. Good luck to him.
Well said good luck to him. Let’s be honest who wouldn’t want to be a fullback. Great money, glory position.
 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
11,077
Did you even read my response to the original question? I’m not having a go at him for buying a squad, he needed to do something to turn the club around, it’s been a shambles for close to a decade. He’s doing well and they are on the up there’s no denying that.



I am just highlighting the fact Gus directly criticised Parramatta for having to many ‘bought’ players in our squad and it’s why we were shit and alluded to the fact players imported from other clubs/areas don’t care as much as juniors.



If he legitimately thought that was the case then why is he doing the same thing at Canterbury?



I remember it specifically because I thought it actually challenged the integrity of our players and management. To be honest I think he was just kicking Parra why we were down.


I am guessing from the quotes here this is what you were talking about.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
84,154
Did you even read my response to the original question? I’m not having a go at him for buying a squad, he needed to do something to turn the club around, it’s been a shambles for close to a decade. He’s doing well and they are on the up there’s no denying that.

I am just highlighting the fact Gus directly criticised Parramatta for having to many ‘bought’ players in our squad and it’s why we were shit and alluded to the fact players imported from other clubs/areas don’t care as much as juniors.

If he legitimately thought that was the case then why is he doing the same thing at Canterbury?

I remember it specifically because I thought it actually challenged the integrity of our players and management. To be honest I think he was just kicking Parra why we were down.
Maybe all true, but he did the same thing at Penrith (buying a team) while also building up the pathways. Meanwhile we had awesome junior teams in 2017 (SG Ball premiers and NYC grand finalists) then the next year our whole setup turned to shit. Our pathways haven't recovered from their 2017 high point. We haven't won Harold Matts since 2016 ffs. In the 46 years before that we won it 20 times.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
Maybe all true, but he did the same thing at Penrith (buying a team) while also building up the pathways. Meanwhile we had awesome junior teams in 2017 (SG Ball premiers and NYC grand finalists) then the next year our whole setup turned to shit. Our pathways haven't recovered from their 2017 high point. We haven't won Harold Matts since 2016 ffs. In the 46 years before that we won it 20 times.
Gould didn’t buy a team at Penrith.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
84,154
Crichtons best position is centre.

We can all understand the desire of any talented outside back wanting to transition to fullback for obvious reasons.
Inglis as well. Melbourne moved him from 6 (where he won the Dally M Five-eighth the year before) to centre and signed Brett Finch to play in the halves ffs. But he proved he was at least good enough to win a premiership at fullback. Mitchell at Souths is similar. You have to play a nonstandard gameplan to make it work, but it's doable. All Edwards does it kick returns and hit ups ffs, and he's won two premierships. It's a team game.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
He sure did. Constant new faces.
He built a team on the back of juniors and a few kids from other clubs who hadn’t yet figured in the NRL. Most of his signings were journeymen in the early days. it is simply wrong to suggest he bought a side at Penrith. There were no big money signings unless you include an aging Petero in the very early days. Sika Manu maybe but he was useless past his use by date.

Seriously, Gould’s first priority was saving the club from financial ruin which thanks to a loan from his mate James Packer he was able to accomplish. That took a couple of seasons and after sacking Ivan Cleary we enjoyed three successful seasons under Anthony Griffin all of which was accomplished with junior talent, not bought talent, James Maloney excluded.
 
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