Do you want Brad Arthur as coach

[Sensei Cobra]

Interesting question. Strangely, I feel like we have more puddings left in the tank even though we are 6-1.

Think that’s a question of the panthers more so than any other team .... at least I hope so anyway

 

[Gronk]

Don’t know why the usual suspects keep bumping this thread. It’s not the regular season where there’s concern. Let’s hope BA has learnt from years gone by and we can actually win a few semi final games and may even make the big dance. This years should be our year to shine. Let’s hope everything pans out.

I don’t know why the usual suspects ignore the circumstances behind our early exit in the finals in 2020. They blindly quote results without context and label the coach as someone who can’t progress the team beyond week one of the semis. it’s almost like a great coach would have been able to put this unprecedented ambush on our club on the morning of the match aside and miraculously keep the team focused in the middle of a covid bubble etc. It’s unparalleled speculation that a Bellamy or Bennett could have managed that, yet somehow he is marked a failure.

 

[IFR33K]

I don’t know why the usual suspects ignore the circumstances behind our early exit in the finals in 2020. They blindly quote results without context and label the coach as someone who can’t progress the team beyond week one of the semis. it’s almost like a great coach would have been able to put this unprecedented ambush on our club on the morning of the match aside and miraculously keep the team focused in the middle of a covid bubble etc. It’s unparalleled speculation that a Bellamy or Bennett could have managed that, yet somehow he is marked a failure.


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Ok thanks scoop for the breaking news.

 

[Gronk]

Ok thanks scoop for the breaking news.

Yet merkins blindly ignore the context of last year. Why’s that ?

 

[Gary Gutful]

Yet merkins blindly ignore the context of last year. Why’s that ?

They don’t ignore the context. Just call them excuses.

I went back and had a look at each of our last 6 finals losses. The only game I feel that we should have won but didn’t was against the Cowboys.

This year might be different than last year. If things continue the way they are then we could find ourselves being favourites in a finals match. If that’s the case and we lose then I think criticism would be warranted.

 

[hineyrulz]

This I agree with.

I cringed slightly when @Gronk posted his mincy gif. Equally though, there is an avalanche of degenerates ready to dismiss BA whenever we lose.

In the scheme of things life as a Parra fan is as good as it has been some time. Shame we can't collectively bond over that.

*Bang

 

[TheRam]

This I agree with.

I cringed slightly when @Gronk posted his mincy gif. Equally though, there is an avalanche of degenerates ready to dismiss BA whenever we lose.

In the scheme of things life as a Parra fan is as good as it has been some time. Shame we can't collectively bond over that.

Where would the fun be in that?

 

[Gary Gutful]

Where would the fun be in that?

F**k of merkin!

 

[TheRam]

F**k of merkin!

No and you can now just go and eat your vegetables for that rude little outburst young man and no funny stuff with them either. I'm watching you.

 

[IFR33K]

Yet merkins blindly ignore the context of last year. Why’s that ?

There’s more to it then last year, and even you know that. But even last year, leading against south’s at half time was a winnable game. Hopefully BA has learnt from his mistakes, that are there for all to see.

But keep getting off, and bumping this thread after every win.

 

[Gronk]

There’s more to it then last year, and even you know that. But even last year, leading against south’s at half time was a winnable game. Hopefully BA has learnt from his mistakes, that are there for all to see.

But keep getting off, and bumping this thread after every win.

I see. So it was winnable at half time, yet the COACH lost us the game. Care to share what decisions he made during those 40 mins that left us in this mess ?

 

[Gary Gutful]

I see. So it was winnable at half time, yet the COACH lost us the game. Care to share what decisions he made during those 40 mins that left us in this mess ?

He didn't put Jennings and Fergo on.

 

[Gazzamatta]

I thought our finals form was significantly better than most of the back half of the regular season. It was mostly gash and that's where lack of confidence developed.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

They don’t ignore the context. Just call them excuses.

I went back and had a look at each of our last 6 finals losses. The only game I feel that we should have won but didn’t was against the Cowboys.

But also why should we have beaten the Cowboys when the Sharks and Roosters couldn't? They not only came into the finals with momentum but they had a better team than we did. They were false underdogs against everyone bar the Storm that year.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He didn't put Jennings and Fergo on.

Or Sivo

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So statistically we are on track to have our best team since 2005 when Brian Smith was our coach?

We are, but not necessarily on track to challenge for the premiership. I'm hoping our points differential gets closer to Penrith's over the rest of the season, rather than further away. Here's how the grand final winners have fared since 2005 relative to the team with the best for-and-against:

2005: Tigers -147
2006: Broncos -96
2007: Storm +130 (i.e. they had the best differential by 130 points)
2008: Seagulls -12
2009: Storm -62
2010: Dragons +63
2011: Seagulls -5
2012: Storm +19
2013: Roosters +93
2014: Rabbits -6
2015: Cowboys -158
2016: Sharks -85
2017: Storm +133
2018: Roosters +8
2019: Roosters -67
2020: Storm -41

What this shows is that over 16 seasons the premiers were either the team with the best differential or were within 96 points (4 points per game) in all but 2 seasons.

The team with the best differential won in 6 years out of 16. By comparison, the minor premiers only won 5 times. For-and-against is absolutely the best predictor of a team's quality. Without it no magical coaching quotient will allow a team to consistently match the big boys in the finals. They need a roster capable of putting on a lot of points (and conceding far less).

 

[Gazzamatta]

I think our bench has improved so much this year that burnout will not be a problem. I can't see us having the same drop off as last year. We are at least a 20% better team overall because of it and further experience as a team and players. As an example, look at the way our backrowers are now running freely and through gaps. Last year they were struggling to find a gap. Our frontrow rotation is awesome and we lose nothing now when it transitions.

Moses is thinking better and running more and so is Mahoney. The only thing that is missing is uber speed out wide. Otherwise we are almost the complete footy team. We just need to stay injury free and listen to the coach and we should be mixing it with the big boys for the big dance showdown at the end of the season.

Fair comment but I'd offer that The Darwin Game was the first time this year BA has best utilised his bench.

 

[IFR33K]

I see. So it was winnable at half time, yet the COACH lost us the game. Care to share what decisions he made during those 40 mins that left us in this mess ?

Not sure champ. Having his 3 middles off at one time wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve seen. BA has been reluctant to give the bench game time. Hopefully he rectifies this and we go forward.

hopefully we also have some September success where you can bump this thread again (like a bitter old woman) and you get the last laugh. You’re seem that miserable at life, this thread bumping seems to satisfy you.

 

[IFR33K]

He didn't put Jennings and Fergo on.

Don’t stoop to gronks level.

After the form fergo was in last year, he probably shouldn’t of been in the team anyway.

 

[Gary Gutful]

But also why should we have beaten the Cowboys when the Sharks and Roosters couldn't? They not only came into the finals with momentum but they had a better team than we did. They were false underdogs against everyone bar the Storm that year.

They weren't favourites because they were lucky to beat the Sharks who shit the bed and imo should have won. They were also 1 win from their last 6 in the regular season so I don't understand how that qualifies as "coming into the finals with momentum". They barely clung on to 8th spot FFS!

Parra on the other hand won 5 of their last 6 going into the finals (including their last 3). They also played exceptionally well in the first week and nearly beat the benchmark side in a much higher quality contest.

I expected us to win that game against the Cowboys and I think the Cowboys deserved to be underdogs based on what they had served up beforehand.