And now are you glad we have signed Ben Hunt ?

[Seoul Dragon]

Been saying that for months!
I cant see us getting anywhere above 8th. 7th if we are just crazy lucky with injuries and coming up against teams who've sustained heavy injuries. And that's well below par with our squad, yet it will be enough for McMoron to beat his chest and claim success.

Think this is on the mark and above is a bonus.

The player imports, however good, are not automatic panaceas, other clubs are on the rise and of course we need to deal with coaching deficiencies.

7th to 8th looks abt right...

 

[Alec's-saints]

Been saying that for months!
I cant see us getting anywhere above 8th. 7th if we are just crazy lucky with injuries and coming up against teams who've sustained heavy injuries. And that's well below par with our squad, yet it will be enough for McMoron to beat his chest and claim success.

we finished 9th last year with mcrone at 7. we have upgraded on that position and signed hunt, we also signed a international front rower in Graham. im pretty sure we will make the finals. even if

Think this is on the mark and above is a bonus.

The player imports, however good, are not automatic panaceas, other clubs are on the rise and of course we need to deal with coaching deficiencies.

7th to 8th looks abt right...

I'm pretty sure hunt is an upgrade on mcrone. im also pretty sure that Graham is an upgrade on packer.

 

[Seoul Dragon]

we finished 9th last year with mcrone at 7. we have upgraded on that position and signed hunt, we also signed a international front rower in Graham. im pretty sure we will make the finals. even if

I'm pretty sure hunt is an upgrade on mcrone. im also pretty sure that Graham is an upgrade on packer.

They certainly are ~ no question about that.

I think the point is whether they alone can counter internal and external factors and produce a result better than 7-8th?

 

[Crush]

Been saying that for months!
I cant see us getting anywhere above 8th. 7th if we are just crazy lucky with injuries and coming up against teams who've sustained heavy injuries. And that's well below par with our squad, yet it will be enough for McMoron to beat his chest and claim success.

Thats a concern that you think that because you seem like someone that knows a hell of a lot about the technical aspects of the game.
For me it seems like a lot of our woes of the past few years have come from shocking halves. The amount of times I have thought if we only had a good set of halves we would be right. Benji and Widdop were horrible. Widdops form that year was terrible. Last year Widdop lifted but the halfback(s) were second rate at best.
So I guess my question is this. How much of a difference can a quality halfback really make given we are hamstrung by a lack of coaching direction? I kind of feel like Hunt can make all the difference and that it will all click into place.
If Dufty can add some real speed and hit the ball at pace in attacking set plays I think we might just do a bit better than the 7-9 which most are predicting here. Maybe even a lot better.

 

[Overseas dragon]

Thats a concern that you think that because you seem like someone that knows a hell of a lot about the technical aspects of the game.
For me it seems like a lot of our woes of the past few years have come from shocking halves. The amount of times I have thought if we only had a good set of halves we would be right. Benji and Widdop were horrible. Widdops form that year was terrible. Last year Widdop lifted but the halfback(s) were second rate at best.
So I guess my question is this. How much of a difference can a quality halfback really make given we are hamstrung by a lack of coaching direction? I kind of feel like Hunt can make all the difference and that it will all click into place.
If Dufty can add some real speed and hit the ball at pace in attacking set plays I think we might just do a bit better than the 7-9 which most are predicting here. Maybe even a lot better.

As long as the halfback does not and I say not follow the coaches instructions too closely .that is play what he sees in front of him ......like a freakish kick to a flying winger.we will go very well 5/6 my prediction

 

[possm]

Wouldn't it be great if the Board was compelled to read this forum each day. Surely Mary would be gone by now!

 

[Brutalitops]

Wouldn't it be great if the Board was compelled to read this forum each day. Surely Mary would be gone by now!

For every good idea that this forum has (sack Mary) it has about 10 bad ones poorly thought through (don't sign Graham, don't sign McInnes, sack Widdop)

 

[possm]

For every good idea that this forum has (sack Mary) it has about 10 bad ones poorly thought through (don't sign Graham, don't sign McInnes, sack Widdop)

At least they will be exposed to both sides of the story. In the past I'm sure they only go on what Doust tells tem.

 

[BennyV]

we finished 9th last year with mcrone at 7. we have upgraded on that position and signed hunt, we also signed a international front rower in Graham. im pretty sure we will make the finals. even if

I'm pretty sure hunt is an upgrade on mcrone. im also pretty sure that Graham is an upgrade on packer.

It’s not that simple. At the end of last year, our exciting power game was predictable, boring and easily combatted. Has Mary really come up with a Plan B in the last few months, considering the luxury he has in pinning it all on Hunt? We also had a dream run with playing teams during origin or with injured players that helped us along.

Consider also that many opposition squads have improved, some significantly. Teams around us have all increased firepower and there’s a bit of promise in some rookie coaches with fresh squads. Under Mary, we’ve never been the masters of our own destiny, we are always relying on opposition results and they all look like lifting.

Cast your mind back to pre-2016 - we’d just made our first finals campaign in 4 years and bowed out in a tough match against the Dogs, wed seemingly bought a number of depth players (because depth was all that killed us in 2015, remember?) and were all primed to use that result as a springboard into a huge 2016.

We know how that ended up.

We may go better than last year, but not by much.

 

[possm]

It’s not that simple. At the end of last year, our exciting power game was predictable, boring and easily combatted. Has Mary really come up with a Plan B in the last few months, considering the luxury he has in pinning it all on Hunt? We also had a dream run with playing teams during origin or with injured players that helped us along.

Consider also that many opposition squads have improved, some significantly. Teams around us have all increased firepower and there’s a bit of promise in some rookie coaches with fresh squads. Under Mary, we’ve never been the masters of our own destiny, we are always relying on opposition results and they all look like lifting.

Cast your mind back to pre-2016 - we’d just made our first finals campaign in 4 years and bowed out in a tough match against the Dogs, wed seemingly bought a number of depth players (because depth was all that killed us in 2015, remember?) and were all primed to use that result as a springboard into a huge 2016.

We know how that ended up.

We may go better than last year, but not by much.

And is there more to this plan than simply giving the ball to Hunt at first receiver and leaving it to him to do his magic. For that plan you don't need a coaching staff.

I'm concerned with the potential of Hunt being targeted and bashed to the extent that he may suffer long term injury. I mean why can't he be first receiver on certain plays and be say second receiver on others. If the opposition uses a compressed defensive pattern to combat our forward strength, why don't we do what the likes of the Eels, Storm and others did to us last season - spread the ball quick and wide to catch them out on the edges - oh yea, you need outside backs with speed and agility to do that.

 

[ouryear]

For every good idea that this forum has (sack Mary) it has about 10 bad ones poorly thought through (don't sign Graham, don't sign McInnes, sack Widdop)

The sack widdop one was OK.
Let's see now he has Hunt.
Time to perform Mr W

 

[ouryear]

I would love to know what went through Benny Hunts mind after week 1 training when he realized in horror that he had no Jimmy the Jet anywhere outside him.

If Sims was in our back line, he would be our quickest back, shittt!!

Dufty aside.

 

[Alec's-saints]

The sack widdop one was OK.
Let's see now he has Hunt.
Time to perform Mr W

time to perform? did you even see him play last year? five eight of the year second in the dally m. shit year i reckon

 

[ouryear]

time to perform? did you even see him play last year? five eight of the year second in the dally m. shit year i reckon

He went OK for first half of season. Fell away badly after that. Kicking game abysmal, still won't take on the line.

You do realise Sharon Woods won Prop of the year?!

So you think Dally M is right?

I am hoping W can go to the next level, this year is his make or break.

He also needs to show more passion and inspire his troops.

Ohhhh.... We have James Graham now

 

[Alec's-saints]

He went OK for first half of season. Fell away badly after that. Kicking game abysmal, still won't take on the line.

You do realise Sharon Woods won Prop of the year?!

So you think Dally M is right?

I am hoping W can go to the next level, this year is his make or break.

He also needs to show more passion and inspire his troops.

Ohhhh.... We have James Graham now

best player in the comp until Anzac day. who wouldn't lose confidents after doing your acl

 

[ouryear]

best player in the comp until Anzac day. who wouldn't lose confidents after doing your acl

It wasn't a full on ACL, out for the year if that was the case.

I guess we all have our own estimation of how we think our key players perform.

Probably a 6 from me. Needs to step up in many ways.

 

[LINESPEED]

I would love to know what went through Benny Hunts mind after week 1 training when he realized in horror that he had no Jimmy the Jet anywhere outside him.

If Sims was in our back line, he would be our quickest back, shittt!!

Dufty aside.

With a bit of coaching dexterity & testicular fortitude (after Hell freezes over) he'll have Field - who is even quicker than Jimmy
Every team needs an Xfactor length of the field specialist. And Field was just that in 2017.
Best of luck Jai - hang in there!

 

[Alec's-saints]

I would love to know what went through Benny Hunts mind after week 1 training when he realized in horror that he had no Jimmy the Jet anywhere outside him.

If Sims was in our back line, he would be our quickest back, shittt!!

Dufty aside.

look at the Broncos soft pack of forwards compared to ours, benny H about to have some fun

 

[dragonssamy61]

We need all our experience players to play at there best.
But we also need some of young guy to play out of there skin.
I mean dufty, host and luc.
As will as fringe player like.
Herbert , garrick, lomax and field ect need to be playing out of there skins.
Which will put pressure on all the first 17 and if someone is not playing well.
We have ready made replacements.
I think that we sould be aiming for a top 6 finish.
Anything less is a failure.

 

[Gippsy]

That's the thing. Last year we were widely tipped for bottom 2 or 3. We overachieved and the Board overreacted and extended Mcgregor. Well, this year we are widely tipped for around 6th-8th. The same principle as last year should again apply, if we don't finish at least 6th McGregor should be shown the door.