Reserve grade match on Nine

[Flashstep]

Exactly.

Our roster has gotten weaker each season since 2016 from top to bottom. Only gradually. But it had to catch up to us sooner or later. We no longer have a strong top 17 with pressure on them from reserve grade.

You cant lose the variety of skill, experience, class and depth we have every season for a few years and not expect it to ebentually catch up to us.

Looking at what we lost... we could fix a lot of issues we have at the moment:

Peachey / Burns ahead of Whare.
Sivo / Rennings ahead of Mansour.
Moylan ahead of Maloney / Edwards (wherever you think Moyza belongs)
CHN / Cartwright ahead of Fuimaono.
Segeyaro ahead of Katoa.

Some decisions we made were hard to predict going so badly (ie. RCG going from one of the best props to the fraud we now have). Others were obviously big risks though... Whare after repeated knee injuries. Mckendry after repeated injuries. Etc. To lengthy deals.

Not paying anyone minimum wage. People defend that as if it somehow helps... yet we have 10+ players who should consider themselves lucky to even be in a top 30 letalone earning more than the minimum wage.

Giving everyone 4 or 5 year deals on huge money... the cap has been so badly managed it's ridiculous. Our chances of success rely on our starting 13 being fit and in form.

When you have Mansour and Whare years past their peak fitness and form. And Edwards and RCG looking shadows of themselves after injury... with any options to replace them not being any better you can't really expect much more than we're offering.

We're in the exact same position with our salary cap as we were before Gus arrived. Only a matter of time til we have to offload the next batch of players like we did with Coote, Jennings, Lewis etc. To fix it.

You would think moving on Moylan, Cartwright, Peachey, Merrin etc. Would fix it but no. Everyone just gets enormous upgrades. Apparently our roster is the only one in the competition that cant be kept together without killing the cap.

Yep you’re spot on, not only that but while we’re watching some quality players find a home elsewhere other teams are busy using their off seasons to recruit quality players into their team whilst we can’t do anything because our cap is clearly in a terrible state, the club has clearly put way to much stock into our juniors, obviously we’re T2 in the country but you can’t expect a bunch of 20-23 year olds to come into the NRL and be consistent first graders right away, it takes time and we’re clearly missing real first grade experience, leadership and quality, probably why our team has been so inconsistent over the years, doesn’t help when some of the juniors that do kick on are let go either.

Injuries have really hurt us that is true but the club will look back in a few years and realise they wasted a lot of hard work from Gould with pathetic cap management, you’re exactly right we’ve pretty much gone full 360 back to the days we’re we had to let go of our top players, but it’s even worse when you realise Coote, Gordon, Jennings and Lewis were in the upper echelon of NRL players, this time around we’ve put all our money into players just in the hope that they become elite, and it isn’t looking likely that’s happening any time soon.

 

[franklin2323]

Since 2016 it has gotten weaker each season. It was only a matter of time before we couldnt cover the losses.

Worst part is we've been leaking experienced talent and reserve grade talent. So our top 17 has gotten weaker, the amount of experienced players we had has gotten weaker and the quality of our depth has gotten weaker.

NRL experienced losses:
1. Matt Moylan
2. Christian Crichton
3. Tyrone Peachey
4. Peta Hiku
5. Robert Jennings
6. Te Maire-Martin
7. Jamie Soward
8. Jeremy Latimore
9. Peter Wallace
10. Leilani Latu
11. Bryce Cartwright
12. Corey Harawira-Naera
13. Trent Merrin

14. James Segeyaro
15. Tim Browne
16. Suiai Matagi
17. Elijah Taylor

18. Jamal Idris
19. George Jennings
20. Sitaleki Akauolo
21. Chris Grevsmuhl
22. Will smith
23. Mitch Rein
24. Michael Oldfield

Aswell as reserve graders who have gone on to become first graders like Maiko Sivo, Braidon Burns, Adam Keighran, Corey Waddell etc.

Probably more I have missed. While we have had players come in during that period. It hasn't gone close to off-setting the losses.

Going all in on 13 NRL players basically. Too many of them have had serious injuries which they never recovered from. A few before signing long-term deals aswell.

Not only a FT squad thing for me. Guys like Izzard etc add nothing to the side. Not an old head or a young guy pushing for FG down the track.

Will be a long few years til the Flegg develop

 

[franklin2323]

Of your 24, how many would you have in our 17 next match on current form?
Moylan if he were fit for sure.
Peachey
CHN probably
Merrin probably
Seg maybe (he's pulling beers for a quid)
Rein maybe
The last 2 maybes are very big maybes. Only Moylan would make our starting 13 and he's injured.
Only 1-2 definites out of 24 and one is injured, and they were all on big money.

We are screaming for a hooker we let Keighran go. Peachey/CHN would make our bench. Letting them go early is the issue for me

 

[franklin2323]

Yep you’re spot on, not only that but while we’re watching some quality players find a home elsewhere other teams are busy using their off seasons to recruit quality players into their team whilst we can’t do anything because our cap is clearly in a terrible state, the club has clearly put way to much stock into our juniors, obviously we’re T2 in the country but you can’t expect a bunch of 20-23 year olds to come into the NRL and be consistent first graders right away, it takes time and we’re clearly missing real first grade experience, leadership and quality, probably why our team has been so inconsistent over the years, doesn’t help when some of the juniors that do kick on are let go either.

Injuries have really hurt us that is true but the club will look back in a few years and realise they wasted a lot of hard work from Gould with pathetic cap management, you’re exactly right we’ve pretty much gone full 360 back to the days we’re we had to let go of our top players, but it’s even worse when you realise Coote, Gordon, Jennings and Lewis were in the upper echelon of NRL players, this time around we’ve put all our money into players just in the hope that they become elite, and it isn’t looking likely that’s happening any time soon.

You could take out 10 or so guys and replace them with experience guys on min wage. And be no worse off. Given we don't pay min wage we may even have 200-300k left to strengthen the side further

 

[ashton]

Not only a FT squad thing for me. Guys like Izzard etc add nothing to the side. Not an old head or a young guy pushing for FG down the track.

Will be a long few years til the Flegg develop

I was thinking the same thing about Izzard, he will never play NRL so he is wasting a spot. We have the largest Junior League but have the dumbest management.

 

[TheFrog]

We are screaming for a hooker we let Keighran go. Peachey/CHN would make our bench. Letting them go early is the issue for me

The cost of wrapping up Nathan, Kikau and RCG.

Keighran was a half. We had two hookers. A punt was taken on one of them being of first grade standard. Katoa has shown signs, but neither of them are there yet. We let them go and they come good somewhere else the cycle repeats.

 

[franklin2323]

I was thinking the same thing about Izzard, he will never play NRL so he is wasting a spot. We have the largest Junior League but have the dumbest management.

Not just him but why is Pua in FT squad? Same applies. NSW Cup should be a development team with a few older games to bring the kids on

 

[franklin2323]

The cost of wrapping up Nathan, Kikau and RCG.

Keighran was a half. We had two hookers. A punt was taken on one of them being of first grade standard. Katoa has shown signs, but neither of them are there yet. We let them go and they come good somewhere else the cycle repeats.

Nope. 2017 Keighran was the Dogs hooker in lower grades.

So decide on one. Get an older guy in as the backup. Would it matter who we lost if the squad was improving?

 

[Scoopdog]

Nope. 2017 Keighran was the Dogs hooker in lower grades.

So decide on one. Get an older guy in as the backup. Would it matter who we lost if the squad was improving?

Thats his older brother brad,who is now at wenty