Do you want Brad Arthur as coach

[Chipmunk]

This 2021 side is a far better side than 2020. You can't see that ?

Yet the final outcome is still the same as the two previous seasons.

I'd also say that the 2021 Storm is better than the 2020 Storm.

I'd also say that the 2021 Panthers is better than the 2020 Panthers.

I'd also say that the 2021 Souths is better than the 2020 Souths.

I'd also say that the 2021 Manly is better than the 2020 Manly.

I'd also say that the 2021 Knights is better than the 2020 Knights.

I'd also say that the 2021 Titans is better than the 2020 Knights.

Realistically the only team who made the Top 8 you could potentially say wasn't a better side in 2021 than 2020 was probably the Roosters, for obvious reasons. However, the overall result at the end of the season for them was still the same. This probably says more about the quality of the rest of the comp outside of the Top 6 rather than the difference in 2020 to 2021 Roosters.

The team will naturally continue to improve, but so will the rest of the comp, and I don't see their overall result improving whilst the same coaching staff, with the same squad of players, remains the same.

 

[strider]

While im not saying gutho is the best captain in the world, i think he is the best captain we currently have. And taking him out of the current team might be an issue.

I see mahoney as a long term capt, but not yet.
Moses is a leader but too devisive to be capt.
The forwards need to concentrate on being forwards.

So i reckon if you remove gutho you have a potential leadership issue on your hands.

 

[emjaycee]

Our late season revival has secured BA’s position for next year. I’d still be imposing new assistant coaches on him to see if that can take us (and him) to a new level.

The assistants were extended into 2022 recently because BA's contract (like most head coaches) lets them select their own assistants.

 

[Noise]

While im not saying gutho is the best captain in the world, i think he is the best captain we currently have. And taking him out of the current team might be an issue.

I see mahoney as a long term capt, but not yet.
Moses is a leader but too devisive to be capt.
The forwards need to concentrate on being forwards.

So i reckon if you remove gutho you have a potential leadership issue on your hands.

I'd be happy to move Gutho or Brown on as long as we got a fullback to replace them with (and move Gutho to 6 if it is Brown we let go). Dylan Brown is very average in attack. His attacking stats are the worst of any starting half (and a lot of back up halves) in the comp.

 

[emjaycee]

Yet Cooper Cronk said it was his best most consistent season ever.

Mate, seriously???
What the f**k would Cronk know about half back play compared to some nuffie West Tigers supporter who is still salty that 4 years ago his teams best halfback left and they haven't looked like playing finals since?

 

[strider]

I'd be happy to move Gutho or Brown on as long as we got a fullback to replace them with (and move Gutho to 6 if it is Brown we let go). Dylan Brown is very average in attack. His attacking stats are the worst of any starting half (and a lot of back up halves) in the comp.

Yeah drown might be the one that could go ... but the merkin saves a bucketload of tries which is pretty important too.

I think we need to stand firm with salaries and give these kind of guys a take it or leave option.

If gutho were to leave then i think it would mean making mahoney captain. Might be before he is ready? Might detract from his game?

 

[Avenger]

I'd be happy to move Gutho or Brown on as long as we got a fullback to replace them with (and move Gutho to 6 if it is Brown we let go). Dylan Brown is very average in attack. His attacking stats are the worst of any starting half (and a lot of back up halves) in the comp.

Brown still has more upside. Gutherson is just a more skilful version of Andrew Leeds. I'd be letting him go first.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Yet the final outcome is still the same as the two previous seasons.

I'd also say that the 2021 Storn is better than the 2020 Storm.

I'd also say that the 2021 Panthers is better than the 2020 Panthers.

I'd also say that the 2021 Souths is better than the 2020 Souths.

I'd also say that the 2021 Manly is better than the 2020 Manly.

I'd also say that the 2021 Knights is better than the 2020 Knights.

I'd also say that the 2021 Titans is better than the 2020 Knights.

Realistically the only team who made the Top 8 you could potentially say wasn't a better side in 2021 than 2020 was probably the Roosters, for obvious reasons. However, the overall result at the end of the season for them was still the same. This probably says more about the quality of the rest of the comp outside of the Top 6 rather than the difference in 2020 to 2021 Roosters.

The team will naturally continue to improve, but so will the rest of the comp, and I don't see their overall result improving whilst the same coaching staff, with the same squad of players, remains the same.

I'm not convinced that the Panthers are a better team this year.

I can see our overall result improving just by doing what we do at our best more often throughout the year.

Whether that will be good enough for a premiership is debatable but its definitely good enough to go further than Week 2 of the finals.

 

[Noise]

Brown still has more upside. Gutherson is just a more skilful version of Andrew Leeds. I'd be letting him go first.

Maybe. But Brown could be seen as just a faster, less skilled player than Gutherson.

 

[emjaycee]

But, with the entire coaching set-up and the playing squad to remain mostly the same, then a second week exit in the Finals at best is again where we're likely going to be this time next year.

If 2022 pans out the same as 2021, but we have Mahoney available for week 2 of the finals, chances are we win and are into week 3. Of course not likely we play the same team with the same squad, coming off an unexpected loss, etc. etc.
Too many ifs and uncertainties over the whole season and even in one game to predict we make week 2 next year, and if we did, that we wouldn't then make week 3 mate.

 

[Gazzamatta]

So what changes to help us get to a prelim or better?

Having a genuine 9 available last night turns the result. Everything would have been different so its hard to judge based on last nights service. Attack was stifled, it was slow and the ball was handed over numerous times because of no genuine 9. So much pressure was lost and so much more fatigue would have been placed on Penriths D.
Rheed is a mad merkin and would hate not playing 80 but its about the team. If its good enough for Melbourne it should be good enough for us. Workloads need to be managed better. BA needs to trust his back ups more and make sure they are ready. There were signs of that this year. Hopefully it improves further next year.

 

[Gary Gutful]

While im not saying gutho is the best captain in the world, i think he is the best captain we currently have. And taking him out of the current team might be an issue.

I see mahoney as a long term capt, but not yet.
Moses is a leader but too devisive to be capt.
The forwards need to concentrate on being forwards.

So i reckon if you remove gutho you have a potential leadership issue on your hands.

I'm not sold on Gutho's 'leadership'. If he was a good leader he wouldn't have let his last two contract negotiations derail the club.

 

[Chipmunk]

I'm not convinced that the Panthers are a better team this year.

I can see our overall result improving just by doing what we do at our best more often throughout the year.

Whether that will be good enough for a premiership is debatable but its definitely good enough to go further than Week 2 of the finals.

I think Panthers are probably better than last years, but I'd say the Storm, Souths and obviously Manly are significantly better than they were last year. This is still hard to believe with the Storm.

We would need at least one of the Top 4 to regress, the Roosters not to improve, and the Raiders not to return to their previous last few seasons form for us to go any further than Week 2 of the Finals for mine. All a possibility, but that says more about the fortunes of our opponents than any improvements we might make.

 

[strider]

I'm not sold on Gutho's 'leadership'. If he was a good leader he wouldn't have let his last two contract negotiations derail the club.

Derail? I dont think we are currently derailed. Perhaps gutho played a role in reigning back in recent manager shenanigans? Im pretty sure his manager f**kin didnt decide to just shut up.

Like i said, i dont think he is best in the world but i dont know who else we have.

 

[Gronk]

How so?

The 2021 side played 24 games, won 15 lost 9 with a points differential of 109, finishing 6th. In the semis we beat the team that finished 7th and lost to the team who finished 2nd.
The 2020 side played 20 games, won 15 lost 5 with a points differential of 104, finishing 3rd. In the semis we lost to the team who finished 2nd and lost to the team who finished 6th.

How are we a far better side this year than last year?

Because we are playing better footy.

You can point to the draw all you like, but my response was to the allegation that we had plateaued.

 

[Avenger]

If 2022 pans out the same as 2021, but we have Mahoney available for week 2 of the finals, chances are we win and are into week 3. Of course not likely we play the same team with the same squad, coming off an unexpected loss, etc. etc.
Too many ifs and uncertainties over the whole season and even in one game to predict we make week 2 next year, and if we did, that we wouldn't then make week 3 mate.

Would Shane Flanagan change things? I must admit I don't know.

 

[Noise]

Because we are playing better footy.

You can point to the draw all you like, but my response was to the allegation that we had plateaued.

Lol so by your subjective assessment using the ‘eye test’we are a much better team than last year despite all the evidence that says otherwise. Ok.

 

[IFR33K]

Mate, seriously???
What the f**k would Cronk know about half back play compared to some nuffie West Tigers supporter who is still salty that 4 years ago his teams best halfback left and they haven't looked like playing finals since?

I think they finished 9th since Moses left… that’s close. Just saying

 

[Gary Gutful]

Derail? I dont think we are currently derailed. Perhaps gutho played a role in reigning back in recent manager shenanigans? Im pretty sure his manager f**kin didnt decide to just shut up.

Like i said, i dont think he is best in the world but i dont know who else we have.

The club got it back on track and told Gutho to tell his manager to shut his piehole. The fact that they even had to do that concerns me. His manager would not have spoken to the media without Gutho's blessing.

It came in the middle of a period where we lost 4 in a row and therefore our chances of finishing Top 4.

So yeah, he's the best we have at the moment which is pretty shitty really and speaks to our lack of leadership.

 

[IFR33K]

Agreed. So we either move Gutho on or move Brown on and move Gutho to 6.

This is the list of off contract players. Slim pickings...

I was disappointed we didn't pick up Nicho Hynes.

View attachment 54120

Players Off Contract 2021 – By Position

A complete list of NRL players off contract in 2021 by playing position.

www.zerotackle.com

Would you consider a switch in roles?