What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Galvin v the Tigers

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
26,212
I dont really have anything against Gus. He’s a liar and a snake oil salesman but he’s working in the best interests of his club. He got his man, likely broke every rule in the book to do it but he knows nothing will happen to him.

With the Dogs though it does kinda feel like they’re blowing up their 2025 charge to secure a longer term one. Maybe Gus and Ciraldo are realistic and don’t believe they’re a genuine Premiership chance this year. Considering how poor the comp this might be a mistake, I can’t imagine clubs like Penrith, Easts and Souths being lower/mid table teams for too long.

it Feels like this could be another 2005 where all the traditional powerhouses have an off/gap year (roosters/dogs/broncos/storm that year) then they all bounce back and are top 4 again the following.
 
Last edited:

dogslife

Coach
Messages
19,633
I dont really have anything against Gus. He’s a liar and a snake oil salesman but he’s working in the best interests of his club. He got his man, likely broke every rule in the book to do it but he knows nothing will happen to him.

With the Dogs though it does kinda feel like they’re blowing up their 2025 charge to secure a longer term one. Maybe Gus and Ciraldo are realistic and don’t believe they’re a genuine Premiership chance this year. Considering how poor the comp this might be a mistake, I can’t imagine clubs like Penrith, Easts and Souths being lower/mid table teams for too long.

it Feels like this could be another 2005 where all the traditional powerhouses have an off/gap year (roosters/dogs/broncos/storm that year) then they all bounce back and are top 4 again the following.
The same people who've been telling us we're pretenders who haven't beaten anyone good yet, are the same people who claim we've derailed our season by not sticking with the same team.

Make up your minds.
 

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
106,104
My biggest fear is Parramatta sack him, as I know full well where he’ll end up.

Tbh I don't think MON is either good or bad at his job. He's just kind of there. Being alightly insipid.

He has got us some quality players and re-signings, and he's missed some that we probably should have got. As with most things Parra, I think our fans carry on makes him seem worse than he is. That said, we do need more from that role for sure.
 

speedster

Bench
Messages
3,714
I'm obviously going to be in the minority here but I think adding Galvin and shifting Hayward to 9 could more likely supercharge the Dogs than derail them.

Galvin's just a natural with great instinct and flair to attack and he and Burton can share the play making duties 50-50 while Hayward also has more attacking upside to him than Mahoney and looks a great utility type that can play anywhere in the spine. Bit unsure if he can play 80 in the middle and if he can defend well there so some risk but if the coach trusts him there, then he knows best. Probably need to play Turpin off the bench at least at first to get his minutes up.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
26,212
I'm obviously going to be in the minority here but I think adding Galvin and shifting Hayward to 9 could more likely supercharge the Dogs than derail them.

Galvin's just a natural with great instinct and flair to attack and he and Burton can share the play making duties 50-50 while Hayward also has more attacking upside to him than Mahoney and looks a great utility type that can play anywhere in the spine. Bit unsure if he can play 80 in the middle and if he can defend well there so some risk but if the coach trusts him there, then he knows best. Probably need to play Turpin off the bench at least at first to get his minutes up.

whilst I don’t disagree, changing your spine halfway through a season when you’re 10-2 seems odd. All your structures, systems etc that you’ve worked on all pre season go out the window. This isn’t even going into the bulldogs much vaunted defence, which Galvin is very poor at.

It’s also about how much it upsets the playing group. Of course maybe Ciraldo/Critta are good enough leaders to ensure this doesn’t happen, or maybe today’s footballers don’t care about that kind of thing.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
26,212
Didn’t he leave the Tigers on bad terms? Surely he would be filed under “not for rehire”

Marina Go sacked him for something that happened at a Xmas party. I won’t post what I’ve heard it was, but I’m surprised another club picked him up if what I got told was true 🍆

Benji wants the club to be his best mates and the club seems to be giving him everything he wants
 

glockers

Juniors
Messages
678
I'm obviously going to be in the minority here but I think adding Galvin and shifting Hayward to 9 could more likely supercharge the Dogs than derail them.

Galvin's just a natural with great instinct and flair to attack and he and Burton can share the play making duties 50-50 while Hayward also has more attacking upside to him than Mahoney and looks a great utility type that can play anywhere in the spine. Bit unsure if he can play 80 in the middle and if he can defend well there so some risk but if the coach trusts him there, then he knows best. Probably need to play Turpin off the bench at least at first to get his minutes up.
Sure if by natural you mean long grubbers gifting the opposition seven tackle sets about three or four times a game, one or two passes over the sideline, running into tacklers instead of passing to his open centre and wingers, sideways running across field into nothing and other attack killing ball hog stuff.
 

speedster

Bench
Messages
3,714
whilst I don’t disagree, changing your spine halfway through a season when you’re 10-2 seems odd. All your structures, systems etc that you’ve worked on all pre season go out the window. This isn’t even going into the bulldogs much vaunted defence, which Galvin is very poor at.

It’s also about how much it upsets the playing group. Of course maybe Ciraldo/Critta are good enough leaders to ensure this doesn’t happen, or maybe today’s footballers don’t care about that kind of thing.
I don't think they will be changing their structures, Galvin will be learning to play within those structures. And depending on the culture in the place, the players don't get upset about these things because that is what a winning culture is all about and Penrith players know this better than most.
 

dogslife

Coach
Messages
19,633
Everyone thought our recruitment policy was hilarious when we signed all those utilities on the back of missing the finals for the 7th straight season.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
26,212
I don't think they will be changing their structures, Galvin will be learning to play within those structures. And depending on the culture in the place, the players don't get upset about these things because that is what a winning culture is all about and Penrith players know this better than most.

Teaching Lachie to play within a structure won’t be as easy as it sounds, he’s highly talented but plays how he likes. Sure Ciraldo is worlds ahead of Benji as an NRL coach which will help, I just don’t see him jumping into the Dogs halves and playing to a top 4 standard straight off the bat. 2026 a whole different story.m
 

Woody90

Bench
Messages
3,462
I'm obviously going to be in the minority here but I think adding Galvin and shifting Hayward to 9 could more likely supercharge the Dogs than derail them.

Galvin's just a natural with great instinct and flair to attack and he and Burton can share the play making duties 50-50 while Hayward also has more attacking upside to him than Mahoney and looks a great utility type that can play anywhere in the spine. Bit unsure if he can play 80 in the middle and if he can defend well there so some risk but if the coach trusts him there, then he knows best. Probably need to play Turpin off the bench at least at first to get his minutes up.

If you were simply substituting a player with a very similar but more talented one I’d agree with you, but Galvin’s not really a halfback. He and Sexton play very differently and all of the sides structures are built around the role of the current halves.

Having 2 running halves together isn’t impossible as Storm have shown, but you really need a whole off season of running new plays to compliment the new styles and getting the team familiar with it for it to have any chance of working.
 

speedster

Bench
Messages
3,714
If you were simply substituting a player with a very similar but more talented one I’d agree with you, but Galvin’s not really a halfback. He and Sexton play very differently and all of the sides structures are built around the role of the current halves.

Having 2 running halves together isn’t impossible as Storm have shown, but you really need a whole off season of running new plays to compliment the new styles and getting the team familiar with it for it to have any chance of working.
All good points and I expect it would take a few games to iron out the kinks but I also think that he and Burton can work since he is a right foot kick like Sexton plus I think Ciraldo has been wanting Sexton to run more and play both sides which Galvin is very good at. Could be less structure and more spontaneity is what could spur the Dogs' attack to even greater heights.

Just my gut feeling.
 
Top