Rumours and Stuff

[lingard]

Yet Matagi set the tone for that game not Mannah. Stats dont tell a story.Just look good on paper.

I reckon stats look bad on paper. Better on a whiteboard.

 

[emjaycee]

Talk about a negative Nellie, criticising someone who makes sense while offering nothing in reply. 8,9 & 10 have been an obvious problem for us for years and so has lack of offloading by the forwards. If some here can see it why can't the coaching staff. BA has had over 4 years to fix it and done nothing but buy, so it appears, players on the cheap. Looking at our roster we should have millions to spend but obviously don't. We can only deduce by that many of our players are overpaid. So you're saying that in 4 years there was no decent hooker available for BA to buy are you?

I am not going to get involved in any petty squabbling, but I think given our salary cap dramas he really only had 1 off season to buy new players.
2014/15 we were over the cap limit.
2015/16 we were over the cap limit.
2016/17 we were ON the cap limit.
2017/18 he spent about $1m on Hayne, Evans and Williams combined.

 

[lingard]

Are we still arguing about Mannah being worthy or not FFS.

No, we're discussing it in a very civilised mannah.

 

[lingard]

Talk about a negative Nellie, criticising someone who makes sense while offering nothing in reply. 8,9 & 10 have been an obvious problem for us for years and so has lack of offloading by the forwards. If some here can see it why can't the coaching staff. BA has had over 4 years to fix it and done nothing but buy, so it appears, players on the cheap. Looking at our roster we should have millions to spend but obviously don't. We can only deduce by that many of our players are overpaid. So you're saying that in 4 years there was no decent hooker available for BA to buy are you?

I thoroughly get your point, Gleneel. Especially about the hooker situation. I guess there are mitigating factors for BA in that regard, though. Peats certainly looked like he had endless potential when he first came to the club (and a great attitude as well); and we had this dynamic young tyro called Kaysa Pritchard to be his understudy. Things looked rosey. But then Peats kinda plateaued out. And Kaysa has not kicked on as most thought he would. The mistake was hanging on too long to the dream that was Kaysa Pritchard. But I certainly didn't predict that Peats would become so ordinary after such a good start with our club, so I don't suppose I can blame BA for it either. I just hope he shares our view that the number nine situation has become rather critical.

 

[Soren Lorenson]

Also Isaac DG retired unexpectedly.

 

[Eelementary]

Do you think he's in the top 50% of props in the NRL?

I think the more pertinent question is:

Given his role for our team, does he really need to be?

 

[84 Baby]

Certainly not us which has been a glaring problem for years. Every year 2-3 teams drop out of the previous year's 8 so you have to constantly improve your roster. We overachieved last year and our roster is weaker while others greatly improved theirs. So why wouldn't you'd think Parra would struggle to make the 8? I never thought tho that we'd be scrapping with the Dogs (which I thought would end up at the bottom) for the spoon.

Which rosters GREATLY improved? Even the Knights only brought into their forwards the likes of Guerra, Lillyman & Griffin. Would you in all honestly take any of them over any one we currently have? If you say yes, then you really need to take your hate coloured glasses off.
Or do you think the Tigers have greatly improved? Because they lost 2 origin players and another WC player (or you could check your next post about how BA only bought cheapies and apply that to Cleary)

 

[lingard]

I am not going to get involved in any petty squabbling, but I think given our salary cap dramas he really only had 1 off season to buy new players.
2014/15 we were over the cap limit.
2015/16 we were over the cap limit.
2016/17 we were ON the cap limit.
2017/18 he spent about $1m on Hayne, Evans and Williams combined.

Hayne, Evans, and Williams were all low-priced gambles which (with the exception of Williams) haven't paid off so far. That's no fault of BA's. All player signings are a gamble. And who knows, Evans might come good, and so might Hayne. This horrendous start to the season was like a perfect storm of negatives that came all at once (extreme heat; loss of Radradra; horrendous penalty counts and possession rates - all impacting severely on a forward pack not suited to those conditions). I think it's taken us all a while to process the shock of it. But I think we're getting there.

 

[Glenneel]

Wouldn't take Peats back. After Cameron Smith the well is pretty dry. Not a great fan of any "9". Hopefully Mahoney is da man or Schnider.

Both may be great but Cook is a proven performer. Not sure his contract status but if available I'd offer $800k to get him here.

 

[Glenneel]

Which rosters GREATLY improved? Even the Knights only brought into their forwards the likes of Guerra, Lillyman & Griffin. Would you in all honestly take any of them over any one we currently have? If you say yes, then you really need to take your hate coloured glasses off.
Or do you think the Tigers have greatly improved? Because they lost 2 origin players and another WC player (or you could check your next post about how BA only bought cheapies and apply that to Cleary)

Now you've really lost the plot. What hate coloured glasses?

 

[84 Baby]

Talk about a negative Nellie, criticising someone who makes sense while offering nothing in reply. 8,9 & 10 have been an obvious problem for us for years and so has lack of offloading by the forwards. If some here can see it why can't the coaching staff. BA has had over 4 years to fix it and done nothing but buy, so it appears, players on the cheap. Looking at our roster we should have millions to spend but obviously don't. We can only deduce by that many of our players are overpaid. So you're saying that in 4 years there was no decent hooker available for BA to buy are you?

Ouch a negative nellie coming from King Panties-in-a-Twist. I've said this before the hooking stocks competition wide are pretty low. The only ones that have changed clubs that would have been a genuine improvement OVER the 4 years would have been McInnes & Cook. I didn't even rate McInnes and he'll be NSW hooker this year. I rated Cook but at the time we had Peats, Kaysa & IDG and at the time he wasn't obviously better than any of them (except in the injury proneness category). I didn't have a big sook over BA's inability to see the future greatness of Damian f**king Cook & not immediately ceremoniously ripping up Kaysa's & IDG's contracts while offering Cook a contract "too good to refuse".

I'll put the same question to you as Ram. How many 8s, 9s & 10s have changed clubs in the time BA has been here that we haven't signed, that have further improved or at least not got worse at their new clubs and who could have fit within our squad comfortably cap & numbers wise?
Further to that if you want to whinge that BA should have planned for squad room season to season, then you will have to have identified those talented front rowers from a period of X years between BA's failure to maintain cap space and said player becoming good/changing clubs

I look forward to your non-response

 

[84 Baby]

Now you've really lost the plot. What hate coloured glasses?

Quality answer

 

[lingard]

Which rosters GREATLY improved? Even the Knights only brought into their forwards the likes of Guerra, Lillyman & Griffin. Would you in all honestly take any of them over any one we currently have? If you say yes, then you really need to take your hate coloured glasses off.

Not hate coloured glasses. That's simplistic and stupid. Disillusioned, frustrated, maybe. Something wrong with that?

 

[lingard]

I think the more pertinent question is:

Given his role for our team, does he really need to be?

I think an even more pertinent question is, don't you think we need at least two or three forwards who are at least in the top 50% of fowards in the game (and probably at least one who is at current rep-level forward) if we are to be consistently competitive in the NRL?
How many of the above can you count in our pack?

 

[84 Baby]

Not hate coloured glasses. That's simplistic and stupid. Disillusioned, frustrated, maybe. Something wrong with that?

Are you talking to me or Glenn?

 

[Soren Lorenson]

Both may be great but Cook is a proven performer. Not sure his contract status but if available I'd offer $800k to get him here.

800k for Cook? I respectfully disagree with that.

 

[Glenneel]

I am not going to get involved in any petty squabbling, but I think given our salary cap dramas he really only had 1 off season to buy new players.
2014/15 we were over the cap limit.
2015/16 we were over the cap limit.
2016/17 we were ON the cap limit.
2017/18 he spent about $1m on Hayne, Evans and Williams combined.

But realistically how could we even be close to the cap with the calibre of players we had?
RS actually did some good (for all his faults) and came in and immediately got the projector out and sacked 12 and bought a few decent players to the club. Did the same at the Raiders and I'm not sure of their cap status when he arrived.

 

[Gronk]

But realistically how could we even be close to the cap with the calibre of players we had?
RS actually did some good (for all his faults) and came in and immediately got the projector out and sacked 12 and bought a few decent players to the club. Did the same at the Raiders and I'm not sure of their cap status when he arrived.

I think you need to reflect on why you think RS did good. IIRC many of the players he punted got deals with other teams but we were stuck paying for a large chunk of their contracts out of our cap for years after. Then he walked out on us

The Ricky Stuart Tornado left a path of destruction that took us years to recover from.

 

[Glenneel]

Ouch a negative nellie coming from King Panties-in-a-Twist. I've said this before the hooking stocks competition wide are pretty low. The only ones that have changed clubs that would have been a genuine improvement OVER the 4 years would have been McInnes & Cook. I didn't even rate McInnes and he'll be NSW hooker this year. I rated Cook but at the time we had Peats, Kaysa & IDG and at the time he wasn't obviously better than any of them (except in the injury proneness category). I didn't have a big sook over BA's inability to see the future greatness of Damian f**king Cook & not immediately ceremoniously ripping up Kaysa's & IDG's contracts while offering Cook a contract "too good to refuse".

I'll put the same question to you as Ram. How many 8s, 9s & 10s have changed clubs in the time BA has been here that we haven't signed, that have further improved or at least not got worse at their new clubs and who could have fit within our squad comfortably cap & numbers wise?
Further to that if you want to whinge that BA should have planned for squad room season to season, then you will have to have identified those talented front rowers from a period of X years between BA's failure to maintain cap space and said player becoming good/changing clubs

I look forward to your non-response

When have I ever been negative except when it was deserved. The team picked for the first game of the season I said was very poor. How did that work out? Evans has been ordinary for over 2 years now, same with Williams, and I didn't like their recruitment. So far 1 right and 1 wrong and if Evans comes good then I'm pleased. I'm not always right but my judgement of players is usually pretty good. I saw Cook play for Dogs and was impressed, I've seen Fainga'a play in the WC and was similarly impressed. Will he kick on, who knows, but hopefully BA will give him a chance.

Now if Pou was here he'd give us a list but I couldn't be bothered but I'll mention 2 names of players I hoped BA would go for, Vaughan and Packer. Would think both are better than what we currently have.

 

[Glenneel]

I think you need to reflect on why you think RS did good. IIRC many of the players he punted got deals with other teams but we were stuck paying for a large chunk of their contracts out of our cap for years after. Then he walked out on us

The Ricky Stuart Tornado left a path of destruction that took us years to recover from.

Yes he was far from perfect but getting rid of the deadwood probably gave us room in the cap to buy a few decent players even if we paid them at other clubs. Did you think of that?