Rumours and Stuff

[Gronk]

I am guessing without wingers that side wouldn't make the 8 actually.

1. Latrell
2. ?
3. Blake
4. Jennings or Auva'a
5. ?
6. Moses
7. Hunt
8. R C-G
9. Egan
10. Paulo
11. Ma'u
12. Hess
13. Burgess

14. Kikau
15. Kaufusi
16. Au Mau
17. Pangai Junior

Have we even spoken to any of these players ? FFS get on it Max.

 

[TheRam]

They’ve got some big forwards though. A couple of Origin players, premiership winners. They can play. Their weakness is their edge defence, not their pack. The Warriors carved them up out wide.

Yes, their edge defense is at times a worry, but their frontrow carries are limited against a powerful defense as was shown last year. JWH hasn't been the same player since he cam back from that leg injury almost 2 years ago now. As for Napa, he has never been a great carrier of the ball.

So the trick is, bring your 'A' defensive game to them and the odds are you will limit there go forward, therefore nullify the brilliance of their halves and starve their great running backs of any decent opportunities to run.

Game over maaan!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

How many losses in a row is a sign his plan has failed?

Why is consecutive losses more relevant than total losses in a season?

 

[TheRam]

Way to totally miss the point. I am saying that even with our minuscule pack, we could easily have won 3 games if we had some ball.

I didn't miss your point at all. I think you missed mine. I was being facetious because I thought your deduction was silly.

If we had big aggressive forwards that can play the game of Rugby League, a lot of those silly penalties and dropped balls would not be happening. There is a positive effect right across the board when you are the dominant team and an equal negative effect when you are not.

 

[84 Baby]

If we've got these gun hookers coming through in Mahoney and Sneider, is someone like Robbie Farah worth a gig for 18 months?

Besides any potential off field divisiveness, on field he doesn't gel with Moses, although he could possibly go well with Norman. He is suited to Canberra though (although less so with Austin being dropped) where essentially the hooker is the halfback

 

[84 Baby]

Assuming Norman is on the outs, who does everyone want the club to sign?
The club clearly hold Dylan Brown in high regard but he'll be 5 years away.
Interestingly the halves off contract at the end of this year are all reasonably young.

Or is Norman just the chief scapegoat in a shithouse start to the season?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I didn't miss your point at all. I think you missed mine. I was being facetious because I thought your deduction was silly.

If we had big aggressive forwards that can play the game of Rugby League, a lot of those silly penalties and dropped balls would not be happening. There is a positive effect right across the board when you are the dominant team and an equal negative effect when you are not.

If we had the players you’re talking about we would be weaker in other areas. That’s how the salary cap works.

 

[hineyrulz]

How many losses in a row is a sign his plan has failed?

Coaches don’t make mistakes.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Assuming Norman is on the outs, who does everyone want the club to sign?
The club clearly hold Dylan Brown in high regard but he'll be 5 years away.
Interestingly the halves off contract at the end of this year are all reasonably young.

Or is Norman just the chief scapegoat in a shithouse start to the season?

I don’t reckon Brown is that far away. He is 18 this year and already one of the best halves in Flegg. He could be a first grader by 2020.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Coaches don’t make mistakes.

They don’t even know what f**ken positions their blokes play!

 

[hineyrulz]

Just heard Norman questioned on the Canberra player swap and he laughed.
He was then asked if Ricky got him to Parra therefore there is a connection there.

He replied well he did and then left before I arrived. And without so much as a phone call for the record to let me know.

He doesn’t sound like much of a Ricky fan lol

The way Norman has been playing he’s not a BA fan either.

 

[hineyrulz]

They don’t even know what f**ken positions their blokes play!

FFS!!! Loosers!!

 

[Bazal]

Assuming Norman is on the outs, who does everyone want the club to sign?
The club clearly hold Dylan Brown in high regard but he'll be 5 years away.
Interestingly the halves off contract at the end of this year are all reasonably young.

Or is Norman just the chief scapegoat in a shithouse start to the season?

I think Norman is a bit of both. Not playing very well but also a scapegoat.

If he's to be moved on I'd be looking at a player like an Austin or a Milford. Not that those two will necessarily be available but just that style of player. I think if Moses is to be the controlling influence a bit of an off the cuff player switch a strong running game would improve our attack greatly

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I think the most important thing in a halves partner for Moses is a solid defender.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I think the most important thing in a halves partner for Moses is a solid defender.

Ray Stone?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It’s probably not the only important thing.

 

[TheRam]

Like the reason BA bought Watmough and then Scott?

Bringing Watmough was one of the dumbest things he has done since being our coach and I and others here stated it at the time and we were right.

I also wasn't very happy about Scott for similar reasons of age and injury issues at his age. Now at least we have gotten some decent games out of Scott, but still for the coin and what he was brought here to do, I feel overall he has been an average signing. But not the disaster Watmough turned out to be.

There are always great leaders around at other clubs that can be brought in that would of done better jobs then either of those two. I know your first question will now be who? But I don't remember who was around at the time we signed them two so I can't give you an example.

But just look at the Dragons this year. They pounced on James Graham and even have the Dogs paying from what I heard most of his 900k salary. Now that's an awesome pickup. A high profile individual that is constantly in demand by the media(free exposure for your club), leader on and off the field, no nonsense charismatic and liked by most fans of the NRL.

Also on that, when he retires, and if he stays in Oz, he will probably have a job in the media. He will be another media personality that will be aligned with both the Dogs and Saints. All we have is Sterlo from 30 years ago, who is good at his job, but you would never know he is a former Parra boy, and the buffoon Hindy, that no one takes seriously.

I heard a story on one of the NRL shows a few weeks ago, that during the off season on their training runs. Graham was busting a gut as he normally does and two of the other forwards who admire and look up to him(apparently they all do) didn't want to be seen as weak and wanted to impress and in doing so broke their personal best records. Now that is the sort of thing you want from a leader.

Not Watmough, who by his own words would keep to himself and after training would rush off home.

There are always leaders in the game that you can get to your club that can change the attitude of the younger boneheads. But the coach has to be able to identify and then attract them to the club. So far as I'm concerned BA has done a pretty piss poor job of that so far.

 

[Chipmunk]

Besides any potential off field divisiveness, on field he doesn't gel with Moses, although he could possibly go well with Norman. He is suited to Canberra though (although less so with Austin being dropped) where essentially the hooker is the halfback

Moses and Farah seemed to gel OK for Lebanon

 

[TheRam]

There are numerous reason why we are not performing & yes it includes our middle forwards. But there are other variables that need to be taken into consideration.
We are missing & require a winger like
Radradra - Someone who starts off our sets on the front foot coming out of our own end. If you think Gutho will be the answer im sorry but things will get worst. That will mean our back 3 will offer nothing coming out of our own end, Gutho, French, Hoffman

We require another top class centre with speed & skill. like a Waqa Blake. Latrell Mitchell

We are missing a half back cause unfortunately Corey Norman isnt cutting the mustard. Someone who runs, plays square & direct, Someone like Ben hunt or James maloney

We also require a hooker with creativity in attack but can also defend, some like Wayde Egan

We require back rowers who are strong defensively but offer alot in attack. Back rowers need good hands but are known for running great lines, Our team was shown how poor we really are & what we are lacking when Tony williams came on & showed what can happen when a back rower can run hard & run lines & create 2nd phase play. We need backrowers like Viliame Kikau or Felise Kaufusi

We have too many middles who are very similar players, Lacking speed, explosiveness, Grunt & size.
Mannah, Brown, Alvaro, Evans, Teripo,Scott all need to go. Id love to see players like young gun Payne Hass, Leeson Au Mau, Regan campbell Gillard, Paulo, Tevita Pangai junior, sam burgess, at least all these players offer something different & are not similar.

Its easy for me to write this wish list of players that could offer more than we currently have, but for me the past weeks have been dissapointing cause it seems the players dont give a shit. Nsw cup are getting flogged each week so who in Nsw cup are putting there hand up asking to be selected.? Currently the Nrl players are not under any pressure to retain their spots.? The lack of respect the players are showing each other, The club, The coaching staff & the fans is the most dissapointing aspect of all.
Its the little things we are not doing.
Our line speed is terrible
Running one out instead of in pairs.
Our discipline is disgraceful
Our structure is disjointed
Our creativity in attack through our halves & hooker is non existant.

I think things will get worst before things get better, Really how much worst can it get. We are 0-4 & bottom of the table

One question though. Is BA the man to continue leading this club.
I know what he has done over the past few years & deserves every opportunity to turn things around. You dont become a bad coach over night.
But on the other hand BA has has plenty of years to put together the team he wants is this his fault.?
Should we be giving unknowns an opportunity.? Younger players.?
The only problem i see there is are they ready.? You dont want to throw the young ones to the wolves early & kill there confidence

I agree with virtually everything you have said, but Brown and probably Alvaro. They are keepers.

As for BA and if he is he up to it? I don't think so. I mean he has brought us here after five freakin years. How has he gotten it so wrong. We will be zero from 5 next week unless the Penny's don't play well and take us for granted. We have a skeleton of a good roster, but that is the problem it is a skeleton of a team.

The coach after being in charge for 3+ seasons is to blame for poor performances and poor attitudes that are endemic and not on offs.

 

[Chipmunk]

I am guessing without wingers that side wouldn't make the 8 actually.

1. Latrell
2. ?
3. Blake
4. Jennings or Auva'a
5. ?
6. Moses
7. Hunt
8. R C-G
9. Egan
10. Paulo
11. Ma'u
12. Hess
13. Burgess

14. Kikau
15. Kaufusi
16. Au Mau
17. Pangai Junior

About $14 million on your cap