Rumours and Stuff

[hindy111]

History tells us that plenty of players that come out of the storm system looked shit hot down there and bog average elsewhere. How is this any different?

It isn't. Every player looks good when you win. I come on here and Parra lose by 4 points. People want to sack 5 or 6 players. When they win by 4 the same 5 or 6 players get praised. Usually they had a simmilar performance. Difference was one mistake or goal kicking or a penalty and a costly time in the game.
Are we that far behind the top sides? NO. When we had our strongest line ups we where able to compete with every side in the NRL. We just rarely had it. And at times when we had one of our strongest lineups the season was shot anyhows.

 

[hindy111]

MJ against brisbane was a good example. He bombed 2 tries but it was also great defense thst stopped them. Had it been a lesser defensive effort MJ is MOM, parra win.
Instead he is passed it. A has been.

 

[Gary Gutful]

I think he sometimes gives them too many chances in top grade when they’re not performing, but he certainly has shown he will do it eventually.

In a lot of cases, he hasn't had any better replacements available.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

History tells us that plenty of players that come out of the storm system looked shit hot down there and bog average elsewhere. How is this any different?

And you think coaches are unaware of this and just offer top dollar?

Unlike most fans, coaches and administrators know that the difference between the top clubs and the bottom clubs is only a couple of players, either leaders who improve their team mates or attacking stars who make their mates' jobs easier. These players are extremely expensive and tend to congregate at clubs with the most TPAs, legal or otherwise.

So while teams requiring a certain type of player might have to sign him from elsewhere, it doesn't follow that they pay huge coin just because they signed him from a strong club. I reckon the strongest clubs pay most of their squad unders, and it doesn't take a great deal more to poach them away. The problem is that paying a little bit extra to every new signing all adds up, which is why you need a production line of juniors. So when your Nathan Brown gets a bigger offer from elsewhere you can just replace him in your top 17 with an Oregon Kaufusi. We bought Kane Evans because the only middle forward who graduated from our system in 2018 was the undersized Ray Stone, who wasn't ready for the top 30. In 2019 we've replaced Vave, Matagi and Scott in the top 30 with Paulo, Kaufusi and Stone.

 

[Gary Gutful]

It isn't. Every player looks good when you win. I come on here and Parra lose by 4 points. People want to sack 5 or 6 players. When they win by 4 the same 5 or 6 players get praised. Usually they had a simmilar performance. Difference was one mistake or goal kicking or a penalty and a costly time in the game.
Are we that far behind the top sides? NO. When we had our strongest line ups we where able to compete with every side in the NRL. We just rarely had it. And at times when we had one of our strongest lineups the season was shot anyhows.

Spot on.

Way too much emotion involved. They either want to give a player a reacharound or publicly stone him depending on the outcome of the match.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

There were other injuries in the pre-season:


https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ev...dud-buy-for-winless-eels-20180420-p4zav1.html

Little injuries. So if he's injury free this year you expect him to be a regular first grader?

 

[Gary Gutful]

And you think coaches are unaware of this and just offer top dollar?

Unlike most fans, coaches and administrators know that the difference between the top clubs and the bottom clubs is only a couple of players, either leaders who improve their team mates or attacking stars who make their mates' jobs easier. These players are extremely expensive and tend to congregate at clubs with the most TPAs, legal or otherwise.

So while teams requiring a certain type of player might have to sign him from elsewhere, it doesn't follow that they pay huge coin just because they signed him from a strong club. I reckon the strongest clubs pay most of their squad unders, and it doesn't take a great deal more to poach them away. The problem is that paying a little bit extra to every new signing all adds up, which is why you need a production line of juniors. So when your Nathan Brown gets a bigger offer from elsewhere you can just replace him in your top 17 with an Oregon Kaufusi. We bought Kane Evans because the only middle forward who graduated from our system in 2018 was the undersized Ray Stone, who wasn't ready for the top 30. In 2019 we've replaced Vave, Matagi and Scott in the top 30 with Paulo, Kaufusi and Stone.

Hindy already said most of this. Try and keep up, merkin.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

I agree to an extent, but it's also not too far fetched to suggest he started behind the eight-ball, and then when he got injured again it basically blew his fitness for a big chunk of the season. Especially as someone who was intending to increase his game time by almost 100%

There were no doubt other issues though. I just think Kane Evans is hardly worth all the attention he gets on here. He's hardly the watershed in the anti-BA movement some other posters hold him up to me.

Yeah but I've got nothing better to do.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Little injuries. So if he's injury free this year you expect him to be a regular first grader?

Little injuries on him, but he is quite big so they'd probably be fairly large injuries on a normal sized person.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

What about New Years and Australia Day?

He's Fijian ffs, no Australia day for him!

 

[Bazal]

Yeah but I've got nothing better to do.

Now that I can relate to!

Shall we argue about Bevan French next?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Aren’t you now contradicting yourself? So if he was a solid first grader as you say in 2015 and 2016 at the age of 23 and 24, and props tend to peak a bit later, why wouldn’t he expect to get top 17 money coming to a different club when he will be aged 26, 27 and 28?

Because he would've been on peanuts at the Roosters. 'Solid first graders' aren't all walk up starts for the top 17, especially middle forwards. A couple of middle forwards in each team are responsible for a majority of the carries. These are the blokes on good money. The rest would be on less than the '18th man'-type backup spine player or outside back, even if they're in the top 17 every week.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I think he sometimes gives them too many chances in top grade when they’re not performing, but he certainly has shown he will do it eventually.

He was happy to replace Edwards in the squad with Takairangi and Tony Williams at the start of the year. That shows he didn't see him as a walkup start for the top 17. He would've been just another of those depth players on $200k-$300k. Edwards also didn't play an extended period for Wenty, meaning he wasn't dropped because he had shit to work on.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Now that I can relate to!

Shall we argue about Bevan French next?

We should argue about what we should argue about next.

I say f**k French, lets talk about Andrew Davey.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Even if he wasn't in the best possible shape for the very first game, it's a bit of a stretch to claim that a broken arm suffered the year before is the reason he wasn't fit for the majority of the season.

He said the club wanted him to get bigger. The only time to do that is during the off season, and it requires heavy weights.

 

[Gary Gutful]

He was happy to replace Edwards in the squad with Takairangi and Tony Williams at the start of the year. That shows he didn't see him as a walkup start for the top 17. He would've been just another of those depth players on $200k-$300k. Edwards also didn't play an extended period for Wenty, meaning he wasn't dropped because he had shit to work on.

He could have worked on his attitude.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

That’s not obvious at all. I’m sure he was on his last chance but it’s a giant leap to suggest a guy midway through his contract was on the way out, just because it suits your argument.

So why replace him in the squad with two players (Takairangi and Williams) before a ball is even kicked?

 

[hindy111]

Yeah but I've got nothing better to do.

Either do I.

 

[Happy MEel]

So why replace him in the squad with two players (Takairangi and Williams) before a ball is even kicked?

Because BA thought those two would offer more. I disagree but that’s neither here nor there. Do you think Williams was on more than Edwards? He was picked ahead of him so by your reasoning he probably should be.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Little injuries. So if he's injury free this year you expect him to be a regular first grader?

I expect him to provide competition for spots. The only guaranteed top 17 middle forwards are Paulo, Alvaro, Brown and maybe Mannah. Plus Moeroa if he doesn't play exclusively out wide. These blokes will compete for the rest of the spots:

Evans
Kaufusi
Terepo
Gower

The backups will be Stone and Utoikamanu.