Let's look at things realistically for a moment...

[Noname36]

Sorry for the long spiel, I've just had a lot of it on my mind these past few weeks:

I think jagging four arsey wins to start the year has inflated people's expectations of where we are as a team and as a result the 3 losses on the trot have hurt more than they have in previous years.

Let's look at things objectively though:

1. We have a side that was running dead last for most of last year - I know we jagged a couple of good wins to end the year at home (combined with getting absolutely destroyed by Souths and Brisbane) but for most of the year we were going horrendously. We certainly had our fair share of excuses but at the end of the day we could all see that there were obvious issues within the playing roster (lack of quality forwards, no composure in key positions, etc) and the squad has changed very little since last year. In fact the roster has probably declined given we've lost Cuthbo and Mason who's offloads were key for us playing well in our last few games.

2. We're seven games into the season with a new coach - I think people forget this fact because Stone isn't new to the club. He's trying to change the way we play. We saw it from the get go with the new found resilience and toughness on the line in defence. Mullen also confirmed on Sterlo the other night that Stone is trying to overhaul our attack to get them to throw it around more. While disappointing, it's hardly surprising that we're having teething problems...especially when you consider the fact that our playmakers are pretty weak mentally.

At the moment it sort of feels like we're going one step forward, two steps back. In our first few games our defence and toughness were fantastic but we were having issues with our attack...yesterday we started playing some really improved attacking footy (both in terms of effectiveness and viewing) but it came at the expense of our work in defence and minimising our errors which had gotten us through our wins to start the year.

We just seem to be having trouble tying it all together. We've shown we're capable of putting in a good defensive performance, and a good attacking performance but we can't seem to do them together. Of course that comes back to the errors and putting ourselves under too much unneeded pressure - we've been making way too many these past couple of weeks - but it also comes down to control which we're lacking from the guys in the key positions (also Scott's leadership has been sorely missed - he's there and we win yesterday IMO).

I think I'm finally starting to see what Stone is trying to do with the side and while I like the idea of the type of footy we're aiming for (hard, tough, uncompromising defence paired with throwing the ball around more in attack) I'm just not sure we have the forward pack or the control and composure in the key positions to pull it off.

Not sure what the solution is or where I'm going with this really...I think after the initial shock of the first four wins has worn off though it's been easier to look at it objectively and see where we are which is still one of the poorer squads in the comp in their first season under a new head coach.

 

[Seage]

Hmm, a considered opinion noname but not sure I agree with all of it.

1. I just don't think any of us can quantify how much the external factors influenced the team last year: Alex, Tinkler, Bennett's contract - only the players will know how bad that affects you but I suspect it was pretty enormous.

2. If Stone is trying to get us to throw it around more, why do our backs see such little balll? I know it was wet but against the Sharks and Dragons we tried absolutely nothing the whole game. And fundamental errors dropping the ball on tackle 2 and 3 have nothing to do with a modified attack and more to do with a lack of basic skill.

As for the roster, I don't think we are one of the poorer rosters in the comp. We have a lot of areas to improve as we know, but to make yourself fell better check out the starting sides of the other 15 teams, There is very little to be envious of. For heavens sake, the Rabbitohs backline has Bryson Goodwin, Joel Reddy and Daryl Millard. Uate, McManus, Gagai and Leilua wipe the floor with that.

Despite their position on the table, there is plenty of blokes on that Dragons team sheet I wouldn't feed and Manly has one of the worst forward packs in NRL history. That's just to name a few.

 

[Burns]

One possible point to consider is that the entire NRL is average this year. If the Sharks win tonight against the Bunnies, there will be one win separating the teams in 4th and 15th.

 

[Noname36]

Hmm, a considered opinion noname but not sure I agree with all of it.

1. I just don't think any of us can quantify how much the external factors influenced the team last year: Alex, Tinkler, Bennett's contract - only the players will know how bad that affects you but I suspect it was pretty enormous.

2. If Stone is trying to get us to throw it around more, why do our backs see such little balll? I know it was wet but against the Sharks and Dragons we tried absolutely nothing the whole game. And fundamental errors dropping the ball on tackle 2 and 3 have nothing to do with a modified attack and more to do with a lack of basic skill.

As for the roster, I don't think we are one of the poorer rosters in the comp. We have a lot of areas to improve as we know, but to make yourself fell better check out the starting sides of the other 15 teams, There is very little to be envious of. For heavens sake, the Rabbitohs backline has Bryson Goodwin, Joel Reddy and Daryl Millard. Uate, McManus, Gagai and Leilua wipe the floor with that.

Despite their position on the table, there is plenty of blokes on that Dragons team sheet I wouldn't feed and Manly has one of the worst forward packs in NRL history. That's just to name a few.

1. I certainly agree the external factors played a big role last year (I said as much) but at the same time I think we could all see we had some significant issues with our forward pack in particular. They were getting destroyed most weeks and when they did start to get over the top of some of their opposition towards the end of the year it was off the back of blokes like Cuthbo and Mason generating offloads...both of who we've lost this year.

2. I'm saying that off the basis of what Mullen said on the Sterlo show the other night that Stone has been trying to get them to throw it around a bit more and that they'd been working on getting the ball out to the centres. I think we saw that yesterday, and low and behold it worked for us.

3. I certainly agree we have a fantastic backline (in fact I'd almost say we have the best centres and wingers collectively in the comp). However having stars on the flanks are pretty useless when your forward pack isn't creating space and your playmakers don't have the composure to get the ball to them. Souths may have Goodwin and Reedy out wide but they have the likes of Luke, Roberts and Inglis controlling things.

 

[Nuffy]

Frankly we get what we deserve, life isn't fair and luck isn't a strategy.

While ever we accept mediocrity, we will get mediocrity.

Let me give you some samples. Ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly.

What's Matt Gidley's record of success outside of playing football? Would he get a CEO's role at any other club on merit. Would he be a CEO in the corporate world?

In a business with an assumed $15-20M turnover, why is there a CEO and COO?

Was there transparency in the coaching selection process? What were Stone's credentials which made him the best candidate? Was it about money and being an Novocastrian.

Would our football manager be first choice at any other club? What credentials did he have which made him the preferred candidate?

What's our forwards strategy, why do we have only one genuine starting prop in the whole club?

What's the strategy behind paying massive upgrades to the point where you can't afford to bring in new players to shore up glaring weaknesses.

What's the strategy behind having one of the highest paid players in NSW cup. What is the Sione masterplan, is he a winger, centre, fullback?

How did we get to a point where our spine is one of the weakest in the comp but one of the most experienced?

Do we really want a club where being a Novocastrian is more important than being competent.

 

[Noname36]

^ Bingo. Also when every position in the club had to be filled internally or by less qualified blokes to save money you're pretty much inviting a lack of success. You can't even get angry at the NRL for making that happen though when it's our own damn fault we had to get taken over by the NRL to begin with.

 

[The Showstopper]

Realistically we need to start signing no nonsense yard eaters. Similar to the Storm. There has to be some out there. I think we are far far too lateral. I think given time Rochow could become a very good front rower but Beau's departure may stop that now.

 

[Still Nutty]

I think a couple of things will be key to us making the top half versus the bottom half of the table this season...

Firstly injuries - the loss of Beau and Rochow (who was one of our best forwards on the paddock at the start of the year) has shone a light on our frailness in forward depth and our lack of on the ground leadership...It is clear that Scott's leadership in the forwards will be difficult to replace next year.

I think Tariq is still well below on match fitness and that game will help but his stats weren't flattering for a player who had 80 minutes on the paddock this week.

We can't keep using a hooker as a 45-50 minute player - I don't think Clydesdale offers that much at present that warrants us carrying a bench role with Randell. IMO he needs to be the starting hooker and on the field for the majority of the 80 minutes and Sione to be the utility back.


Don't let Gidley be involved in the attacking play as a 3rd half - he doesn't have the skills and it just makes the attack disjointed and confused. We need to get Roberts and Mullen to stand up and really start steering this team around the park and only get Gidley to chime in as a back, not a half.

I'm not all doom and gloom but we need to start getting settled as a team, combinations need to start to pay dividends and the forwards need to get back to that mongrel we showed at the start of the year if we are going to get into the top 8