Positives for 2023

[hindy111]

I will tell you a positive. You can't build for a long period and lose grand finals then go into a new season with the same squad. Opposition has worked you out.
We used to match Penrith for last 2 or 3 years. They learned how to stop us. We didn't change. Smoked us twice.

What we have now is spots open. To keep the old guys going we need youth,enthusiasm and energy. Keeping the same squad doesn't allow opportunities and makes it harder to change.

Papali,Kafusi,Mahoney,Marata open doors.
I'd imagine from our grand final side N.Brown, JA, Simmonson, Blake are no certainties to be there. I reckon we will do our best to move Brown and Waqa on personaly. But there is going to be up to 8 spots there for the taking. This is a great selling point for us to go and poach some talented juniors. It's the reason we got Hopgood. He was stuck behind better players.

So for me this is a huge possitive. Keeping guys may sound great but in the long run this is better. We would of had to pay overs and had the same squad that would go stale and slowly fade with no money to bring in youth or retain anything good that comes up in 2yrs time.

POSSITIVE

Plus BA probably would of gotten a 5yr extension had we won it.

 

[Chipmunk]

I'm just pissed that we lost Reed. Let's hope Hodgson has a great couple of years.

Mahoney appears to have limitations. Hodgson's experience will at least add something.

 

[jason taylor]

I’d have Sean Russell or Haze Dunster in to replace Blake. I think both have the potential of being quality wingers

 

[Happy MEel]

Hodgson will be good value. Leadership is what we need. But we will need a 14 to rest him and a backup to play some games..

Hopgood is good. Though i think Matto has been a good middle and dunno how we play em both.

Gotta lose one to win one.

Hopeful we can sign a bench middle with some impact in the off season.

Would we consider Tapau again for a season? He could probably provide a bit of impact for 25 minutes a game.

I think a 17 looking like this would still be fairly strong:

1. Gutho
2. Sivo
3. Simmonsen
4. Penisini
5. Russell/Dunster (anyone but Waqa)
6. Drown
7. Moses
8. Junior
9. Hodgson
10. RCG
11. Lane
12. Murchie
13. Matto

14. (Dunno…I guess Rein or Arthur)
15. Hopgood
16. Tapau
17. Cartwright

 

[SneakyEel]

I’d have Sean Russell or Haze Dunster in to replace Blake. I think both have the potential of being quality wingers

I would as well whichever has a better preseason. A backline of:
1. Gutho 2. Sivo 3. Simmonsson 4. Penisini 5. Russell/Dunster
Is exciting and young and it's also different. I've had enough of Waqa he can f**k off.

 

[SneakyEel]

Would we consider Tapau again for a season? He could probably provide a bit of impact for 25 minutes a game.

I think a 17 looking like this would still be fairly strong:

1. Gutho
2. Sivo
3. Simmonsen
4. Penisini
5. Russell/Dunster (anyone but Waqa)
6. Drown
7. Moses
8. Junior
9. Hodgson
10. RCG
11. Lane
12. Murchie
13. Matto

14. (Dunno…I guess Rein or Arthur)
15. Hopgood
16. Tapau
17. Cartwright

We should we going for Klemmer as well for the bench. Taupau would be a great buy. Klemmer adds a bit of mongrel and fear to our pack. Teams aren't scared of us I want them scared. Hopgood, Taupau and Klemmer on the bench is f**king intimidating.

 

[Happy MEel]

We should we going for Klemmer as well for the bench. Taupau would be a great buy. Klemmer adds a bit of mongrel and fear to our pack. Teams aren't scared of us I want them scared. Hopgood, Taupau and Klemmer on the bench is f**king intimidating.

Yeah Klemmer would be good but I don’t think we’d get return on investment playing him limited minutes off the bench. I think Tapau would come relatively cheap and could do a job.

 

[SneakyEel]

Yeah Klemmer would be good but I don’t think we’d get return on investment playing him limited minutes off the bench. I think Tapau would come relatively cheap and could do a job.

I think the minutes would be more evenly split which is better. Get Paulo and RCG to play 45-50 min and Klemmer and Taupau can play 30-35 minutes. Allows Paulo and RCG to have a bigger impact and they'll be more fresh towards the back end of the year. I think the chance of winning a comp would entice Klemmer.

 

[Gronk]

I’d have Sean Russell or Haze Dunster in to replace Blake. I think both have the potential of being quality wingers

It wasn't too long ago mid season that Waqa was really on top of his game and getting plenty of praise. I don't think he has forgotten how to play, but do concede that his form fell away and had the yips since the last Pennys 1v4 semi.

His defensive reads since Oppa came in and he shifted to the wing have been very good and he was a big part of why we finished 4th.

It will be interesting to see Rnd 1 team that's for sure.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Where would we all be without Pou and his shadow telling us all how wrong we are??

If you weren’t a deadshit you might learn from it so you can be less wrong next time.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I think the minutes would be more evenly split which is better

It’s only better if the money is evenly split ffs

 

[Obscene Assassin]

Teams aren't scared of us I want them scared.

I highly doubt any player in the NRL is scared of tackling another player. If they were they wouldn't have made it to the NRL

 

[Obscene Assassin]

- We changed our defensive structure late in the season. An off-season (albeit shortened by the RLWC) practicing should make us better
- On the RLWC it will mean we have to promote some younger players in the pre-Xmas training sessions, if they come in with the right attitude they can show their wares
- New attack coach. New defence coach. A change of voice/opinion/tactics/structure

 

[hineyrulz]

Some new voices in the club can only be a good thing.

 

[JokerEel]

- We changed our defensive structure late in the season. An off-season (albeit shortened by the RLWC) practicing should make us better
- On the RLWC it will mean we have to promote some younger players in the pre-Xmas training sessions, if they come in with the right attitude they can show their wares
- New attack coach. New defence coach. A change of voice/opinion/tactics/structure

Do we have a defensive coach yet?

 

[crocodile]

I'm positive we'll get done.

 

[Hindmarshisgod2]

The only positive for next year is that I don't give a shit anymore....

These merkins will never win a premiership

I vow to never get my hopes up again supporting this shit club

 

[WaznTheGreat]

The only positive is that i am already bald so can't get balder next season

 

[hindy111]

The only positive is that i am already bald so can't get balder next season

Who do you support baldy?

 

[jason taylor]

It wasn't too long ago mid season that Waqa was really on top of his game and getting plenty of praise. I don't think he has forgotten how to play, but do concede that his form fell away and had the yips since the last Pennys 1v4 semi.

His defensive reads since Oppa came in and he shifted to the wing have been very good and he was a big part of why we finished 4th.

It will be interesting to see Rnd 1 team that's for sure.

I don’t disagree, but I’d argue Waqa has had the same deficiencies since he first came to our club. Sure he goes on “hot” streaks, but the same concerns remain (and while he formed a good combo with Opacic, he won’t be here next season).

Also we shouldn’t forget that Dunster was showing fine form at the backend of 2021 (and was our rookie of the year). He had practically cemented his spot in the side before the season ending injury for 2022.