How well will the Bulldogs do in 2012 ?

[Easts R #1]

You mean the roosters one he scored about 4 against?:lol::lol::lol:

Yes,:crazy: the nsw cup side that smashed the Dogs in our last encounter!

 

[Von]

Dogs to finish mid table.

Des will be a positive for them....2013 will be a dream year for them after building up this season.

 

[natheel]

Like many have said their strength is the forwards. Halves lack a bit imo. Des won't be the miracle cure this year. But I can see them making a few teams worried

I picked 9th - 12th place

 

[RWB]

You mean the roosters one he scored about 4 against?:lol::lol::lol:

He scored 2 in the earliest clash of 2011 and one in the game at the end of the season. I assume you're referring to the earlier game... for your sake anyway

In comes the Doggiesbro evaluation process:
Bulldogs Player = Ability + 50% to 100%
Non Bulldogs player = Ability - 50% to 100%

So lets put that theory to the test on Barba's match performance

Formula
Player X = Tries + 50% to 100%

Result
Ben Barba = 2 + 50% to 100%
= 3 to 4 tries

AND WE HAVE A MATCH!

 

[Spot On]

Pete, I can only assume you stopped watching Bulldogs games around Round 15 or so.

They played well from about round 22 Timmah. Round 15 and Barba was still trying to work out that his job was to catch the ball. I have to agree with everything Pete has said re Barba. He must improve nearly every aspect of his game to remain at the back. He looked as though he was heading in the right direction over the last month of 2011. He even caught a few on the full!

 

[Timmah]

If his opinion was uneducated in what way would that suggest he didn't watch the last ~10 games? His opinion might come across as unknowledgeable or ignorant but to say it's uneducated doesn't make any sense.

It's got to be one of the most commonly misused words on forums (with so much irony).

It seems pretty straight forward to me, I don't know what you think "uneducated" means but in my world it means "not educated". I.e. the poster in question did not take the time to educate himself (in this case by watching Bulldogs games) about a subject before passing any sort of qualified comment.

Barba scoring 23 tries just exemplifies how utterly useless the rest of the backline actually was.

Really? Like Steve Turner who scored 11 tries? Or Josh Morris who scored 8 despite missing chunks of the year through injury and demotion?
:lol:

Afterall this is a thread on how everyone perceives how the dogs will go next year. Some of you dogs supporters have to learn not to take others opinions so personally. Just remember opinions are like arse-holes....everyone has one....doesn't mean they are all accurate!

True, doesn't mean we can't disagree with them or have spirited debates over them either

He scored 2 in the earliest clash of 2011 and one in the game at the end of the season. I assume you're referring to the earlier game... for your sake anyway

In comes the Doggiesbro evaluation process:
Bulldogs Player = Ability + 50% to 100%
Non Bulldogs player = Ability - 50% to 100%

So lets put that theory to the test on Barba's match performance

Formula
Player X = Tries + 50% to 100%

Result
Ben Barba = 2 + 50% to 100%
= 3 to 4 tries

AND WE HAVE A MATCH!

Anyone with half a brain (which it seems even DoggiesBro struggles to achieve) would look at his statement and realise he was referring to a match in which Barba scored 4 tries.

It was actually against the Raiders in Round 26.

 

[Timmah]

They played well from about round 22 Timmah. Round 15 and Barba was still trying to work out that his job was to catch the ball. I have to agree with everything Pete has said re Barba. He must improve nearly every aspect of his game to remain at the back. He looked as though he was heading in the right direction over the last month of 2011. He even caught a few on the full!

That's the point I'm making though Spot On - he and most of the rest of the team were shit ordinary through the middle rounds, I have no problem admitting that. He, along with many of the side, improved dramatically in the final 6-7 odd rounds under Dymock. It's pretty straightforward but people would rather put shit on the Bulldogs than actually debate an issue properly.

 

[POPEYE]

Maybe the Dogs will go into this year without the weight of the press on their shoulders.

Last year the unrealistic expectations placed on them were laughable. Under the radar is where Dessie wants them.

A Manly man there for the money without any 'family' ties and complete autonomy will see the Dogs flourish . . . albeit not without some hard decisions

 

[DoggiesBro]

Yes,:crazy: the nsw cup side that smashed the Dogs in our last encounter!

It's not our fault your roster is NSW cup standard.

It is why your club fights for the spoon.

We lost by 4 points in that game at the end with as many injuries if not more then you. We also smashed you earlier in the year and finished well above you, and will again.:lol::lol::lol:

 

[mongoose]

Depends what Des can do with their halves. I like the look of their forward pack and Hasler should get the best out of them. I don 't know what their younger prospects are like but the bench isn't the best. Outside back are capable. They will be competitive in every game but struggle to score points IMO. IF they make the top 8 it will be 7th or 8th.

 

[POPEYE]

Depends what Des can do with their halves. I like the look of their forward pack and Hasler should get the best out of them. I don 't know what their younger prospects are like but the bench isn't the best. Outside back are capable. They will be competitive in every game but struggle to score points IMO. IF they make the top 8 it will be 7th or 8th.

Yes, the halves are the key as in all teams and I suspect Des will make changes

 

[rnb11]

I can't see them finishing any higher than 10th, not even Bennett could work his magic on this lot so I think Des is in for a real struggle. Too many weaknesses and too many better sides infront of them. They have a very average squad.

 

[innsaneink]

Be interesting to see if Des can solve the complicated puzzle that is Frank Pritchard...get him doing what he does best week in week out not once per month or so

 

[trudge]

Des will be working the phone pretty hard this year.

Half the team will be playing for their future. Could motivate some desperate performances.

Top 8. Just.

 

[RWB]

Anyone with half a brain (which it seems even DoggiesBro struggles to achieve) would look at his statement and realise he was referring to a match in which Barba scored 4 tries.

It was actually against the Raiders in Round 26.

What? He was referring to the Roosters quite clearly...

You mean the roosters one he scored about 4 against?:lol::lol::lol:

I'd break the sentence down for you but it's already so straight forward. In context of the quote before that...

"You mean the Roosters backline that he scored about 4 against? *insert laughs to try and assert being more right*"

 

[RWB]

Des will be working the phone pretty hard this year.

Half the team will be playing for their future. Could motivate some desperate performances.

Top 8. Just.

They don't have a lot of talent, or high earning players coming off contract for them to move that much tbh.

To keep the likes of Tapau & Alaalatoa they'd be paying big upgrades. No doubt they'll probably be conned into doing the same with Kasiano.

Can't see them not re-signing Stagg or Turner either who have been two of their most consistent players though some pretty hard times. The rest are all fringe first graders on minimal contracts.

The raise in the salary cap is coming at a pretty good time for the dogs otherwise they'd be struggling to afford any new players.

 

[MatthewA]

For people who don't know much about our young guns pushing for a spot (Finucane, Jackson and Lafai), all 3 are capable of playing first grade.

With Finucane, think of Shaun Fensom except with the ability to play front row and an added 50m a match. Same goes for Josh Jackson, except he's far more developed in attack. Lafai played a few matches in first grade in 2011 out of no where and claimed a couple of man of the match awards. He's all class and will turn out better than Idris IMO.

Des will get the best out of the halves, our back line is more than capable and we have a rep quality forward pack with the likes of Eastwood, Graham, Pritchard, Tolman and Ennis that only lacks consistency and that's something Des will hopefully fix.

Bench could be a bit of a worry, but we do have very capable players. I personally would play Eastwood off the bench for impact. He's having his first full pre-season in ages. Last year he had both wrists surgically repaired, his ankle also had surgery on it.

In conclusion, we have a team on paper capable of pushing for top 4. No idea how we will go on the field, though.

 

[RWB]

With Finucane, think of Shaun Fensom except with the ability to play front row and an added 50m a match.

50-60 tackles with very few missed & 16-18 carries for 150-160m a game

Man I can't wait to see this guy go.

 

[firechild]

I would say that DCE was more vital to there succesful year and better then ALL of them except maybe Glenn Stewart. Certainly more so then Brett Stewart and Jamie Lyon at least. Any manly fan care to comment on DCE being behind Foran, Stewart brothers and Lyon as there best player last year?

Jamie Lyon and Glenn Stewart were miles in front of anyone and I'd say DCE and Brett Stewart were on par. Foran was coming 2nd in the Dally Ms for a big portion of the season so you'd probably have him right up there as well. DCE would certainly be in the top 5.

Though on your point about DCE being named for Australia meaning he was pretty much Manly's best, both Stewarts, Tony Williams and Watmough were all picked, Lyon would have been a certainty had he not retired from rep footy and Foran was the first choice halfback for NZ so while DCE certainly proved himself through the season, your argument is flawed (especially considering DCE only got 1 game against Wales while Foran, Watmough and Williams played several games.

 

[firechild]

I think it's funny how bulldogs fans harp on about how Des made T-Rex what he is and therefore he will do the same for Pritchard. All Des really did to get T-Rex going is move him from the wing to the back row meaning he wasn't bored and got involved in the game more. This is not something Des can do for Pritchard because he is already in the back row.