2021 season

[Fangs]

Brisbane are the richest club in the game bar none and yet people keep calling them "Have nots". The only thing they don't have is good management.

The Broncos should be highly embarrassed by theur roster management. They are capable of attracting the games best talent. Instead they have persisted with a sub-par spine and invested all their cash into young forwards.

 

[Fangs]

By next year it will still be Broncos vs Dogs for the Spoon, seems like Manly and Cowboys are sorting their respective downsides out already, Payten seems to be focusing on improving defence and roster, whilst not winning, and Des will want to replace his forward pack with some big units soon, as losing Curtis Sironen to a knee injury, releasing Addin Fanoua Blake to the warriors, and year B4 Joel Thompson to ESL and Shaun Lane to Pawwa. and to boot aswell =turbos hamstring is another huge blow, can't leave only Jurbo and Tapow as experienced forwards, they'll just owned every day of the week, with rookie forwards

Broncos yes. Bulldogs I can see some improvement as their 2022 signings have them looking less impotent in attack.

 

[MugaB]

Broncos yes. Bulldogs I can see some improvement as their 2022 signings have them looking less impotent in attack.

Still need a forward pack, you can have the best new shinny backs in the world, but their pack is still outmuscled, they need 2 more a Jimmy Tamou, and a Dale Finucane, then they might win a few games

 

[chrisD]

Start of the season has been particularly loaded with the very good against the very bad, it starts to calm down in that regard.

 

[Fangs]

Still need a forward pack, you can have the best new shinny backs in the world, but their pack is still outmuscled, they need 2 more a Jimmy Tamou, and a Dale Finucane, then they might win a few games

Just enough to take them off the spoon I think. They won't be making the 8.

 

[martielang]

I'm not a fan of the new rules. Its making changes for the sake of making changes. It's clearly having a negative effect on the overall quality of the league whether that's through injuries or the exposed division in quality, not sure how anyone can argue that it hasn't?

 

[MugaB]

I'm not a fan of the new rules. Its making changes for the sake of making changes. It's clearly having a negative effect on the overall quality of the league whether that's through injuries or the exposed division in quality, not sure how anyone can argue that it hasn't?

I can easily, its exposed the lack of good depth in the teams that never cared about depth players, and is favoring the sides that do, whilst also bringing in fatigue for the smaller damien cooks, kodi nikoroma, and tyrone peacheys of the game to take advantage of, look how fast we make metres when Api darts and catches slow defences, we benefit coz we have a top 17 of lean mobile forwards who can play in different roles, not slow one dimensional prop, lock and line running 2ndrow, thru block plays.
Those same teams struggling are the ones who haven't trained for the fast pace and lengthy full 80mins, the smart teams are getting the metre eater wingers, (souths=mansour) to lessen the forwards load, we already had To'o and Sauce last year.
Parra have 2 (Sivo&Picasso)
We got To'o and Edwards breaking tackles thru their return hit ups, and staines running back the same distance in speed without the tackle break.

 

[Pomoz]

I'm not a fan of the new rules. Its making changes for the sake of making changes. It's clearly having a negative effect on the overall quality of the league whether that's through injuries or the exposed division in quality, not sure how anyone can argue that it hasn't?

That's pretty easy. It's a tiny sample size and takes no other factors into account. In my view the lack of junior grade football last year has made a much bigger impact. Players have missed a year of development and stepping up to first grade is now even harder. For clubs trying to build new rosters like the Cowboys and Dogs, it has made it very difficult to be competitive.

 

[mxlegend99]

Honestly what amazes me is that we havent been that good aside from the Storm game yet managed to cruise to victory over the bottom sides. It would be one thing for these teams to be slaughtered by a red hot side in form..

But when we're just kind of warming up missing spine players and still beat those teams easily it's definitely cause for concern. When we start to click at full strength sides like Bulldogs and Sea Eagles would be lucky to be within 50 of us.

But honestly the rule changes just expose the poorly run and coached clubs more than anything. Less chance a shit team will get an upset now. But it makes for some absolute cracker matches between evenly ranked sides.

 

[WestyLife]

I'm not a fan of the new rules. Its making changes for the sake of making changes. It's clearly having a negative effect on the overall quality of the league whether that's through injuries or the exposed division in quality, not sure how anyone can argue that it hasn't?

It's making changes because the sport had issue with wrestling and giving penalties deliberately.

 

[snickers007]

I'm not a fan of the new rules. Its making changes for the sake of making changes. It's clearly having a negative effect on the overall quality of the league whether that's through injuries or the exposed division in quality, not sure how anyone can argue that it hasn't?

I think chrisD has nailed it:

Start of the season has been particularly loaded with the very good against the very bad, it starts to calm down in that regard.

Panthers for example have played teams 14, 15, 2 and 13 from 2020 to start the season.
Sea Eagles have played 4, 6, 12 and 1.

There are a couple of outliers - eg. the Broncos beating the Dogs 24-0 which was 16 vs 15.
But look at the games thus far that have pitted the good vs the good. Panthers v Storm, Eels v Storm, Raiders v Titans. They've all been cracking games.


I'm not sure the injury toll is any higher than any other season start to be honest.
We're on the back of a shorted off-season, meaning those that got surgery at the end of last season, still aren't ready to go.

Additionally, HIAs are more strictly enforced than ever - which is exacerbating the percieved injury crisis.

As usual, some teams are copping injuries worse than others - and that normally reflects the quality of facilities, medical staff, and general training and rehab practices employed. Panthers for example, have only used 19 players this season, and our only injuries at the moment are broken bones - which can happen in any tackle.

 

[MugaB]

It's making changes because the sport had issue with wrestling and giving penalties deliberately.

Yes This! and for the past decade, theres been calls for reducing the amount of interchanges to bring back the fatigue for the smaller zippy blokes, who would of thought the 6again, would have improved not only the game experience, but brought the fatigue back in too, along with only one ref and less confusion too, all wrapped up in one little rule.
The low end of the ladder are going to stay there for a while, only coz they can't match the speed,and endurance by the top tier, but they'll learn what they need to become competitive, just like most teams have copied others in style, id say the dogs will look at how the roosters, storm, or us even, use their roster, and not overcompensate in backs as they have for next year

 

[franklin2323]

I'm not a fan of the new rules. Its making changes for the sake of making changes. It's clearly having a negative effect on the overall quality of the league whether that's through injuries or the exposed division in quality, not sure how anyone can argue that it hasn't?

What results have changed as a result of the rules?

As for these rules too early to say but I am all for anything that tries to stop wrestling

 

[franklin2323]

I think chrisD has nailed it:




Panthers for example have played teams 14, 15, 2 and 13 from 2020 to start the season.
Sea Eagles have played 4, 6, 12 and 1.

There are a couple of outliers - eg. the Broncos beating the Dogs 24-0 which was 16 vs 15.
But look at the games thus far that have pitted the good vs the good. Panthers v Storm, Eels v Storm, Raiders v Titans. They've all been cracking games.


I'm not sure the injury toll is any higher than any other season start to be honest.
We're on the back of a shorted off-season, meaning those that got surgery at the end of last season, still aren't ready to go.

Additionally, HIAs are more strictly enforced than ever - which is exacerbating the percieved injury crisis.

As usual, some teams are copping injuries worse than others - and that normally reflects the quality of facilities, medical staff, and general training and rehab practices employed. Panthers for example, have only used 19 players this season, and our only injuries at the moment are broken bones - which can happen in any tackle.

I rated the WT and Newcastle. Dragons v Cows too..

Just need 2 teams evenly matched to get good games. That will happen more as the bad sides will meet now

 

[MugaB]

I rated the WT and Newcastle. Dragons v Cows too..

Just need 2 teams evenly matched to get good games. That will happen more as the bad sides will meet now

Looking at round 5, there looks like only 2 blowouts possibly "3", souths v bronx, Storm v Dogs and "Warriors v Manly"
The rest are evenly matched and could either be close or upsets, i mean I'm confident about the panthers by not by much.

And a key injury/s in Souths,Storm,Auckland
might see those games become close

 

[franklin2323]

Looking at round 5, there looks like only 2 blowouts possibly "3", souths v bronx, Storm v Dogs and "Warriors v Manly"
The rest are evenly matched and could either be close or upsets, i mean I'm confident about the panthers by not by much.

And a key injury/s in Souths,Storm,Auckland
might see those games become close

Round 6 looks even closer. Helps that Dogs play Cows

 

[Smug Panther]

I'm not a fan of the new rules. Its making changes for the sake of making changes. It's clearly having a negative effect on the overall quality of the league whether that's through injuries or the exposed division in quality, not sure how anyone can argue that it hasn't?

The product is miles better

 

[MugaB]

Round 6 looks even closer. Helps that Dogs play Cows

Thats a possible blowout for the cows,

And one definitely for the panthers
So round 6 =1.5 blowout
And as mentioned before
Round 5 =2.5 blowout

Round 7= 4.5 blowout, panthers, eels, storm, raiders, and a half possible for sharks... another media frenzy acomin

 

[franklin2323]

Thats a possible blowout for the cows,

And one definitely for the panthers
So round 6 =1.5 blowout
And as mentioned before
Round 5 =2.5 blowout

Round 7= 4.5 blowout, panthers, eels, storm, raiders, and a half possible for sharks... another media frenzy acomin

Yes but Tom Turbo back should improve Manly. The problem will be the Knights injuries will blow them out

 

[betcats]

The old rules had has us headed towards the NFL. Constant set plays and for most positions size strength and athletic ability were far more important than skill and vision.