Rumours and Stuff

[Gazzamatta]

Two good quality forwards to give our pack some credibility, finally.

I hope Beau Scott is off contract this year.

Unfortunately, if history is any guide, BA will offer him an upgraded 4 year contract. He did try to resign Fritchard after he did bugger all last season.[/QUOTE]
I think that was a face saving story for Big Frank. Nobody would have been that silly. We did sign TRex though.

 

[Soren Lorenson]

I'm crucifying our team because they didn't put in. They folded last Sunday as soon as the whistle blew. A team doesn't score at a point a minute if a team puts in, even if a poor team. In both games as soon as pressure was applied we were useless. Have we somehow forgot how to tackle in 5 months?

I agree, it was a debacle. No-one thinks it wasn't. All I'm saying is that for the past 3 yrs we have been improving to the point where we made the top 4 last year and pushed the eventual premiers to the limit in the first round of the finals. Yes, we need to go to another level to win the comp. But hold back on the constant histrionics for a bit while this year settles.

If we are still inexplicably poor by mid year, let the knives come out. I thought at the beginning of the year we could win it. I'll admit then that I was wrong. But at the end of the comp, so will the fans of 15 other teams be.

How about you tell us something you admire about OUR team for once instead of the constant negative harping. The whining just gets tired after a while.

 

[Glenneel]

Tight forward: Alvaro, Brown, Evans, Mannah, Matagi (30), Terepo (27), Vave (29)

Alvaro and Brown have now re-signed but looking at that list there is not much quality there. All others should go and BA have a red hot go at any quality that comes onto the market. And start promoting from within.

 

[Gazzamatta]

I agree, it was a debacle. No-one thinks it wasn't. All I'm saying is that for the past 3 yrs we have been improving to the point where we made the top 4 last year and pushed the eventual premiers to the limit in the first round of the finals. Yes, we need to go to another level to win the comp. But hold back on the constant histrionics for a bit while this year settles.

If we are still inexplicably poor by mid year, let the knives come out. I thought at the beginning of the year we could win it. I'll admit then that I was wrong. But at the end of the comp, so will the fans of 15 other teams be.

How about you tell us something you admire about OUR team for once instead of the constant negative harping. The whining just gets tired after a while.

It does get a bit frustrating my Sweedish mate. All this negativity. The Cheergirls look good though and I do like the new playing kit.

 

[Gronk]

Alvaro and Brown have now re-signed but looking at that list there is not much quality there. All others should go and BA have a red hot go at any quality that comes onto the market. And start promoting from within.

The players with their age next to their names are off contract.

 

[parra pete]

How would you like to be in the trenches with some of the Eels supporters?????
Nervous nellies..The Sheffield Shield final hasn't been played yet...SHIT HAPPENS

"Life boils down to standing in line to get shit dropped on your head. Everyone's got a place in the queue, you can't get out of it, and just when you start to congratulate yourself on surviving your dose of shit, you discover that line is actually circular.”
― Scott Lynch, The Republic of Thieves

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Well Bellamy did pass on Evans apparently as he is not playing for them.
If Evans was so good how come he wasn't selected for the finals? Even his coach last year didn't rate him.

He wasn't selected because his coach wanted to show faith in the blokes who would be there the next year. But it backfired anyway. They went with a winger on the bench and lost.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He could never do that again and get away with it.

Shows his power though. Anyway he's an attacking player. If we can get him some ball instead of just making him tackle the entire time he's on the field even you will be pleased.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I'm crucifying our team because they didn't put in. They folded last Sunday as soon as the whistle blew. A team doesn't score at a point a minute if a team puts in, even if a poor team. In both games as soon as pressure was applied we were useless. Have we somehow forgot how to tackle in 5 months?

I thought you were crucifying the team because they weren't fat enough? As though Junior Paulo would put in more than the blokes already at the club.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

No. We haven't forgotten Glenn. I dont think we ever really knew how. Our defence last season was average but we were tough. Our condition usually faded after halftime but mostly our toughness allowed us to hang in. Generally though when the opposition lifted we wilted badly.
Disappointing I know but we are not a good defensive team. Remember last year. How often did a penalty conceeded lead to a try?

I think we are physically a good defensive team. The problem is we have periods where we drop our intensity. I suspect either the leadership in our team is poor, or we have a few personalities that actively resist leadership.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He did try to resign Fritchard after he did bugger all last season.

He tried to re-sign him did he? He obviously didn't try too hard. Experienced players with leadership qualities are valuable to any team. I'd say Arthur believes we don't have enough of them, but he obviously doesn't pay overs, which is why Fritchard decided to retire.

 

[Glenneel]

How about you tell us something you admire about OUR team for once instead of the constant negative harping. The whining just gets tired after a while.

Soren I'm a dedicated supporter of our team for probably longer than you have been born. I'll praise our team when they perform but give it to them when they don't. Now I won't criticise their performance if they lose but put up an effort. However so far there has been no effort when the blow torch applied. The excusers here blame the heat or a multitude of other factors for their losses so far but honestly what has happened to their effort? Have we lost it somewhere between last year and this? Where ever it is BA better find it and fast!

This is my thoughts on the team in the off season. I look at our roster that BA has assembled and we have quantity but not much quality.We have lost Semi, in my mind the greatest winger ever to grace the footy field, but not covered his loss. We should have bolstered our team by vastly improving our forwards .I was uninspired about Evans and Williams and still hoping that Hayne will be able to replace Semi in some measure. So far none have impressed me but still hope they'll all come good. BA has a record of buying average players and turning them into good players. So those 3 are a work in progress.

To judge our prospects for this year I look at other teams rosters and compare. This year I noticed most of the poorer teams have improved their rosters whereas we have not. I made an honest assessment for this year and that is if we make the 8 we'll overachieve. That was my assessment before the season started.

Now I don't want to be proved right but so far our performances have been poor, very very poor. What most disappoints is our lack of effort so far and a thrashing by our greatest enemy only smarts even more. Our coming 4th last year imo papered over the cracks that have been evident for many years, our lack of large forwards. The consistently successful teams have them. Yes our small pack will win their fair share but be unable to win against the good teams two weeks in a row. They are incapable of performing effort upon effort against the better larger more skilful packs.

I hope BA can turn things around but sticking with the same team week after week, which BA has a habit of doing, teaches the players what? Obviously not accountability or responsibility for 2 poor performances. Why do they have to perform better if their positions are safe? I know another criticism but if you don't criticise the obvious nothing will change. And I'll continue to vent at the obvious until change happens for the better.

I want our team to be consistently successful and to win a bloody premiership before I and you Soren die. Is that too much to ask?

 

[84 Baby]

I think we are physically a good defensive team. The problem is we have periods where we drop our intensity. I suspect either the leadership in our team is poor, or we have a few personalities that actively resist leadership.

I think it's more we're a rushing defensive team (which takes a lot of intensity and difficult to maintain for 80 minutes) but if there's a missed tackle, linebreak or offload then as a unit we lose our shit and don't scramble defend as well as say the Roosters (who are, or were, the best at it). So linebreaks often lead to points against us, or at least territorial pressure.
I also think we rush because we are a "small" team

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The players with their age next to their names are off contract.

Credit Pou:

2019
Utility: Gutherson (25), Salmon, Smith, Takairangi (30)
Fullback: French (23)
W/C: Hoffman (31), M.Jennings (31)
Half: Moses (25), Norman (28)
Hooker: -
Edge forward: Edwards (30), Ma'u (31), Moeroa (24)
Tight forward: Alvaro (26), Brown, Evans, Mannah (31)

As you can see we have 16 players contracted for next year (plus probably the members of the development squad including Mahoney and Stone). There is a dozen or more spots left in the squad, plus probably a fair bit of money. The only highly paid players there are Jennings, Moses and Norman.

Credible rumours are that we're looking at Mansour and Papalii. The recently overhyped Pangai (Jr) is also off contract.

 

[84 Baby]

The recently overhyped Pangai (Jr) is also off contract.

Don't give them more ammunition for when we fail to sign him away from Uncle Wayne, cheap Brisbane housing market & those Boncos dollars

 

[Stevie]

Alright enough teasing, enough training, time to start running through holes in defensive lines!

 

[Soren Lorenson]

I want our team to be consistently successful and to win a bloody premiership before I and you Soren die. Is that too much to ask?

Fair enough, and so do I. I agree with you about the last 2 weeks. We were shit. I disagree about how we improve. I disagree that BA never changes. I disagree that our roster hasn't improved. I agree that Semi is a loss, but disagree about how big.

Bottom line is that I'm a glass half full type of fella. You're not. That's OK. All I'm asking is that you judge us on more than the two games which were clearly very out of character for this team. They were the Parra of old and I thought had gone. Let's see how the year progresses. I'm still confident.

 

[Gronk]

Fair enough, and so do I. I agree with you about the last 2 weeks. We were shit. I disagree about how we improve. I disagree that BA never changes. I disagree that our roster hasn't improved. I agree that Semi is a loss, but disagree about how big.

Bottom line is that I'm a glass half full type of fella. You're not. That's OK. All I'm asking is that you judge us on more than the two games which were clearly very out of character for this team. They were the Parra of old and I thought had gone. Let's see how the year progresses. I'm still confident.

 

[Glenneel]

Hang on, you seemed to be pretty happy that he brought Hayne back? Obviously Brown and Gutherson have been his best signings. but Jenkovic has turned out ok for us, and we've got fair value out Auv'a'a'a'a 'a, and I'm not sure how you could say that Moses has been a poor signing thus far.

Janko was always a good player so what is your point of mentioning him. Unfortunately Auva'a is not a winger, can't catch and gets found out in D, and Taka not a forward, not yet, but should have spent time in Wenty first imo.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Don't give them more ammunition for when we fail to sign him away from Uncle Wayne, cheap Brisbane housing market & those Boncos dollars

And after running for a whopping 80 metres on the weekend, Traumalolo (who had a quiet game and nearly doubled that) came out and said Pangai can be better than him. So he will surely be open to reasonable offers now.