General Discussion Thread

[Murraymob1]

Richio love him or hate him is great a rebuilding a club but sucks at maintaining a salary cap .He has done a great job at the tigers they are making a profit

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

Richio love him or hate him is great a rebuilding a club but sucks at maintaining a salary cap .He has done a great job at the tigers they are making a profit

I think your spot on with that comment. Left Penrith's salary cap in a dreadful mess upon leaving. Took until Gus coming back to get out of it.

 

[Black Panther]

I think your spot on with that comment. Left Penrith's salary cap in a dreadful mess upon leaving. Took until Gus coming back to get out of it.

Let’s not forget Gus was the one in charge when handing out several ridiculous 5 year deals.

 

[Goonji]

That is my understanding too. The Balmain side (to some extent) believe that they're more important than what they actually are. Add in to the mix that when the joint venture started it was Balmain with all the power and money imposing their 'temu tigers' onto the joint venture.

Club would be far better scrapping the colours, mascots and emblems to begin again. Got a feeling that the last jersey was the cherry on top for the magpie section of the board.

I think one less team in Sydney would be a better outcome. Bye bye Tigers.

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

Let’s not forget Gus was the one in charge when handing out several ridiculous 5 year deals.

I haven't trust me. Gus then was at his 'meddling stage'.....He'll get there with the Dogs I'm sure.

Just watching the latest James Graham podcast. Michael Chammas in it does an analysis of Richo which I think is pretty spot on.

I like Graham's podcast he has good guests and it's quite balanced.

 

[Fangs]

Bold plan for an extended substitutes bench could revolutionise the NRL

Some of the most successful coaches in rugby league want to potentially double the size of the current bench as the game becomes faster and more brutal. But will the change work?

www.smh.com.au

A recommendation from the NRL’s most successful coaches to expand the number of bench players could add tactical intrigue to a game trapped in a straitjacket of left- and right-side regimentation, while also improving safety standards.

Four-time premiership coach Cleary said: “I’m keen on it, as I’m old enough to have used the concept of four from six on the bench when I coached reserve grade in the early 2000s. I liked it then as it provides specialist cover for specialist injuries, while also allowing the tactical replacements pending game situations.”

---

I hope this goes ahead just to put an end to the nauseating discussion over the bench utility on this forum.

 

[Chins]

Bold plan for an extended substitutes bench could revolutionise the NRL

Some of the most successful coaches in rugby league want to potentially double the size of the current bench as the game becomes faster and more brutal. But will the change work?

www.smh.com.au

A recommendation from the NRL’s most successful coaches to expand the number of bench players could add tactical intrigue to a game trapped in a straitjacket of left- and right-side regimentation, while also improving safety standards.

Four-time premiership coach Cleary said: “I’m keen on it, as I’m old enough to have used the concept of four from six on the bench when I coached reserve grade in the early 2000s. I liked it then as it provides specialist cover for specialist injuries, while also allowing the tactical replacements pending game situations.”

---

I hope this goes ahead just to put an end to the nauseating discussion over the bench utility on this forum.

You'll have to drag me kicking and screaming before I stop mate

 

[Fangs]

You'll have to drag me kicking and screaming before I stop mate

14. Cogger
15. Sorensen
16. Patea
17. Henry
18. Jenkins
19. Ale

 

[The Realist]

I think one less team in Sydney would be a better outcome. Bye bye Tigers.

Just imagine us capturing the entire south west? We'd become the biggest club in the league, particularly with all the development in and around Badgerys Creek.

 

[Munky]

Bold plan for an extended substitutes bench could revolutionise the NRL

Some of the most successful coaches in rugby league want to potentially double the size of the current bench as the game becomes faster and more brutal. But will the change work?

www.smh.com.au

A recommendation from the NRL’s most successful coaches to expand the number of bench players could add tactical intrigue to a game trapped in a straitjacket of left- and right-side regimentation, while also improving safety standards.

Four-time premiership coach Cleary said: “I’m keen on it, as I’m old enough to have used the concept of four from six on the bench when I coached reserve grade in the early 2000s. I liked it then as it provides specialist cover for specialist injuries, while also allowing the tactical replacements pending game situations.”

---

I hope this goes ahead just to put an end to the nauseating discussion over the bench utility on this forum.

Ivan will use the extra spots for players that are too slow for the backs and too small for the second row.

He loves a nuffy backrow/centre utility

 

[betcats]

Heard a good chat on sen radio on my early commute the other day that i found interesting and it made penrith sound good so ill share.

Essentially the story was about Parra putting Talyn De silva through some training this offseason to improve his "game awareness", which i took to mean high level NRL IQ. Why this was interesting because the sen guys compared de silva to Iongi whom parra were pleasantly surprised about how advanced he was coming out of our system despite only play 1 FG game.

So the interesting part was De Silva had played a lot more FG then Iongi did before arriving at Parra but Iongi played 50 cup gmes and came out of our system whereas Da Silva got a lot more FG minutes in a shit system. Despite having a lot more FG experience De Silva was not as advanced as Iongi in the footy IQ department. Goes to show a couple things, firstly development is not all about NRL minutes and secondly our system is currently the best dev system going around.

I think this further supported by the stories this time last year about Penrith coaches being a little shocked at how much Blaize needed to learn.

 

[West Nowra Panther]

Heard a good chat on sen radio on my early commute the other day that i found interesting and it made penrith sound good so ill share.

Essentially the story was about Parra putting Talyn De silva through some training this offseason to improve his "game awareness", which i took to mean high level NRL IQ. Why this was interesting because the sen guys compared de silva to Iongi whom parra were pleasantly surprised about how advanced he was coming out of our system despite only play 1 FG game.

So the interesting part was De Silva had played a lot more FG then Iongi did before arriving at Parra but Iongi played 50 cup gmes and came out of our system whereas Da Silva got a lot more FG minutes in a shit system. Despite having a lot more FG experience De Silva was not as advanced as Iongi in the footy IQ department. Goes to show a couple things, firstly development is not all about NRL minutes and secondly our system is currently the best dev system going around.

I think this further supported by the stories this time last year about Penrith coaches being a little shocked at how much Blaize needed to learn.

The simple reality is, good players make mediocre coaches look good and good coaches make mediocre teams look good.

Some examples from my point of view.

Fitzgibbon - touted as the next Jack Gibson during his assistant time, yet Cronulla are still marking time not really a premiership threat. Even after acquiring one of the top 3 front rowers in the game. Mediocre coach.

Bellamy - we've all seen what he does with discards and plodders. Combining them with a couple of quality players and bingo, you know they are going to be successful. Add the fact that his tactics stretch the rules to the limits, it makes them hard to beat. Good coach.

Flanagan - still thinks that the biggest and most experienced players will cover the fact he's never had a decent half to coach. Ala Cronulla 2016 and the Dragons the last two years with him signing every available forward over the age of 30.
Trying to change the way a 300+ gamer in Ben Hunt played is probably the most glaring bad idea he's had.
Add the stigma of the peptide program. Mediocre coach.

Walters - gee wizz, my missus could get a better result than him. Very mediocre coach.

Cleary - the last 6 years speaks for him. He has worked out what is needed for a club to be successful in the long run, never looking for instant success, making the tough calls in retention and truly joining the club and community. Great coach.

Remember readers, these are only my opinions from the way I see the game evolve. Merry Christmas.

 

[age.s]

I think Fitzgibbon shouldn't be written off yet. He’s kept Cronulla very competetive in an era in which a genuine dynasty team made random premierships all but impossible, and has done so with a massive choker playing in his teams key position. You could argue he should have done some things differently, but you could have said the same about Ivan at a comparable point of their careers.

 

[West Nowra Panther]

I think Fitzgibbon shouldn't be written off yet. He’s kept Cronulla very competetive in an era in which a genuine dynasty team made random premierships all but impossible, and has done so with a massive choker playing in his teams key position. You could argue he should have done some things differently, but you could have said the same about Ivan at a comparable point of their careers.

I personally would say more than one choker. Add to that a couple of outside backs that are air heads, which the coach has had plenty of time to rectify, and some second rate big boppers. Massive under achieving club. IMHO of course.

 

[age.s]

I personally would say more than one choker. Add to that a couple of outside backs that are air heads, which the coach has had plenty of time to rectify, and some second rate big boppers. Massive under achieving club. IMHO of course.

I don't know if I'd agree, at least not in the past few years. They've made the finals 4 years in a row under Fitzgibbon and while they've never really looked like genuine contenders during that time, theres at least 12 clubs who have on aggregate performed worse during this period than the Sharks.

Ourselves, the Storm and Broncos are the only clubs who you would say have definitively had a better decade than the Sharks. The Roosters and Rabbits could potentially enter the conversation as well. Anyone else is a stretch. It's not like they have a ton of natural advantages in terms of money or juniors either. Their southern cousins the Dragons are much more deserving of the tag "under achieving club" imo.

 

[Fangs]

Grand final was a chance for the Sharks this year. I was pretty disappointed with their performance against Melbourne.

You want to see a team improve year on year. Marginal improvement in the Sharks in 2025. All too similar to the last couple years for me and that is despite adding AFB to the pack.

 

[Chins]

If this is real we should probably fold the club

 

[Oldpanther86]

If this is real we should probably fold the clubView attachment 108424

 

[Goonji]

If this is real we should probably fold the clubView attachment 108424

Too ugly to even be a traning shirt, not implying that it is.

 

[West Nowra Panther]

Grand final was a chance for the Sharks this year. I was pretty disappointed with their performance against Melbourne.

You want to see a team improve year on year. Marginal improvement in the Sharks in 2025. All too similar to the last couple years for me and that is despite adding AFB to the pack.

It's a 67' thing with me.

The Sharks came in with us, got the jump on the predominately blue jersey which forced us into brown.

Add to that their smug, elitist, "the Shire is better" attitude, and I have that little smile with all the failures they have.

They are a club that over the years has definitely had the players to win multiple comps, but they are a club that's very adept at not being able to "walk the talk".

And the fact that Cronulla, like all the smug city teams, still think that the Panthers are only in the comp to make up the numbers, you know, those second class westies aren't supposed to be successful, they're just supposed to mow the lawns and fix the cars for those toffee nosed coastal dwellers.

Well football life has certainly changed in the last handful of years and it's not dominated by the Manly's, the Eastern Suburbs and Cronulla's anymore.

It's a "Westy dominated game" hence why the NRL is happy to have Penrith develop the lions share of the talent for those smug clubs to poach.

So yeah, I don't give a rat's you know what when Cronulla falls short...Again.