Ponga Appreciation Thread.

[HarVeeGee]

Yeah I’d take any of them over Clifford crying and crapping his pants for us again. Gamble in particular has been the best player in a finals game and Clifford has never made a real contribution to a win that has mattered, ever. Tyson’s just had a horror injury run.

It’s just a weird article but no I don’t think many of those players have gone on to massively bigger & better things or done anything to drive winning, besides Barnett who was oddly left out. That’s like legit the only guy on the list besides Kiraz who’s gone from nothing/okay with us to a top top player who drives winning. Ultimately the issue isn’t the turnover in squad filler, which happens at every club. I’d take Josh King back for example because he’s reliable and can do a job but I don’t think he actually got massively better at Melbourne, as controversial as I’m sure that take is.

 

[perverse]

Yeah I’d take any of them over Clifford crying and crapping his pants for us again. Gamble in particular has been the best player in a finals game and Clifford has never made a real contribution to a win that has mattered, ever. Tyson’s just had a horror injury run.

It’s just a weird article but no I don’t think many of those players have gone on to massively bigger & better things or done anything to drive winning, besides Barnett who was oddly left out. That’s like legit the only guy on the list besides Kiraz who’s gone from nothing/okay with us to a top top player who drives winning. Ultimately the issue isn’t the turnover in squad filler, which happens at every club. I’d take Josh King back for example because he’s reliable and can do a job but I don’t think he actually got massively better at Melbourne, as controversial as I’m sure that take is.

Yeah I mean to me you're sitting there telling me the sky is red, but if that's your take then we're obviously not going to see eye to eye, and that's ok.

Turnover in squad filler is actually a massive issue for us - because we've had to recruit externally for squad filler. It should never ever come from the outside in a good system (unless you've got Craig Bellamy who can polish anything into gold it seems) - because you'll always overpay for plodders (especially being Newcastle). Guys like Hetherington, Elliott, Schiller would never have had to come here if we were better at filling our squad from within. Ditto Crouch, Hola, etc too for the record. They're likely just our next wave of filler that we had to bring in.

 

[HarVeeGee]

Eh, we actually have a higher proportion of players in our top 30 who’ve been developed internally than most clubs.

I agree having to sign Elliott/Hetho was bad, but Crouch & Saulo for example are instances of bringing guys back who should have been retained to begin with, on far less money than Zammit the spud paid to Adam/Jack. Shouldn’t that be thought of as rectifying a mistake rather than making the same one again?

 

[perverse]

Shouldn’t that be thought of as rectifying a mistake rather than making the same one again?

Perhaps! On that issue I would say only time will tell. You'd be speculating as much as I am to know what the future holds for them, I can only speak to my gut. It tells me we'll need some great coaching to make it work next year because our middle will be weak. Ultimately, we're just going to need some of our forwards to go to up a level or two because based on current resumes and output, it's not a good look.

 

[HarVeeGee]

But by the same token, let’s say at Hetho’s next club he finally lives up to the enormous potential he’s always had and becomes elite. Is that another example of the club’s poor recruitment and retention? Because I guarantee everyone on this forum would pack his bags for him.

Meanwhile Dom Young leaving was a disaster because imagine how good he’ll be at the Roosters!

 

[perverse]

But by the same token, let’s say at Hetho’s next club he finally lives up to the enormous potential he’s always had and becomes elite. Is that another example of the club’s poor recruitment and retention? Because I guarantee everyone on this forum would pack his bags for him.

Meanwhile Dom Young leaving was a disaster because imagine how good he’ll be at the Roosters!

If Hetherington goes to another level going elsewhere, much like many others have, then it's just another notch on the belt of "something ain't right" here. We can't just keep watching players thrive elsewhere and not look inward for solutions. It's sticking your head in the sand.

When we reverse that narrative, we will know the club has turned a significant corner.

Dom is actually one of the legitimate success stories of AOB and if you're really wanting to support our current coaches record in development then I wouldn't stop talking about him. I don't think he fit in culturally at the Roosters though, and wanted to come home to his mates. That was super evident as early as mid last year. Obviously a freak athlete, which is his main strength.

 

[HarVeeGee]

Perhaps! On that issue I would say only time will tell. You'd be speculating as much as I am to know what the future holds for them, I can only speak to my gut. It tells me we'll need some great coaching to make it work next year because our middle will be weak. Ultimately, we're just going to need some of our forwards to go to up a level or two because based on current resumes and output, it's not a good look.

Yeah I mean realistically what the good clubs do is bring in these fringies and turn them into useful players. The Storm went into 2023 with what looked like a genuine crisis in their pack, then made a prelim and a grand final the year after.

You’d be forgiven for not expecting one of the guys POS has brought in to pop off, but put Zammit in his place and he’s probably spaffed $500K on a 48 year old Jack de Belin for next year by now. I endorse chasing the highest potential young forwards like Latu and Pahulu, and I endorse fortifying depth with the best of NSW/QCup with Crouch, Saulo etc after that didn’t work, rather than paying big money for mid. We’ll see how it goes but the worst thing we could have done is panic like we did in 2022 and max out the cap again on a roster with a ceiling of 5-8 and an early finals exit.

 

[perverse]

Yeah I mean realistically what the good clubs do is bring in these fringies and turn them into useful players. The Storm went into 2023 with what looked like a genuine crisis in their pack, then made a prelim and a grand final the year after.

You’d be forgiven for not expecting one of the guys POS has brought in to pop off, but put Zammit in his place and he’s probably spaffed $500K on a 48 year old Jack de Belin for next year by now. I endorse chasing the highest potential young forwards like Latu and Pahulu, and I endorse fortifying depth with the best of NSW/QCup with Crouch, Saulo etc after that didn’t work, rather than paying big money for mid. We’ll see how it goes but the worst thing we could have done is panic like we did in 2022 and max out the cap again on a roster with a ceiling of 5-8 and an early finals exit.

Sure, perhaps. Again, we can speculate about what other recruitment managers would have done, it's unimportant and not relevant to me. Their deficiencies don't increase my comfort level in the squad we've built for next year and how we put it together. That's my issue. Well, it's the one at the center of this discussion.

At the same time, I'll be sitting around all off season praying that we can somehow get the most out of these blokes and play a much more backs-oriented, expansive style of football and make it all work. I very strongly believe we're going to need some fresh ideas in the coaching ranks because as is probably well understood around here, I don't think much of the current bloke and his minions work. I am one tired supporter, it would be an oasis in the desert to believe we can win any given week. We had this very small window in late 2023 where this was reality - and it was so refreshing.

 

[HarVeeGee]

Think we strongly agree that AOB gotta go.

We built a roster tailor made for expansive full field play and second phase and didn't see it until AOB pushed the emergency "f**k it, go out there and chase the game" button against Manly.

I'm definitely terrified that the team with Ponga, Sharpe, Brown in the spine plus Best, Lucas, Dom, Gagai etc is gonna get the "look, we're a gritty, ugly, boring team" again from footy genius AOB.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

You wouldn't prefer to have Clifford than Cogger, Gamble or Hastings? Or Jake Arthur?

Honestly? No. Jake was talented but man he knows how to fall off a cliff. He's literally did it every season of his career