Rumours and Stuff

[Stagger eel]

Yes they do. They went 5W/4L including a bye in the first 10 rounds last year.

they must of lost with attitude though..

 

[King-Gutho94]

they must of lost with attitude though..

Penrith lost 3 games in the wet last year in the first 10 rounds.

Not sure if they won any in the wet after that period but Broncos, Eels & Tigers all beat them in wet and slippery conditions.

Maybe its a slight weakness in there game the wet conditions.

Plus the world club challenge also rained that night St Helens beat them

 

[the phantom menace]

With Blaise in top 30 would assume he is highly rated and will play fg sometime this year. Maybe even in first game of season depending on his performance in trials.

Maybe getting a top 30 contract just means his manager did his best on the deal? I'd imagine Talagi is still behind Sivo, Penisini, Russell and Simonssen (and maybe Harper) in the backline pecking order, at least for the start of the season.

Keen to see how Talagi goes in trials though, and perhaps later in the year - but it's a bit of a mystery why his profile and stats appeared then disappeared from the Eels website...

 

[84 Baby]

You are right Hindy, all teams should be judged on their front rowers and halves and the Dogs are very sus in both these areas.

Bottom 8 for mine unless a revelation front rower emerges from nowhere somehow. Very unlikely.

I don't think they can afford AFB and even if they could would he go there? The Dogs would have to pay me a record amount for a prop and lets not forget he is already reportedly the highest paid FR in the competition on over $1m. But I suppose the Dragons and Tigers aren't a much better option either.

If I were him I would be looking at teams like the Dolphins or Cowboys or even the Titans over any Sydney clubs that can afford him.

Addin Fonua Blake salary - Google Search

Fonua-Blake is one of the best forwards in the NRL and was named prop in the 2023 Dally M Team of the Year alongside Payne Haas. The 27-year-old was the highest-paid prop in the competition this year on a deal worth more than $1 million a season. 3 Nov 2023

He wants to return to Sydney (supposedly) so that rules out Queensland teams. Sharks or Dragons I’d say are most likely

 

[JokerEel]

Raiders lock in playmaker in major boost; Knights’ extension for star prop: NRL Transfer Centre

Raiders lock in playmaker in major boost; Knights’ extension for star prop: NRL Transfer Centre

www.foxsports.com.au

Really need to ask some questions about players deciding to leave their current club to go play second fiddle at the Raiders...

 

[GrayGirrafe1140]

Raiders lock in playmaker in major boost; Knights’ extension for star prop: NRL Transfer Centre

Raiders lock in playmaker in major boost; Knights’ extension for star prop: NRL Transfer Centre

www.foxsports.com.au

Really need to ask some questions about players deciding to leave their current club to go play second fiddle at the Raiders...

I’d say the length of this contract could show there’s some possibility of a backflip but sanders could easily play 6 for a couple years then move to 7. Also Jamal could easily play 6.

 

[84 Baby]

Raiders lock in playmaker in major boost; Knights’ extension for star prop: NRL Transfer Centre

Raiders lock in playmaker in major boost; Knights’ extension for star prop: NRL Transfer Centre

www.foxsports.com.au

Really need to ask some questions about players deciding to leave their current club to go play second fiddle at the Raiders...

Only going off what Fox have reported and I can’t be bothered thinking what the ramifications are, but we seem to put options out way more than other clubs

 

[JokerEel]

I’d say the length of this contract could show there’s some possibility of a backflip but sanders could easily play 6 for a couple years then move to 7. Also Jamal could easily play 6.

The problem is they also have Ethan Strange who will be their 5/8 and Jamal is singed till the end of 26?

 

[84 Baby]

I’d say the length of this contract could show there’s some possibility of a backflip but sanders could easily play 6 for a couple years then move to 7. Also Jamal could easily play 6.

They’ll also have Ethan Strange who’s as highly touted as Sanders. One of those players is going to be odd one out

 

[TheRam]

Yes they do. They went 5W/4L including a bye in the first 10 rounds last year.

Seriously, that was an anomaly for them the most consistent team in the NRL for the last 3 seasons by a long stretch. Do you or anyone else really think that they will be anything less then 3 of 4 in the first month next season barring injuries? We can only dream of reaching their level of consistency. We would have won a couple of premierships if we had under this Potato Head ffs!

Pull your head in smart arse.

 

[Soren Lorenson]

Seriously, that was an anomaly for them the most consistent team in the NRL for the last 3 seasons by a long stretch. Do you or anyone else really think that they will be anything less then 3 of 4 in the first month next season barring injuries? We can only dream of reaching their level of consistency. We would have won a couple of premierships if we had under this Potato Head ffs!

Pull your head in smart arse.

RAM DECLARES: if Parra were as good as Penrith we might have won the comp. I can see why Hindy looks up to you so much.

BTW, Penrith have Storm, Eels, Broncos and Roosters in the first 4 rounds especially after spending time in the UK for the WCC. They could easily drop three of those. But they'll probably still be good enough to recover.

 

[hindy111]

everyone knows the first month is always a lottery.

I think 10-15yrs ago it was. Sides had low fitness and poor completion rate at the start of the year. I reckon this has changed but. Sides start rnd 1 at the same quality as the middle of the season or very close.

 

[Stagger eel]

I think 10-15yrs ago it was. Sides had low fitness and poor completion rate at the start of the year. I reckon this has changed but. Sides start rnd 1 at the same quality as the middle of the season or very close.

that's right, you generally start separating the boys from men by about round 6.

The Dragons would make the play offs every year if the season proper finished in round 10,

 

[hindy111]

that's right, you generally start separating the boys from men by about round 6.

The Dragons would make the play offs every year if the season proper finished in round 10,

I reckon this also has to do with motivation. Especially by rnd 10. A lot of weaker sides realise they aren't good enough and start to lose motivation in half their games.
I sometimes watch us play and in the first 10mins you can see we just aren't switched on.
This is what makes sides like the Storm so dam good. I never see a game where they look off or down on motivation. If they lose its cause they where outplayed.

 

[TheRam]

RAM DECLARES: if Parra were as good as Penrith we might have won the comp. I can see why Hindy looks up to you so much.

BTW, Penrith have Storm, Eels, Broncos and Roosters in the first 4 rounds. They could easily drop three of those. But they'll probably still be good enough to recover.

That is one Hell of a start, but they should beat most if not all of those sides. I stand by my statement.

Oh I didn't say as good as Penrith I said as consistent. We actually have a slight edge in my opinion roster wise. But it is very close. It's our consistency that lets us down. From our very best to our very worst the gap is still way to broad. Theirs is almost always around minimum 7 or 8 out of 10 and then they lift to 9 and 10 out of 10 for the big games. We yo yo between 4 and 8 on any given game day, with the one or two 9 or 10 during the season randomly.

That sh*t needs to stop and we need to become consistent and the only way to do that is through our defense.

I don't hold out to much hope that things will change though. I can see us being exactly how we have been for the last 3 or so years. All over the place, but we will make the 8 and the club will be happy and fill justified in making their customary excuses in their end of season club statement as usual.

Cut and paste.

 

[hineyrulz]

I reckon this also has to do with motivation. Especially by rnd 10. A lot of weaker sides realise they aren't good enough and start to lose motivation in half their games.
I sometimes watch us play and in the first 10mins you can see we just aren't switched on.
This is what makes sides like the Storm so dam good. I never see a game where they look off or down on motivation. If they lose its cause they where outplayed.

Storm are never beat on effort, you can say that about the Panthers the last 4 seasons. Us not so much. You can see if we have turned up to play the first 5 mins.

 

[King-Gutho94]

I reckon this also has to do with motivation. Especially by rnd 10. A lot of weaker sides realise they aren't good enough and start to lose motivation in half their games.
I sometimes watch us play and in the first 10mins you can see we just aren't switched on.
This is what makes sides like the Storm so dam good. I never see a game where they look off or down on motivation. If they lose its cause they where outplayed.

You can tell after 5 mins if we are in the game or not.

The intensity of how the other team rolls down the field in the first 2-3 sets with our D is normally a good indicator.

I also reckon the first time the opposition teams gets a shot at our tryline and how we defend it as well.

Generally feel if we survive the opposition's first wave at us we should be okay and win

 

[84 Baby]

Seriously, that was an anomaly for them the most consistent team in the NRL for the last 3 seasons by a long stretch. Do you or anyone else really think that they will be anything less then 3 of 4 in the first month next season barring injuries? We can only dream of reaching their level of consistency. We would have won a couple of premierships if we had under this Potato Head ffs!

Pull your head in smart arse.

Since 2019 (when Cleary went back to Smugs), our 1 win in 2023 from opening 4 rounds of competition was way more anomalous, given we were 14 wins from 16 games in 2019-2022.
What’s really anomalous is in 2020-2022 Smugs won 11 from 12 in opening 4 rounds (the other game was a draw). In every other season Clearly has coached, including his first stint at Smugs, Tigers and Warriors tenures plus 2019 and this year, he won 2 from 4 exactly.

 

[84 Baby]

Storm are never beat on effort

Martina beats them on their effort enough

 

[Stagger eel]

Storm are never beat on effort, you can say that about the Panthers the last 4 seasons. Us not so much. You can see if we have turned up to play the first 5 mins.

well if you ask Bellyache he'll probably challenge you on that theory, there were at least 3 very Un-Melbourne performance's including the prelim against Penrith.