2019 team line up

[True_Believer]

Patience has led Saints to only one premiership in 40-years.

The Club needs to do so much better in many areas.

I'm talking about patience in recruiting - I'd rather wait for the right player than sign any old player that's available.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

I'm talking about patience in recruiting - I'd rather wait for the right player than sign any old player that's available.

Adopting a “wait and see” approach hasn’t been terribly successful.

 

[True_Believer]

Adopting a “wait and see” approach hasn’t been terribly successful.

Neither has sign anyone.

So you're one of these people who want to sign the first player that becomes available, and continue signing players irrespective of cost etc? That's a great strategy.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Neither has sign anyone.

So you're one of these people who want to sign the first player that becomes available, and continue signing players irrespective of cost etc? That's a great strategy.

No one (including me) wants the Club to sign anyone willy-nilly. That’s an irresponsible approach, and besides, SGI aren’t the Roosters. However, there have been some very questionable decisions over the past few years.

For example, Dufty and Dugan. It’s pretty clear that the former has an uncertain future in the NRL, whereas the latter (despite diminishing strengths) is still a superior player and will be in first grade for the long term.

Mose Masoe also comes to mind.

Very ordinary.

As to costlayer ratio, my opinion is that it depends on where the team is placed. When Brett Morris decided to split, many said “he’s only a winger” and there was s distinct insinuation that Morris was asking for too much money anyway,

These people failed to take into account Morris’s try scoring regularity in a team that struggled to score points. In my view, Brett’s value to the side was immeasurable, and as such, his salary had to be increased accordingly.

In other words, don’t evaluate a player’s worth NOT by the number on his back.

Hopefully, this post is coherent... it’s difficult to plug away letter-by-letter on my iPhone while trying to watch the cricket.

 

[RedVDave]

Very good forward pack a bit slim on outside backs, less depth IMO this season SOO time will kiss us again I'll say 6th.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Very good forward pack a bit slim on outside backs, less depth IMO this season SOO time will kiss us again I'll say 6th.

The doubt surrounding Dufty, inexperienced wingers, Widdop’s uncertain future, Norman’s unpredictability, JDB’s probable unavailability and a plodding hooker are all areas of concern.

 

[True_Believer]

No one (including me) wants the Club to sign anyone willy-nilly. That’s an irresponsible approach, and besides, SGI aren’t the Roosters. However, there have been some very questionable decisions over the past few years.

For example, Dufty and Dugan. It’s pretty clear that the former has an uncertain future in the NRL, whereas the latter (despite diminishing strengths) is still a superior player and will be in first grade for the long term.

Mose Masoe also comes to mind.

Very ordinary.

As to costlayer ratio, my opinion is that it depends on where the team is placed. When Brett Morris decided to split, many said “he’s only a winger” and there was s distinct insinuation that Morris was asking for too much money anyway,

These people failed to take into account Morris’s try scoring regularity in a team that struggled to score points. In my view, Brett’s value to the side was immeasurable, and as such, his salary had to be increased accordingly.

In other words, don’t evaluate a player’s worth NOT by the number on his back.

Hopefully, this post is coherent... it’s difficult to plug away letter-by-letter on my iPhone while trying to watch the cricket.

There is no doubt that mistakes have been made, however that's happened for years - it's not a current recruitment thing. Every team does it. It's not an exclusive problem to us.

 

[Warabrook saint]

I dont disagree FF, but I do think that at the moment they are both better than the one we have.

Dufty scored 13 tries.....and let in 3 or 4

 

[Warabrook saint]

No one (including me) wants the Club to sign anyone willy-nilly. That’s an irresponsible approach, and besides, SGI aren’t the Roosters. However, there have been some very questionable decisions over the past few years.

For example, Dufty and Dugan. It’s pretty clear that the former has an uncertain future in the NRL, whereas the latter (despite diminishing strengths) is still a superior player and will be in first grade for the long term.

Mose Masoe also comes to mind.

Very ordinary.

As to costlayer ratio, my opinion is that it depends on where the team is placed. When Brett Morris decided to split, many said “he’s only a winger” and there was s distinct insinuation that Morris was asking for too much money anyway,

These people failed to take into account Morris’s try scoring regularity in a team that struggled to score points. In my view, Brett’s value to the side was immeasurable, and as such, his salary had to be increased accordingly.

In other words, don’t evaluate a player’s worth NOT by the number on his back.

Hopefully, this post is coherent... it’s difficult to plug away letter-by-letter on my iPhone while trying to watch the cricket.

Morris wanted to play with his brother at the dogs...dessie promised them the world

 

[True_Believer]

No one (including me) wants the Club to sign anyone willy-nilly. That’s an irresponsible approach, and besides, SGI aren’t the Roosters. However, there have been some very questionable decisions over the past few years.

For example, Dufty and Dugan. It’s pretty clear that the former has an uncertain future in the NRL, whereas the latter (despite diminishing strengths) is still a superior player and will be in first grade for the long term.

Mose Masoe also comes to mind.

Very ordinary.

As to costlayer ratio, my opinion is that it depends on where the team is placed. When Brett Morris decided to split, many said “he’s only a winger” and there was s distinct insinuation that Morris was asking for too much money anyway,

These people failed to take into account Morris’s try scoring regularity in a team that struggled to score points. In my view, Brett’s value to the side was immeasurable, and as such, his salary had to be increased accordingly.

In other words, don’t evaluate a player’s worth NOT by the number on his back.

Hopefully, this post is coherent... it’s difficult to plug away letter-by-letter on my iPhone while trying to watch the cricket.

The rest of it is your opinion. I think letting Dugan go was the right thing to do. He added very little to the Sharks and we needed to try new things at the back. He was great while he was here, but in my opinion his time had run it's course.

Mose was a flop due to injury and was always only ever going to be backup. You need those in the team. It could have been anyone in the same situation.```````````````````````

Lastly, in my opinion, Morris was asking far too much at the time for a winger. Yet again, he went to the dogs to play as fullback on the same money he was asking here. How did that pan out for him? He played a while there then became a very expensive winger for the dogs. I agree with the club that we shouldn't have caved in to his demands and paid him to be the most expensive winger in the NRL.

You have to evaluate a player by the number on his back - you can't base it on value to the team and pay whatever - it has to be based on positional value to the team otherwise you get shit in the positions that matter. 1, 6, 7 and 9 are the most important positions in the team and should be compensated as such. If we were willing to pay Morris 600 at the expense of one of those positions, I'd be calling the recruitment stupid. I don't care how many tries he has scored in his career, a winger shouldn't be prioritised over other positions.

 

[Warabrook saint]

Saints have gone from outside the eight (2015) to the periphery (2018 - 7th place).

Not to mention the paradigm of late season fades which are the hallmark of Paul McGregor’s coaching.

You can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig.

Efen pig alright

 

[Frank Facer]

Saints have gone from outside the eight (2015) to the periphery (2018 - 7th place).

Not to mention the paradigm of late season fades which are the hallmark of Paul McGregor’s coaching.

You can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig.

We overachieved in 2015. We started the year off as one of the favourites for the spoon. Our squad is markedly better than in 2015. There are only 2 players left from the 2015 Anzac Day game, in DeBelin and Widdop. If Mary was to select the right players, I would have us second pick to win the comp next year. What a great job Millward has done and is doing.

 

[Frank Facer]

I dont disagree FF, but I do think that at the moment they are both better than the one we have.

I would rather Dufty than Edwards.

 

[Warabrook saint]

We overachieved in 2015. We started the year off as one of the favourites for the spoon. Our squad is markedly better than in 2015. There are only 2 players left from the 2015 Anzac Day game, in DeBelin and Widdop. If Mary was to select the right players, I would have us second pick to win the comp next year. What a great job Millward has done and is doing.

We can't say that he's not trying to sign the best available, with more success than others have had

 

[Belta]

Frank Facer said;

“....what a great job Millward has done and is doing....”

—————————————————

IMO, (and I’m not saying it’s a easy job) but in comparison to other sides our recruitment has been adequate. I’m basing this on our recent results which have been adequate but not great.

This years side may end up great.

We have a very expensive half and five eight, cheapies on the flanks and inconsistency at the back. This worries me as the great sides have great wingers who score great tries.

We have some great forwards, I’m still concerned about our depth, atleast one more prop needs to make his appearance.

If we make the big dance than recruitment has been very astute, and I will agree the recruitment have been great. If we fade out again, then how could we possibly say it’s great recruitment

 

[Overseas dragon]

Frank Facer said;

“....what a great job Millward has done and is doing....”

—————————————————

IMO, (and I’m not saying it’s a easy job) but in comparison to other sides our recruitment has been adequate. I’m basing this on our recent results which have been adequate but not great.

This years side may end up great.

We have a very expensive half and five eight, cheapies on the flanks and inconsistency at the back. This worries me as the great sides have great wingers who score great tries.

We have some great forwards, I’m still concerned about our depth, atleast one more prop needs to make his appearance.

If we make the big dance than recruitment has been very astute, and I will agree the recruitment have been great. If we fade out again, then how could we possibly say it’s great recruitment

fading out is in the hands of the coach .it has nothing to do with recruitment .absolutely nothing ......

 

[Belta]

fading out is in the hands of the coach .it has nothing to do with recruitment .absolutely nothing ......

I’m not totally in disagreement with that but when it’s all said and done you still need the cattle. Our wingers will have a big task to get our sets going. Nene was our top meter eater averaging 140m/game. Our bench forwards will have to match other bench forwards and Ah Mau was seen as the best in NRL off the bench. I’m not saying we’ve failed yet but if we fail in these areas then I will claim it’s a result of poor recruitment. Time will tell

 

[Frank Facer]

I’m not totally in disagreement with that but when it’s all said and done you still need the cattle. Our wingers will have a big task to get our sets going. Nene was our top meter eater averaging 140m/game. Our bench forwards will have to match other bench forwards and Ah Mau was seen as the best in NRL off the bench. I’m not saying we’ve failed yet but if we fail in these areas then I will claim it’s a result of poor recruitment. Time will tell

As I pointed out in a recent post. Most of the teams who have won the comp in the last 9 years all had wingers who were on little money at the time. I am not in favor of spending big money on wingers. I am in favor of spending big money on quality halves and fullback, so I have no problem with Hunt and Widdop being on big money. Quality halves are also an important ingredient in winning a comp.

Our recruitment has been first rate under Millward, he has taken a side that was one of the favourites for the spoon to a team who I believe should make top 4 (as long as Debelin is playing). Millward has got in and signed Norman, even though Widdop will still be here next season. He got on the front foot there. Our cattle is much superior to what we had when Millward took over.

As for replacing AhMau, of the players who were off contract at the end of last season, who do you think that we should of or even could have got to replace him on the coin that he was on. I am not overly enthusiastic about K Sims, but he is certainly a decent bench prop to replace AhMau.

Remember when Willie Mason made fun of our props. We probably had one of the worst forward packs around that time. We now have one of the best.

Millward can only do so much, with the limited TPA's that our club has access too.

I will tell you all this. Millward isn't our problem, he is our solution.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

The doubt surrounding Dufty, inexperienced wingers, Widdop’s uncertain future, Norman’s unpredictability, JDB’s probable unavailability and a plodding hooker are all areas of concern.

The biggest issue is still McGregor.
A good technical coach would probably work miracles with our current roster in 2019.
Until that deficiency is addressed, recruitment is a secondary consideration.
I just looked at the Cowboys roster with no Thurston and they look awesome. As does Easts.
Then look at Souths, Melbourne, Brisbane and even Newcastle.
All have stronger rosters than 2018 and they all have better coaches than we do.
Saddle up for another middle of the table finish with McGregor in charge.

 

[ouryears]

As I pointed out in a recent post. Most of the teams who have won the comp in the last 9 years all had wingers who were on little money at the time. I am not in favor of spending big money on wingers. I am in favor of spending big money on quality halves and fullback, so I have no problem with Hunt and Widdop being on big money. Quality halves are also an important ingredient in winning a comp.

Our recruitment has been first rate under Millward, he has taken a side that was one of the favourites for the spoon to a team who I believe should make top 4 (as long as Debelin is playing). Millward has got in and signed Norman, even though Widdop will still be here next season. He got on the front foot there. Our cattle is much superior to what we had when Millward took over.

As for replacing AhMau, of the players who were off contract at the end of last season, who do you think that we should of or even could have got to replace him on the coin that he was on. I am not overly enthusiastic about K Sims, but he is certainly a decent bench prop to replace AhMau.

Remember when Willie Mason made fun of our props. We probably had one of the worst forward packs around that time. We now have one of the best.

Millward can only do so much, with the limited TPA's that our club has access too.

I will tell you all this. Millward isn't our problem, he is our solution.

One name
SEMI RADRADRA
As a winger he single handed got the Eels to be a winning team
Great wingers make a huge difference