General Discussion Thread

[Whino]

I love a bit of spice. Even better when it not us.

Broncos legend Steve Renouf sends warning to Manly over looming Anthony Seibold call​

Manly's pursuit of Anthony Seibold to be the club's head coach in the wake of Des Hasler's sacking has left Broncos legend Steve Renouf dumbfounded.

As the idea of Seibold becoming Sea Eagles head coach gains momentum, Renouf has sent a warning to Manly officials amid widespread reports the current England rugby assistant is at the top of their list to replace Des Hasler.

Speaking to The Daily Mail, Renouf, who was part of four premiership-winning Broncos sides, said Seibold had "sucked in" Manly with his view on the analytical side of the game.

"He's sucked them (Manly) in with all his psychobabble," Renouf said.

"He did it to us (the Broncos) and now he's done it to them.

"I spoke to multiple players (at the Broncos) and they told me they didn't know what was going on.

"You could see it on the field. They'd be standing behind the line after they'd had a try scored against them and no one was talking.

"They weren't even looking at each other. No-one was taking charge and saying, 'come on, we've got to do this' because they didn't know what they were supposed to be doing.

Anthony had his ideas of how things should be done, and that was it. Trouble was, the players couldn't understand what he was talking about."

Seibold's appointment at the Sea Eagles is expected to be announced in the coming days as he completes his duties under England coach Eddie Jones.

The decision to sack Hasler in favour of the former Broncos mentor has caused uproar among some Manly fans, who believe he doesn't have Hasler's credentials.

Renouf declared Manly were destined to go in the same direction as the Broncos unless Seibold changes his approach.

"We footballers are simple people playing a simple game," Renouf said.

"Wayne (Bennett) always used to say to me, 'you're thinking too much. Don't think, just play.'

"That was the problem with Seibold. He had the players thinking too much. It stressed them out. They didn't want to try anything in case it went badly.

"Good luck to Manly, but I just can't see how it can work. They'll know in six months."

Manly warned over Seibold's big 'problem'

'He's sucked them in'

wwos.nine.com.au

Never understood the hype over Seibold.
He couldn't handle it at Brisbane, Manly's dysfunctional front office won't make it any easier.

 

[Pomoz]

I don't know him personally, but Seibold strikes me as a bit of a propellor head. Extremely smart, able to identify problems, provide solutions, spot patterns and provide elite level analysis, but, and it's a big but, he doesn't seem to be able to communicate his ideas and turn them into achievable outcomes. I have come across so many people like that in my career. Super smart, but just not able to relate to other less smart humans. Ideas, or, strategies on their own, won't give you success if you can't make them happen. There is a skill in turning ideas into outcomes that some people just excel at. It is not as glamorous as the coming up with ideas, but it is crucial if you want them implemented.

He has potentially made a really smart move in hiring Flanagan. I think Flanagan has no problem communicating ideas and turning them into outcomes footballers can deliver on. If Seibold can put his ego to one side and be content to come up with the "What" and let Flanagan do the "How", he might be a success.

Using an army analogy, Seibold is the five star General deciding which is "the hill to take" to win the battle, Flanagan is the Sergeant Major who says "leave it with me sir" and then organises the troops and leads them into battle to take the hill.

 

[hindy111]

Hi guys. Can anyone in the know confirm what Waqa's contracts worth? Or what he is on. @Poupou Escobar reckons about 300K. I can't source but I have heard by a source I'd trust it was around 500k. And Penrith where chipping in for the first 3yrs. But that ended 2021 and his last 2yrs was full freight. And it was nothing near the 250k they chipped in for RCG.

@Blade23 would you be able to perhaps say who is closer to the mark here.
Thanks.

 

[BossleyPanther]

I don't think Rooster's are that good https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRpkaRSX/

 

[luv my panfas]

Hi guys. Can anyone in the know confirm what Waqa's contracts worth? Or what he is on. @Poupou Escobar reckons about 300K. I can't source but I have heard by a source I'd trust it was around 500k. And Penrith where chipping in for the first 3yrs. But that ended 2021 and his last 2yrs was full freight. And it was nothing near the 250k they chipped in for RCG.

@Blade23 would you be able to perhaps say who is closer to the mark here.
Thanks.

Such a highlight knowing we got rid of the pests paid freight and still have made 3 grand finals and winning back to back SUPERB

 

[mxlegend99]

They have 2 current origin players
2 current NZ test players
Guys like Hammer, Brenko Lee that won Origin series under Bennett.

No way they finish that low, The 5 basket case teams especially will struggle

The 'best' 17s are usually a bit off. But that side looks awful to me.

That's a reserve grade backline and halves pairing. Starting pack isn't bad. But the bench is pretty trash too.

I just don't rate it. Still time to improve it a bit. But I cant see that side being far away from the spoon.

 

[Iamback]

View attachment 67501

The 'best' 17s are usually a bit off. But that side looks awful to me.

That's a reserve grade backline and halves pairing. Starting pack isn't bad. But the bench is pretty trash too.

I just don't rate it. Still time to improve it a bit. But I cant see that side being far away from the spoon.

Hammer has played origin
Marshall-King is in the Kiwi test team
Gilbert and Kaufusi current Origin players
Bromwich boys NZ test players for a while
Robert Jennings out for Brenko Lee who had some success in Origin under Bennett.

Compare it to the basket case teams, It is atleast better than 6. Maybe more if Katoa is blooded

 

[mxlegend99]

Hammer has played origin
Marshall-King is in the Kiwi test team
Gilbert and Kaufusi current Origin players
Bromwich boys NZ test players for a while
Robert Jennings out for Brenko Lee who had some success in Origin under Bennett.

Compare it to the basket case teams, It is atleast better than 6. Maybe more if Katoa is blooded

Hammer was only a bench player for Cowboys this year and was absolutely terrible for Samoa before injury. He's comfortably one of the worst fullbacks in the competition. He's fast and nothing more... He's basically Tyrone Peachey with more speed and limited to the backline. For the good you get there's a lot of downside.

Brenko Lee is terrible. Might be better than Robert Jennings. Maybe. But he's terrible. Idgaf if he lucked into an Origin jersey. James Roberts played Origin before also. Doesn't mean he was anything more than a reserve grade quality player for Tigers.

These guys having a rep jersey to their name thanks to an injury crisis doesn't change that. plenty of blokes have lucked into rep jerseys and 12 months later been unable to get first grade jerseys. Tyrone Peachey and James Roberts at Tigers.. they still got a spoon with 'Origin' players in their roster.

This years wooden spooners backline is similar in quality... And this is at full strength. Dolphins are a couple of injuries away from that reserve grade backline playing behind a reserve grade forward pack.

Throw in this being a brand new team with no combinations and I cant see many wins in that side. I wouldn't go as far as to say they're wooden spooners. But bottom 4 seems very probable to me.

 

[ColdWetPanther]

Hammer was only a bench player for Cowboys this year and was absolutely terrible for Samoa before injury. He's comfortably one of the worst fullbacks in the competition. He's fast and nothing more... He's basically Tyrone Peachey with more speed and limited to the backline. For the good you get there's a lot of downside.

Brenko Lee is terrible. Might be better than Robert Jennings. Maybe. But he's terrible. Idgaf if he lucked into an Origin jersey. James Roberts played Origin before also. Doesn't mean he was anything more than a reserve grade quality player for Tigers.

These guys having a rep jersey to their name thanks to an injury crisis doesn't change that. plenty of blokes have lucked into rep jerseys and 12 months later been unable to get first grade jerseys. Tyrone Peachey and James Roberts at Tigers.. they still got a spoon with 'Origin' players in their roster.

This years wooden spooners backline is similar in quality... And this is at full strength. Dolphins are a couple of injuries away from that reserve grade backline playing behind a reserve grade forward pack.

Throw in this being a brand new team with no combinations and I cant see many wins in that side. I wouldn't go as far as to say they're wooden spooners. But bottom 4 seems very probable to me.

I’d have them and the Warriors as my spoon picks; maybe Sts too…

 

[Iamback]

Hammer was only a bench player for Cowboys this year and was absolutely terrible for Samoa before injury. He's comfortably one of the worst fullbacks in the competition. He's fast and nothing more... He's basically Tyrone Peachey with more speed and limited to the backline. For the good you get there's a lot of downside.

Brenko Lee is terrible. Might be better than Robert Jennings. Maybe. But he's terrible. Idgaf if he lucked into an Origin jersey. James Roberts played Origin before also. Doesn't mean he was anything more than a reserve grade quality player for Tigers.

These guys having a rep jersey to their name thanks to an injury crisis doesn't change that. plenty of blokes have lucked into rep jerseys and 12 months later been unable to get first grade jerseys. Tyrone Peachey and James Roberts at Tigers.. they still got a spoon with 'Origin' players in their roster.

This years wooden spooners backline is similar in quality... And this is at full strength. Dolphins are a couple of injuries away from that reserve grade backline playing behind a reserve grade forward pack.

Throw in this being a brand new team with no combinations and I cant see many wins in that side. I wouldn't go as far as to say they're wooden spooners. But bottom 4 seems very probable to me.

Hamiso is 21 far from the finished product. 50 FG games, Played Origin a decent enough start to his career

Those guys may of lucked into an Origin jersey but they won the series under Bennett

Brenko Lee won the comp in 2020 again a good coach got the best out of him

Katoa is looking pretty good for Tonga right now. As is Kaufusi on the back of the Bromwich's

They don't make the 8 for sure but lets look at other teams

Tigers - Have a coach who was past it 10 years ago, The roster is average

Warriors - my tip for the spoon, Unproven coach by far the worst roster in the comp

Knights - The fact they are going hard for Luke Brooks as their Saviour says it all

Dragons - Old roster, paid overs for Hunt so can't fix their holes

Manly - Anthony Seibold enough said

A decent pack and great coach will see Dolphins over all of those teami

 

[betcats]

Dolphins will be lucky to finish 13th

 

[mxlegend99]

Hamiso is 21 far from the finished product. 50 FG games, Played Origin a decent enough start to his career

Those guys may of lucked into an Origin jersey but they won the series under Bennett

Brenko Lee won the comp in 2020 again a good coach got the best out of him

Katoa is looking pretty good for Tonga right now. As is Kaufusi on the back of the Bromwich's

They don't make the 8 for sure but lets look at other teams

Tigers - Have a coach who was past it 10 years ago, The roster is average

Warriors - my tip for the spoon, Unproven coach by far the worst roster in the comp

Knights - The fact they are going hard for Luke Brooks as their Saviour says it all

Dragons - Old roster, paid overs for Hunt so can't fix their holes

Manly - Anthony Seibold enough said

A decent pack and great coach will see Dolphins over all of those teami

Peachey and Roberts won Origin series too. Tigers still took out the wooden spoon with a couple of Origin series winners.

Brenko Lee wasnt part of the Broncos best 17 in 2022. He was a depth player just like Robert Jennings was for us. A depth player is a side that missed the finals.

Hammer started the year off as fullback for Cowboys. By the end of the year he was a player getting limited minutes from the bench like Jaemon Salmon for us.

State of Origin 2020 was played at the end of the season after the grand final and many players were unavailable at the time. Corey Allan was part of that Queensland team too yet has been unable to crack the Bulldogs side.

Hammer could potentially kick on. He's young enough and speed is something you can't coach. But i genuinely believe the Dolphins have a reserve grade quality backline and spine playing behind a fringe top 8 quality starting forward pack and a bench that's fringe first grade.

The full strength pack is solid and probably could lead them to 10th to 12th. But that's a wooden spoon quality backline even at full strength IMO. Worse 1 to 7 than Tigers had at full strength this year.

 

[Iamback]

I think you guys are forgetting how bad the bottom 4 teams are, None have made steps to be out of the bottom 4.
Dragons and Manly have imploded and will join them.

10 wins seems realistic given they have 5 current rep players in the pack and an elite coach as well as some ordinary teams

 

[jane the pain]

Unsurprisingly

 

[Iamback]

Peachey and Roberts won Origin series too. Tigers still took out the wooden spoon with a couple of Origin series winners.

Brenko Lee wasnt part of the Broncos best 17 in 2022. He was a depth player just like Robert Jennings was for us. A depth player is a side that missed the finals.

Hammer started the year off as fullback for Cowboys. By the end of the year he was a player getting limited minutes from the bench like Jaemon Salmon for us.

State of Origin 2020 was played at the end of the season after the grand final and many players were unavailable at the time. Corey Allan was part of that Queensland team too yet has been unable to crack the Bulldogs side.

Hammer could potentially kick on. He's young enough and speed is something you can't coach. But i genuinely believe the Dolphins have a reserve grade quality backline and spine playing behind a fringe top 8 quality starting forward pack and a bench that's fringe first grade.

The full strength pack is solid and probably could lead them to 10th to 12th. But that's a wooden spoon quality backline even at full strength IMO. Worse 1 to 7 than Tigers had at full strength this year.

The coach who got Roberts to Origin level was Bennett

Hammer was fullback got injured and they went on a run, You can't carry backs on the bench and give them enough minutes.

Brenko got injured then they won 8 in a row or something. Sitting 4th you aren't going to make changes

The pack is certainly the strength, They have some young guys waiting. So it looks like they picked a squad to be competitive until they are ready.

Bennett coached teams are good in defence, have a decent kicking game. Can put on a set move or 2.

In a team that contained Burton, Jeremy Marshall-King got player of the year for the Dogs. So there is enough to atleast jump a few teams

 

[Fangs]

I'm with franklin on this. They have a decent enough starting pack and a good coach.

I'm expecting a 9-12 finish.

 

[betcats]

Decent starting pack yes but terrible bench and bad forwards depth, average at best spine(jmk,sos,milf and hammer is a bottom four spine imo), below average outside backs backed up again by terrible depth. Add in the fact its a brand new team playing together with all defensive and offensive combinations yet to be worked out and they are in for a tough season. Hammer is going to be out for a couple months at least so that is already 1 injury they are dealing with.

 

[Fangs]

Decent starting pack yes but terrible bench and bad forwards depth, average at best spine(jmk,sos,milf and hammer is a bottom four spine imo), below average outside backs backed up again by terrible depth. Add in the fact its a brand new team playing together with all defensive and offensive combinations yet to be worked out and they are in for a tough season. Hammer is going to be out for a couple months at least so that is already 1 injury they are dealing with.

The other issue is their disrupted pre-season. This is a team that has never played before and they will have less time due to players at the WC. Not ideal at all.

Regardless its a test for Bennett. He isn't coaching anything close to a stacked squad. Anything outside the bottom 4 is a massive achievement.

 

[Iamback]

The other issue is their disrupted pre-season. This is a team that has never played before and they will have less time due to players at the WC. Not ideal at all.

Regardless its a test for Bennett. He isn't coaching anything close to a stacked squad. Anything outside the bottom 4 is a massive achievement.

Tigers, Warriors, Manly, Dogs all have no coaches and key players across in the WC though so hard to see those guys improving. At that level attitude gets you across the line

 

[Munky]

The way Bennett has been publicly lashing out about players not signing suggests to me he is worried about the quality of the squad. The top seventeen is ninth to twelth at best IMO and a few injuries it'll be nuffy central.

The way the Storm forwards played this season also has to be a worry, they were complete trash when the playmakers were out unlike the Penrith pack who still dominated.

Also SOS is the 2022 version of Leo Dynevor, super average player who backed up admirably in 97 for when the starter was out.

He'll be lucky to avoid a record like Leo in 98 and 99.