Barry Dick's 2007 Predicitions (Courier Mail)

[Godz Illa]

You said they were ordinary, and have changed it to 'not a champion team'. You've got the mortgage on hair-splitting.
Stranger is a Newcastle fan - he is as objective as you are. Moreso I'd suggest, considering your endearing penchant for bagging Saints.
Yes the Dragons lost that game, but for a blatant shepherd try to Sheriwn and a shocking touch judge oversight when El Masri deliberately knocked a ball down, the Dragons would have won. Hypothetically, with these decisions reversed, would your judgement of Gasnier's performance be any kinder? No, and nor should it. Gasnier was outstanding - the result was immaterial. Maybe you should try watching Gasnier with the same amorous eye that observes Inglis.

 

[Stranger]

Ordinary side - Not a champiopn team. Same thing in my books...are you a lawyer, perchance?...Trying to split hairs like that?! :lol:

Choke, choke and....choke. Individually - St. George has been well above average for a while now - but as a TEAM - they have underperformed dismally. An ordinary 'team' - do you note the difference between individual players - and a team?

Now you are condradicting urself.

Originally Posted by B.A. Baracus
St. George are an ordinary football side

Splitting no hairs. Its there in plain sight for all to see.

Yes. He does. Gaz has a mean offload - but - on evidence presented so far - is not a playmaking passer with tremendous vision. This can be learned - bt takes time. A LOT of time. More time than, I suspect, Gaz has to get it absolutely right here.

The same could be said for inglis. Don't forget that.

Then you do it. Have you played Rugby League? Have you been a kicker for a team? I have. And I've coached - and continue to coach it. And I can guarantee you it is no walk in the park. You have to be thinking at all times about the kick. Watching the fullback & wingers constantly & thinking where you're going to put it when the time comes - Whether to maybe slip one in early if the opportunity arises - IF you get the angles on the kick that you want - if someone closes your angles down you have to readjust and re-evealuate - FAST! Specially when there are 100kg forwards bearing down on you. Even if you DO get a clean kick away - you're likely to get towelled up by the chaser's ANYway!....It's an almost thankless job.

Ohhh cut the sh*t. The skill is kicking, most of what you labeled comes with the vision that many halves just don't have. Anybody can put the kicks down field. Didnt Gee kick a 40/20 for the Broncos? Nobody is expecting a Johns style kicking game, but he is a 5/8, you leave the touchy kicks for Head. Obviously not as good of a coach as you would like to think. Gaz will have a Kiddley style kicking game. Put in the occasional down field kick and role the ball into the ingoal for the drop kick. Not as difficult as you would have everyone believe.

All you Saints fan can say what you ike - but you're quite frankly clearly biased. I am objective - And the only facts I need to see are that on skills already present - Inglis has Gasnier covered. So far. I am told by people who should know - that he was a kicker all through his junior years - and a goalkicker - and has a monster boot & a generally fabulous kicking game that has not been unleashed onto the NRL yet - simply because it hasn't needed to be. This will change. Watch & see...

All us saints fan's? Im a saints fan am i?:? And unless you can provide a source to the 'people that should know' its irrivilant. Much like 'a mates mates dad'...

I am not basing any of this on one game - what an absurd notion - whoever said that is clearly not paying attention here - as I already said - that game just made me sit up and take NOTICE. And I watched him very closely whenever possible after that. I have seen a lot of Greg Inglis. Probably more than most non melbourne fans I'd wager!

Well arent you quite the RL fan. Want a medal or a yogi bear hat?

quote=B.A. Baracus]As for the Saints Dogs game to which you refer - who won that game? Gasnier scored 2 sizzling tries - but he can do that from the bloody centres FFS! When the game was there to be won for Saints - GAsnier was not there running the show & slipping defence splitting passes, or rolling the ball over the line, or kicking the ball into gaps to give his side field position & a breather when they need it.
[/quote] The whole role of the 5/8 is changing. The more ball Gaz will get in the 5/8 position can only benifit the dragons IMO. He scored 2 tries in the 5-10 touches? Not a bad effort. He has better attacking ability than inglis IMO, so why can inglis do so much better than Gaz? Ohhh wait... he can kick? I forgot that bit...:sarcasm:

You think because he's such a great centre, this all will just automatically transfer over to his new position - and new responsibilities? Then I say think again....

But you believe inglis can?:crazy:

 

[legend]

Just on the Raiders. They have at least two forward packs with NRL experience and while the backs are light on, they won't go nearly as bad as everyone makes out.

Weyman
Thompson
Logan
Learoyd-Lahrs
Tongue
Bickerstaff
Costigan
Withers
Miller
Thurling
Lomu
Turner
Tilse
Rothery
Raston
Jones
Williams

All players have played first grade and that's 17 forwards alone. No other NRL team has as many forwards with first grade experience.

I'm not suggesting Canberra will win the comp, but I'll bet my bottom dollar they are very close to the eight if not in the eight come the finals.

The guy I want to see excel is Brett Kelly from the Sharks. I looked up his stats and he scored 13 tries in 13 premier league games last year which tells me he has a fair bit of talent. I hope he forces his way into the centres during the trials because he seems to have a lot of potential.

 

[Shorty]

Charlie, Im just trying to be a bit more "realistic" Im shocked that people think we are basically going to finish with all but the minor premiership this season. I just think if Cowboys fans go into the season expecting that sort of form, we are only going to be dissapointed.

Our front row depth is poor also, Sargent was a bigger loss than people make out, and lets not forget (Ian M assistant coaching or not) our head coach is going to have his mind off the job again for 6 to 8 weeks in the middle of the season.

As for those young kids we recruited (Karl Johnson etc.) they look the goods but you cant expect them to perform at NRL level this season, you have to give them at least 2 seasons before that could be reasonable.

In the end Id rather people pick us for the spoon, so we have something to improve on rather than basically pick us to the be the best team in the comp other than Melbourne. (which we can only fail to live up to).

I find that really insulting actually,man we had people picking us for the spoon for the first 5 years,for good reason.
I don't want to go back there I want people to think we can achieve and hopefully we can...but if we can't that year? So what we wouldn't be the first team to.
Have some faith.
As far as the article goes....2nd is big,I'd be happy for us to finish in top 8.
We've lost some good players but hey we've got some good recruits,I'm a little nervous about the kiwi(sorry can't spell or remember his name) but Smith is going to be awesome with Thurston.
And how great were we doing at the beginning of last year?
Let's try it this time with a trainer that won't have our players bedridden with burnout.

 

[Godz Illa]

An argument is floundering when this chestnut appears:

I am told by people who should know - that he was a kicker all through his junior years - and a goalkicker - and has a monster boot & a generally fabulous kicking game that has not been unleashed onto the NRL yet - simply because it hasn't needed to be. This will change. Watch & see...

Good old unnamed sources. The predictable retort is: I've heard the same thing about Gasnier. What a co-incidence! He did a bunch of kicking in his junior years too. Bit rusty lately due to all the time he's spent out there in the centres, you know, plus the Dragons have had a few kick-happy halves over the years. But with a bit of polish it should all work ok. Not quite the earth-shattering cataclysm Inglis will produce but respectable. Watch and see...

 

[B.A. Baracus]

An argument is floundering when this chestnut appears:

Good old unnamed sources. The predictable retort is: I've heard the same thing about Gasnier. What a co-incidence! He did a bunch of kicking in his junior years too. Bit rusty lately due to all the time he's spent out there in the centres, you know, plus the Dragons have had a few kick-happy halves over the years. But with a bit of polish it should all work ok. Not quite the earth-shattering cataclysm Inglis will produce but respectable. Watch and see...

Mate, I played footy at various levels of competitiveness from the time I was 6 up until my son was born & I then simply did not have the time to coach AND play any more. I started coaching kids at the Earlwood Saints in 1997 - who play in the St. George district competition - then switched & have been coaching various junior sides at the Berala Bears JRLFC in the Canterbury District comp since 2001. And in that time I have I lived, eaten and breathed Rugby League - Pretty much all weekend, every weekend was either spent organising myself, or a bunch of kids to play footy. In that time - you tend to get around. And you tend to talk to one or 2 people about 1 or 2 things along the way - you meet people who know things. And if you're smart - you listen to them. If I tell you that a fellow called - well, let's call him Johnny fartpants, because his name is completely irrelevant here - told me this - and that Johnny Fartpants has spent time coaching aboriginal footballers in special clinics around NSW and QLD and even Perth, Darwin & Victoria at various stages down the years - and has had contact with Inglis in this regard - is that going to make you believe me any more? No. So you either take me at my word - or you don't. There is nothing I can possibly do to change this. Besides the fact that it is of absolutely zero significance to me if you believe this or not. Just bear that in mind...

As for Stranger - he appears to be slipping deeper & deeper into incoherence and righteous indignance there....and I thought this was a discussion board I had joined - not some juvenille shoutbox - Discussions I am interested in - arguments I am not. So all I have to add to you is: I'll take the Yogi Bear hat please. Might entertain my 18 month old and make him stop screaming for a @^$*$ few minutes!!!

I've had about enough of this topic anyway - at the end of the day I don't really care if Gasnier succeeds or flops on his backside in 2007. I 'hope' he DOES succeed though, simply because I have no reason to wish ill of the bloke. But if he doesn't then it's no skin off my nose. Same if Inglis fails - I'd love to see the bloke thrive - but if he doesn't - then so what?

But I see what I see - and I've said everything I need to above. Let's just agree to disagree.

 

[Stranger]

Nobody really cares about your background in RL. Alot of us have played at some stage, coached at some stage and reffed at some stage. Some have done all 3, its irrelevant. To say 'a mate told me' in a discussion proves absolutely nothing. Rebbecca Wilson told me Wes was seen in a night club. What credibility does that have?
Aslong as you post there is going to be someone to argue against you. Opinions are like assholes...

 

[B.A. Baracus]

Nobody really cares about your background in RL. Alot of us have played at some stage, coached at some stage and reffed at some stage. Some have done all 3, its irrelevant. To say 'a mate told me' in a discussion proves absolutely nothing. Rebbecca Wilson told me Wes was seen in a night club. What credibility does that have?

Exactly. Which is why I didn't put all that sh&t in any of my first posts. But THEN - there'll always be someone to go "Oh what would you know, who the hell are you?" if you DON'T!...Which happened here! It's Catch 22.

Oh, but if you mention Rebecca Wilson in the same breath as me again - I WILL have to hunt you down & kill you!!! :lol:

Aslong as you post there is going to be someone to argue against you. Opinions are like assholes...

Yeah well I'm only new here - won't take me long to get a feel foor the place though - and I know how to avoid situations I don't want to be in!

So take care - and good luck to whatever team it is that you DO support! I did find this discussion at least interesting in the main, as I hope you did! I enjoy a spirited debate as much as anyone else from time to time! But this one's run it's course now I think & so I am now moving on to a more interesting topic to me!

Cheers ;-)

 

[innsaneink]

An argument is floundering when this chestnut appears:

Good old unnamed sources. The predictable retort is: I've heard the same thing about Gasnier. What a co-incidence! He did a bunch of kicking in his junior years too. Bit rusty lately due to all the time he's spent out there in the centres, you know, plus the Dragons have had a few kick-happy halves over the years. But with a bit of polish it should all work ok. Not quite the earth-shattering cataclysm Inglis will produce but respectable. Watch and see...

Same as when a departure is announced.

 

[icewind]

Opinions are like assholes...

as in they're usually full of sh*t?

 

[Charlie124]

everybody has one

 

[sydraider]

The raiders of the last few years at least, are a shining example of how those in the league media, dont to their homework and know f**k all.

Yes we will get the spoon :d

 

[innsaneink]

The raiders of the last few years at least, are a shining example of how those in the league media, dont to their homework and know f**k all.

Yes we will get the spoon

I suggest you look up the meaning of ''prediction''.

 

[fatshark]

3-NQC - I think with Smith and Faumina into that side great forwards and backs are dangerous esp outside those halves and have built good depth

hmmm...drugs are bad.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I am going to say this

Positions finished this year esp in the minor premiership will come down to 1 thing injuries
and depth, but as very few clubs have depth (very few would have a 25 man squad with first grade experience prob only tigers, souths and mayby 1 or 2 others and for souths that is because they were so crap everyone got a run at one stage or another

So Here is my predictions for sides in 07 with some reason around it

Dark Horse despite my tips - Raiders (just cause they do) and Eels - finch to make a big difference


1- Melbourne Storm - Great top side and forward depth, backs could be a worry if injuries (Inglis won't play much 5/8 - Aitken or M Geyer to be 5/8)
2- Bulldogs - great depth built over last couple of years esp in the pack, halves are thier only worry but has been that way for yrs and doesent seem to matter
3-NQC - I think with Smith and Faumina into that side great forwards and backs are dangerous esp outside those halves and have built good depth
4- Tigers - Marshall injury biggest worry but will cope otherwse and have great depth of young players who tasted first grade in last couple of yrs
5- Broncos - Getting older depth not great
6- Manly - good top side will struggle early without BK and backs lite on for depth
7 - Nights - EVERYTHING depends on Joey again but backs ok, front row solid - B Smith best signing at any club for the nights
8- Eels - Finch will have a great season leading the side but depth in the backs and forward quality is down - injury to hindmarsh and t smith still iffy biggest wories plus M Hagan is a crap coach but will sneak into finals on talent alone
9- Penrith - Matt Elliott will do great things but will just not have the class if gower is injured will struggle
10-StGeorge - lots of big losses and will take a year for Gas to gell in halves and have a lot of injury prone players
11- Roosters - Halves arent up to it imo backs are rusty and returning from injury and beattie and nutley back from SL a worry
12-Souths -will improve but cant go from spoon to top 8
13- Titans - first year solid but outside backs a worry without Carney and Turner big losses
14-NZ Warriors - wiki and price getting older and not much to back them up consistency allways an issue
15- Sharks ricky is crap and halves problem and lack of depth will effect
16- Canberra - with the experience they have lost just won't hold up over 26 weeks but will be a much better team in 08

Lack of Depth in the backs & forwards? stop reading the gains & losses section out of the Tele. Parra actually have significant depth this year, you do realise we have won the last 2 reserve Gf's.....pretty much says we have the depth, but the players haven't been given a chance. Plus add Fa'osso, Lowrie, Finch, lett, I Hindmarsh plus the anticipation of seeign young guns Inu, Mateo, Tai, Cordoba, Green, Haurauki etc play this years means it's actually very exciting times for Parra.

How is Hagan a crap coach? how did Bennett go without Lockyer? the years Newcastle struggled were the years A Johns was missing. No t to mention that Newcastle didn't buy many players in his time due to the retention of Johns, Burderus, Simpson, Kennedy who took up a very significant amount of Newcastles salary cap, combine that Police boys club trainign facilities i think he did alright.

Backs

1. Burt/Hayne/Reddy
2. Burt/Hayne/Lett/Inu/Reddy
3. Smith/Inu
4. Tahu/Inu
5. Grothe/Inu /Lett/Reddy
6. Finch/Green
7. T Smith/Green

Forwards

8. Fui
9. Riddell
10. Cayless
11. Hindmarsh
12. Cannings
13. Mateo

14. I Hindmarsh
15. C Robinson
16. Cordoba
17. Wagon
18. Fa'osso
19. Lowrie
20. Tai
21. W Hauriki
22. PJ Marsh
23. Oake


I also have to laugh at your thoughts on Canteburys depth. What depth? they have a brillant 17, but Canteburys problem is depth due to the likes of retaining Mason, SBW etc that they are very skinny in this department. Cantebury got lucky last year, remember in 2005 when they did have inuries? where did they finish? only worse this year is that Myles and asotasi are gone.......Hickey? lol

 

[skeepe]

What I've noticed in all the predictions I've read is that NOBODY has a f**king clue about the depth of any teams but their own... and that includes many of the so-called experts.

Take Parramatta, and Ron Jeremy's example above. He sites players like Inu, Lett, Green, Fa'osso, Tai, Hauriki and Oake as examples of great depth, and perhaps they may be but I've never heard of them and I doubt many outside Parra fans or dedicated students of the lower grades would have either, much less know how they stack up
against other players that nobody knows much about. Case in point: RJ's disdain for Jarred Hickey, a player who IMHO has a huge future ahead of him.

If you define depth as players who have first grade experience then Canberra may well have the most depth in the competition as basically their entire first grade and Premier League teams will have said experience... but I don't see anyone talking up their depth, and nor would they because they simply don't know that much about the players.

 

[Shorty]

hmmm...drugs are bad.

Says someone who I assume supports Cronulla:lol:

 

[Snoz]

What I've noticed in all the predictions I've read is that NOBODY has a f**king clue about the depth of any teams but their own... and that includes many of the so-called experts.

Take Parramatta, and Ron Jeremy's example above. He sites players like Inu, Lett, Green, Fa'osso, Tai, Hauriki and Oake as examples of great depth, and perhaps they may be but I've never heard of them and I doubt many outside Parra fans or dedicated students of the lower grades would have either, much less know how they stack up
against other players that nobody knows much about. Case in point: RJ's disdain for Jarred Hickey, a player who IMHO has a huge future ahead of him.

If you define depth as players who have first grade experience then Canberra may well have the most depth in the competition as basically their entire first grade and Premier League teams will have said experience... but I don't see anyone talking up their depth, and nor would they because they simply don't know that much about the players.

clubs that do well in the lower grades have depth

Premier league last year - Roosters played Parra

Parra knocked out Manly & think Roosters knocked out Saints.

I know a fair bit about Manly so I can say they have more depth this year than anytime since 1997. Si I expect them to go well in 2007.

But yeah agree - I have no idea about any other tame in the league and the level of depth they have except that the rich teams like Dogs, Parra, Easts & Dragons will always have it.

 

[Lowdown]

clubs that do well in the lower grades have depth

Storm had Norths (in QLD) and North Sydney - neither did anything special, yet the Storm had one of the deepest squads in the comp.

Success in lower leagues does not guarantee depth - its more about having good players in lower grades, capable of playing in the NRL. There is a big difference between playing good in the lower grades and playing well in the a-grade.

 

[Hutty1986]

Mate, I played footy at various levels of competitiveness from the time I was 6 up until my son was born & I then simply did not have the time to coach AND play any more. I started coaching kids at the Earlwood Saints in 1997 - who play in the St. George district competition - then switched & have been coaching various junior sides at the Berala Bears JRLFC in the Canterbury District comp since 2001. And in that time I have I lived, eaten and breathed Rugby League - Pretty much all weekend, every weekend was either spent organising myself, or a bunch of kids to play footy. In that time - you tend to get around. And you tend to talk to one or 2 people about 1 or 2 things along the way - you meet people who know things. And if you're smart - you listen to them. If I tell you that a fellow called - well, let's call him Johnny fartpants, because his name is completely irrelevant here - told me this - and that Johnny Fartpants has spent time coaching aboriginal footballers in special clinics around NSW and QLD and even Perth, Darwin & Victoria at various stages down the years - and has had contact with Inglis in this regard - is that going to make you believe me any more? No. So you either take me at my word - or you don't. There is nothing I can possibly do to change this. Besides the fact that it is of absolutely zero significance to me if you believe this or not. Just bear that in mind...

As for Stranger - he appears to be slipping deeper & deeper into incoherence and righteous indignance there....and I thought this was a discussion board I had joined - not some juvenille shoutbox - Discussions I am interested in - arguments I am not. So all I have to add to you is: I'll take the Yogi Bear hat please. Might entertain my 18 month old and make him stop screaming for a @^$*$ few minutes!!!

I've had about enough of this topic anyway - at the end of the day I don't really care if Gasnier succeeds or flops on his backside in 2007. I 'hope' he DOES succeed though, simply because I have no reason to wish ill of the bloke. But if he doesn't then it's no skin off my nose. Same if Inglis fails - I'd love to see the bloke thrive - but if he doesn't - then so what?

But I see what I see - and I've said everything I need to above. Let's just agree to disagree.

LOL never have I seen such consistent rubbish from a "serious"poster :lol:

Go actually watch some football games you dumb f*ck