We are now the team with longest drought for GF an appearance

[Burns]

It’s been 18 years since 2001.

With Canberra qualifying last night, we have the longest drought for playing in a Grand Final just ahead of Penrith.

I live in Canberra now and was at the game. Hopefully one day soon Newy will be able to experience the elation that Canberra did last night. Absolute scenes.

 

[Knight76]

I really hope for our sakes this latest rebuild works for us and sets us on a long sustained path of good performance, the alternative is failure, rebuilding again and god knows how long in the rugby league wastelands.

How long were Souths the league whipping boys for? They had a long stretch of horrible years.

 

[Spot On]

Leadership at the club would help.

Better players would help.

A coach the ilk of Bellamy would help.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

I really hope for our sakes this latest rebuild works for us and sets us on a long sustained path of good performance, the alternative is failure, rebuilding again and god knows how long in the rugby league wastelands.

How long were Souths the league whipping boys for? They had a long stretch of horrible years.

Well they went 17 years without making a finals series between 1990-2007

 

[Silent Knight]

This year was a very bitter pill to swallow, much more bitter than the spoon years because this year I actually felt some hope we'd turn a corner. And for some of our players to go out and not even care was very hard to take.

If I could see the Knights players I would remind them of those who came before them.

To Kalyn I'd say "Robbie O'Davis won 2 premierships on a lot less coin than you, how many have you won?"

To Lachlan I'd say "Simmo and BK were hard and uncompromising every game, so why do you think you can coast along?"

To Dan Saifiti I'd say "So you thought after Origin that making the finals would just happen for the Knights. Well the Chief never expected anything, he made it happen, which is more than I can say for you".

Finally to Mitchell Pearce I'd say "Joey Johns crawled out of a hospital bed to play in the 1997 grand final with a punctured lung, but you think you know adversity? It's time for you to grow some f***ing balls and stop listening to those damn voices in your head."

Anyway I'm happy to see the Raiders in the grand final, because I want to believe that no matter how much sh*t you have to put up with as a supporter, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If they can do it, maybe one day we can too.

 

[Frederick]

At least our incoming coach will have been involved in the last 4 grand finals...no doubt he'd be keen to make it 5 on the trot!

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Look at the top 3 teams - all have established coaches that have been there for a while and the teams are seen as extensions of the coach.
And we have another new coach.
We might make top 8 or maybe top 4 but the gap between us and them is huge. I expect the drought to be long.
Our aspirations of getting to the top 8 reflects where we are at. It's the teams that aspire to win the premiership that will be there.

 

[Spot On]

Decent coach, decent leadership, decent players = make top 8.

A team lost more games than they won and made the 8 this year ffs.

The bar is already very low.

 

[Knight Vision]

good roster/salary cap management plays a big part.........but the 3rd party deals ??

Given our current roster and lack of depth - The word that we're strapped for cash and unable to go after any big name signings for our 5/8, backrow and centre vacancies suggests we have a lot of ground to make up in 3rd party deals if we hope to be anything other than top 8 aspirants.

 

[Knight Vision]

Decent coach, decent leadership, decent players = make top 8.

A team lost more games than they won and made the 8 this year ffs.

The bar is already very low.

Jury is out on the coach, we're lacking in experienced leadership at the club in my opinion, couple of high end quality players short in the roster.

 

[Spot On]

good roster/salary cap management plays a big part.........but the 3rd party deals ??

Given our current roster and lack of depth - The word that we're strapped for cash and unable to go after any big name signings for our 5/8, backrow and centre vacancies suggests we have a lot of ground to make up in 3rd party deals if we hope to be anything other than top 8 aspirants.

True re TPAs. But we have to deal with that reality best we can.

May also suggest a few players are on massive overs v performance.

Won't know for sure till the new coaching staff get a decent crack at the squad. If they can somehow address the 5/8 problem and give support to the million dollar half and Brailey proves a decent buy then some decent attacking structures will make the world of difference.

 

[Old dog]

Can’t believe we are so cash strapped with those leaving, surely a selective purchase of one player that improves the overall quality of the side is possible. Given circumstances, Lino out for a while and not our best fit surely shopping for a 5/8 makes sense, if decide to give young up and comers a go then look for a 2nd rower above what we have.
We must be selective in who we buy with the view to improving the side overall.

 

[Sydney Knight]

historically there's been way longer gaps. Still have Titans never making one and Warriors never winning a GF.

 

[Knight Vision]

True re TPAs. But we have to deal with that reality best we can.

May also suggest a few players are on massive overs v performance.

If it stays the way it is then we will have to just accept we will only be peripheral top 8 team for the foreseeable future and perhaps over achieve now and then like Manly did this year.

 

[Still Nutty]

Of all the things we need to address at this club, culture is the biggest challenge and I hope O'Brien can drive it from the top down.

We need a genuine leadership group that are leaders - all on the same page and leading by word and deed. At the moment we have a bunch of people who have a title but can not sustain a pattern of behaviour individually or collectively that sets a benchmark so ALL can see what is acceptable and they should be aspiring to achieve and held to account (without exception) when it isn't met.

Brown had the right idea in looking at successful cultures (i.e. the Swans, Storm, etc.) and trying to either learn from those who established it or bring players from those cultures to infuse it into our culture but he had no idea on how to implement and build that culture - understanding what it takes and making it happen are 2 very different things.

I look at what Dean Pay has done with the Bulldogs this year and think what he has achieved largely with a bunch of cast offs and no names has shown that building a culture of playing for and trust in each other can certainly deliver a belief and culture that we have sadly lacked.

If O'Brien doesn't have the ability to bring that level of buy in and culture, we are destined to be also rans, no matter what our roster looks like in the coming seasons

 

[Knight Vision]

I thought it was very interesting that Gardner said Brown didnt want to involve on a regular basis our former club greats.

I'm amazed that Pearce was chosen as Captain after involving a professional leadership consultant. As an outsider looking in it appears to me that Pearce isnt a natural leader of men and I dont think the added pressure helps his game.

I'd be getting Matty and Joey involved at some level.

 

[Spot On]

Pearce given the push at the Roosters and they look like going back to back for the first time since 92/93.

They certainly pulled the right rein at the right time.

No, Pearce is not much of a leader. But we are fortunate to have 5 players with Origin experience so there is no excuse as far as a decent 'leadership' group is concerned. Some just need to lead like men - on and off the field all the time.

Matt Johns may be of some assistance. Not sure about the other bloke though.

 

[Knight Vision]

Pearce given the push at the Roosters and they look like going back to back for the first time since 92/93.

They certainly pulled the right rein at the right time.

No, Pearce is not much of a leader. But we are fortunate to have 5 players with Origin experience so there is no excuse as far as a decent 'leadership' group is concerned. Some just need to lead like men - on and off the field all the time.

Matt Johns may be of some assistance. Not sure about the other bloke though.

The Roosters knew Pearce wasnt the man to take them to a Premiership. Maloney got them their 2013 Premiership.

I remember an interview last year with JWH about what Cronk brings to the Roosters- his first words in reply were ....."a calm voice out there "