Hows your club shaping up for the run in.

[TRANSLATION]

My Club has a few big name players sitting out a big part of the rest of the season.

Mark Gasnier out for 3 weeks.

Lance Thompson out for another 3 weeks.

Luke bailey Expected back round 26.

Brett Firman expected back round 22.

John Carlaw expected back round 19.

1 Million Dollars is out of this weeks game against the Broncos and again against the Roosters.


But most players will be back for the before the finals get underway, we are looking healthy with all the players available. I expect injuries from now till seasons end, but hope we dont get any out for the season.

But being a Dragons supporter, there will most probably be some coming our way.

If you don't have your best available come finals time, your chances decrease with every injury.

Our Saving Grace was the last couple of seasons. We had a horrendous injury toll to key personnel for extended periods, yet our Talented juniors have had enough game time to gain that vaulable experience that is required in first grade football these days.

Players such as, Sims, Poore, Young, Creagh, Head have come on in leaps and bounds and they give us the talent, the enthusiasm, the fitness for guys at a young age.

All looks good our way. Hopefully for my club and fans, things will only get better.

:?

If at all possible, can we leave the hostilities out of this thread and just have a decent discussion about the footy?

 

[Tommy Smith]

When Firman comes back, where, if at all, will he slot in? Matty Head will never get the chop so is he a chance for the bench ahead of Withers?
And i didn't know Bailey would be back this year...good news.

We're shaping up pretty well. Had a bad run of injuries early on in the season but are starting to get everyone back on deck. Losing Tupou was a real blow because he was starting to terrorise opponents every time he was on the field...well actually he has been all year but especially lately. Hopefully though he'll be back to full fitness by the semis..and the same goes for Hegarty. If everyone is fit WHEN IT COUNTS then i'm confident of another fairytale finish for Fred. Just as all fans of the top teams would be confident of winning the comp with their full compliment available i suppose.

 

[Timmah]

Maybe it's the wrong part of the season to be bragging about it but according to the Big League magazine we're the only injury free team in Rugby League at present. Not sure about any injury news to come out of Origin, haven't really been listening/watching since the game - but we're looking pretty sweet at least for a few weeks. Let's just hope we don't chuck a 2001 and have evil injuries come finals and get hammered 52-10 by Cronulla

But right now - I reckon given a few weeks and a good win by St George tonight over Sydney, we can have first spot within a month. Our run home isn't perfect but if we muscle up in the big games and don't get cocky against also-rans, we should be able to ride over Easts ladderwise come Round 26 IMO. I'm loving my footy atm, can't wait.

 

[TRANSLATION]

Maybe it's the wrong part of the season to be bragging about it but according to the Big League magazine we're the only injury free team in Rugby League at present. Not sure about any injury news to come out of Origin, haven't really been listening/watching since the game - but we're looking pretty sweet at least for a few weeks. Let's just hope we don't chuck a 2001 and have evil injuries come finals and get hammered 52-10 by Cronulla

But right now - I reckon given a few weeks and a good win by St George tonight over Sydney, we can have first spot within a month. Our run home isn't perfect but if we muscle up in the big games and don't get cocky against also-rans, we should be able to ride over Easts ladderwise come Round 26 IMO. I'm loving my footy atm, can't wait.

Thurston, Sonny Bill Williams, are they playing this weekend ??

 

[Timmah]

Yup,

VBPL Lineup

6 Johnathon Thurston
12 Sonny-Bill Williams

This isn't designed as a fight mate, this is for footy discussion so quit the nitpicking and talk footy. You said it yourself.

 

[Southernsaint]

When Firman comes back, where, if at all, will he slot in? Matty Head will never get the chop so is he a chance for the bench ahead of Withers?
And i didn't know Bailey would be back this year...good news.

I can't second guess what Browny will do, but I'd keep Firman in Reggies for the rest of the year & retain Withers on the bench.

Bailey is meant to be right for the finals, but with a serious lack of match fitness, you'd have to wonder about his effectiveness.

Cheers,
Ben S.

 

[legend]

Canberra are travelling fairly well at present and we are looking for our third win on the trot to build some momentum for our crunch game against the Panthers next weekend.

I think Terry Martin is out this weekend with a hip flexor problem whilst Phil Graham is out for six weeks with ankle ligament damage.

Apart from that, we are looking ok.

 

[Big Mick]

Penrith not looking good.

Girds may be back next week.

Swainy season, wrigley season

Pritchard 4-5, gowie 3 maybe.

 

[Earl]

Peter Robinson out for the season, and Steve Turner and Dustin Cooper can't find a spot in first grade #-o

 

[Jimbo]

Cronulla are back in the 8 after disposing of Newcastle at Marathon last week. Our only concern is Brett Kimmorley, who may miss another 2-3 weeks with his injured hammy. David Peachey and Phil Bailey should return this week, who are the only other top-liners we have out.

Over the next five rounds we play the Warriors (H), Bulldogs (H), Dragons (A), Brisbane (H) and the Roosters (A). If we can get Kimmorley back for the Dogs game we will be full-strength and a serious shot of beating them, and a couple of the others as well.

Our last four weeks are Parramatta (H), BYE, Melbourne (H) and Cowboys (A). If we can win three of our next five, add that favourable run home, we could finish 5th-6th. And history has shown that if you're there in the second week of the finals, anything can happen...

 

[Eels Dude]

Nathan Cayless is supposed to be due back in a few weeks

Same goes for Aaron Cannings and Luke O'Dwyer

Eric Grothe is a week by week proposition

Adam Dykes has an indefinite injury

David Vaealiki and Ronald Prince are out for the season.

 

[Gooba]

The knights have injurys galore but hve players coming back on deck in the next few weeks. SImpson will be back soon and abraham not far off. Also o'davis, hall and tahu back against the broncos.
Joey out for season as well as seage if u remember him.

 

[innsaneink]

After 3 losses WestsTigers have plummetted from 6th to 11th.

If ever there was a must win game its this weeks V manly...need to keep in touch with the eight after spending a month and a half or so, there.

A tough but not impossible draw home....

Manly a
Storm h
Dogs h
Eels a
Rabbits H
Bye
Broncs a
C'boys h
Knights a


but weve really made it hard for ourselves and are on the razors edge now..

Prince unlikely this week.
Fitzhenry few more weeks
Reynolds & Miles season
Benji out season

 

[Azkatro]

The Cowboys aren't looking 100% to say the least. Glenn Morrison is out for the season, and it looks like Matt Sing may be as well with a double jaw fracture. Paul Bowman still hasn't improved from his neck problem that was discovered before the Warriors game and Chris Sheppard is out for at least a few weeks with an ankle injury.

The rest of the forward pack is looking pretty ragged as well - Campion is out for a further 8 weeks, Jamie Macdonald 6 weeks and Michael Luck 4 weeks.

But so long as Rauhihi stays fit and in current form we have some hope, I believe. It's still a bloody tough run home.

 

[Thunderstruck]

Yeah, Robinson out for season, Kearns for 6 weeks.. dammit, big win costs big. We need Rodney Howe to play his best while Kearns is out. Nothing short of last weeks performance against the Panthers will do. In fact, that's the only game he can be considered playing really well since the days of Chris Anderson. Neddy is really pumping to start games and I haven't seen Chan and Kidwell play better. I'm rather comfortable with the fact that we have enough capable replacements should our starters be sidelined. That is as long as they have the right attitude and fitness coming to the games. We've seen how the Storm can be completely incompetent despite the skill levels shown throughout the last two seasons. That goes for the backline as well.

Speaking of the backline, having depth can be a curse. While we may have a full strength backline, we'll miss the guns of Turner and Cooper who can't find a spot cuz the starters are too good. In fact, I'd say they're as good but the lack of experience is what's costing them a spot.

The run home we play:
Dogs (a), Tigers (a), Eels (h), Roosters (h), Dragons (a), Raiders (a), Dogs (h), Sharks (a), and finally, Eagles (a)

We need minimum of 5 wins to stay in the eight and looking at that run, it's gonna be challenging to stay in the top 4. Dogs, Dragons, and Roosters are red hot, but I'm fairly confident we can take care of the rest. Haven't seen much of Canberra this season though. I'm really hoping we can pack the Dragons in a box cuz they still have one bye left and is ahead on points difference.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

We're a mathematical chance, that's about it!
Looking good for next year I guess :?

 

[Dr Crane]

Lets see..

My team had a win last week, which extends their winning streak to one.

As a result of the win, we moved up a spot on the table. We are now only three wins outside the eight, and 16 points off top spot.

 

[eloquentEEL]

The loss to the Warriors really hurt us, so if we are any chance (and I think most Parra supporters have given up hope for this year) we're going to have to jag a couple of unexpected wins and hope for no more injuries. Added to the list posted by Eels Dude is Muspratt, plus no Lyon means that we STILL have a huge proportion of our cap out.

 

[Dragon Fanatic]

I hope we can get Poore and Sims back for the Easts game. They are two quality young props and can do some real damage. We have one of the best depths in the competition along with Easts and Canterbury. Canterbury amazes me how they year in year out get so little injuries they are so lucky and are a class team. I am worried more about them than Easts.

 

[thuganomics]

The Knights will be getting Steve Simpson and Daniel Abraham very soon, and thats nearly a full strength line up minus Johns. We have not a easy run home but not a hard run home, If we can avoid Major Injuries we should get in the 8.