We've watched and we've lamented a very familiar kind of feebleness in our team after the last two years under a new coach.
There's been the usual suspects that have worked against us achieving success; a soft forward pack, disjointed halves combos lacking killer instinct and execution, pure sadness from dummy half and deeply rooted troubles with mental and physical stamina particularly in defence.
Add to this a horrendous suspension record and a hefty dose of injuries and what at times looks like a sheer didconnect between coach and players, and its actually quite amazing we havent picked up the spoon yet.
So for 2023...
Inexplicably, we have done very little on the player market to sign elite players particularly in the forwards who could radically turn our fortunes around. There were a myriad of props, hookers and second rowers on offer and we ignored this or purely fell flat in our attempts to attract one. I expect Murdoch-Masila to go hard and we should be loading expectations on Lawrie and Molo to lift to a new level in 23 - not sure if this is possible to be frank from what I've seen from either of them. They ain't of Bailey/Weyman/Ryles calibre.
If you think of all our junior prospects after the last handful of years...well truth is it has been perhaps our biggest disappointment. I'd probably say Matt Feagai has been the one who has lived up to his potential and yet he is hardly a damaging player albeit a solid and dependable first grader. His brother, along with Ramsey and Sullivan have been in and out with bad injuries. Amone was just starting to hit his strides alongside Hunt and now his career looks done. Sloan up unto this point is a brilliant attacking weapon with a woeful defensive read of the game and it just seems like a Dufty situation all over again. All eyes on him now. Let's see what our coaching team have done here.
You can go as far back of Lomax when thinking juniors - loaded with potential but yet to play for the Blues because he is yet to rise to a consistent elite level and looks more like a one trick pony now than ever. Doesn't look like he has a coach when he plays.
The junior forwards just haven't taken their chances in first grade plain and simple. Not sure this on the coaching staff or they are just duds but when we can't buy them and we can't develop them, we get left with the Woods and Musgroves of the world.
We will finish between 11th and 17th mostly dependent on how bad teams like Knights, Warriors, Titans and Dolphins go. We may be able do an early drive as we do most seasons but the cream always rises. Perhaps if Liddle can find some of his very early career form and Sullivan and Sloan are able to inject some attack which compliments Hunt's game we might be able to push towards a spot just shy of the 8. Hardly exciting is it guys.
My prediction: 15th
