The loss of tamou was huge. I know we had no plans to keep him but still huge.
Tetevano- similar but not to the same extent. Unplanned and left us in a slight hole.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the work tamou did off the ball. In an around marker.
Like it or not Leota and Spencer are a long long way of being up to Tamous standard in that department. Leota is not great laterally and both he and Spencer gas out quickly. I have no doubt they will improve but it is still a huge area they will need to get better at. Our defence was next level last year and we won games off it. I worry we have lost a bit losing tamou.
These forums frustrate me. Long time reader and very rarely post but if people think the club has been efficient this off season... wow! Have they really tho, take the panthers jersey off and look without the bias.
Yeo- was never going to leave, could've been upgraded ages ago, for probably cheaper.
Critchon- not sure why the club let it string out so long. It was obvious after 6-8 games he was going to be something special. They agreed to handshake deal way before the finals then it got dragged out and we got strung along by his management.
Staines- allowed him to test market when the club obviously had plans not to keep mansour.... just let Staines bump up his own price before releasing sauce.
Luai- again, the club obviously would have known by mid season last year he was the plan. Him and Nathan havealways been fantastic together. They left it (still) to long getting it done.
Burton- i understand not being able to resign..cant compete with ludicrous money. For all his love by all on here he is hugely untested. Played a few nrl games and you are all in love. Luai absolutely killed it in his first few nrl games... even without experienced halves by his side. Yet you all threw him on the scrap heap for burton before a ball was kicked in 2020.
I have no doubt that a few juniors will step up re Lindsay Smith and others. But letting go of tets, sauce, tamou, whare, will have an effect.
Look at how many players we used last year. It wasn't 17 or 18 or 21. Sure we look strong 1-20. But 21 odd to 25 is largely untested and young....
25 onwards we don't even have and trials start next week.