Bryce Cartwright gone

[mxlegend99]

Cartwright and Moylan will both improve just as other creative types have after leaving Hook.

Corey Norman was a deadset joke under Hook. Hesnow a legitimate Origin contender.
Ben Barba was fat. Slow. Uncreative under Hook. Flanagan turned him back into his old self.
Te Marie Martin was average under Hook. But no moreso than anyone else. Not even 6 months after this reserve grader leaves hes in a grand final.
Ben Hunt took about 4 seasons to become NRL quality under him.

How many creative x-factor types have been remotely consistent for any length of time under Hook? Moylan and Cartwright are probably two of the more consistent ones.

Hook just doesnt get the best out of players. They respond to good coaches and game plans.

 

[age.s]

Utterly dire. A team in our position is always going to lose players but Cartwright could be one of the best players of this generation, if not better. Really feel like we'll regret this one in a way we haven't any other, including Graham, Lewis etc. There better have been a bloody good reason.

All the best to Bryce. Hope he can put his personal problems behind him and reach his potential against anyone but us.

 

[Eion]

You’re not going to miss his diabolical defence to be fair

 

[Fangs]

You’re not going to miss his diabolical defence to be fair

Maloney will cover that. Will feel like nothing has changed.

 

[CCJohnC]

Some good points made in The Sunday Telegraph today.

 

[Kilkenny]

There will always be the occasional flashes of brilliance with Bryce but at the end of the day he will always have issues in defence and he simply lacks the intensity and mongrel to be a really great player.

 

[mxlegend99]

The real question is if we plan to sign anyone to replace him. A backup half or centre/winger would be nice. Or a decent front rower.

Or are we just promoting another guy to replace him? I feel we need to balance our top 30 a bit.

 

[TheFrog]

Hook just doesnt get the best out of players.

Two years from two making the last six says otherwise.

 

[TheFrog]

We are a joke, Gould’s fat ego is out of control. Brennan was the perfect f**king fit for us the players love him and he already knows how to get the best out of most of them. S

So why are the Titans, along with Ivan's Tigers, favourites for the spoon?

They had the chance to appoint Brennan a couple of years back, but went with Griffin. Griffin makes the finals two years running with a rookie side, winning finals matches both years for the first time since 2004 (and we were a bit fortunate then as well). Penrith is finally a feared opponent in the NRL. You really think they are going to boot him?

Edit: Ivan jagged that win over the Roosters. My bad. Point still stands though.

 

[mxlegend99]

Two years from two making the last six says otherwise.

You say that like its not possible to have finished higher on the ladder or gone further in the finals.

The players form under him says he cant get the best out of them. Especially x-factor players and playmakers.

In 12 months we should have a good idea. We'll see whether the likesof Moylan, Carty snd Latu improve or not.

 

[pantherpuddy]

The real question is if we plan to sign anyone to replace him. A backup half or centre/winger would be nice. Or a decent front rower.

Or are we just promoting another guy to replace him? I feel we need to balance our top 30 a bit.

Hopefully we use some of this money to bring in another backline player and use the rest to keep mansour, cleary etc. If this doesnt happen then it was a stupid decision to let him go. Penrith have to look after Penrith and stop doing what is right for everyone else

 

[mxlegend99]

So why are the Titans, along with Ivan's Tigers, favourites for the spoon?

They had the chance to appoint Brennan a couple of years back, but went with Griffin. Griffin makes the finals two years running with a rookie side, winning finals matches both years for the first time since 2004 (and we were a bit fortunate then as well). Penrith is finally a feared opponent in the NRL. You really think they are going to boot him?

Why were we favorites for the premiership last year? We didnt go close.

Not top 4 team fears us. Especially with our 2 most dangerous players of the past 4 years gone.

 

[TheFrog]

You say that like its not possible to have finished higher on the ladder or gone further in the finals.

No-one else has come in and made the finals in consecutive years since Gould, and he inherited an already successful side. Grfiffin inherited a side whose previous match was the Spoonbowl.

 

[Eion]

Maloney will cover that. Will feel like nothing has changed.

That’s true, but Maloney is a different type of bad. His missed tackles are usually not too bad, as he rushes up and makes decent contact. He gets bumped off but usually slows them enough to let someone else get them. Unfortunately most of that contact was around the chops in 2017, and if he managed to tackle someone he just lay all over them.

Old carty is either the worst reader or greatest shirker in defence I’ve ever seen. Not sure which...

 

[Mr Angry]

Well I think Bryce will excel under Brennan so much so he make the NSW team this season.

Another nail in Griffins coffin, wonder what the last will be.

 

[mxlegend99]

No-one else has come in and made the finals in consecutive years since Gould, and he inherited an already successful side. Grfiffin inherited a side whose previous match was the Spoonbowl.

You mean the team missing Moylan, Wallace, Idris, Whare, Soward, DWZ etc. For huge chunks of the season? Trying to manage injuries to players that were never fully fit? That was gross incompetencd by our medical staff that year.

That season was great for Griffin though. It gave so many of the depth players he inherited alot of experience aswell.he inherited a side that was top 4 in 2014 and gave a lot of experience to guys in 2015.

2016 was arguably the strongest top 17 and depth the club has ever had in its history. Although to be fair Brennan has to get a lot of the credit for developing our depth.

 

[mxlegend99]

Well I think Bryce will excel under Brennan so much so he make the NSW team this season.

Another nail in Griffins coffin, wonder what the last will be.

Theres no limit to how many nails go in his coffin. Gus has gone all in on Hook and 3 wooden spoons and losing every player we develop wont change that.

Hook is safe aslong as Gus is.

 

[mxlegend99]

You’re not going to miss his diabolical defence to be fair

His defence certainly isnt as good as the Gus groupies.

Releases 30% of his top 25 squad early in 2017. Signs one top 25 quality player. His groupies are still talking it up like its a good thing.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Well I think Bryce will excel under Brennan so much so he make the NSW team this season.

I would bet good money this doesn't happen. Cartwright's stock has fallen so far that half a season will not be enough to put him in consideration.

 

[mxlegend99]

I would bet good money this doesn't happen. Cartwright's stock has fallen so far that half a season will not be enough to put him in consideration.

He will be an Origin player and possibly Australian rep. Like Wade Graham has been. But like him it won't come immediately.

He was knocking on the door in 2016. Some poor defence at 6 put a question mark next to his name. And a season of injury and off field drama dropped him down the list.

Fittler rates him though. He coached him for City. Hes an outside chance for 2018. But i think 2019 is more realistic. Especially whrn Fittler will not want to make a lot of changes in his first year. Least of all any controversial ones.