Do you want Brad Arthur as coach

[Chipmunk]

I still believe that the coach is only one non Top 8 finish away from the sack. Only a premiership will change that. If both Brown and Moses choose to leave, he'll be gone before them.

 

[Gary Gutful]

I still believe that the coach is only one non Top 8 finish away from the sack.

We could pull our dicks for 60 min in every game and still finish Top 8.

 

[Avenger]

Just a shout out to BA for a great year. Hope we go one better in 2023. I've lost count on the amount of times I've changed my mind about him but he proved many knockers wrong, including me.

 

[Twizzle]

I've lost count on the amount of times I've changed my mind about him

so have we

 

[strider]

37

 

[Twizzle]

I must admit that after the defeat by the Bunnies in rnd 22 (26 zip) that BA's time would be up by the end of the year, but after that game, we came home with a wet sail and exceeded all my expectations.

I'm actually looking forward to this season as I think we have recruited well, just need Mitch to sign and we're good to go.

 

[Gazzamatta]

I must admit that after the defeat by the Bunnies in rnd 22 (26 zip) that BA's time would be up by the end of the year, but after that game, we came home with a wet sail and exceeded all my expectations.

I'm actually looking forward to this season as I think we have recruited well, just need Mitch to sign and we're good to go.

Hopefully he selects a better bench and fully utilises them. May have been the missing ingredient last season.

 

[hindy111]

Hopefully he selects a better bench and fully utilises them. May have been the missing ingredient last season.

Wouldn't matter what our bench was like we got hammered with our best 13. All you hope from your bench when you have a strong side is trying to hold the fort while better players take a rest.
Unlike years and years ago your cant afford to have a HUGH QUALITY bench. You will need a few squad players on there. Best is to hope for a few young guns have break out years and get some cheap value on bench and guy like Taupua turning back the clock for a year perhaps.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Wouldn't matter what our bench was like we got hammered with our best 13. All you hope from your bench when you have a strong side is trying to hold the fort while better players take a rest.
Unlike years and years ago your cant afford to have a HUGH QUALITY bench. You will need a few squad players on there. Best is to hope for a few young guns have break out years and get some cheap value on bench and guy like Taupua turning back the clock for a year perhaps.

Certainly in the GF mate. No argument. My thoughts are a lot of our guys had less in the tank than maybe they could have had had bench management been better throughout the entire season. The Cows game sapped our boys greatly. The Pennys forwards are spared a lot of work by their backs. Our forwards carry that load and play big minutes while benchies twiddle their thumbs.
And so it begins.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The Cows game sapped our boys greatly.

If our starters played fewer minutes would we still have won?

 

[the phantom menace]

If our starters played fewer minutes [during the preceding 27 games] would we still have won?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

They would've been less fit, so probably not.

 

[Gary Gutful]

If our starters played fewer minutes [during the preceding 27 games] would we still have won?

Would we have even had the chance to play in a PF?

 

[the phantom menace]

These questions and many others will be answered (or not) in the next episode of... here we go round the forum mulberry bush!

 

[Gary Gutful]

These questions and many others will be answered (or not) in the next episode of... here we go round the forum mulberry bush!

You’re the only merkin who didn’t answer the question.

I reckon it’s clear that a reduced involvement of our starting forwards during the season would have meant we weren’t as good. If you think about all of our wins, forwards dominating was probably the only constant.

Would we have then benefitted at the back end of the season by having more fresh people? Well, we may not have been in the Top 4.

However, I’ll even concede that for the purpose of this discussion and assume that we still make the 4. Would we all of a sudden become favourites against Penrith? No.

Are we sticking with the reduced involvement of our starting forwards or are we completely changing our game plan for the finals? Let’s assume we change the game plan. Penrith would have still rolled us. Let’s assume we keep it the same. Penrith would have still rolled us.

We did as well as can realistically be expected in 2022. To go a step further would have required an enormous amount of luck.

Also, if playing our starting forwards for too many minutes cost us, why did we go on such a f**ken tear at the end of the season and jag a Top 4 spot when many of us thought Top 8 was at risk. They should have been f**ked already given all of the minutes they played.

Also, why did the Panthers play theirs for long minutes and win the whole f**ken thing.

To avoid going around the mulberry bush I’ll answer. Because playing starting forwards for long minutes isn’t really detrimental. If anything it’s essential.

 

[hindy111]

You’re the only merkin who didn’t answer the question.

I reckon it’s clear that a reduced involvement of our starting forwards during the season would have meant we weren’t as good. If you think about all of our wins, forwards dominating was probably the only constant.

Would we have then benefitted at the back end of the season by having more fresh people? Well, we may not have been in the Top 4.

However, I’ll even concede that for the purpose of this discussion and assume that we still make the 4. Would we all of a sudden become favourites against Penrith? No.

Are we sticking with the reduced involvement of our starting forwards or are we completely changing our game plan for the finals? Let’s assume we change the game plan. Penrith would have still rolled us. Let’s assume we keep it the same. Penrith would have still rolled us.

We did as well as can realistically be expected in 2022. To go a step further would have required an enormous amount of luck.

Also, if playing our starting forwards for too many minutes cost us, why did we go on such a f**ken tear at the end of the season and jag a Top 4 spot when many of us thought Top 8 was at risk. They should have been f**ked already given all of the minutes they played.

Also, why did the Panthers play theirs for long minutes and win the whole f**ken thing.

To avoid going around the mulberry bush I’ll answer. Because playing starting forwards for long minutes isn’t really detrimental. If anything it’s essential.

Penrith are a far better side then anyone this season. Some got excited when we beat them with 12 men and NO CLEARY for 65mins. Saying how we dominated and had them beat cause we led 12-4. Bullocks.
They where down 12-0 against Spuths in a semi and butchered about 5 tries prior. Once they clicked they put like 30 points on them in the 2nd half. They are just far superior to any side in the comp this season. I doubt anyone beats them unless they had a stack of injuries during the grand final.

We where not just beaten. We where never ever in the game. No contest. Doesn't matter what we did or who coached us our squad wasn't good enough to beat that side.
There is a reason that even after losing two of their best players for 2023 they are still favourites. They are just that dominant.

 

[the phantom menace]

You’re the only merkin who didn’t answer the question.

The point in answering Pou's question with a question (and not answering yours) is to illustrate that these are questions none of us can ever truly know they answer to.

You've put forward an opinion again and all power to you - but these things have been discussed ad nauseum on here (including my previous answers to these questions), hence the mulberry bush comment... happy watering!

 

[Gary Gutful]

The point in answering Pou's question with a question (and not answering yours) is to illustrate that these are questions none of us can ever truly know they answer to.

You've put forward an opinion again and all power to you - but these things have been discussed ad nauseum on here (including my previous answers to these questions), hence the mulberry bush comment... happy watering!

We can speak with confidence based on the evidence available. If anyone questions that then they are just nit picking.

 

[the phantom menace]

Yep, there's always some people who are so confident in their opinion (based on their perspective of evidence) on a matter to the desired exclusion of other opinions, or holding some need to prove those other opinions wrong.

Hence why these hypothetical questions can never be conclusively answered.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Yep, there's always some people who are so confident in their opinion (based on their perspective of evidence) on a matter to the desired exclusion of other opinions, or holding some need to prove those other opinions wrong.

Hence why these hypothetical questions can never be conclusively answered.

Not some FFS. Most, apart from a few eels fans not content with a great season.

How many people realistically think that would have made a lick of difference against the Panthers? F**k all I’d suggest.

The overwhelming consensus amongst league fans is that we overachieved in 2022. I don’t understand why your perspective of the evidence and opinions of so many can be so horribly skewed.

I only reckon you disagreed with it because Pou said it!