Damned if you do and damned if you don’t

[Crush]

Why is Fegai playing reserve grade yet Gerard Beale is playing first grade?

Another question, why is Norman selected again this week if he isn’t in the plans for next year and beyond? Yeah he may be better than Amone at the moment but who gives a toss?
Are we going to push for a premiership this year?
Chad Townsend, Josh Dugan, Andrew Fafita all playing reserve grade for Sharks.
Are we going to do what Mary did and wait until the last round before we see what others can do?

 

[Illusion]

Why is Fegai playing reserve grade yet Gerard Beale is playing first grade?

Another question, why is Norman selected again this week if he isn’t in the plans for next year and beyond? Yeah he may be better than Amone at the moment but who gives a toss?
Are we going to push for a premiership this year?
Chad Townsend, Josh Dugan, Andrew Fafita all playing reserve grade for Sharks.
Are we going to do what Mary did and wait until the last round before we see what others can do?

This .....

 

[TruSaint]

Why is Fegai playing reserve grade yet Gerard Beale is playing first grade?

Another question, why is Norman selected again this week if he isn’t in the plans for next year and beyond? Yeah he may be better than Amone at the moment but who gives a toss?
Are we going to push for a premiership this year?
Chad Townsend, Josh Dugan, Andrew Fafita all playing reserve grade for Sharks.
Are we going to do what Mary did and wait until the last round before we see what others can do?

My guess is that the coach still has hopes for a finals birth.

Being on a short contract, he's "probably" playing it safe. Having said that, I do agree with you. After the farce on Monday, I would be telling the board that as coach, I need to make some hard calls and plan for 2022.

This season is done and dusted.

 

[Crush]

My guess is that the coach still has hopes for a finals birth.

Being on a short contract, he's "probably" playing it safe. Having said that, I do agree with you. After the farce on Monday, I would be telling the board that as coach, I need to make some hard calls and plan for 2022.

This season is done and dusted.

The supposed “best” side we have at the moment has lost 7 of last 9 against mostly bottom 8 teams, perhaps it’s time to take some action? I think fans and critics would be more accepting of losses if we had guys like Amone, Sloan, Fegai all starting.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Seeing they played on Monday and the team list is due Tuesday I think the copy and paste was inevitable. Too short a turnaround to assess the damage. I can see Lomax getting a start somewhere and maybe a few other changes.

I thought Maguire and Tyrell would be back this week but it is next week. What a difference the backrow will be when they come back in.

I think Bird and Lomax should go back to the centre pairing and Williame on the bench. Most successful backline.

If Sloan is the future Fullback put him there now, why wait. Reece Walsh seems to do ok for a junior and if Sloan is as good as they say he is, I cannot see why he can't be thrown in now. At least they can then see if he really is the best option ahead of Dufty. Also throw in Amone at 5/8. He seems to be handling it ok so far.

 

[Crush]

To put it simply, there is no direction with this team. There is no character or identity. I just don’t know what they are trying to build.
It’s all over the shop.

 

[Illusion]

To put it simply, there is no direction with this team. There is no character or identity. I just don’t know what they are trying to build.
It’s all over the shop.

Mate its going to take a long time for you and I to get on that bus .....

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

Ive been around and played the game long enough to realise that its not a quick fix to right the wrongs of the previous people in charge...for starters Hooks appointment was and still is a major step in the right direction ...and yes as much as we'd like to we cant just willy nilly blood blokes that arnt physically and mature enough up to it so to speak, and obviously it is going to take time....forget whose injured, suspended or is leaving etc that happens to most clubs not all admittedly but a large majority most of the time.....what I think we have all had a gutful (for want of a better word ) of is when we serve up the crap that was evident last Monday......like many on here I hate losing but as long as our team gave it their all then I can accept defeat but for mine theres some blokes in our side that just dont put the effort in like they should be.....hopefully and Im sure he will Hook will rectify the issues as soon as its possible

 

[LINESPEED]

I have to say from where I sit it appears Hook is just as scared to bite the bullet as the previous coach. He refers very vaguely to this 'path' that club is heading which just leaves us with more questions than answers, especially when he picks the same team. I thought he'd make the big calls but is just as matesy as the last bloke, only now he has brought old broncos into the fold. We've been screaming it for seasons, start future planning now rather then completely waste another year. Stop hedging your bets and feeding us half-hearted performances from the same couldn't -care-less- hassbeen players.

Agree.
And surrounding yourself with compliant & ever-so-grateful & coach-supporting journeymen didn’t save McWoeful

(Jeeessuss Latmore still irritates me on Fox)

....pick’n stick selection has cost us several juniors who’ve since cemented their NRL careers elsewhere in this cautious-coach approach?

Beale’s recruitment did my head in.
Throw in a kid instead FFS
... Gibsonesque if you like

...as innovatively brave coaches do?

Just once?

Williame & Beale are journeymen who need a Duff to put them into a hole

...and FMD we lose Luc, Jacob, Jason, Reuben (NRL’s 2nd highest linebreaker FFS
... & he should’ve been Zac’s centre partner IMHO)

But of course we know how that went ...
Reuben IMO had to be moved on to protect Turnstile’s position

....And all the other postDragon ‘juniors’
plying their now NRL trade

elsewhere?

And soon to be joined by others on the ‘pathway’ out
if Williame & Beale are extended

 

[Saints Forever]

What has Lawrie done wrong.
CC

Forgot Blocker

Yes add him to the mix

 

[Lovemedragons]

I mean what do you do when 80% of the NRL talent is distributed through 3 or 4 clubs with outstanding systems/coaches (and their funders) while the other 12 clubs have to feast like vultures on any scraps that drop from there??

I do like the shedding of Norman and can accept Dufty. I like the acquisition of Molo but we need some massive signings AS WELL as the developing of emerging juniors. I really want to believe Hook is capable of this. What cards is he holding up his sleeves. It won't be long before we find out if we got the coach and recruiter we needed at this place.

What do you do? Become one of those 4 clubs like we used to be.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

To put it simply, there is no direction with this team. There is no character or identity. I just don’t know what they are trying to build.
It’s all over the shop.

My guess is that the coach still has hopes for a finals birth.

Being on a short contract, he's "probably" playing it safe. Having said that, I do agree with you. After the farce on Monday, I would be telling the board that as coach, I need to make some hard calls and plan for 2022.

This season is done and dusted.

I agree bud....I think your spot on with your view on Hooks position atm....as the 1st year coach he will be hoping for an improved position on the ladder than 2020 therefore theres not going to be to much experimental stuff going on.....having said that and I agree with Crush Im not sure exactely what direction we are heading in as far as the rebuild is concerned....maybe its going to take longer than most of us older folk would like......speaking of directions on a side note to this Im not convinced that Kerr, Alvaro, Ellis Ford to name a few have improved their game....and to be brutely honest I think Lawries form has dropped off to where he was earlier in the season.....there may be a reason for this Im not sure but I am still a fan......its difficult to comprehend sometimes that we lose forwards like Leilua and Host for example that imo had plenty of enthusiasm and go forward and we end up with plodders like some of our blokes......anyway mate guess we will have to wait and see what pans out in the long term

 

[slippery5]

What has Lawrie done wrong.
CC

He should be in front of Alvaro but thats about all

 

[TruSaint]

The supposed “best” side we have at the moment has lost 7 of last 9 against mostly bottom 8 teams, perhaps it’s time to take some action? I think fans and critics would be more accepting of losses if we had guys like Amone, Sloan, Fegai all starting.

That's why I said I agree with you bro.

Lets be brutally honest here, we wont make the 8, and if by some miracle we do it will be a massacre at the hands of Penrith or Mel.

So, for me Griffin has a decision to make. As you point out, I would say that most fans at this stage would be pleased to see him make changes, however I may be wrong but i think he will make those changes when the old " mathematically impossible" is mentioned.

He will be looking to secure an extension, and make the most of this crap season. That's my view anyway.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

The supposed “best” side we have at the moment has lost 7 of last 9 against mostly bottom 8 teams, perhaps it’s time to take some action? I think fans and critics would be more accepting of losses if we had guys like Amone, Sloan, Fegai all starting.

Pretty hard to drop Norman after his performance vs the Dogs, he was our best player. I’m glad he’s gone and didn’t deserve a contract but I do believe he’s earned the right to a few more games and to try and earn himself a new contract.

 

[Crush]

Pretty hard to drop Norman after his performance vs the Dogs, he was our best player. I’m glad he’s gone and didn’t deserve a contract but I do believe he’s earned the right to a few more games and to try and earn himself a new contract.

Not sure he has earned the right for anything. We have payed him 850K a year for 3 years of mostly rubbish.
I’d drop him.
Also, I reckon he’s the sooky type who will tank now, he doesn’t want another contract anyway probably.

 

[thebigredv]

Not sure he has earned the right for anything. We have payed him 850K a year for 3 years of mostly rubbish.
I’d drop him.
Also, I reckon he’s the sooky type who will tank now, he doesn’t want another contract anyway probably.

I'd be exiling from the club anyone who had anything the slightest to do with his signature 3 years ago. Was never going to add much but ended up detracting massively, except for two clutch field goals in 2019.and that salary...

 

[FlameThrower]

My guess is that the coach still has hopes for a finals birth.

Being on a short contract, he's "probably" playing it safe. Having said that, I do agree with you. After the farce on Monday, I would be telling the board that as coach, I need to make some hard calls and plan for 2022.

This season is done and

 

[True_Believer]

That's why I said I agree with you bro.

Lets be brutally honest here, we wont make the 8, and if by some miracle we do it will be a massacre at the hands of Penrith or Mel.

So, for me Griffin has a decision to make. As you point out, I would say that most fans at this stage would be pleased to see him make changes, however I may be wrong but i think he will make those changes when the old " mathematically impossible" is mentioned.

He will be looking to secure an extension, and make the most of this crap season. That's my view anyway.

Did you watch the game before the main game on the weekend? Who does he replace players with? Who is there that is putting up their hand to take a spot in first grade?

If everybody thought the NRL side was the worst game they'd seen, they didn't watch the reserves in action before that.

Seriously, we've got no-one to replace them with. This is from today:

St George Illawarra Dragons​

• Zac Lomax (thumb, round 15-16)
• Josh McGuire (suspension, round 16)
• Tyrell Fuimaono (suspension, round 16)
• Max Feagai (head knock, round 16)
• Cameron McInnes (knee, season)

We've also lost Sullivan for a majority of the season due to injury. He's not due back until next round.

And with the forwards, we've got Ellis, Burns and Farmer Silly in reserves. As well as Hunt. The weekend didn't seem them stake a claim for a spot in the first grade team.

So based on this, we aren't going to see any potential major changes until the next round - purely because the options we have are currently worse than what are running out on the field.

 

[Crush]

Did you watch the game before the main game on the weekend? Who does he replace players with? Who is there that is putting up their hand to take a spot in first grade?

If everybody thought the NRL side was the worst game they'd seen, they didn't watch the reserves in action before that.

Seriously, we've got no-one to replace them with. This is from today:

St George Illawarra Dragons​

• Zac Lomax (thumb, round 15-16)
• Josh McGuire (suspension, round 16)
• Tyrell Fuimaono (suspension, round 16)
• Max Feagai (head knock, round 16)
• Cameron McInnes (knee, season)

We've also lost Sullivan for a majority of the season due to injury. He's not due back until next round.

And with the forwards, we've got Ellis, Burns and Farmer Silly in reserves. As well as Hunt. The weekend didn't seem them stake a claim for a spot in the first grade team.

So based on this, we aren't going to see any potential major changes until the next round - purely because the options we have are currently worse than what are running out on the field.

Rumour is that the 1-17 could look significantly different game day with a few of the 18-21 to come in.
I’d like to see that. Because I am bored.