Finals Week One

[st penguin]

Me thinks that next weeks game will not be a close affair.
They will either pump us or we will pump them
We are playing shithouse and all things look tragic but much will depend on team selection and TBH I hope Flo & Aitken are ruled out with injury because even though our chances are slim, if they play they are even slimmer (harsh but true)
Broncos when on, are good enough to whip anyone but at the same time their halves (like ours) go missing and they start to implode and Oates is more than capable of destroying teams single handed but also capable of being a butter fingered clux
Our biggest other hurdle is the holiday camp mentality of the team and the complete inability to understand the importance of being focussed all week including the game.
Broncos on a bad day are very capable of losing by their own accord but in the end I think Bennett will get them up for the next 2 weeks and there in lies a major difference between good and bad coaches.

Agree. Broncos have been a flawed team all year. Yeah they smashed Manly yesterday, but Manly was still getting very easy yards in the second half.

I just can't see us defending their left side attack.

 

[Old Timer]

Agree. Broncos have been a flawed team all year. Yeah they smashed Manly yesterday, but Manly was still getting very easy yards in the second half.

I just can't see us defending their left side attack.

Yes i suspect we actually might see what a real attacking centre & wing pairing looks like

 

[possm]

I'd love to know what Brian Johnston would think of our desperation to get rid of the muppet, if indeed he knew how desperate things have become for us.

But he's one of them.

Straight Shooter

Johnstone was chairman of the Board with more power than the incoming chairman - he had the casting vote on any tied vote. Johnstone supported Mary's contract extension and has done nothing to sack him since.

As CEO he has a duty to advise the Board on such matters and that advice should hold significant weight at a Board meeting. Let's see what happens over the next few months and then judge the appointment of Johnstone as appropriate or not.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

Goes against everything l believe in but when it comes to being pumped, unless McIdiot can change his ways, we’ll be on the receiving end ...... and there might be some chafing.

Mate my heart would love to tell me we were a show but my head tells me we will get a flogging especially in Brisbane.....kills me to say it but Im not even going to watch the game.....whats it been now 7 years that we have had two totally inept coaches void of basic coaching techniques, showing poor confidence and giving very limited opportunities to our younger players, and player management skills in general.......and these blokes have been in charge of our once famous club....as I keep repeating for us to have been one of the front runners for the better part of the season to now having finished 7th and playing The Donkeys in Brisbane is not only sad but bloody disgraceful....

 

[Alec's-saints]

flight booked. bring on these cheating cnts. front page on the Monday. HUNT HAUNTS BRONCOS

 

[Wittenberg]

If JDB plays (and can run), I think we are a chance. In my head do I think we will win, no, but I do think the Broncs don't like playing us and Milford is the key. Everything he did yesterday was brilliant and came off, but he does go missing and has done so often this year. They almost lost as many games as we did running into the finals. They have not been brilliant. Simms should hammer him every time he gets the ball. But we need to play smart. Frustrate, play safety first in our half, kick away from Oates, god even use the grubber into touch time and time again not to let them get any opportunity at broken play, BUT in their half we have to be prepared to chance our arm and do not simply put Widdop back in and do exactly the same old moves that we did when he was there before. Dare I say it Mary has to devise a Plan B! Oh shit, we will lose.....

 

[rednwhites]

I just hope we have a captain that isn't going to nod and cop abuse from the refs like was happening on Saturday. We need a captain that knows their rights and that is going to try and keep the refs accountable for only reffing one team.

 

[emu62]

Got a feeling McWrecker is about to get one hell of a coaching lesson from the master. Hope i am wrong

 

[Overseas dragon]

I just hope we have a captain that isn't going to nod and cop abuse from the refs like was happening on Saturday. We need a captain that knows their rights and that is going to try and keep the refs accountable for only reffing one team.

only problem is JAMES GRAHAM is NOT the captain its MOUSE WIDDOP....

 

[Slippery Morris]

I wonder if the board realise the lost revenue that Mary will cause because of his poor coaching. Saints made it to the finals and if they were actually performing well the club will be making good coin with all the fans having actual belief that they can go all the way. Yet Mary has them playing like busted's and looking the easy beats of the finals series. How can fans support that? I am actually hoping Saints don't get flogged let alone win.

There would be so many more fans making an effort to go to Qld yet there is a lot more not going because they know they will fail and it will be a waste of money. Even if it was in Sydney I think there would be less fans. If they were hosting a home final the opposition fans would outnumber the Saints fans.

Why, because Mary has them going backwards at a time they should be firing and raring to go. They missed out on a top 4 spot because the conceded 78 points to Parra and Dogs and scored 4. If they lost both by 2 they would have still made top 4 or better still won 1 then it is a different story altogether. This is not a dip in form, this is a huge embarrassment.

The icing on the cake for me was being 4-2 down against an injury ravaged Knights and going for 2 pts. Only to miss the goal and defend their line and not get the ball for the 10-15 mins after that kick. That defined the Saints season. Poor choices which led to disastrous results. Saints now playing in Brisbane because of that. Shows the finals team that if Saints are in your half, give away a penalty and have a breather. They won;t be coming for you. Warriors showed that early in the season yet they still have not taken the hint that teams purposely give away a penalty to get a breather cause Saints are so dumb they will go for goal.

Mary got the team he wanted and finished 2 positions higher on the ladder than last season. That is what the board need to realise. The team he wanted got flogged 78-4 against teams last and 3rd last at the time. I know Brisbane also got flogged by Dogs at ANZ a few weeks before Dragons did, but since then have looked like winning the comp which is the massive difference in the 2 sides. Brisbane's worst season in history and they finished with a home semi against Saints.

Sorry for the long post but at a time we should be cheering feel very flat because the Saints look like the easy beats of the Finals.

 

[rednwhites]

If I had a dollar for every time the word hope gets mentioned in reference to how we play...

Going to the footy to see star players, confident of their ability and the way they have prepared and schemed for the match, has turned into people staying home and just hoping for the best.

There has been a complete turnaround in the experience of supporting this club. Those that know less may call it weak support, but those that have lived and breathed it have decided they can only take it so many years in a row.

I can't quite bring myself to saying I hope we get flogged. But if we do, I will wait with anticipation at the club's next move. If nothing comes of it I can't see myself investing in this emotionally or financially one more day.

 

[ALSGI]

Sunday arvo at Lang Park, FMD.

It’s been 3 years since we played a Finals game, and what 4 years before that?

Feels a bit weird really, almost like going on holidays to a place I’ve been to before ages ago except the forecasts are for really bad weather. I can’t cancel, can’t get my money back so we just have to hope for the best. I’m still excited about going but pretty sure I know what we’ll see and do when we get there. A part of me is hoping the forecast is wrong, maybe we’ll see something new, or maybe something we’ve seen before (like in Round 1, or the first 10 rounds).

Can’t really argue with all the doom and gloom on here but I don’t have to agree either. I think there’s still a small flame there.

I think the stage could be set for a massive upset if they can fire up.

Go the Mighty Dragons, let’s f**kc these Donkeys up.

 

[st penguin]

The icing on the cake for me was being 4-2 down against an injury ravaged Knights and going for 2 pts. Only to miss the goal and defend their line and not get the ball for the 10-15 mins after that kick.

I had no problem with that decision to go for 2 - it was straight in front of the posts. Would tie up the game. And hopefully get Lomax into a kicking groove. Just because he missed doesn’t make the original decision incorrect.

What I find funny is that the knights also turned down a kick at goal and subsequently dropped the ball. Any criticsm about their decision?

 

[grouch]

If I had a dollar for every time the word hope gets mentioned in reference to how we play...

Going to the footy to see star players, confident of their ability and the way they have prepared and schemed for the match, has turned into people staying home and just hoping for the best.

There has been a complete turnaround in the experience of supporting this club. Those that know less may call it weak support, but those that have lived and breathed it have decided they can only take it so many years in a row.

I can't quite bring myself to saying I hope we get flogged. But if we do, I will wait with anticipation at the club's next move. If nothing comes of it I can't see myself investing in this emotionally or financially one more day.

I cling to the hope of a positive change at the top of this club. I dream of the same turnaround that South Sydney experienced in 2018, or that our own club experienced in 2009. I nurture that hope

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

I wonder if the board realise the lost revenue that Mary will cause because of his poor coaching. Saints made it to the finals and if they were actually performing well the club will be making good coin with all the fans having actual belief that they can go all the way. Yet Mary has them playing like busted's and looking the easy beats of the finals series. How can fans support that? I am actually hoping Saints don't get flogged let alone win.

There would be so many more fans making an effort to go to Qld yet there is a lot more not going because they know they will fail and it will be a waste of money. Even if it was in Sydney I think there would be less fans. If they were hosting a home final the opposition fans would outnumber the Saints fans.

Why, because Mary has them going backwards at a time they should be firing and raring to go. They missed out on a top 4 spot because the conceded 78 points to Parra and Dogs and scored 4. If they lost both by 2 they would have still made top 4 or better still won 1 then it is a different story altogether. This is not a dip in form, this is a huge embarrassment.

The icing on the cake for me was being 4-2 down against an injury ravaged Knights and going for 2 pts. Only to miss the goal and defend their line and not get the ball for the 10-15 mins after that kick. That defined the Saints season. Poor choices which led to disastrous results. Saints now playing in Brisbane because of that. Shows the finals team that if Saints are in your half, give away a penalty and have a breather. They won;t be coming for you. Warriors showed that early in the season yet they still have not taken the hint that teams purposely give away a penalty to get a breather cause Saints are so dumb they will go for goal.

Mary got the team he wanted and finished 2 positions higher on the ladder than last season. That is what the board need to realise. The team he wanted got flogged 78-4 against teams last and 3rd last at the time. I know Brisbane also got flogged by Dogs at ANZ a few weeks before Dragons did, but since then have looked like winning the comp which is the massive difference in the 2 sides. Brisbane's worst season in history and they finished with a home semi against Saints.

Sorry for the long post but at a time we should be cheering feel very flat because the Saints look like the easy beats of the Finals.

McGregor has been a liability for years.
I would be happy if we were just competitive on next Sunday.
I am afraid of another big score which will just embarrass us 2 years in a row.
The time for all of McGregor's press conference BS and positive spin is over.
First week of the finals.
As he himself said, it's a whole new competition now.
We are playing in Brisbane at the Suncorp cauldron.
For me Bennet is showing why he is a master coach.
timing his run into the finals to perfection.
As I have said many times, write Bennet off at you peril.

 

[hazzbeen]

Sunday arvo at Lang Park, FMD.

It’s been 3 years since we played a Finals game, and what 4 years before that?

Feels a bit weird really, almost like going on holidays to a place I’ve been to before ages ago except the forecasts are for really bad weather. I can’t cancel, can’t get my money back so we just have to hope for the best. I’m still excited about going but pretty sure I know what we’ll see and do when we get there. A part of me is hoping the forecast is wrong, maybe we’ll see something new, or maybe something we’ve seen before (like in Round 1, or the first 10 rounds).

Can’t really argue with all the doom and gloom on here but I don’t have to agree either. I think there’s still a small flame there.

I think the stage could be set for a massive upset if they can fire up.

Go the Mighty Dragons, let’s f**kc these Donkeys up.

Mate the bad weather that you say is forecast , could be a blessing for us .... Hope the skies open up and it pisses down with heavy rain all day . Sorry if you get wet , but it will suit us one up , one up dont pass the ball like we have been for the last 6 weeks . Mary knew this weeks ago and was preparing us for this day one up stuff .... Genius .......

 

[ALSGI]

Mate the bad weather that you say is forecast , could be a blessing for us .... Hope the skies open up and it pisses down with heavy rain all day . Sorry if you get wet , but it will suit us one up , one up dont pass the ball like we have been for the last 6 weeks . Mary knew this weeks ago and was preparing us for this day one up stuff .... Genius .......

Unfortunately they forecast sunny and 25 atm, with rain the day before.

 

[possm]

Unfortunately they forecast sunny and 25 atm, with rain the day before.

We need heavy rain to have a chance. I hope it buckets down on Sunday.

 

[rednwhites]

I had no problem with that decision to go for 2 - it was straight in front of the posts. Would tie up the game. And hopefully get Lomax into a kicking groove. Just because he missed doesn’t make the original decision incorrect.

JDB was struggling at the time with his leg and he was the one calling for the 2 so that he could get treatment and not have to take part in an attacking raid. They may have taken it anyway but it looked like the reason to me.

 

[blacksafake]

Can someone answer me this.
Having only watched the 2nd half on Sat I have read that JDB injured his foot in the 1st half,heard a crack in his foot.Possibly broken or ligament damage.If so WTF why was he sent back on in the 2nd half instead of sending Luc on.