Rumours and Stuff

[JokerEel]

Bottom line though as the season is unfolding and as many here have predicted, we stink at hooker and no one at the club is a real capable option. It has become a train wreck of a deficiency.

We as supporters including me, but not Pou or Gronk, were scratching our heads from the moment we signed Hodgson and were lamenting the decision especially since there were definitely way better candidates on the market then him that were available.

Well no one wins a premiership without a quality dummy half. Add in the lack of go forward with only 2 quality props and the lack of quality in 2 of our outside back positions, then it is pretty obvious that we will be struggling to get out of the bottom 4 by seasons end.

Our clubs coaching staff and recruit and retention committee have totally ballsed it all up. We are amateur fans who saw this train wreck coming so how the hell did they not? It wasn't all that hard. It wasn't like we had quality players that have lost form for whatever reason as sometimes happens and the team suffers because of it. These deficiencies were/are brighter then the sun for all to see. Then we chose to fix them with nobodies and a broken down geriatric.

We are a joke. I doubt that they will even know how to address it for next season let alone this. Glacier and Potato head will make sure of it.

I wish our club had the balls to sack Potato Head right now and insert Flanagan. The man is a talent no matter what people think of him and he is the sort of coach that can run the whole show from juniors to NRL and he is now a media guy which can only be of benefit as well and the Fox team at the very least will treat us much better for it, especially derps like Ennis.

We should never have extended the potato head again. I just can't believe how we have squandered our premiership window like this. I feel so deflated. This club just can not get things right. I basically have stopped watch us play. All I ever do now is just forward our games to the end. Then switch off. Thanks Potato Head and Parra management you really know how to treat your fans. But obviously management couldn't give a toss as long as they can string enough people along to keep turning up, Potato Head is safe. So in other words Potato Head is safe till the end of his contract.

Thank God for the Dolphins this season. They shame our clubs management big time. Fins Up!!

First line makes no sense is Hands not doing a good job?

 

[JokerEel]

I think people are missing the big picture.

Wighton signs on for the 1st two years at $800K, then in years 3 and 4 his salary is bumped up to $1.2m. So this then totals over the 4 years to an average of $1m. Which the NRL will deem as an acceptable difference and fair market value, just as they did with our offer to Moses compared to what the Tigers were desperately offering. Whighton himself has reasoned that the $100K shortfall per season is something that he can live with if it gives him the opportunity to have a decent shot at a title before he dies and he gets to play with his Souths mates too.

The Rabbits will be more then capable of doing this because they expect both Walker and Cook to have retired then and there is no way that they will be paying whoever they replace them with what both those guys are currently on over those two final years of Wightons deal.

Pretty simple really and logical.

The little Devil on my left shoulder though keeps telling me what if the Rabbits win it this year, which they have a very realistic chance of doing so? What then? Will the Rabbits have the same thirst or hunger to back it up again in 2024 or 2025? I seriously don't think so, a lot of their players aren't the type. But the Angel on my right shoulder keeps telling me not to listen to the angry little red pitched forked Father of Lies and keeps yelling across my shoulder for him to shut the 'F' up.

Best laid plans and all, best laid plans.

It's not stated as that though. I assume they see him as a 5/8 when Walker expires in a season or 2

 

[84 Baby]

It touched on Hodgson but wasn't written to be all about him. Only the blinkered would read it as that.

Hodgson has been bad. But you can't just throw the baby out with the bathwater. We had to find a way to give Reed a rest and now many of you are ignoring that logic and want to throw a 5 game rookie into the deep end, just because he did OK vs a shithouse Dogs side.

Hands playing 80 mins vs Newcastle is a dumb idea and will only cause the very problems you are trying to avoid. It's not as if Hodgson on the bench is keeping another from being selected, because we have no depth. So why not throw him on ? Even if it's 15 before 1/2 time and 15 after ? How else are you going to look after your rookie hooker in the final 20 mins ?

Suggest you search my posts for Hodgson/Hands. I’ve said from his first game Hands isn’t the answer yet, maybe ever, but he’s been better than Hodgson. My thoughts are to drop Hodgson (because as the analysis showed - he’s been garbage) to retool his game/encourage him to not return next year, start Hands with best case he plays 80, worst case have Jrthur on bench for cover in last 20 minutes or however long.

Hands may not be the answer but so far his weaknesses aren’t being exposed as badly as Hodgson’s are

 

[hindy111]

The hope was Hodgson turns back the clock.
The issue is he hasn't

The problem is we signed him for 2yrs

The solution is we have none

 

[84 Baby]

I think it's only awful under fatigue. With more possession that will be less of a factor. Look at Brendan Hands' sole 80-minute defensive performance this year. Every week he has a fairly low work rate with a corresponding tackle effectiveness over 85% (on two occasions it was 100%). But against the Bulldogs, one of the weakest attacking teams, his effectiveness was down at 80%. Fatigue gets everyone, in the middle at least.

Well then Hodgson needs to get fitter because he is getting fatigued early in the first half. That’s not good either.

Again I’m not advocating 80 minutes for Hands but even if he’s doing less than Hodgson, what he is doing better is so clearly a net positive to the team.

 

[84 Baby]

He has only made five errors in seven games. It's not a stat that hookers typically accumulate a lot of, which is a big part of why the position is important, given they literally touch the ball more than anyone else. The only one in the top 50 in the NRL for errors is Mahoney.

As for penalties, it's tempting to assume that they are all accidental negative outcomes caused by ill discipline, but if you look at the top 50 most penalised players you'll see plenty of smart, experienced operators there: https://www.nrl.com/stats/players/?competition=111&season=2023&stat=1000026

He’s still made errors and do you honestly think Hodgson’s penalties were based on tactical planning?

 

[Legal Eel]

Well then Hodgson needs to get fitter because he is getting fatigued early in the first half. That’s not good either.

Again I’m not advocating 80 minutes for Hands but even if he’s doing less than Hodgson, what he is doing better is so clearly a net positive to the team.

I agree with you but there is no point critiquing Hodgsons form to Gronk/Pou - they don’t accept the premise that Hodgson has been poor and believe he has been a victim of completion rates.

Unfortunately, this stubborn reluctance to see the obvious is shared by our obstinate coach - and if it doesn’t change soon we are doomed this year

 

[hindy111]

Well then Hodgson needs to get fitter because he is getting fatigued early in the first half. That’s not good either.

Again I’m not advocating 80 minutes for Hands but even if he’s doing less than Hodgson, what he is doing better is so clearly a net positive to the team.

Parra fit is what he needs to get

 

[84 Baby]

I agree with you but there is no point critiquing Hodgsons form to Gronk/Pou - they don’t accept the premise that Hodgson has been poor and believe he has been a victim of completion rates.

Unfortunately, this stubborn reluctance to see the obvious is shared by our obstinate coach - and if it doesn’t change soon we are doomed this year

Well I think BA is hamstrung by Hodgson being our main hooker. Per dollars he is almost obligated to play him. As raised the alternatives aren’t great either. It was a high risk shot that hasn’t paid off so far

 

[84 Baby]

Parra fit is what he needs to get

Shut the f**k up with your shit

 

[emjaycee]

It wasn't like we had quality players that have lost form for whatever reason as sometimes happens and the team suffers because of it. These deficiencies were/are brighter then the sun for all to see. Then we chose to fix them with nobodies and a broken down geriatric.

I don't think Matterson and Lane were in very good form for the first 3 games this year.

These were the games we played against quality opposition (which we lost 1 in golden point and the other 2 by 4 points each) where we scored the same amount of tries in each game but our kicker went 50%, 60% and 50%.

 

[hindy111]

Well I think BA is hamstrung by Hodgson being our main hooker. Per dollars he is almost obligated to play him. As raised the alternatives aren’t great either. It was a high risk shot that hasn’t paid off so far

How long do you think it will take to get him Parra fit but?
Took Kane Evans 2yrs mate. Don't underestimate the coaching staff

 

[Gazzamatta]

Mahoney announced to Dogs 24th November 2021.
Hodgson announced to Eels 10th December 2021.
2 weeks, 2 days apart. Fu*k that happened quick.
Panic buy or was Rheed shown the door?

 

[hindy111]

Mahoney announced to Dogs 24th November 2021.
Hodgson announced to Eels 10th December 2021.
2 weeks, 2 days apart. Fu*k that happened quick.
Panic buy or was Rheed shown the door?

Panic buy as they didn't think they'd lose Reed.

 

[TheRam]

So you have been primed to blame him for the team's struggles, no doubt like the author of the article. Because of your preconception you aren't looking at things objectively. Merkins whinging about Hodgson's defence against the Broncos and not noticing RCG's was worse, or that Paulo only made a tackle every four minutes in a game where we were targeted in the middle.

No I blame the lack of a quality 5, 4, 9, 15 and 16. Learn to read and interpret correctly.

 

[84 Baby]

Panic buy as they didn't think they'd lose Reed.

Call bullshit on that if Reed wanting to be his own man claim is to be believed

 

[King-Gutho94]

Mahoney announced to Dogs 24th November 2021.
Hodgson announced to Eels 10th December 2021.
2 weeks, 2 days apart. Fu*k that happened quick.
Panic buy or was Rheed shown the door?

it was definitely panic buy.

We were linked to Verills for a couple of days.

Then Hodgson one came out of the blue.

 

[Gronk]

I agree with you but there is no point critiquing Hodgsons form to Gronk/Pou - they don’t accept the premise that Hodgson has been poor and believe he has been a victim of completion rates

 

[TheRam]

First line makes no sense is Hands not doing a good job?

For a backup dummy half he is doing ok, but I doubt he will be our long term solution or put it this way, I hope we can do better.

 

[TheRam]

It's not stated as that though. I assume they see him as a 5/8 when Walker expires in a season or 2

Yeah they might do, but it will all depend on who they may or may not have coming through or any new recruit. Remember Wighton will also be coming to his last couple of years too and theoretically not have played 6 for 2 years.

Jeez this sight sucks, I had to try posting this post 5 different times before it worked.