Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

I don't mind the 80 minute hooker plan BUT I find it counterintuitive if your plan is to run 4x forwards but then not even use them properly.

What does that even mean? You play the bench as much as you need to. In the grand final both coaches used two bench forwards each for no more than 22 minutes. The winning hooker played 80. Did they not use their benches properly? These are allegedly the best two coaches in the game ffs

 

[Poupou Escobar]

When the season is shot you blood guys for future.
I think by the time we signed Davey our season was already done.

That’s quitter mentality. You don’t start looking to next year until making the finals is impossible.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What would of happened if we did finish 8th do you think keeping in mind Moses was out for season with 5 weeks to go.
We get slaughtered imo

Or we win against the odds, like in Townsville the year before. Missing the finals means we don’t get to find out.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I looked back at Ofahengaue as well. We signed him when we were only a loss behind 8th and had a decent F/A. So again is anyone going to write the season off at that point if their balls are on the line?

Anyway it seems odd to me that people are hung up on signing Davey when Ofahengaue is so clearly the bigger risk (also potentially bigger reward), and even more so people are far happier to give Ofahengaue the benefit of doubt. If it were Pou saying that, you’d probably be up his asshole about it

The high water mark of our season was half time in round 17 against the Dolphins. Davey and Ofahengaue both played in that game, and we finished the round in fifth place. It was all downhill from there. Two weeks later (after the bye) we played the Warriors with RCG and our entire spine unavailable. Got analed.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

There’ll be some cool homosexual slurs now

Analed by homophobia

 

[Poupou Escobar]

At best and a big if we beat Newcastle week 1.
Storm or Warriors smash us week 2

Or they take us lightly and we win

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Cashed up and no one to spend it on.

Surely they mean cashed up for the 2025 season. Nobody would still have significant cap space available in February of the current season.

 

[Lemon Squash]

What does that even mean? You play the bench as much as you need to. In the grand final both coaches used two bench forwards each for no more than 22 minutes. The winning hooker played 80. Did they not use their benches properly? These are allegedly the best two coaches in the game ffs

You are an argumentative merkin aren’t you? Your comment makes no sense… I already said I have no qualms with an 80 minute hooker BUT I don’t see the point of running an 80 minute hooker for the sake of it and freeing up a bench spot when you are then going to use that spot on another forward and play him for 0-15 minutes in a game. Which BA does regularly.

Last time I checked Rugby League was a game played 17 v 17

Of course your starting players generally are going to get more minutes, but why for example would you pick Lussick and bust him for 80 minutes when we could have Hands or even Asi on the bench who either of can then also cover halves and centre if required?

Even if that utility plays 0-15 minutes I would prefer that for coverage and offering a point of difference then just another plodding forward coming on who is getting a run for the sake of it.

 

[King-Gutho94]

Surely they mean cashed up for the 2025 season. Nobody would still have significant cap space available in February of the current season.

Well we did last year.

We added Davey, Joffa and Lussick after Round 9.

That's probably around 400-500k of cap space there between the 3 of them. Where did the money come from all of a sudden at those points of the season.

Since MON has come on the board and this recruitment committee has focused on cap management we have seen a conservative approach that has seen us have plenty of unused money available during the season for the past 3-4 years.

I remember in 2022 we tried to sign Taupau and klemmer before the finals so clearly we had cash to spend still.

Previous season I think we had money available as we tried to get Milford when the QLD hub started up.

So it seems like a cap plan every year to keep some dollars available for any mid-season purchases.

While we keep waiting for this mysterious x-factor to pop up.

 

[hineyrulz]

Well we did last year.

We added Davey, Joffa and Lussick after Round 9.

That's probably around 400-500k of cap space there between the 3 of them. Where did the money come from all of a sudden at those points of the season.

Since MON has come on the board and this recruitment committee has focused on cap management we have seen a conservative approach that has seen us have plenty of unused money available during the season for the past 3-4 years.

I remember in 2022 we tried to sign Taupau and klemmer before the finals so clearly we had cash to spend still.

Previous season I think we had money available as we tried to get Milford when the QLD hub started up.

So it seems like a cap plan every year to keep some dollars available for any mid-season purchases.

While we keep waiting for this mysterious x-factor to pop up.

Great post, the only thing missing as asking Pou for a source for all his BS.

 

[King-Gutho94]

‘Is this the right call?’: Reed Mahoney reveals early doubts as Dogs star makes big captaincy admission

‘Is this the right call?’: Mahoney reveals early doubts as Dogs star makes big captaincy admission

www.foxsports.com.au

Mahoney was asked by foxsports.com.au if it was tough moving from a side that were only one win away from lifting the premiership trophy to the Bulldogs

Mahoney admitted he briefly questioned whether his move was the right decision but revealed it was the character of the people around him which ensured he kept the faith.

“Well they (Parramatta) didn’t make finals either so that made me feel better, look mate you want to come here and think you’re having an immediate impact on the group,” he said.

Thanks Reedy for your support.

 

[Glenneel]

I think Pou was being a tad sarcastic.
Playing on the notion that “we need to win games AND give development to players”. These 2 things rarely work hand in hand within the same season.
BA could have very well given Moretti more game time last year, or Greig, or expand that to letting a Paulo/RCG walk in favour of Greig, or Drown/Moses in favour of Sanders. These moves may MAY get us closer to a premiership, but they would definitely add time to get us closer (possibly extending over season/s).

And of course if we gave Moretti that development in exchange for an even worse season last year, absolutely no one on here would complain about that.

Bringing in Sanders to replace Moses will certainly not guarantee a premiership unless he is (NRL) elite at his young age. Drown I would not consider moving on as so much upside despite some underwhelming performances so far. With a bit more maturity he should become more consistent.

Sanders is probably elite amongst his young peer group but as regards NRL halves comparison down towards the bottom. You also have the possibility that he could go off the rails before establishing himself which has happened to many a young NRL player in the past, and Parra certainly haven't been immune to this. It usually takes years in the NRL to become elite and atm Moses would be in the top 5 imo (certainly top 2 for NSW).

Regarding forward rotation hopefully this year we have enough punch off the bench that BA doesn't leave the starters on too long as he has in the past. Last year there were times the starters were gassed (if I could see it surely they could) and should have been substituted much earlier and this cost us games. Also the rediculous tactic of getting off the tackled players quickly led to ref bias imo. What I mean is that if we didn't get off quickly they would blow penalty/6 again because of the perception that we were holding down. Hope this has been replaced with more holding down to get our defensive line reset.

 

[Glenneel]

What would of happened if we did finish 8th do you think keeping in mind Moses was out for season with 5 weeks to go.
We get slaughtered imo

*Gutho?

 

[84 Baby]

Bringing in Sanders to replace Moses will certainly not guarantee a premiership unless he is (NRL) elite at his young age. Drown I would not consider moving on as so much upside despite some underwhelming performances so far. With a bit more maturity he should become more consistent.

Sanders is probably elite amongst his young peer group but as regards NRL halves comparison down towards the bottom. You also have the possibility that he could go off the rails before establishing himself which has happened to many a young NRL player in the past, and Parra certainly haven't been immune to this. It usually takes years in the NRL to become elite and atm Moses would be in the top 5 imo (certainly top 2 for NSW).

Regarding forward rotation hopefully this year we have enough punch off the bench that BA doesn't leave the starters on too long as he has in the past. Last year there were times the starters were gassed (if I could see it surely they could) and should have been substituted much earlier and this cost us games. Also the rediculous tactic of getting off the tackled players quickly led to ref bias imo. What I mean is that if we didn't get off quickly they would blow penalty/6 again because of the perception that we were holding down. Hope this has been replaced with more holding down to get our defensive line reset.

I get why BA uses forwards a lot, because if the game is on the line, I think I’d prefer Junior on over Greig. But I think this year with Matterson, Hopgood, Ofahengaue along with Greig & Tuilagi I think we’ll see extended rotations. Have to remember sometimes that we used to really only have Niukore on bench as a capable first grader.

And with the “nice guy” routine it’s definitely a double edged sword. I think we’re definitely given a bit of extra leniency but the tipping point is a sheer cliff into penalty after penalty

 

[TheRam]

That’s quitter mentality. You don’t start looking to next year until making the finals is impossible.

Aren't you the one that always says, 'who cares what the fans think or say?' Peanut!

 

[TheRam]

Surely they mean cashed up for the 2025 season. Nobody would still have significant cap space available in February of the current season.

How would you know and before you say how would they know? They have contacts, you don't.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

You are an argumentative merkin aren’t you?

You are ffs!!!

Your comment makes no sense… I already said I have no qualms with an 80 minute hooker BUT I don’t see the point of running an 80 minute hooker for the sake of it and freeing up a bench spot when you are then going to use that spot on another forward and play him for 0-15 minutes in a game. Which BA does regularly.

Last time I checked Rugby League was a game played 17 v 17

Except only 16 are actually needed. We see this often, including in grand finals. The Storm won in 2020 with Hynes spending 80 minutes on the bench.

This means that final bench spot is for whatever the coach wants, including unused (in a tight game) injury cover. Or a reserve grader who tries his best and deserves a ten minute reward in first grade.

Given so many modern players can play long minutes, and the fact that plenty of clubs don’t have 17 first graders available in a given week, there’s no point giving decent minutes to every bench merkin for the sake of it. Ryan Matterson’s 65th minute is better than Moretti’s tenth. It’s a simple equation.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

How would you know and before you say how would they know? They have contacts, you don't.

I’m sure they have contacts. I’m saying they are reporting sloppily, to stir up the fans. We’re cashed up! We’ll sign some mad merkin (who is already contracted) before round one!!! It’s fantasy land. Stop reading rugby league news. It makes you dumbos dumber.

 

[hineyrulz]

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We added Davey, Joffa and Lussick after Round 9.

That's probably around 400-500k of cap space there between the 3 of them. Where did the money come from all of a sudden at those points of the season.

Buying them late in the season costs less than of you have to pay them for 12 months, especially if their old club has front loaded the payout. And we did have a medical retirement through the year, which frees up cash.