is vagana enough

[millersnose]

after an awful season watching an inexperienced backline get cut to shreds on a regulair basis I am concerned not enough backline recruiting has been carried out

i hope there are more signings in the off season

 

[Alan Shore]

Dimitri Pelo is supposed to be a gun. Our current backline is much improved (even Ando jnr) and with Franze we're looking alright IMO.

 

[Frenzy]

I'm sure one of the major reasons NV was chased so hard by the club was because of the experience he'll bring. I fully expect he'll bring the experience of winning a Premiership with him as I think the Bulldogs are the peas for 2003.

A year in football is a long time. The kids we have will be 100% for having 2003 under their belt. Especially now they have been given license to thrill and try things.

You can feel the confidence rising at games. You can see the experience growing.

Vagana, in and of himself is not enough. I'll cede that. But he's not going to be alone. He'll have a bunch of very talented up and comers around him who are going to benefit greatly from the wrecking ball forwards we have already and have recruited.

All eras have their stars that have to start out somewhere. Our future backline stars are getting their chance to start this year.

ET was a flop when he started. McGaw was as well. Graham - flop. Docking - flop. Numerous others as well.

You don't leave school and practice medicine. You have to learn the trade.

The step up to the NRL is the same. Can't be done instantly - you gotta walk before you run.

Our younguns are starting to run now.

 

[millersnose]

I'm sure one of the major reasons NV was chased so hard by the club was because of the experience he'll bring. I fully expect he'll bring the experience of winning a Premiership with him as I think the Bulldogs are the peas for 2003.

A year in football is a long time. The kids we have will be 100% for having 2003 under their belt. Especially now they have been given license to thrill and try things.

You can feel the confidence rising at games. You can see the experience growing.

Vagana, in and of himself is not enough. I'll cede that. But he's not going to be alone. He'll have a bunch of very talented up and comers around him who are going to benefit greatly from the wrecking ball forwards we have already and have recruited.

All eras have their stars that have to start out somewhere. Our future backline stars are getting their chance to start this year.

ET was a flop when he started. McGaw was as well. Graham - flop. Docking - flop. Numerous others as well.

You don't leave school and practice medicine. You have to learn the trade.

The step up to the NRL is the same. Can't be done instantly - you gotta walk before you run.

Our younguns are starting to run now.

while i will always respect your judgement mr frenzy i will disagree here

yes the backs are more experienced after this season - but nowhere near enough

ET mCgaw docking all joined an experienced backline that was there to provide guidance

this was not the case this year - apart from noddy and peachy

peachy is frequently injured or MIA that leaves noddy - too close in

while i hope you are right i would feel better if we recruited other experienced backs

 

[Frenzy]

while i will always respect your judgement mr frenzy i will disagree here

yes the backs are more experienced after this season - but nowhere near enough

ET mCgaw docking all joined an experienced backline that was there to provide guidance

this was not the case this year - apart from noddy and peachy

peachy is frequently injured or MIA that leaves noddy - too close in

while i hope you are right i would feel better if we recruited other experienced backs

Thanks millers.

Now humour me

The year is 1984 and these are the backs Cronulla used

Can you use this list to make the 1985 backline?

Chris Gardner
Tony Armstrong
John O'Connor
Jim See
Greg Nixon
Mark Wakefield
David Harris
Andrew Ettingshausen
Robert Lane
Dean Carney
Mark McGaw
Jonathan Docking
Garry Walker
Jim Palmer
Steve Robinson
Greg Pierce (2)

PS you can add one or two that aren't on the list if you can remember them because the whole 1985 backline is not in the list

 

[millersnose]

lol

point taken and lesson learnt (dont pick a fight with frenzy unless you have researched your facts)

how ever my rebuttal is those players didnt play in a prelim the year b4 either

 

[Frenzy]

lol

point taken and lesson learnt (dont pick a fight with frenzy unless you have researched your facts)

how ever my rebuttal is those players didnt play in a prelim the year b4 either

Which ones Mill?

Anyway out of that lot and including the one or two extras the 1985 backline would of been something like this. Debut year after name. None had full seasons in debut year.

Docking - 1984
Carney - 1983
Ettingshausen - 1983
McGaw - 1984
Gardner - 1978
Ellison - 1984 (At Souths)
Wakefield - 1981

When one looks a what next's years backline might be there'll be a strong comparison in experience. Better off in fact.

The mid eighties kids had Wakefield and Gardner as mentors. One a half who is too far in as you say.

The mid 2000 kids will have Kimmorley, Peachey AND Vagana

We're looking OK as long as we don't expect too much too soon.

PS I think you can do a similar comparison for the early 70s and early 90s as well. It's clearly a cyclical thing that clubs have to go through. It's how clubs do it that matters. For mine the Sharks have been terrible at it waiting 8, 9 or 10 years per cycle. Gotta get 'em in quicker and more consistently. I think we'll see a change with this coaching regime. I don't think they'll leave the incoming staff with a bunch of old warhorses and a bunch of raw rookies. We are clearly building to a Canterburesque type of depth.

IMO