Confirmed Gains and Losses for 2005.

[The Colonel]

A lot of turnover for Parra.

Do you realistically see your team gelling and being a Top 5-8 next year? Or taking a year to sort out new combinations and ironing out the bugs so to speak?

Nothing unusual for the past few seasons. The squad should realistically be a top 8 contender. The season will start slowly however the main few players we have bought are experienced enough to gel quickly IMO.

 

[Belly in Brisvegas]

I can.....provided that we can remain virtually injury free.

A lot will depend of the first 5 rounds we are dished out...historically we get a shocker draw first up and if we can do well to start off that will give those new combos a big boost.

 

[True EEL]

Actually Hilditch was provided with the nucleus that also included Raper, Ritson and Freeman.....

Brian picked up the pieces more than admirably the following season....

i knew someone would have to pick that up Colonel.....lol ;-)

but you have to admit BS was provided with a good squad on arrival and has had great talent ever since, mind you he has developed much of the recent talent, i will give him that.....

 

[The Colonel]

Actually Hilditch was provided with the nucleus that also included Raper, Ritson and Freeman.....

Brian picked up the pieces more than admirably the following season....

i knew someone would have to pick that up Colonel.....lol ;-)

but you have to admit BS was provided with a good squad on arrival and has had great talent ever since, mind you he has developed much of the recent talent, i will give him that.....

He just needed, like every other year, a decent halfback.

The problem he had during those years was John Simon was not wanted by Dymock and Jason Smith - Denis Moran was their preffered option in 7.

Then they both left. Penna performed admirably for a while as did Bell at hooker.

(GF - Cronin, Ron Massey and Hilditch switched Bell between half, 5/8, centre and hooker - hence the original reason for him leaving along with Penna ;-) )

 

[True EEL]

you're right to an extent Colonel and we did have a decent halfback in John Simon, but perhaps that was the case that "they" wanted Moran over Simon??

I remember Brian's first season, we beat Norths ina close game in Round 1 and then went on to lose the next 4-5 in a row....then BS took charge (like he used to do) and said there are too many chiefs and not enough indians (in reference to everyone trying to run the team) and he made Simon the leader and general.....made sense he was the halfback and then we went on to the big winning streak???

and yes, david Penna did do a good job for a guy who wasn't ever a halfback, but i don't remember Cronin using Bell at hooker.....i thought that came first at Souths after he left.....Bell and Cronin would have been in the era of Mark Barnes, Billy Greentree, Ryan Schofield and maybe even up to Shane Flanagan at hooker i would have thought.....???

 

[The Colonel]

and yes, david Penna did do a good job for a guy who wasn't ever a halfback, but i don't remember Cronin using Bell at hooker.....i thought that came first at Souths after he left.....Bell and Cronin would have been in the era of Mark Barnes, Billy Greentree, Ryan Schofield and maybe even up to Shane Flanagan at hooker i would have thought.....???

They had Jase running circles when he was here. I know he started at centre a number of times and at 5/8 - I'm not positive he was used at hooker but I think he may have been a few times.

I know he played a lot at hooker when he went Norths until Mark Soden took the job and then across to Souths where he played hooker and 5/8.

When Jase arrived here he was used mainly at hooker and as a utility from the bench. Damn shame he broke his leg in 1997.

 

[True EEL]

yep....

 

[Belly in Brisvegas]

He probably would have stayed at hooker too if Schiffalitti (sp??) wasn't here in '99.

My favourite Jason Bell moment was in the '98 semi against the Broncs when he stodd Carroll up making him look like a totoal goose and then put Stupid into that gap for a try that he outpaced Lockyer that took us out to a match winning lead. We won 15-10 and once again owned North Parramatta Stadium.

 

[Utey]

That is a very fond moment of mine.

 

[bartman]

Unfortunately the only Jason Bell moments I remember now involved chips over the top for himself in his own half a minute before half-time... gifted 6 points for the opposition most times :lol:

We went to the same primary school, he was one year above me. I remember he was the fasted kid in the school - at lunch we all used to play footy and he'd get the ball and run directly for the sideline and then around anyone, kicking his Bata Scouts up high to put off any chasers from trying to tackle him from behind.