Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

Why do people keep banging on about getting Matt Lodge ... has he been good for the Broncos this year? ... they arent exactly setting the world on fire either .... if he was in our current team i bet he would be as crap as the rest of our mob

He’s no star but he does add some size, which we need, and he can play decent minutes without becoming a defensive weakness. Our most effective runners last night were Matagi and Vae, but they only made eight hit ups between them.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The f**ken pyscho shouldn't even be playing rugby league.

He shouldn’t, but if he’s going to play he may as well play for us.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

They are certainly better than Kane Evans, Terepo, Matagi. He would be on less money too

He won’t be on less money when he signs his next contract.

 

[Noise]

He won’t be on less money when he signs his next contract.

At least he'd be earning his money. Unlike those other guys

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Our roster is not fine, if it was we'd be going much better. We need a good cleanout and adopt the Roosters formula imo, good top 17 and fill the squad out with juniors and journeymen.

Given we have half a dozen top 17 players out, that means we would have a third of our team made up of reserve graders right now. So instead of losing half our games on penalty goals we would’ve been flogged by 30 points instead.

No Brown knew what he wanted for this year. He already had a reasonably decent squad but was missing experience and leadership so bought that in plus the X factor in Ponga. Got this kid for an absoluter bargain.

And if he got injured they’d be a different team. Injuries change everything.

 

[Gronk]

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)

=============

Add Jnr and I still think we have a strong nucleus for 2019.

Are all development players under contract and will they roll into top 30 ?

 

[jason taylor]

I remember back in 2006, our forwards were depleted.

Of course Fui was suspended...

 

[I bleed blue & gold]

Josh Cordoba was a bloody star for us in that period.

The depth we had at the club back then was amazing.

Come back Smithy Fitzy has no say anymore. Head of football should be yours mate.

I also remember Luke Odwyer playing some good footy for us in the centers.

 

[hineyrulz]

I also remember Luke Odwyer playing some good footy for us in the centers.

Smithy always seemed to have the happy knack of finding someone from nowhere and doing a job for us.

Adam Peek was another.

 

[hineyrulz]

Of course Fui was suspended...

Was that BS shot on Kite where he pretend to have died??? f**k Manly!!

 

[Glenneel]

If they are fatigued from the opening whistle, then I suppose you're right.

No our issue is that the coach didn't balance the squad right. We have the squad that he has bought. We are coming last. He has failed dismally. Last year he was heading in the right direction. But then he failed to correct and or improve on the deficiencies within the squad whatever they might be since we can't seem to agree on what they are.

But what you cannot deny is that we are a worse team then last year, unless you want to look like an even bigger intellectual buffoon then you normally do, since we are coming LAST and he is in charge of all our successes and failures. End of story. He is failing and the season is only going to get longer and uglier for him.

His only reprieve will be if he can pull off major signings to appease the masses and silence the drums of death that will be calling him out. Then even if he does make a few good to great signings he had better hope that he can reinvent himself as a coach and regain whatever damage will be lingering from such a failed and totally destructive abortion of a season where we are now one of the 3 or 4 teams vying for the spoon, again. In a season where we were meant to be serious title contenders.

After last nite's game really think the coach has NFI. Our team hasn't evolved over the 4 plus years BA has had them and every coach has worked that out. It all starts at the forwards, as our backline is fine, and their inability to win the ruck and apply pressure is impinging on what the halves can do. Fix the forwards and the halves will work fine.

In the Manly game the forwards offloaded and we looked good. Then in the Tigers game our offloading was much less and since then basically nothing. Last nite Alvaro offloaded and a try resulted, same with Taka and then practically nothing. And no more tries scored. What I fear is that even if decent forwards come into the team BA will have NFI how to use them.

 

[Bazal]

Smithy always seemed to have the happy knack of finding someone from nowhere and doing a job for us.

Adam Peek was another.

I'll never forget Adam Peek, who was solid and useful but hit about as hard as a leaf of lettuce, smacking some Penrith half (Craig Gower maybe?) at Penrith in a game we needed to win to make the finals and being sent off... Merkin hit him square in the chest and I still believe Peek was sent off because no one believed he actually put on a hard, legal hit lol. Cost us the game and a potential finals berth, we were well on track.

 

[Glenneel]

You were awarded Captain Black and White’s ‘Annual Simpleton’ award from 2009-2017. Bad luck about getting runner up to @Glenneel this year.

Did I win something? Goody!

 

[Glenneel]

Which group understands binary?

Its all zeros and ones to me.

 

[Glenneel]

So what went right the previous two years? A winger making a dozen runs and three tackles turned a wooden spoon pack into a team capable of winning 60% of its games?

Now you get it Pou!

 

[Gary Gutful]

The answer to your question involves cool heads, a review of his recruitment, tactics, unforseen circumstances that may have arose which prevent the team performing at high levels (injuries or off field shenanigans) and off contract coaches who could offer better outcomes.

You dont replace a coach for the sake of change. It may be that 6 new players and a bit of luck with injuries may be all we need.

In an ideal world you don’t but all teams have impatient fans and sponsors who demand change.

This drives decisions and unfortunately has resulted in the tenure of many coaches being cut short.

 

[Glenneel]

I move that we make all games days pants off days.

Lets run 'no pants day' in the middle of June in Canberra. Then we'd see everyone's shortcomings.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

He's white mate, he could pull a gun on them and still be odds on to walk away

If only that was the case for Justine Damond

 

[Glenneel]

Given we have half a dozen top 17 players out, that means we would have a third of our team made up of reserve graders right now. So instead of losing half our games on penalty goals we would’ve been flogged by 30 points instead.

And if he got injured they’d be a different team. Injuries change everything.

Of course injuries affect your performance but we were shit except for the first 30 mins of the season. We also had injuries last year but our performance wasn't that effected. Why don't you mention that as LY apparently is your benchmark that you want to measure everything off!

And why don't we kick for goal when the opportunity presents itself? Must be BAs coaching so blame the coach for those close losses. And attitude and confidence, also up to the coach to address that, but the same old excuse dished out each week by BA at the press conference. Dumb plays, another consistent thread in same said conferences, did we train for them in off-season or is the pressure of winning weighing on the players? So many excuses by the coach but so little progress on fixing them, makes me think the coach has NFI.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

At least he'd be earning his money. Unlike those other guys

It would all depend how much he’s paid. I reckon we’d be getting good value from Terepo. Last year Matagi would’ve been providing value, as would Brown. Are we getting value from Brown this year? It depends on how big his upgrade was. But we are getting zero value while he’s injured. Likewise Evans, Hayne and Williams.